Concord, Mass.
1893
July 22
(No 2)
  It was about 4.30 P.M. when I regained the canoe
pretty thoroughly exhausted. Reaching the river I hoisted
sail and began skimming swiftly homeward for the wind
had changed to S.and was blowing hard. But I had
made scarce half-a-mile when it shifted suddenly to W.
and I had to take to the paddle.
  As I came in sight in Fairhaven a Wood Duck started
from the lily pads on the right and flew out across
the bay. It was an old drake in mixed plumage but
showing a good deal of brilliant coloring about the head
& neck.
  At Camp Staples I stopped to take some lunch and as
the first shower was coming up rapidly finally landed
and sought shelter at the camp where I sat on the
piazza a close prisoner until nearly 10 P.M. Then 
I started on again and paddled home in about an
hour. It rained hard most of the way and the night
was very dark but every now & then the lightning flashed
bringing out every detail of river, field & woods. A few
bull frogs trumped and fire flies were out in force. Once
my bow struck some large creature, probably a big
mud turtle, which made a loud & very startling splashing 
for a moment & gave the boat a decided shock. A 
large fish, perhaps a bass, also startled me by rising
directly under the rail of the canoe and seizing a
stream of river weed which trailed on the water 
for a moment from the end of my paddle. All
the while the flames of a burning building, struck
by lightning, doubtless, glowed in the eastern sky.
My last adventure was near Nashawtuck [Nashawtuc] bridge where
a boat rowed by two men missed striking my canoe by
scarce two feet of space.