Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-11-18
THE LOST ONE.
BY AUDUBON.

Johns River, in East Florida, left his cab
situated on the banks of that stream. ant
with his axe on his shoulder, proceeded 10
wards the swamp in which he had seyera
times before piled his trade OF telling all,
squaring the giant trees that afford the
most valuable timber for naval archtecinn
and uther purposes.
At he season which is the best for thi.
kind of labor, heavy fogs not unffequentl,
cover the country, SO as TO render it diff
cult for one To see farther than thirty OF
forty yards in any reci:on. The woods
too. presen, SO lille varieiy,iha' every tree
seems the mere counterpart OF every other
and The grass. when il has NOT been burnt
is so tall that ma Of ordnary stature can
no, see over it, whence it is necessary for
hum to proceed with great caution les! he
should unwillingly deviate from The i'll def
ned trail which he follows. To lncrea Sc
the difficulty, several trails often meet. in
which case unless The explorer be Pc feet
iy well acquainted with the Ecighborhood
il would be we'll for him 10 lie down and
wait until The fog 81 ould dsperse. Uuder
such circumstances the best woudman are
not unfrequently bewi!dere1 for a while;
and | we'll remember that such an ocur-
renee happened TO myself, at time when
| h d impruden,y ven,ured 10 pursue a
wounded quadruped, which led me TO some
distance from the track.
The live oaker had been Jogging onwa I'd
for several hours. and became aware that
he must have travelled considerably more
than the distance between his cabin and
the hammock, which he desired to reach
To his alarm. at The moment when the
fog dispersed, he saw the sun at its merd-
ian height, and could not recognize sin
Lyle object around him.
Young. healthy. and active. he imag ined
that he walked with more than usual speed
and had passed the place 10 which he was
bound. He accordingly turned his back up
on the sun, and pursued different route.
guided by small trail. Time passed .and
headed his course; he saw it gradually de-
scend in the west; but oil around him con-
,inued as if enveloped with mystery. The
huge grey trees spread their giant boughs
over him. the rank grass extended on all
sid-s. not living being crossed his path,
all was silent and sill, and the scene was
like a dull and drearv dream Of the land
Of oblivion. He wandered like forgot
ten ghost thai had passed into The land Of
spirits. without yet me ting one Of his kind
with whom 10 hold converse.
The condition Of man lost in the woods
is one of the most perplexng that can he
imagined by person who his not himself
been in a like pre1icament. Every object
he sees, he at first thinks he recognizes.
and while mind is bent on searching for
more that may gradually lead TO his ex!ri-
cation, he goes on committing greater er
rors the further he proceeds. This was
the case with the live-oaker. The sun
was now setting with a fiery aspect, and
by degrees it sunk in ITS full circular form,
as if giving warning OF a snl,ry morrow.
Mvriads of insects, delighted at lis depart
ure, now FL ed the mir oG buZzirg wings.
Each pp'ng frog arose from the muddy
pool in which il had concealed itself; the
squirrel retired to its hole, The crow TO lis
roost. and, far above, the harsh crosking
v Jice of The heron announced that. full oil
anxiety, it was vending its way to the mir.
in erior Of some distant swamp. Now the
woods began TO reSound TO the shrll cries
of The owl; and the breeze, as II swept a
mong the columnar streams Of the forest
trees, came laden with heavy and chilling
dews. Alas! no moon with her silvery
light shone on the drenry scene, and the
los, one. wearied and vexed. la d himself
on the damp ground. Prayer is always
consola.ory to man IN every difficulty anC
danger, and the wondsman fervently pray
ed 10 his Maker, wishing his family hap
pier night than it was his lot Ia experience
and with feverisb anxiety waited the re-
turn Of day.
You may imagine the length of that cold
dull, noonless night. Wth the dawn o.
day came the usual fogs OF those lat.tudes
The poor man started on his fee,,and will
n soriowfui heart pursued course which
he thought might lead HIM TO some familiar
object, although, indeed, he sea rcelv knew
wha, he was doing. No longer had he the
trace of track to guide him. land yet as the
sun rose, he calcul ted the many hours oil
daylight he had before him, aud the fur
Their he went continued TO walk the faster
But vain were all his hopes: tina; day was
spent in frulliess endeavors 10 regain the
path that led 10 his home. and when nigh
again approached; the terror that hid beer
gradually spreading over his mind, togeth.
er with The nervous drbii " induced By ia
tgue, anxiety and hun er rendered htm al
mos, frantic. He told me that at this mo
meni he beat his breast. tore his hair. and
had it not been for The reiy with which hi
parents had IN early life imbued his m nd
aud which had become habiiual. woulC
have cursed his existence. Furnished a
he now was be LAID himself on the ground
and fed on the weeds and gr that grew
around him. That nigh, was spent IN ht
greatest agony and terror. II knew m,
lsi'uation,' said he 10 me. al was fully n
ware tina, unless Almighty God came IL
my assistance, | must perish in those unin
habiied woods. knew ihatl had walSeC
more than fifty miles, although | had no
met with brook from which could qnenct
my thirst or even aihy the burning hea, o
my parched lips and blood shot eyes.
knew that if | should not meet with sor,
stream mus; die, for my axe was my onI,
weapon. and although dear and bears nov
and then started within few yards or evet
feet of me. mol one of them could | kill
and alihouga was in The midst of abon
dance, not mouhful id expect 10 pro
cure, 10 satisfy the cravings of my empty