Canoe trip on Sudbury River.
1891 
April 25
(no. 3)
Mass 
Concord to Maryland.  On reaching Sherman's Bridge
we went ashore and built a fire among the pines
on the south slope of the knoll. The rain now
changed to snow which came driving over the
meadows in gusts before the violent N. wind.
Altogether the weather had become abominable
but nevertheless we ate lunch very comfortably
in our warm and sheltered nook.  There were
many small birds about us, chiefly Yellow-rumps
and Song and Swamp Sparrows. Swallows were
passing at intervals, following the river. Heard a
Parula Warbler sing twice in the maples on the
causeway. A Colaptes "shouting" in a big isolated
oak in the neighboring field.
  At about 1 P.M. we hoisted our sails and
started across the Sudbury Meadows. The wind
was strong, at times violent and gusty but as
the water on the meadows was nowhere more
than two or three feet deep an upset had
no terror, even for my companion who had
never sailed a boat of any kind before. We
crossed the meadow very quickly and pleasantly
despite the frequent snow squalls that chilled
and blinded us.
  Ever since starting from Concord we had
seen White bellied Swallows in fair numbers
and a few Barn Swallows, also, but the rende[z]vous
of all the Swallows to-day proved to be the big
Sudbury Meadow over every portion of which
they were skimming in swarms or rather in
one great swarm. Keeping close to the water (for