THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES SOUTHERN UNtVFRSITY OF . S WANDERINGS IX SOUTH AMERICA tOl ' WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA, THE NORTH-WEST OF THE EXITED STATES, ASD THE ANTILLES* H THE YEARS 1812, 1816, 1820, & 1824. With Original Instructions for the perfect preservation of Birds. Etc. for Cabinets of Natural History. CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. NEW EDITION. Cbitrb, fohb Biographical Introbociion anb *pIanaiorD f nbrt, BT THE KEY. J. G. WOOD. WITH ONE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS. Bonbon: MACMILLAN AND CO. 1879. The Sight of Trmulalw* it Besened. LONDON* : K. CLAV, SONS, AND TAYLol BREAD STREET HII.L, E.C. 3443 : : PREFACE. MAST years ago, while barely in my " teens," I tad tie good fortune to fall in with Waterton's WamdiTm^ then newly placed in the school library. The book fascinated me. Week after week I took it out of the library, and really think that I could have repeated it verbatim from beginning to end. It was a glimpse into an unknown world, where I longed to follow the Wanderer, little thieving that I should ever have the privilege of visiting him in his wonderful Yorkshire home. I looked upon Waterton much as the pagans of old regarded their demi-gods, and not even Sinbad the Sailor was so in- teresting a personage to me as Waterton the Wanderer. But there was one drawback to the full enjoyment and comprehension of the book. It mentioned all kinds of animals, birds, and trees, and I did not know what they were, nor was there any one who could tell me. I did not know what a Salempenta was, except that it PREFACE. was good to eat. It might be a monkey, a fish, or a fruit. Neither could I identify the Couanacouchi, Labarri, Camoudi, Duraquara, Houtou, or Karabimiti, except that the three first were snakes and the three last were birds. It was certainly pleasant to learn that the traveller in Guiana would be awakened by the crowing of the Hannaquoi, but there was no one who could tell me what kind of a bird the Hanuaquoi might be. Then, as to trees, I did not know the Siloabali, or the Wallaba, or even the Purple-heart, nor how the last mentioned tree could be made into a Woodskin. I wanted a guide to the Wanderings, and such a guide I have attempted to supply in the "Explanatory Index." I believe that there is not a single living creature or tree mentioned by Waterton concerning which more or less information cannot be found in this Index. The Wanderings I have left untouched as Waterton wrote them, not adding or altering or cancelling a syllable. They constitute, so to speak, the central brilliant of a ring, round which are arranged jewels of inferior value, so as to set off the beauty of the principal gem. The plan of arrangement is as follows : First comes a short biography of Waterton as the Wanderer, and then a memoir of Waterton at home. Next come the Wanderings, exactly as he wrote them. Then there is an Explanatory Index, and lastly a few remarks on the PREFACE. system of Taxidermy which he created, and in which he gave me personal instruction. I have much pleasure in recording my obligations to Edmund Waterton, Esq., who kindly permitted access to the old family records, which he is now arranging for publication. Also to Dr. P. L. Sclater, Secretary of the Zoological Society, for the assistance which he rendered in identifying several of the birds ; and to J. Britten, Esq., of the British Museum, for the great pains which he took in ascertaining the names of some of the Guianan trees, without which names the work woidd have been imperfect. } ^J PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. I OFFER this book of Wanderings with a hesitating hand. It has little merit, and must make its way through the world as well as it can. It will receive many a jostle as it goes along, and perhaps is destined to add one more to the number of slain, in the field of modern criticism. But if it fall, it may still, in death, be useful to me ; for, should some accidental rover take it up, and, in turning over its pages, imbibe the idea of going out to explore Guiana, in order to give the world an enlarged descrip- tion of that noble country, I shall say, " forteni ad fortia misi," and demand the armour ; that is, I shall lay claim to a certain portion of the honours he will receive, npon the plea, that I was the first mover of his discoveries ; for, as Ulysses sent Achilles to Troy, so I sent him to Guiana, I intended to have written much more at length ; but days, and months, and years, have passed away, and nothing has been done. Thinking it very probable that I shall never have patience enough to sit down and write a full account of all I saw and examined x PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. in those remote wilds, I give up the intention of doing so, and send forth this account of my Wanderings, just as it was written at the time. If critics are displeased with it in its present form, I beg to observe, that it is not totally devoid of interest, and that it contains something useful. Several of the unfortunate gentlemen who went out to explore the Congo, were thankful for the instructions they found in it ; and Sir Joseph Banks, on sending back the journal, said in his letter, " I return your journal, with abundant thanks for the very instructive lesson you have favoured us with this morning, which far