animated
and exciting scene, but it was no field for sporting. It would have
been slaughter to shoot among them. In an hour we could have loaded our
canoe with birds, of which one or two brace would be considered a fair
morning's work. But we did not know what to do with them, and, besides,
these were not what we were looking for. A single flock of flamingoes
flew by us, but out of reach, and at the moment we were stuck in the
mud. Our Indian made horrible work in setting us, and continued to hit
every flat till we reached the head of the bay, and entered a branch
like a creek. Unable to hold discourse with him, and supposing that he
was setting right, we continued to move slowly up the stream, until we
found that we were getting beyond the region of birds; but the scene
was so quiet and peaceful that we were loth to return; and still on
each bank the snowy plumage of the white ibis appeared among the green
of the trees, and the heron stood like a statue in the water, turning
his long neck almost imperceptibly, and looking at us. But we had no
time for quiet enjoyment, and turned back. Near the mouth of the creek
a flock of roseate spoonbills flew over our heads, also out of reach,
but we saw where they alighted, and setting toward them till we were
stopped by a mud-bank, we took to the water, or rather to the mud, in
which we found our lower members moving suddenly downward to parts
unknown, and in some danger of descending till our sombreros only
remained as monuments of our muddy grave. Extricating ourselves, moving
in another direction, and again sinking and drawing back, for two hours
we toiled, struggled, floundered, and fired, a laughing stock to the
beautiful spoonbills in the free element above. At length Dr. Cabot
brought one down, and we parted. In following our separate fortunes
along the shore I shot one, which fell at the other side of a stream.
As I rushed in, the water rose above all my mud stains, and I fell
back, and hastily disencumbered myself of clothing. A high wind was
sweeping over the bay; having no stone at hand with which to secure
them, my hat and light garments were blown into the water, and at the
same moment the roseate bird stood up, opened its large wings, and
fluttered along the beach. Distracted between the bird and the fugitive
clothing, I let the latter go, and gave chase to the bird, after
securing which, and holding it kicking under my arm, I pursued my
habiliments, now some distan