VOL. X. 



The Oologist. 



ALBION, N. Y., AUG.. 1893. 



NO. 8 



/SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF ALEXANDER 

 WILSON. 



Journey to the Falls of Niagara. 



G. Vkooman Smith. 



V. 



In the mouth of October, 1804, Wil- 

 • sou accompanied by two compauious, 

 ; Duncan and Leech, set out on foot to 



■ visit the Falls of Niagara. The journey 

 there and back was performed in fifty- 

 nine days at a late season of the year 



: and through almost an uninhabited 



■ country. On his return he published 

 in the form of a poem, entitled "The 

 Foresters," an account of his remark- 

 able journey. "The Foresters" com- 

 menced in the July, 1809, number of 

 The Portfolio, a monthly magazine pub- 

 lished at Philadelphia aud continued 

 through nine numbers. The poem 

 possessed considerable merit, though 

 strongly marked with the prevailing 

 faults of his poetical style. 



It was Indian Summer when Wilson 

 -.and his two companions standing on 

 the green banks of Schuylkill's winding 

 iflood bade their parting friends adieu 

 tfor a tour through the northern forests, 

 .as the region lying between Philadel- 

 phia and Niagara was then called. 

 'They took their way northward through 

 the old village of Germantown where 

 'but a few years previous the roar of the 

 ■cannon signalized the strife for Ameri- 

 can Independence. The second day's 

 journey iay through the fertile county 

 of Bucks, where the pious Quaker leads 

 a life of thriftness and economy. The 

 barren, sterile heights of Northampton 

 county with the German's all-conquer- 

 insr industry, next came under the for- 

 esters' notice Passing the town of 

 Faston they pursue their course over 



bare mountains till the high towering 

 peaks of Blue Mountain appear in front, 

 and whose steeps each traveller ascends. 

 From the summit a vast extent of 

 country lay in range of the vision, and 

 that atmospheric deception so com- 

 monly seen in this region was equally 

 deceptive to Wilson. He says "the 

 effect of this deception was really as- 

 tonishing. Nothing could be more evi- 

 dent to the eye — the shores, the waters, 

 studded with numerous islands seemed 

 to disappear as if by enchantment." 

 While descending the rough mountain 

 side a solitary hawk was seen sailing 

 serene and eyeing the expanse below. 

 Fluttering in its own blood at Wilson's 

 feet, whose shot had brought it dow r n, 

 Duncan remaked 



Thus falls many a son of pride 

 While buoy'd in thought o'er all the world 

 wide. 



On their way they perchance stray 

 into a country school. The account of 

 the schoolmaster dictated by Wilson's 

 own experience is written with great 

 truth and energy. They spent that 

 night at a humble settler's hut far in 

 the forest. The host spread before 

 them the best his meagre store afforded, 

 and made the evening pass quickly and 

 pleasantly by relating his hunting and 

 trapping adventures among the moun- 

 tains. Before the sun arose over the 

 eastern hills we again find o,ur travel- 

 ers shouldering their knapsacks and 

 trudging along, now beside a noisy 

 creek, now ascending a steep incline or 

 pursuing their way through deepening 

 swamps where large pines and hem- 

 locks exclude the light of day. Near 

 the close of the afternoon they were 

 passing through an oak grove, when a 

 black bear, so common in these moun- 

 tains, was startled from his feast among 