excelled, in real utility, everything I have hitherto seen." And in another letter he says, " I hear with particular pleasure your intention of resuming your interesting travels, to which natural history has already been so much indebted." And again, " I am sorry you did not deposit some part of your last harvest of birds in the British Museum, that your name might become familiar to naturalists, and your unrivalled skill in preserving birds be made known to the public." And again, "You certainly have talents to set forth a book, which will improve ard extend materially the bounds of natural science." Sir Joseph never read the third adventure. Whilst I was engaged in it, death robbed England of one of her most valuable subjects, and deprived the Eoyal Society of its brightest ornament. CONTENTS. BIOGRAPHY. CHAPTER I. Autobiography of Waterton Descent from Sir Thomas More Twenty seventh Lord of Walton, and sixteenth in descent from John Waterton Religkxis faith of the family Persecutions of Roman Catholics and confiscation of the estates Double taxes and fines- Birth and early life Escapades at Todhoe The cow and the wash- ing-tub Removal to Stonyhnrst Birds'-nesting. a chase and a pig- stye Good adrice from one of the fathers Parting with Stonyhurst First voyage to Cadiz The apes at Gibraltar Habits of the animals Stay in Malaga Acquirement of Spanish Projected visit to Malta Advent of the plague- Seized with the disease and recovery Closing of the ports A hazardous and carefully-planned escape Preyaratinm on board ship The opportunity seized Escape successful Death of an uncle Discovery of an oM friend Failing health Voyage to Demerara Death of his father and succession to the farmly estates . 1-14 CHAPTER IL Joorney to Orinoco with despatches Adventure with a venomous snake An involuntary bath A huge Cayman The Labarri snake- Dinner party in Angostura A too liberal table The Governor's uniform Dining in shirt-sleeves A more sensible uniform Publi- cation of the n~amdai*gs Reception by the critics Sydney Smith Swainson's criticism upon the cayman Troth in the garb of fiction Waterloo's style of writing Quotations His favourite authors Sense of humour How he answered the critics Charge of eccentricity How he was eccentric Travels on the continent Shipwreck Gallant conduct of Prince Canino Lost by gold Fall into Dover harbour and narrow escape The lancet and calomel- Judgment of the vampire A bad wound Bare feet and bad pave- mentMode of core Accidents at home Gunshot wound Severe fan and dangerous injuries Crowther the bone-setter A painful -A characteristic warning . 15-34 xii CONTENTS. CHAFTEK III. PAQK Magnificence and money Watertou's mode of life and personal ex- penses Sleeping on planks His visits to the chapel The " morning gun " The razor and the lancet Reduction of the family estates "r His work at Walton Hall Natural advantages of the place The '^ wall and its cost Bargees and their guns Instinct of the herons Herons and fish-ponds Drainage of the ponds The moat extended into a lake Old Gateway and Ivy-Tower Siege by Oliver Crom- well Tradition of a musket-ball Drawbridge and gateway in the olden times Tradition of a canon-ball Both ball and canon dis- covered Sunken plate and weapons Echo at "Walton Hall West view of lake How to strengthen a bank Pike-catching Cats and pike Spot where Waterton fell 35 -48 CHAPTER IV. Love of trees Preservation of damaged trees How trees perish Wind and ram Self -restorative powers of the bark Hidden foes The fungus and its work Use of the woodpecker and titmouse How to utilize tree-stumps The cole titmouse Owl-house and seat Dry-rot -When to paint timber Oaken gates of the old tower Command over trees How to make the holly grow quickly The holly as a hedge-tree Pheasant fortresses Artificial pheasants The poachers outwitted Waterton's power of tree climbing An aerial study Ascending and descending trees- Church and State trees The yew A protection against cold winds Yew hedge af;back of gateway The Starling Tower Familiarity of the birds The Picnic or Grotto Waterton's hospitality " The Squire" A decayed mill and abandoned stone The stone lifted off the ground by a hazel nut 49 CHAPTER V. The Squire's " dodges " The " cat-holes " The dove-cot Pigeon-shoot- ing matches and mode of supplying the birds Waterton's pigeon- house, external and internal Pigeon-stealers baffled Arrangement of pigeon-holes Ladders not needed How to feed pigeons econo- mically Rats and mice in the garden The poison-bowl and its safety Sunken mousetrap Gates and chains The carriage-pond Waterton's antipathy to scientific nomenclature Advantage of such nomenclature as an assistant to science Popular and local names Colonists and their nomenclature Zoology gone mad Complimentary nomenclature The fatal accident in the park Waterton's last moments and death The last voyage and funeral Epitaph written by himself The new cross, and place of burial, 7286 CONTEXTS. FIRST JOURXET. CHAPTER L Object of the JFam4 16S xiv CONTENTS. CHAPTER II. PAGE Arrival at Cayenne Flamingos Curlews, &c. Vegetable production ss^- of Cayenne La Gabrielle Cock of the Rock Grand Gobe-mouche V^ Surinam The Coryntin New Amsterdam Stabroek, now George Town Produce of Dejnerara Slavery A traveller's necessaries Walking^BaTgfoot^-The best "costume Humming-birds Cotinga Campanero, or Bell-bird Toucans, or Toucanets Beak of the Toucan Evanescence of the colours The only mode of preserving them . . 