GREAT PINE SWAMP. 57 



to the excellent wife and rosy children of my friend, and to his kind ne- 

 phew. Jediah Irish, shouldering his heavy rifle, accompanied me, and 

 trudging directly across the mountains, we arrived at Mauch Chunk in 

 good time for dinner. Shall I ever have the pleasure of seeing that good, 

 that generous man again ? 



At Mauch Chunk, where we both spent the night, Mr White, the ci- 

 vil engineer, visited me, and looked at the drawings which I had made 

 in the Great Pine Forest. The news he gave me of my sons, then in 

 Kentucky, made me still more anxious to move in their direction, and, 

 long before day-break, I shook hands with the goodman of the forest, 

 and found myself moving towards the capital of Pennsylvania, having as 

 my sole companion a sharp frosty breeze. Left to my thoughts, I felt 

 amazed that such a place as the Great Pine Forest should be so little 

 known to the Philadelphians, scarcely any of whom could direct me to- 

 wards it. How much is it to be regretted, thought I, that the many 

 young gentlemen who are there so much at a loss how to employ their 

 leisure days, should not visit these wild retreats, valuable as they are to 

 the student of nature. How differently would they feel, if, instead of 

 spending weeks in smoothing a useless bow, and walking out in full dress, 

 intent on displaying the make of their legs, to some rendezvous where 

 they may enjoy their wines, they were to occupy themselves in contem- 

 plating the rich profusion which nature has poured around them, or even 

 in procuring some desiderated specimen for their PeaWs Museum, once 

 so valuable and so finely arranged ? But alas ! no : they are none of 

 them aware of the richness of the Great Pine Swamp, nor are they hkely 

 to share the hospitality to be found there. 



Night came on, as I was thinking of such things, and I was turned out 

 of the coach in the streets of the fair city, just as the clock struck ten. 

 I cannot say that my bones were much rested, but not a moment was to 

 be lost. So I desired a porter to take up my Little luggage, and leading 

 him towards the nearest wharf, I found myself soon after gliding across 

 the Delaware, towards my former lodgings in the Jerseys. The lights 

 were shining from the parallel streets as I crossed them, all was tranquil 

 and serene, until there came the increasing sound of the Baltimore 

 steamer, which, for some reason unknown to me, was that evening later 

 than usual in its arrival. My luggage was landed, and carried home by 

 means of a bribe. The people had all retired to rest, but my voice was 

 instantly recognised, and an entrance was afforded to me. 



