422 AUDUBON 



make a last thorough search of the mountain tops, plains 

 and ponds, and if no success ensues, to raise anchor and 

 sail towards the United States once more; and blessed 

 will the day be when I land on those dear shores, where 

 all I long for in the world exists and lives, I hope. We 

 have been on shore for an hour for exercise, but the wind 

 blew so fiercely we are glad to return. 



August 2. Noon. The thermometer has risen to 58°, 

 but it has rained hard all day; about dinner time a very 

 handsome schooner from Boston, the size of ours, called 

 the "Wizard," commanded by Captain Wilcomb of Ips- 

 wich, arrived, only nine days from Boston; but to our sor- 

 row and disappointment, not a letter or paper did she 

 bring, but we learned with pleasure that our great cities 

 are all healthy, and for this intelligence I thank God. 

 The " Wizard " brought two young Italian clerks as super- 

 cargo, who are going to purchase fish ; they visited us and 

 complained bitterly of the cold and the general appear- 

 ance of the country. The retrograde migration of many 

 birds has already commenced, more especially that of the 

 lesser species both of land and water birds. 



AugustS. I was suddenly awakened last night about 

 one o'clock by the shock which our vessel received from 

 the " Wizard, " which had broken her stern chain in the 

 gale, which at that time was raging most furiously. Our 

 captain was up in a moment, the vessels were parted and 

 tranquillity was restored, but to John's sorrow, and my 

 vexation, our beautiful and most comfortable gig had been 

 struck by the " Wizard, " and her bows stove in ; at day- 

 light it rained hard and the gale continued. Lincoln 

 went on shore and shot some birds, but nothing of impor- 

 tance. This afternoon we all went ashore, through a 

 high and frightful sea which drenched us to the skin, 

 and went to the table-lands; there we found the true 

 Esquimau Curlew, Numenius borealis, so carelessly de- 

 scribed in Bonaparte's Synopsis. This species here takes 