169184 CHAPTER III. The Houtou Curious habit of trimming the tail and feathers its habits The Guianan Jay The Boclora Slight attachment of the feathers The Cuia Rice-birds Cassiques, their habit of mockery Pendulous nests Gregarious nesting of different species Wood- peckers of America and England Kingfishers Jacamars and their fly-catching habits Troupiales and their songs Tangaras Mani- kins Tiger-birds Yawaraciri Ant Thrushes Parrot of the Suu Aras, or Macaws Bitterns Egret, Herons, etc. Goatsuckers Whip-poor-Will Superstitions Tinamous Powis and Maroudi Horned Screamer Trumpeter King Vulture Anhinga Dangers of travel Quartan ague 185207 THIRD JOURNEY. CHAPTER I. From the Clyde to Demerara Yellow fever A deserted Plantation r^- Black John Medicines for tropical climates Bats The lancet V Severe accident and recovery A primitive spear History of the Sloth An inhabitant of the trees Structure of the limbs A domes- ticated Sloth A life of suspense Structure of the hair Mark on the back Capture of a Sloth Release and escape Ants Ant- bears The great Ant-bear Its powers of defence Attitude when standing How it catches its prey Glutinous saliva The Vampire and its habits Bleeding gratis Coushie Ants Armadillo and its habits Tortoise Eggs of Tortoise and Turtle . . .'. . 208231 CONTENTS. CHAPTER n. of the wcrd Small Cayman Dddy Qoashi reptiles and wild beasts Poison of the Labor! Its nest Ticks, and how to get rid of them The five tribes Their habitations and mode of life Pnrarri The Pee-a-man A his mim Wdmded warriors Valonr Character of the native Skffl in A bead The CHAPTER HI. Discovery of a large Coulacacara snake-A loved by a Boa Negroes and the attadk The snake struck Carrjing off the bag An onqoiet ai^it Dueection of the andhisdremd< their food Habits of Tnttmts The Aura vulture Hack Sercre hastas An mqniatrf^ JafBar Fi*h $booting-G i r :>?s :: ":^: i 1 : ^1- V.: '...- '.:-.^'.- :::_ .:::j ;:?.:^r "ii-T.ra.r,ii-:.; i-".:^: _: v_" At tte age of dgktem he left Slonjhnxst with mudi regre^ and after a jear spot aft Watton Han amid the : . I",.,, :;- :: :1- i-li. Lr -:-.:-; : :. i:-: :: 1.- , . i:- neys abroad. It was daring tike Peace of Amipni^ and Spain was chosen as the countzy whkh he dionld viaatL After staTOfj m snort time at Cadiz, he sailed for Malaga,, -I \i..i :le .- :>.: :.:riz. :.; v-;: .r.'.-l:,- .:- - Gibraltar was the last place in Emope where apes fived wild. How they 9* then no one bows, but Wateriest ---- - :- -: L- I,,-,;- :': -.1, 7 :^;i r ,' ;r. r -,:i 7 b Afiita "Let as imagine that, m times long gone by, the pro- 10 BIOGRAPHY. Apes of mountain called Ape's Hill, on the coast of Barbary ; aud Gibraltar, that, by some tremendous convulsion of nature, a channel had been made between them, and had thus allowed the vast Atlantic Ocean to mix its waves with those of the Mediterranean Sea. " If apes had been on Gibraltar when the sudden shock occurred, these unlucky mimickers of man would have seen their late intercourse with Africa quite at an end. A rolling ocean, deep and dangerous, would have convinced them that there would never again be a highway overland from Europe into Africa at the Straits of Gibraltar. "Now as long as trees were allowed to grow on the Eock of Gibraltar, these prisoner-apes would have been pretty well off. But, in the lapse of time and change of circumstances, forced by ' necessity's supreme command,' for want of trees, they would be obliged to take to the ground on all-fours, and to adopt a very different kind of life from that which they had hitherto pursued." The animal here mentioned is the Barbary Ape, or Magot, a species of Macacque. At Gibraltar it feeds largely on the scorpions that have their habitations under the loose stones. I do not think that Waterton's sugges- tion as to its altered habits is carried out by facts, for the magot is quite as much at home among rocks or among trees, as are the great baboons of Southern Africa. I The Magot. have seen a number of magots in a large cage, or rather, apartment, in the open air. They were supplied with rock-work and trees, and of the two seemed to prefer the former. Their colours harmonised so completely with that of the rough stones on which they sat, that many persons passed the cage, thinking it to be untenanted, while five or six magots were seated among the rocks, and almost as motionless as the stones themselves. Generally, the Gibraltar magots keep themselves so BIOGRAPHY, much aloof, that they cannot be seen without the aid of a * l_^_ 1 M. Tiy, M j .. . _ f ,, ,j_. _ ,. ,__ i ji ,, telescope, out n aternm was tonnnase lamigii ID aee tne whole colony on the move, they being forced to leave their quarters by a change of wind. He founto! between fifty and sixty of them, some having young on their backs. After staying for more than a year in Malaga, and having apparently in the meantime acquired the Spanish language,, of which be was totally ignorant when be en- tered Cadiz, but in which he was afterwards a proficient, be projected a visit to Malta, but was checked by a ter- rible obstacle. This was the -Uack-vomit," which broke out with irresistible formy atTM? an p at> ^*^ with cholera and yellow fever. The population died by thousands, and so many were the victims of these diseases that graves could not be dug to keep pace with tne mortality. Large pits like our plague-pits and* as they could the