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. 



Augusts. 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 



