Litchfield enquirer., 1836-05-05


- % times so VigilaDt aud suspicious, that il
Extremely rare to Surprise them. IL keen.
nrss of sight and acutpness of hparing, they
are perhaps surpassed by 40 bird whaI"Nrr.-
They act rs sentinels towards each other
aud during the hours al ~ hich the flock re
poses, one or mare gaodprs stand On thV
waich. At Abe sight Of cattle. horses or AMI
mails of the deer kind they seldom alarm
I'd but a bear or u cougar is Instantly an
u,unccd, and if on smrh occasions the Cock
is 90 she ground near water. the birds imne
jiateIy betake themselves in silence to the
IatErr, swim 4" the middle of the pond or ri"-
.r. and there remain until the danger is over
Shu0id their cnpunies pursue them IN the wa
ter, The males utter loud cries. and the birds
arrange themselves 10 close ranks, rise sIfn"'-
taneously 10 few seconds and fly oft in
compact body, seldom at such times forming
Gaes or 81 giles, il being. IN fact, only when the
distance is great that they dispose themselves
in those forms So acute is their sense of
hearing. that they arc able Ia distinguish the
different sounds of footsteps "f their tues with
astonishing accuracy. THUS the breaking Of
a DIR stick by deer is at once distinguished
from the same accident accustomed by man.
II a dozen large turtles drop into the water,
railing noise in their fall, or if the same
.tf.c, IS produced by an alligator, the wild
r,os. paws no regard to IL; but however faint
S,d distant NAV be- the sound of an Indi"ns
uaddie. that may by accident nave s'r"eN the
side az his canoe. il is at t'nce marked every
io,};r;du,| raises his head, anu looks !"'en'iy
fosa,ds the place from which the noise pro-
needed, and in silence all Watct' the move-
800 nf tneir en-my. These birds ar. ex-
tr.n,ejy cunaing aiso; and should they con-
criye themselves unseen, they silently move
1,Sy the hNa rtvIn nfi ha
ter, lower their heads and lie perfectly quiet
till tae boat has passed by. have seen them
walk of from large frozen pond into The
woods 10 elude the sight Of tine hunter, and
return as soon as he had crossed the pond -
But should there be snow on the ice or 10 the
woods, they prefer watching the intruder. and
take to wing long before he is within shooting
distance, as if they were aware OF the ease
with which they could be followed by their
tracks over the treacherous surface.
If wounded 10 the wing, they sometimes dive
Ia a small depth, aud make off with as,ooi,h-
ing address. always in the direction of the
shore: The moment they reach which. you
NAV observe them sneaking through the long
grass Or bushes their necks extending an inch
Of SO above the ground, and in this naUner
procertling SD silently, that unless closely
watched, they are pretty sure I" escape. If
sho, NJ and wounded while on the ice, they
immcdia,ciy walk off in dignifed manner. MS
jfapxious ~ make you believe that they have
not been injured, emitting loud noise all the
while; but the instan, they reach the shore
they become silent, and make off in the man
neF Described.
Twas much Surprised one day, while on the
coast Of Labrador, to sre how cunnngly one
Of these birds, which in consequence of the
moult was quite unable to fly, managed for
while to elude the pursuit. Ii was perez iyed
at some distance from the shore, when the
boat was swiftly rowed towards it, and i,
swan befure us with great speed. making di
rectiy towards the land; but nothing could be-
seen Of it for long time. Every one in the
party stood on iiptOe to mark the spot at
which it should rise. but in vain, when the man
at tie rudder accidentally looked down over
the stern and there saw the goose, lis body
Immersed, the point Of its bill alone above the
wai"r. and its feet bnsily engaged in propel-
ling il so as 10 keep pace with the movements
Of HE boat. The sailor attempted 10 catch il
while within foot or two Of him i: hut " i,h
fbe swiftness Of thought il shifted from side
to side, fore and aft, until. delighted IA, having
Witnessed so much sagacy in a goose. 1 beg
geo the party I" suffer the poor animal to es-
cape -Audubon.
Capt. Nathan Haie.--The public in,eres,
has lately been tnreGd towards the history
and character ofihis gallant officer and mar
tyr ~ the Resolution--reyived especially by
a bill now before Congress fur the erection .,
prominent to his memory IN Coventry, hi
native town in Connecticut. The genera
features OF his fate are well kn"wn, but thrr
is a sagueness in the details, S" far as we hav
been ahie to observe, which leaves the parii,
uiara &c his execution very uncertain and ~
satisfactory There has even been uncertai.
" ma 10 the spot where his bones are -bu,irt
and the accounts differ too, 10 relation to I'll
place where he suffered. A very inirlliScr
and respectable aged gentleman with whor
,we cons ersed on The suhjec; few days sine,
has furnished u few ofhis "reminiscences whic
we shah record. If for no other purpose tina
10 draw forth still further particulars Cror
others. Our informant says that Cant. Hal
ha,ia9 visited the British posts in N. Yor
and il vicinity. under the distinctions "f Il,
Anerrac Commander ia. Chief, was maxim
his way down Long Island with a view ofRr
ding an opportunity Ia cross the Sound an
reach the Head Quarters of the Army: ha,
ing IN his possession papers showing the nj
fare OF his mission. aud containing the infoI
nation which he had collected during the r.
connoisance "s the British posts he had visited
Having arrived al Huntington. he saw a
armed hrig Tying at aachor, and having bee
sEforned that she was an American, he hail
fd her, a beat was sent ashure Cor him. an,
be went unsnspeciinsly on board,
-3g As soon. however. as he reached the d.ck
he was itajd BY the British officer, chat he VS.
n ,prisoner. This officer was Called copto;
Quaum, OF scratching that sounded like IT.
!. Hala WAS sent Immediately to the v.ri,;s
80 ~ Ak EA.he .Ih %.