coffins, the bodies of the dead were into the pits. An uncle of TTatertan died of the disease, his body was taken out of its coffin and thrown into the pit, and just beneath him lay the body of a Spanish marquis. Xo less than fourteen toon- sand people died in Malaga, notwithstanding that fifty with the black-vomit, but, although it was thought that he could not Mve until die following day, his gr of cxmstitution, aided by hB simple mode of fife, enabled him to conquer in the struggle. As if to add to the terrors to leave a spot which had been stricken with such plagues, and among them was Waterloo. But the authorities had mean- while kid an embargo on tne shaping, and it was next to 12 BIOGRAPHY. impossible to get away. At last, at the risk of imprison- An escape ment for life, he escaped by the daring and forethought planned. _. ... . of a Swedish captain. He took on board Waterton and his younger brother, the former being entered on the ship's books as a Swedish carpenter, and the latter as a passenger. How carefully the escape was planned, and how skilfully it was executed, must be told in Waterton's own words : " We slept on board for many successive nights, in hopes of a fair wind to carry us through the Straits. At last, a real east wind did come, and it blew with great violence. The captain, whose foresight and precautions were truly admirable, had given the strictest orders to the crew that not a word should be spoken whilst we were preparing to escape. We lay in close tier amongst forty sail of mer- chantmen. The harbour-master having come his usual rounds and found all right, passed on without making any observations. " At one o'clock, P.M., just as the governor had gone to the eastward to take an airing in his carriage, as was his custom every day, and the boats of two Spanish brigs-of- war at anchor in the harbour had landed their officers for the afternoon's amusements, our vessel worked out clear of the rest, and instantly became a cloud of canvas. The captain's countenance, which was very manly, exhibited a portrait of cool intrepidity rarely seen : had I possessed the power, I would have made him an admiral on the spot. " The vessel drove through the surf with such a press of sail that I expected every, moment to see her topmasts carried away. Long before the brigs- of- war had got their officers on board, and had weighed in chase of us, we were S^lccess. f ar a t sea ; and when night had set in we lost sight of them for ever, our vessel passing Gibraltar at the rate of nearly eleven knots an hour." BIOGRAPHY. 13 It was indeed fortunate for Waterton that he succeeded in making his escape, for in the following spring the plague returned with increased violence, and no less than thirty- six thousand more victims perished. Waterton never dwells on the hardships and sufferings which he under- went in his travels, hut he remarks that his constitution was much shaken by the Malaga illness, and that in all probability he would not have survived a second attack. Shaifn by He had tried to persuade another uncle to take part in the escape, but he declined, and was carried off by the second outbreak of the pestilence. So ended Waterton 's first experience of foreign travel It was not by any means an encouraging tour, for he had lost relatives, friends, and health, while he had gained little except a knowledge of travel, and the sight of flamingos, vultures, and apes at liberty. It was characteristic of Waterton that when he found himself at Hull, forty-four years after he started on his travels, he made inquiries about the captain of the ship in which he took his first voyage, discovered that he was alive, sought him out, and renewed the acquaintance begun so many years before. His weakened state caused him to take cold as he was sailing up the Channel ; the cold settled on the lungs, and he was scarcely in less danger in England than he had been in Malaga. However, he again rallied, and was able once more to join the hunting-field. Still, the shock to the system had been very great, and to the end of his life, though he could endure almost any amount of heat, he was painfully sensitive to cold, and especially to cold winds. The chilly climate of England did not agree Climate of with his health, and he found himself again obliged to go abroad. He longed, he said, " to bask in a warmer sun." 14 BIOGRAPHY. Voyage to Some estates in Demerara being in possession of the f^jiy^ Waterton went to superintend them, and in the interval before starting, made the personal acquaintance of Sir Joseph Banks, who at once appreciated the powers which the young traveller was afterwards to develop. He gave Waterton a piece of most excellent advice, namely, to come home for a time at least once in three years. He continued to administer the estates for eight years, when, as both his father and uncle, the proprietors of the estates, were dead, he handed over the property to those who had a right to it, and thence began his world-famed Wanderings, the account of which will be given exactly as he wrote it; without the change or omission of a syllable, or the addition of a note. DTEESG his stay in Demema, he was *A**eA as the ifeqMfc&s bearer of despatches to the Spanish Government in** Qmnfln and received the first commission which had been held bj any one bearing the name of Waterton since the days of Queen May; the immiii-i being dated August 2, 1808. While