1887
Sept. 24
MAINE, (L. Umbagog.)
Clear and rather warm.
  Started at 9 A.M. for a camping trip up Cambridge
River. Rowed across to Upton where Duncan Sargent and
Jim Burnier met me. Duncan and I started at over
in my Graves boat leaving Jim to follow with a skiff
loaded with our luggage.
[margin]Camping on Cambridge River[/margin]
  We paddled to the forks of t he river (where we lunched)
without seeing anything and passed through B. meadows
with similarly poor success. But in the alder - unbowered
reaches at the head of the meadows a Snipe started from
the bank. I fired large shot at it & missed. It alighted
on the mud a short distance ahead & crouched behind
a tussock. Putting in small shot I killed it at the
next rise. We were about to pick it up and were talking
loudly at the time when, looking ahead, I saw a [male] ad.
Wood Duck swimming just under the alders about 60 yds
ahead. I instantly fired at him when three or four
others, one a drake, rose I made off.  AT first I thought
I had missed my bird but on paddling to the spot
we found him sitting on the water under the alders,
alive but with both eyes shot out. He was a superb
fellow, one of the finest I ever saw.
  The rest of the way to the sluice I did not get a 
shot. We heard several Ducks start around the
bends but the river was shallow & full of snags &
we made so much noise that there was little 
chance of surprising anything.
[margin]Wilson's Snipe at head of B. Meadow[/margin]
[margin]Wood Ducks[/margin]
[margin]I shoot a fine drake[/margin]
  Just below the sluice I landed & walked on
ahead. A [female] Wood Duck started and dropped into
the pool immediately below the dam.  I stalked
her carefully and was about to fire when she
rose and I killed her by a rather long cross shot. She
[margin]Wood Duck [female] shot at the Sluice[/margin]