186 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST. 
From New Orleans, down the Mississippi, 
through its south-west pass, he proceeded, and 
arrived in April, (1837,) at the Mexican Gulf 
pausing now and then for the purpose of explor- 
ing the islands dotting its inlets. 
In these excursions often he wandered through 
muddy swamps for whole days, exposed in ad- 
dition to the terrible ordeal of a scorching sun, 
rendered still more unendurable by the swarms 
of insects which prevailed. At a later date, 
during several cross journeyings over the coun- 
try, he was compelled to wade through unculti- 
vated wastes, by tracks more resembling quag-~ 
mires than roads; plodding thus daily, supported 
only by whatever chance provision the barbarity 
of the land might afford. 
At night the arduous enterprise was ex- 
changed, not for the refreshment of downy bed 
and pillows, but the miserable shelter, perhaps, 
of a cart, in which, lying cramped, he was slowly 
jolted onwards till dawn, when his researches 
were again renewed! Though nota sing dis- 
covery resulted from his toilsome wanderings 
at this period, they proved, nevertheless, profit. 
able, as well as interesting, since he thus obtained 
not only a ‘more accurate knowledge of the 
migratory movements of several species, already 
known to him, but understood more distinctly 
their geographical distribution. 