passing vp the Orinoco river in the fulfilment of this mission, an adventure occurred which had well- nigh deprived the world of the Wanderings. - During the whole of the passage up the river, there was a grand feast for the eyes and ears of an ornithologist. In the swampy parts of the wooded islands, which abound in this mighty river, we saw waterfowl innumerable; and BIOGEAPHY. Tropical when we had reached the higher grounds it was quite birds ' charming to observe the immense quantities of parrots and scarlet aras which passed over our heads. The loud harsh screams of the bird called the horned screamer were heard far and near ; and I could frequently get a sight of this extraordinary bird as we passed along ; but I never managed to bring one down with the gun, on account of the difficulty of approaching it. "While we were wending our way up the river, an accident happened of a somewhat singular nature. There was a large labarri snake coiled up in a bush, which was close to us. I fired at it, and wounded it so severely that it could not escape. Being wishful to dissect it, I reached over into the bush, with the intention to seize it by the throat, and convey it aboard. The Spaniard at the tiller, on seeing this, took the alarm, and immediately put his helm aport. This forced the vessel's head to the stream, and I was left hanging to the bush with the snake close to me, not having been able to recover my balance as the vessel veered from the land. I kept firm hold of the branch to which I was clinging, and was three times overhead in the water below, presenting an easy prey to any alligator that might have been on the look-out for a meal. " Luckily a man who was standing near the pilot, on seeing what had happened, rushed to the helm, seized hold of it, and put it hard a-starboard, in time to bring the Wounded head of the vessel back again. As they were pulling Labam. me ^ j gaw ^^ ^ e gna jj e was evidently too far gone to do mischief ; and so I laid hold of it and brought it aboard with me, to the horror and surprise of the crew. It measured eight feet in length. As soon as I had got a change of clothes, I killed it, and made a dissection of the head. " I would sometimes go ashore in the swarnps to shoot ::>:?::;. marondies, \rhich are somewhat related to the pheasant ; hot they were very shy, and it required considerable address to get within shot of them. In these little excursions I now and then smarted for my pains. More than once I got among some hungry leeches, which made pretty free with my legs. The morning after I had had the adventure with the Labarri snake, a cayman slowly passed oar vessel. All on board agreed that this tyrant of the fresh waters could not be less than thirty feet long." I ought to state that the Labarri snake here mentioned is one of the most venomous serpents of Guiana, but as it will be fully described in a subsequent page, I shall say no more about it at present. Waterton never feared snakes, even though knowing that their bite is certain death, but the coxswain of the boat, not having such nerve, might well be excused for taking alarm. A rather amusing incident took place when he had reached his destination. " On arriving at Angostura, the capital of the Orinoco, we were received with great politeness by the Governor. Nothing could surpass the hospitality of the principal inhabitants. They never seemed satisfied unless we were partaking of the dainties which their houses afforded. Indeed, we had feasting, dancing, and music in super- abundance. "The Governor, Don Felipe de Yneiarte, was tall and corpulent On our first introduction, he told me that he expected the pleasure of our company to dinner every day during our stay in Angostura. We had certainly every reason to entertain very high notions of the plentiful supply of good things which Orinoco afforded ; for, at the first day's dinner, I counted more than forty dishes of fish and flesh. The governor was superbly c 18 BIOGRAPHY. Heavy attired in a full uniform of gold and blue, the weight uniform. Q f W ^j c j 1 a i onej i n that hot climate, and at such a repast, was enough to have melted him down. He had not half got through his soup before be began visibly to liquefy. I looked at him, and bethought me of the old saying, ' How I sweat ! said the mutton-chop to the gridiron.' "He now became exceedingly uneasy; and I myself had cause for alarm ; but our sensations arose from very different causes. He, no doubt, already felt that the tightness of his uniform, and the weight of the orna- ments upon it, would never allow him to get through that day's dinner with any degree of comfort to him- self; I, on the other hand (who would have been amply satisfied with one dish well done) was horrified at the appalling sight of so many meats before me. Good- breeding whispered to me, and said ; ' Try a little of most of them.' Temperance replied, 'Do so at your peril ; and for your over-strained courtesy, you shall have yellow- fever before midnight.' "^ * ast ^ e Governor said to me, in Spanish, 'Don Carlos, this is more than man can bear. No puedo sufrir tanto. Pray pull off your coat, and tell your companions to do the same ; and I'll show them the example.' On saying this, he stripped to the waistcoat ; and I and my friends and every officer at table did the same. The next day, at dinner-time, we found his Excellency clad in a uniform of blue Salempore, slightly edged with gold lace." ^ tr P* ca * Wanderings came to an end in 1825, in ngs' which year he published the now famous volume. At first, he received from the critics much the same treat- ment as did Bruce and Le Vaillant. Critics would not believe that Bruce ever saw a living ox cut up for food, or BIOGRAPHY. is, that the Abyssntians ate beef raw in preference to cooked. 