The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-31 00:00:00

head, &c. I took it on my shoulder and started for the
encampment. 'When I retraced my steps some distance
I found where a panther had recently been scratching
the ground ; the track on the soft earth was easily fol-
lowed, and his course being near the same as mine,
I followed him, keeping on my guard, as I well knew .
the " nature of the beast." I had not pursued
more than forty rods, when I heard him in
the edge of a small cane-brake ; I threw off
my burden, to enable me to use my rifle
with more ease and certainty. He immediately made his
appearance, and I retreated, leaving the deer between
us. When he came to the carcase, he then stopped,
placing one foot on it, his eyes on me, and mine on him.
He was the largest animal of that species I had ever
seen, and the distance was not more than twenty-five
yards between us. After looking at him a few moments,
I brought my rifle to bear upon his head—at the report
of which he fell. I remained in the position until I had
reloaded my rifle, when I approached, as .I supposed, my
dead panther ; but to my surprise, he rose and made the
best of his way to the cane he had just left. I had shot
him too low. I followed him from one small cane break
to another for near an hour, and finding that I could not
get a second shot at him, I abandoned the pursuit,
turning in search of the deer I had unburdened myself
of on my first encounter with the panther. I soon found
it, and resumed my supposed course towards camp. By
this time it had become cloudy, and I had no means of
ascertaining the certainty of my situation ; however, I
travelled on, and soon found, by coming in contact with
a small stream of water, that I was pursuing a wrong
direction—l turned and found another stream. I then
came to the painful conclusion that I was " lost."
Time wore away, and it had reached the meridian of
the day, and the sun was yet clouded, when I threw
down my burthen, hoping by renewed energy to yet be
enabled to regain the encampment ere night. I tra-
velled on, I knew not whither ; I had lost all conception
of latitude or longitude, and at four in the afternoon I
found myself on the margin of an open swamp. The
sun again made his appearance. I supposed myself to
be near the borders of Whiskey Bay,
I shaped my course
accordingly, but soon found I was surrounded by waters,
and prevented from following any direct line in search
for high land, and at last compelled to take water.
After wading for two miles, waist deep the greater part
of the way, I fortunately found a small spot. Here 1
examined my ammunition, and found both caps and pow-
der wet. 1 cut some palmetto, strewed part on the
ground, kept the balance for covering, and laid myself
down for the night, as it was quite dark, and although
the musquitoes surrounded me like a thick cloud, from
the fatigue of the day I soon fell asleep.
When I awoke the sun_was shining on the tree tops.
Without having eaten a niorser of food since the morn-
ing of the previous day, I set out again in search of the
camp, with a prospect of spending the longest day of my
life in the fruitless attempt. I wandered on, sometimes
in small patches of cane ; and when the night came, I
threw myself down, and slept as well as could he expec-
ted, the mosquitoes and ticks feasting the while on my
blood, which, notwithstanding hunger, was the worst
feature of my situation. On the fourth night I found
myself in four feet water ; I succeeded, however, in
finding a tree which had fallen, the butt remaining above
water, on which I slept through the night. In the morn-
ing, I again breasted the water, and soon discovered
some cane ; keeping the same course, as near as I could,
I crossed the cane and.came to an open swamp. Here
I saw some wild cattle, which were the first animals I
had seen since I had abandoned the pursuit of the
wounded panther. They were numerous, large, and in
fine condition, one of which would doubtless have been
sacrificed to satisfy the cravings of hunger, which bad
been the day previous almost insufferable, were it not
that my ammunition had become damaged and useless.
This day I suffered much from hunger, but no longer
felt the incessant bitings of the musquitoes and ticks,
my flesh being apparently dead to pain, yet my feet
were giving way, being covered with sores from the
friction of the shoes in the water. On the following day
I found some green blackberries and ate a few ; and after
this—the sixth day—l felt no hunger. ,
I now found myself in a very heavy cane brake, which
seemed to be interminable, and all my efforts to extricate
myself from it proved unavailable until the 12th day.
The cane was so heavy that it was impossible to keep
any direct course, and consequently my progress must
have been but slow. On the 12th day, however, I struck a
small stream, and to avoid the difficulty of pushing my-
self through the cane, I took to the water, and about
twelve o'clock I struck a trail that had been cut by Mr.
James Lee to the banks of the Bayou Alabama. I un-
fortunately took the wrong end of this trail, and after
following it some distance I found a camp. Taking a
careful observation of the camp and everything con-
nected with it, I concluded I was wrong, and decided
upon pursuing the trail to its termination at the other
end. I retraced my steps and followed it about three
miles, when I laid down, though I could not sleep. My
feet were worn out, and looked more like two lumps of
decayed flesh than the pedestals of a living being. When
I attempted to rise in the morning, I could not stand, my
shoes would not contain my feet, I thought my time had
come, and I wished, fervently prayed, that it might be
so. I at length succeeded in walking, though it was
sometime before I could wear my shoes.
At ten, on the 14th day, I found myself at the plan-
tation of Mr. Lee. I had sufficient strength to cross his
fence, but when I walked a few rods, I found I was not
able to proceed further in the open field—my feet could
not bear the heat of the earth, and the sun seemed to
exhaust the little remaining strength which I had left.
I stretched myself on the ground, and hallooed at the
top of my voice. Mr. Lee heard me, and came to my
assistance. He received me with the utmost kindness,
furnished me with clothing, as I was literally naked,
and bestowed on me every attention which my deplorable
situation required ; and in remembrance of which I beg
leave to offer him and his amiable family my sincere gra-
titude for their agency in restoring to health one who
had laid himself down on the earth to rise no more, if it
had not been for their humanity.
Bayou Sara, June 26. 1841.

