Lake Umbagog, Maine
1890
Oct 12
  Cloudy most of the day with occasional brief intervals
of sunshine and many snow or rain squalls. Wind
from the N.W., cold and blustering. [?] froze about
the camp last night. 
  M. and I started out at 9 a.m. landing first
at the Sinpe marsh which we beat hastily. Don
[margin] Snipe
found and pointed a bird which I shot. The water
has risen more than a foot in the past three days
and the best Snipe grounds are now flooded.
  We then rowed to Sweat Meadow. Not a single
Duck there. The fresh track of a large Otter on the mud
under the bridge. The meadow dreary and lifeless save
for a few Song and Savanna Sparrows. 
[margin]Otter tracks at Sweat M.[/margin]
  We landed at the old place and walked in to 
Errol Mt. Pond. Two Whistlers diving at the W. end were
[margin] Errol Hill P. Whistlers
all the Ducks that we could see. Melvin stalked
them and shot one sitting missing the other as 
it flew. The report of his gun started out a small
Duck which I took for a Buffle-head from the 
[margin]Buffle-head?]/margin]
cove below where I was stationed and a large brown
Duck which I did not recognise from under the 
bushes directly in front of me. The latter got out
of range before I saw it and alighted near the 
outlet. I went after but could not find it but
it got back to the other end of the pond somehow
and was started by Melvin just after I had returned
to my first station. Rising high in air it
came over me at great speed evidently having
made up its mind to leave the pond but I 
brought it down before it reached the woods
and upon getting it in hand found it to be