AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
a large stone, was the skeleton of a human being, who 
must have perished on his back, with the right arm under 
the head, from being exposed to the weather, the bones 
were bleached as white as ivory. I was anxious to pro- 
cure this skeleton, but any attempt to get at it would have 
been madness. After remaining two hours in this Valley 
of Death, we returned, but found some difficulty in getting 
out. From the heavy shower, the sides of the valley were 
very slippery, and had it not been for two Javanese be- 
hind us, we might have found it no easy matter to escape 
from this pestilential spot. On reaching our rendezvous 
we had some brandy and water, and left this most extra- 
ordinary valley, came down the slippery footpath, some- 
times on our hams and hands to the main road, mounted 
our horses, and returned to Balor, quite pleased with our 
trip. The human skeletons are supposed to have been 
rebels, who had been pursued from the main road, and 
taken refuge in the different valleys, as a wanderer cannot 
know his danger till he is in the valley, and when once 
there, one has not the power or presence of mind to return. 
«¢ There is a great difference between this valley and the 
Grotto del Cano, near Naples, where the air is confined 
to a small aperture; while here the circumference is fully 
half a mile, and not the least smell of sulphur, nor any 
appearance of an eruption ever haying taken place near it, 
although I am aware that the whole chain of mountains is 
volcanic, as there are two craters at no great distance from 
the side of the road at the foot of the Djienz, and they 
constantly emit smoke.”"—Fahr. 52° 
“In the 8th volume of the proceedings of the Batavian 
Society of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Horsefield of the Hast 
India House, gives a description of the mineral constitu- 
tion of the different mountains of Java. He examined 
several parts of the chain of hills, and states that he heard 
of this valley, but that he could not prevail on the natives 
to show him where it was. I have sent the Doctor a 
copy of the above extract.” —Hdin. Phil. Jour. 
THE COUGAR. 
THERE is an extensive Swamp in the section of the 
State of Mississippi, which lies partly in the Choctaw ter- 
ritory. 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 
Ere 
201 
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 drain- 
ing of another bayou inclining towards the north-west, 
and intersecting that known by the name of False River, 
at a short distance 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 urge to visit its interior, 
as it abounds in rare and interesting productions: birds, 
quadrupeds and reptiles, as well as molluscous animals, 
many of which, I am persuaded, have never been de- 
seribed. 
In the course of one of my rambles, I chanced to meet 
with a squatter’s cabin on the banks of the Cold Water 
River. In the owner of this hut, like most of those ad- 
venturous settlers in the uncultivated tracts of our frontier 
districts, I found a person well versed in the chase, and 
acquainted with the habits of some of the larger species 
of quadrupeds and birds. As he who is desirous of instruc- 
tion ought not to disdain listening 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 pro- 
ductions. 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 indi- 
viduals to which they had belonged formed but a small por- 
tion 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 morass, and 
allow me to become an inmate of his humble but hospita- 
ble mansion, | was gratified to find that he cordially as- 
sented to all my proposals. So I immediately unstrapped 
my drawing materials, laid up my gun, and sat down to 
partake of the homely but wholesome fare intended for 
the supper of the squatter, his wife, and his two sons. 
The quietness of the evening seemed in perfect accord- 
ance with the gentle demeanour of the family. The wife 
and children, I more than once thought, seemed to look 
upon me as a strange sort of person, going about, as I told 
them I was, in search of birds and plants; and were I here 
to relate the many questions which they put to me in re- 
turn for those which I addressed to them, the catalogue 
would occupy several pages. The husband, a native of 
Connecticut, had heard of the existence of such men as 
myself, both in our own country and abroad, and seemed 
greatly pleased to have me under his roof. Supper over, 