75* Neither would they believe that Le Vafflant ever chased Cr ""~ t *- a giraffe, because, as they said, there was no such Minnal, and that therefore, Le Yaflknt could not hare seen it Similarly, some of TTaterton's statements were received with a storm of derision, more especially his account : - -- ...7 _ - :>- : :- .: v- - :'. . ; '.-.-'-::."- "-.-: ' - - . :. _ of the aege in the shape of many ballet marks. In the left portion of the gate there ism tfl stffl remaining, which is to the eSTect that it *as fired br Ofirer OtanveH Mmselt That he took an active part in the siege is wefl known, but ^ it is difficult to identi^r anr mdrridnal luldt vhk-h he 44 BIOGRAPHY. Baaing fired. The tradition further states that the shot was aimed thesieye. at the la(Jy of the j lousej W h gallantly conducted the defence herself. The reader may be interested to hear that her defence was successful. The sketch, representing the Gateway in its present con- dition, was taken on the opposite side of the water, from a spot close to the tall and lightning-shattered poplar-tree, shown on the right hand of the illustration on p. 36. The chief interest of this view lies in the gateway itself. Just behind it is an odd-looking tower, which was built by "Waterton for the use of starlings, and the place is enclosed on the north by a thick and closely-clipped hedge of yew. The heavy masses of ivy which fall in thick clusters from the turrets and which serve as a refuge for many birds, have given to the structure the name of Ivy Tower, by which it is often mentioned in the Essays. While still very young, I was familiar with the Ivy Tower from Waterton's Essays. They mostly appeared in Loudon's Magazine of Natural History, and as that valu- able publication was taken in at the Ashmolean Society of Oxford, where I lived, I used to watch impatiently for each successive number, in the hope that it might contain an article from Waterton's pen. Thus, the gateway, the lake, the heronry, the starling towers, the fallen millstone, the shattered poplar, the holly hedges and the wooden pheasants, were all known to me, and when at last I had the privilege of visiting Walton Hall, there was not one of those spots that I did not joyfully recognize. In the old times ' the oulv a PP roacn to the mainland was by a drawbridge, opening on to the gateway, which was then three stories high. This has long been destroyed, and at present the approach is made by a light iron bridge, rather to the right of the gateway. This bridge is not shown in the sketch. BIOGRAPHY. 45 As to the siege, there are other reminiscences beside the gateway itself. While the soldiers of Cromwell were occupying the hill nearly opposite the gateway, one of the soldiers started off with a keg on his shoulder to fetch beer from the village. Thinking that he would return by the same route, one of the garrison aimed a little gun which was mounted on the topmost story, so as to command the path. The soldier ^ ?>* did return by the same way, and was struck down by the ball, which passed through his thigh. The tradition of this lucky shot was handed down from father to son, until it reached Waterton's father. He had the curiosity to dig at the spot where the man was said to have fallen, and there he found the ball, a little iron one. The ba.i\ This he gave to his son, with a request that it should always remain in the family. In 1857, while dredging away the drift mud which had accumulated round the gateway, a small iron cannon was discovered. As the ball fitted it, and it was found exactly below the turret from which the fatal shot had been fired, The there could be no doubt that it was the identical gnn ' CTLVERIS. mentioned in the tradition ; so Waterton had the pleasure of placing the cannon and the ball together in his house, where every visitor could see them. Beside the gun, there were found a sword-blade, a spear, daggers, axe, many coins, keys, and some silver plate. For their presence in the mud Waterton accounts by 46 BIOGRAPHY. suggesting that they were flung into the moat, when the house was ransacked for arms after the battle of Cullodeu. He told me that he believed that if the lake were completely drained, many more such articles would be recovered. The view on page 36 is taken from a spot on the northern bank. At some hundreds of yards distance from the house there are a couple of splendid sycamores, and close to them fho is a large block of ironstone, called the Echo Stone. Any tone. one standing by it, and speaking towards the house, will hear every syllable returned with wonderful clearness. Sitting on this stone, I made the sketch from which this illustration is taken. On it is engraved the word ECHO. On the western side of the gateway there had been a curious old chapel formerly attached to the mansion Waterton, however, disliked it and took it down, against the remonstrances of the then Duke of Norfolk, his godfather. The lake is widest near the house, and then proceeds almost due west, narrowing as it goes, and taking a