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THE COUGAR. 



There is an extensive Swamp in the section of the State of Missis- 

 sippi which lies partly in the Choctaw territory. It commences at the 

 borders of the Mississippi, at no great distance from a Chicasaw village, 

 situated near the mouth of a creek known by the name of Vanconnah, and 

 partly inundated by the swellings of several large bayous, the principal 

 of which, crossing the swamp in its whole extent, discharges its waters 

 not far from the mouth of the Yazoo River. This famous bayou is called 

 False River. The swamp of which I am speaking follows the windings 

 of the Yazoo, until the latter branches off to the north-east, and at this 

 point forms the stream named Cold Water River, below which the Yazoo 

 receives the draining of another bayou inclining towards the north-west, 

 and intersecting that known by the name of False River, at a short dis- 

 tance from the place where the latter receives the waters of the Mississippi. 

 This tedious account of the situation of the Swamp, is given with the 

 view of pointing it out to all students of nature who may chance to go 

 that way, and whom I would earnestly lu-ge to visit its interior, as it 

 abounds in rare and interesting productions : birds, quadrupeds and rep- 

 tiles, as well as molluscous animals, many of which, I am persuaded, have 

 never been described. 



In the course of one of my rambles, I chanced to meet with a squat- 

 ter's cabin on the banks of the Cold Water River. In the owner of this 

 hut, like most of those adventurous settlers in the uncultivated tracts of 

 our frontier districts, I found a person well versed in the chase, and ac- 

 quainted with the habits of some of the larger species of quadrupeds and 

 birds. As he who is desirous of instruction ought not to disdain hsten- 

 ing to any one, who has knowledge to communicate, however humble 

 may be his lot, or however limited his talents, I entered the squatter's 

 cabin, and immediately opened a conversation with him respecting the 

 situation of the swamp, and its natural productions. He told me he 

 thought it the very place I ought to visit, spoke of the game which it 

 contained, and pointed to some bear and deer skins, adding that the in- 

 dividuals to which they had belonged formed but a small portion of the 

 number of those animals which he had shot within it. My heart swelled 

 with delight, and on asking if he would accompany me through the great 



