The hunter and the trapper in North America; or, Romantic adventures in field and forest. From the French of Bénédict Révoil (1875) (14563311588)

Identifier: huntertrapperinn75rv (find matches)
Title: The hunter and the trapper in North America ; or, Romantic adventures in field and forest. From the French of Bénédict Révoil
Year: 1875 (1870s)
Authors: Révoil, Bénédict Henry, 1816-1882 Adams, W. H. Davenport (William Henry Davenport), 1828-1891
Subjects: Hunting Game and game-birds
Publisher: London, New York : T. Nelson and Sons
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University



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the eaglewas not, then, a felicitous one; and it is to be regrettedthat the founders of American independence, at whosehead w^as a hero so pure-minded as Washington, did notchoose a more appropriate emblem for the blazon of theirrepublic. The letter in which Franklin recorded his sentimentswas shown to me by a celebrated Philadelphian book-seller, who preserved it in his collection of autographs;and I confess I am entirely of the opinion of that eminentstatesman. My bookseller knew me to be a passionatevotary of the chase, and, at my request, he furnished the AN AMERICAN ANECDOTE. 11 following particulars relative to the history of the greatAmerican eagle :— I descended the Mississippi some three years ago, hesaid, in the month of November, in a small, light boat,rowed by a couple of negroes, for the purpose of visitingMemphis. As it was the beginning of winter, the entiresurface of the majestic river was covered with battalionsof aquatic birds, which had abandoned the northern seas
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A SMALL, LIGHT BOAT, KOWED BY A COUPLE OF NEGROES. and the great frozen lakes to seek a less rigorous refugein the temperate climates of our Southern States. Sud-denly one of the boatmen pointed out with his finger agigantic eagle, which, perched on the loftiest branch ofan old oak, with keen eye surveyed the rolling tide, andlistened intently to every distant sound. A momentafterwards the other boatman directed my attention tothe opposite bank, where, perched at an equal height to 12 THE ATTACK ON THE SWANS. her impatient mate, a female eagle seemed anxious topersuade him not to abandon his watch, and accord-ingly uttered, at three slow intervals, a keen stridentcry, which resounded along the river-border. At thissignal the male partly opened his wings, and respondedwith a similar cry, which I can only compare to the wildshriek of laughter that occasionally breaks forth in alunatic asylum. While, with their hands upon their oars, my negroesabandoned the boat to the current of the riv