turn northwards towards the end, where it passes round a hill, and becomes shallower, allowing the sedges and reeds to appear, and so affording shelter for the aquatic birds. Another view of the lake is now given, looking west- ward, and taken from the right-hand first floor window of the house as seen on page 36. On the ground-floor may be seen a large window, flanked by a smaller one on either side. These are the west windows of the drawing-room. The central window is a large sheet of plate glass, and behind it is mounted a large telescope, commanding nearly the whole of the lake. The On the left, before coming to the -wood, are a few flfowt w iilows, and between them and the wood is a favourite resort of the herons. The low bank looks as if it would be endangered by the water, but it is perfectly firm, even to the very edge. It is made of large stones, not squared, BIOGRAPHY. but heaped loosely together. Seeds of various trees, espe- cially those of the sycamore, fell into the water, floated on its surface, and were arrested by the bank, where they took root They were never allowed to grow into trees, and were constantly cut down. But their roots twined themselves among the stones, and bound them together so firmly, that a stronger wall could not be desired. ; - The holes under these stones are favourite resorts of pike, with which the lake abounds. I am no angler, but I have caught many pike near the willows by trolling, using nothing but a willow stick by way of rod, a hank of whipcord for a line, a gorge hook, and a minnow for bait. The largest that I ever took there weighed rather over ten pounds, and very proud I was of the fish, though it was a heavy and inconvenient article to carry to the house. Some of the pike, including the ten -pounder, were for 48 BIOGRAPHY. the table, but the fish were generally used for the purpose Cat of feeding the cats, of which there were many about the stables and cattle-yards, for the purpose of keeping dowii the rats. It is now well known that a well-fed cat is the best niouser, seldom eating its prey, but killing it for the mere sport. When the cats were fed, the fish were chopped up on a wooden block near the stables. It was very amusing to watch the operation. Although at first not a cat might be visible, half a dozen blows had not been struck with the chopper before impatient cries were heard, and cats came swarming round the block, just as they do round a cat's- meat man's barrow in London. On the right, just above the tall tree near the edge of the lake, a heron is seen flying in the distance. It was Tit* fatal near the bank at the further end of the lake that Water ton spot. met ^k ^ f ata } acc i(ient at a S p 0t ueai .jy below the flying heron. CHAPTER IV. and rain.-Self-restoratiTe powen of the hut Hidden ton. The fungus and Us wort Use of the woodpecker and titmouse. How to ntflne tree-stamps. The Cole Titmouse. Owl-house and seat. Dry- n*. When to paint timber. Oaken gates of the old tower. Com- maid over tows. How to make the holly grow qukklj The holly as a hedge-tne Pheasotmrtrases, Artificial pheasantsT-The poachers outwitted. Waterton's power of tree-climbing. An aerial study. AsmdiBg and descending tree*, Church and State trees. The yew. A protection against cold winds. Yew hedge at back of gateway. The Starling Tower. Famffiaritj of the birds. The Pknk or Grotto. Watertons hospitality. "The Squire" A decayed mill and aban- doned stone. The stone lifted ofl the ground by a hazel nut. WATEETOX'S love of trees almost amounted to veneration. L-^ of He studied their ways as minutely and as accurately as he did those of the animal world, and in consequence he could do more with trees than any one else. By patient observa- tion cf their modes of growth, he knew how to plant them in the locality hest suited for themselves, how to encourage them, and, if they were injured, to reduce their damage to a minimum. Many a fine tree has he shown me which would have been long ago condemned by ignorant men, but which was then flourishing in full growth, and in such renewed health that scarcely a scar was left in the bark to show the spot on which the injury had occurred. One of his triumphs in this art was to be seen by a splendid poplar situated nearly opposite the picturesque 50 BIOGRAPHY. Healing a gateway, and especially favoured by Waterton as having poplar. been p ] ante d by his father. It was twice struck by light- ning, and the trunk split open for many feet. However, Waterton filled up the breaches, and in course of time the tree recovered itself (see p. 36). It was in full growth during my last visit, but it was blown down by a severe gale in 1869, having succumbed, not to the lightning, but to age. To heal a tree by filling it with bricks and mortar may appear to be rather a singular method, but it is a very effectual one ; the chief object being to keep rain out of the tree, and so to guard it against rotting. How thoroughly Waterton bad studied the ways of trees may be seen from the following extract from his essay on the Titmouse and the Woodpecker, in which he combated the popular opinion that these birds were injurious to trees : " Would you inspect the nest of a carrion crow ? Brittle Tree are the living branches of the ash and sycamore; while, on the contrary, those which are dead on the Scotch pine are tough, and will support your weight. The arms of the oak may safely be relied on ; but, I pray you, trust with extreme caution those of the quick -growing alder. Neither press heavily on the linden tree ; though you may ascend the beech and the elm without any fear of danger. But let us stop here for the present. On some future day, should I be in a right frame for it, I may pen down a few remarks, which will possibly be useful to the naturalist when roving in quest of ornithological knowledge. I will now confine myself to the misfortunes and diseases of trees ; and I- will show that neither the titmouse nor the woodpecker ever bore into the hard and live wood. " Trees, in general, are exposed -to decay by two different processes, independent of old age. The first is that of a broken branch, which, when neglected, or not cut off close to the BIOGRAPHY. 