AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
203 
dismounted, took off the saddles and bridles, set the bells 
attached to the horses’ necks at liberty to jingle, hoppled 
the animals, and left them to shift for themselves. 
Now, reader, follow the group marching through the 
Swamp, crossing muddy pools, and making the best of 
their way over fallen trees and amongst the tangled rushes 
that now and then covered acres of ground. If you are 
a hunter yourself, all this will appear nothing to you; but 
if crowded assemblies of “beauty and fashion,” or the 
quiet enjoyment of your “pleasure-grounds,” alone de- 
light you, I must mend my pen before I attempt to give 
you an idea of the pleasure felt on such an expedition. 
After marching for a couple of hours, we again heard 
the dogs. Each of us pressed forward, elated at the 
thought of terminating the career of the Cougar. Some 
of the dogs were heard whining, although the greater 
number barked vehemently. We felt assured that the 
Cougar was treed, and that he would rest for some time to 
recover from his fatigue. As we came up to the dogs, 
we discovered the ferocious animal lying across a large 
branch, close to the trunk of a cotton-wood tree. His 
broad breast lay towards us; his eyes were at one time 
bent on us and again on the dogs beneath and around him; 
one of his fore-legs hung loosely by his side, and he lay 
crouched, with his ears lowered close to his head, as if he 
thought he might remain undiscovered. Three balls were 
fired at him, at a given signal, on which he sprang a few 
feet from the branch, and tumbled headlong to the ground. 
Attacked on all sides by the enraged curs, the infuriated 
Cougar fought with desperate valour; but the squatter ad- 
vancing in front of the party, and almost in the midst of 
the dogs, shot him immediately behind and beneath the 
left shoulder. The Cougar writhed for a moment in agony, 
and in another lay dead. 
The sun was now sinking in the west. Two of the 
hunters separated from the rest, to procure venison, whilst 
the squatter’s sons were ordered to make the best of their 
way home, to be ready to feed the hogs in the morning. 
The rest of the party agreed to camp on the spot. The 
Cougar was despoiled of its skin, and its carcass left to the 
hungry dogs. Whilst engaged in preparing our camp, we 
heard the report of a gun, and soon after one of our hun- 
ters returned with a small deer. A fire was lighted, and 
each hunter displayed his pone of bread, along with a flask 
of whiskey. The deer was skinned in a trice, and slices 
placed on sticks before the fire. These materials afforded 
us an excellent meal, and as the night grew darker, stories 
and songs went round, until my companions, fatigued, laid 
themselves down, close under the smoke of the fire, and 
soon fell asleep. 
I walked for some minutes round the camp, to contem- 
plate the beauties of that nature, from which I have cer- 
tainly derived my greatest pleasures. I thought of the 
occurrences of the day, and glancing my eye around, re- 
marked the singular effects produced by the phosphorescent 
qualities of the large decayed trunks which lay in all di- 
rections around me. How easy, I thought, would it be 
for the confused and agitated mind of a person bewildered 
in a Swamp like this, to imagine in each of these luminous 
masses some wondrous and fearful being, the very sight of 
which might make the hair stand erect on his head. The 
thought of being myself placed in such a predicament burst 
over my mind, and I hastened to join my companions, 
beside whom I laid me down and slept, assured that no 
enemy could approach us without first arousing the dogs, 
which were growling in fierce dispute over the remains of 
the Cougar. 
At daybreak we left our camp, the squatter bearing on 
his shoulder the skin of the late destroyer of his stock, and 
retraced our steps until we found our horses, which had 
not strayed far from the place where we had left them. 
These we soon saddled, and jogging along, in a direct 
course, guided by the sun, congratulating each other on 
the destruction of so formidable a neighbour as the Pan- 
ther had been, we soon arrived at my host’s cabin. The 
five neighbours partook of such refreshments as the house 
could afford, and dispersing, returned to their homes, leav- 
ing me to follow my favourite pursuits. 
INDIAN CORN. 
This grain, so important to the agricultural interests of 
the United States, appears to be of uncertain origin. 
Fuchs very early maintained that it came from the east, 
and Mathioli affirmed that it was from America. Regmir 
and Gregory have presented fresh arguments in favour of 
its eastern origin. Among them is the name by which it 
has been long known in Europe, ble de Turquie, and varie- 
ties, it is said, have been brought from the Isle of France, or 
from China. Moreau de Jonnes, on the contrary, has re- 
cently maintained in a memoir read before the Academy 
of Science, that its origin was in America. The name 
ble de Turquie no more proves it to be of Turkish origin 
than the name of Italian poplar proves that that tree grew 
wild in Italy. It can only signify that it spread from 
Turkey into the neighbouring countries. Its general cul- 
tivation in southern Europe, and the production of some 
new varieties, proves nothing with regard to the country 
of the species. 
In favour of its American origin, is the fact that it was 