WM. ADAMS.

Last week a company of small-be politicians ar-
rived from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, full of pomposity
and patriotism, charged with the charitable and gallant
mission of procuring the removal of a most excellent
and exemplary lady, the widow of a brave and meri-
torious officer of the last war. The lady has adminis-
tered the affairs of the Post-office at that place for seve-
ral years past. The President beard their story with
his accustomed patience and politeness, and then in-
quired whether there was any complaint of the manner in
which the duties of the office were discharged ?
" None whatever—but we want the place for a good
Whig."
" Gentlemen, I cannot consent to deprive this lady
and her fatherless children of bread. She must not be
removed."
The Lancaster gentlemen came away quite chagrined,
and have since determined, to carry their grievances to
Mr. Stephens, who redresses all political wrongs suffered
by the Pennsylvanians.
Another unhappy gentleman, from Mississippi waited
upon the President with lugubrious complaints of the
misery of some of the appointments in that section of
the country. The President said that it was hardly to
be expected that universal satisfaction could be given.
He hoped, however, that no fatal mistake had been com-
mitted.
" Is there any particular appointment to which you
have reference ?' inquired the President.
Yes, Sir ; I allude especially to Major Miller, our
Marshal. That's a shocking appointment, and we hope
you will revoke the commission.'
" Do you mean Major Anderson Miller ?"
" Yes, Sir ; that's the lean."
" Ali !" said the President, " I know him well. A
gallant, high-minded gentleman, every way worthy of
the office. I wished he had a better one. Give my com-
pliments to him when you see him again."
THEATRICALS.— The severe summer weather ' has
made all the theatres, except Niblo's, sluggish. Fanny
Elssler has closed all her engagements for the present,
and is rusticating on the sea-shore ; she is now enjoy-
ing the luxury of sea-bathing at Coney Island, whence
she goes the round of all the watering-places during
July and August. The large theatres here are doing
nothing ; ditto in Philadelphia, Boston, &c. A great
number of actors are idle in the city,—Burton, Brown,
Sloman, Mrs. Sloman, Rice, Tom Placide, Field, Bur-
ton, Lambert, Blake. Conway, &c. Love, the ventri-
loquist, has returned with thousands of dollars from his
tour in the West India Islands. The latest novelty is
Miss Simian, a very handsome young lady, who has
come out at Niblo's as a pianist. She is said to be supe-
rior to anything in that line which we have had in this
city for some years, and is nightly drawing large crowds
to hear her play ; her execution of the ,most difficult
pieces of music is pronounced to be most admirable.
ATTEMPT TO POISON A WHOLE FAMILY.—A horrible
, by a coloured
girl,
girlh entertaining a
attempt was made last week to poison the family of Dr.
Cooke,
servantin the
i n villagetbe
family.of a mTsibl
eurg
hatred to some of the ladies connected with the family,
procured a quantity of arsenic, which she placed in a
vessel containing the water for the evening meal. On
pouring some milk into their tea, they discovered that
the milk curdled, when it was discovered that the tea
was poisoned. The Doctor immediately suspected the
girl, who admitted the attempted crime, and was imme-
diately discharged from service.—New York Herald.
SNAKE STORY.—Barque Jane, at Boston, has on
board a stuffed snake, fourteen feet long and fourteen
inches in circumference. It has scales an inch and a half
long and half an inch broad. It was discovered on board
the Jane, at Surinam, and killed after a long and dread-
ful fight, in which all the crew participated.—New York
Herald.
WALL-STREET ANECDOTE.—" Now, my dear friend,
Mr. Phelps," said S. V. S. Wilder one day to Thaddeus
Phelps, Esq., " don't swear at all—it is a sin." "Do
you think it is ?" asked Thaddeus, with a very quizzical
look. " Certainly, brother," said Wilder, " I can point
it out to you in the New Testament." " said
Thad, slowly, " Mr. Wilder, you pray a little, and I
swear a little, but I guess neither of us mean much by
it." "Ha!ha!ha!he!ho ! ho ! ho !" roared all
the brothers, the devil in the middle of them, laughing
louder than all.—New York Herald.
MORE INDIAN TROUBLE.—The Little Rock Gazette
contains a letter from Fort Towson, of June 12th, which
says there is ground to fear Indian troubles on that
who are under the protection of our
frontier. The savage hordes that have for several years
been accumulating on that border by emigration, are
original depredators, and have sent runners to the
about combining in bands to rob and murder those
friendlynmlenndti.ansThe Shawnees and Delawares have joined
died on the Brassos on the Texas—their
Gnver
s, if necessary.
vinNtplineECL.tm
Jaanmehees
cthaeddnesembodied
trade shoemaker
object is to crowd out the Choctaws and Chickasaws. and
years old by striking him on the head
stone. The boy was the sonof
Terry, living in Ra-
, murdered a little
ib2oiAygha eventuallybGNon about
GREAT
tiTow
bserc calle e
his present
with a large
wife by a former husband. Three or four years ago,
Terry murdered his first wife, and was acquitfrd 011, the
ground of insanity.