xlvi 
LIFE OF WILSON. 
sited every house within three hundred yards of the road, and 
chatted to the copper-coloured tribe. In the evening we lodged 
at Lard’s tavern, within eleven miles of Utica, the roads de- 
plorably bad, and Isaac and his disconsolate companion groan- 
ing at every step behind me, so that, as drummers do in battle, 
I was frequently obliged to keep before, and sing some lively 
ditty, to drown the sound of their ohs ! and ahs ! and 0 Lords ! 
The road for fifteen or twenty miles was knee deep of mud. 
We entered Utica at nine the next morning. This place is 
three times larger than it was four years ago; and from Oneida 
to Utica is almost an entire continued village. This evening 
we lodged on the east side of the Mohawk, fifteen miles below 
Utica, near which I shot a bird of the size of a Mocking-bird, 
which proves to be one never yet described by naturalists. I 
have it here in excellent order. From the town called Her- 
kimer we set off through deep mud, and some snow; and about 
mid-day, between East and West Canada Creeks, I shot three 
birds of the Jay kind, all of one species, which appears to be un- 
described. Mr. Bartram is greatly pleased at the discovery; 
and I have saved two of them in tolerable condition. Below 
the Little Falls the road was excessively bad, and Isaac was al- 
most in despair, in spite of all I could do to encourage him. We 
walked this day twenty-four miles; and early on the 25th start- 
ed off again through deep mud, till we came within fifteen 
miles of Schenectady, when a boat coming down the river, 
Isaac expressed a wish to get on board. I walked six miles 
afterwards by myself, till it got so dark that I could hardly 
rescue myself from the mud holes. The next morning I en- 
tered Schenectady, but Isaac did not arrive, in the boat, till 
noon. Here we took the stage-coach for Albany, the roads 
being excessively bad, and arrived there in the evening. Af- 
ter spending two days in Albany, we departed in a sloop, and 
reached New York on Saturday, at noon, the first of Decem- 
ber. My boots were now reduced to legs and upper leathers; 
and my pantaloons in a sad plight. Twelve dollars were ex- 
pended on these two articles. * * * * 