51 parent stem, will, in the course of time, bring utter ruin Decay of on the tree. The new wood, which is annually formed, trecSm cannot grow over the jutting and fractured part, into which the rain enters, and gradually eats deeper and deeper, till at last it reaches the trunk itself. There it makes sad havoc ; and the tree, no longer able to resist the fury of the tempest, is split asunder, and falls in ponderous ruins. But ere it comes to this, the titmouse will enter the cavity in a dry spring, and rear its young ones here. Now, if the diseased or fractured branches were carefully cut off close to the bole, you would see the new accession of wood gradually rolling over the flat surface, which, in time, would be entirely covered by it; and then the tree would l>e freed for ever from all danger in that quarter. The second process towards decay is exceedingly curious, and cannot well be accounted for. If it takes place to a serious ex- tent, no art of man can possibly save the tree ; and sooner or later, according to the magnitude of the disease with which it has been tainted, it will fall before the force of the raging winds. Should this disease be slight, the timely prevention of rain from penetrating the injured part will secure the tree from further mischief. " I must here observe that, in animated nature, the vital functions are internal ; so that, if the part within be mortally wounded, death is the inevitable consequence. With most trees, and with all those of Britain, it is other- wise. Their vitality is at the periphery, connected with Vitality / the bark, under which an annual increase of wood takes ' place, so long as the tree is alive. Should, however, the bark be cut away, the tree will die upwards from the place where all the bark has been destroyed. Not so with its internal parts. You may entirely excavate the interior of a tree ; and provided you leave a sufficient strength of wood by way of wall, in order that it may be able to resist the 52 BIOGRAPHY. fury of the tempest without, taking care at the same time to exclude the rain, your tree will remain in vigour from generation to generation. " The internal texture of a tree will perish without any notice by which we may be forewarned of the coming ruin. The disease which causes the destruction takes place in the oak ; but more frequently in the sycamore, and most commonly of all in the ash. We will select this last tree by way of elucidation. " Often, when arrayed in all the bloom of vegetable beauty, the ash -tree is seen to send forth from its bole, or Fatal from some principal branch, a small fungus, which, during fungus, the summer, increases to a considerable size. It ripens in the autumn, and falls to the ground when winter's rain sets in. The bark through which this fungus sprouted is now completely dead, though it still retains its colour ; and that part of the wood from which it proceeded is entirely changed in its nature, the whole of its vitiated juices having been expended in forming and nourishing the fungus. Nothing remains of its once firm and vigorous texture. It is become what is commonly called touch- wood, as soft and frangible as a piece of cork, which, when set on fire, will burn like tinder. In the meantime, the tree shows no sign of sickness, and its annual increase goes on as usual, till at last the new swelling wood closes over the part from which the fungus had grown, and all appears to go on right again. But ere the slow process arrives at this state the titmouse or the woodpecker will have found an entrance and a place of safety for their in- cubation. They quickly perforate the distempered bark, and then the tainted wood beneath it yields to their pointed bills, with which they soon effect a spacious cavity. " Here, then, we have the whole mystery unfolded. These BIOGRAPHY. 53 birds, which never perforate the live wood, find in this diseased part of the tree, or of the branch, a place suitable to their wants. They make a circular hole large enough to admit their bodies, and then they form a cavity within sufficiently spacious to contain their young. Thus does nature kindly smooth the way in order that all her creatures may prosper and be happy. Whenever I see these sylvan carpenters thus employed I say to them, ' Work on, ye pretty birds ; you do no harm in excavating there. I am your friend, and I will tell the owner of the tree that you are not to blame. But his woodman deserves a severe reprimand. He ought to have cut down the tree in the autumn, after the appearance of the fungus.' " Even when the tree was hopelessly destroyed by the Tree fungus, Waterton would still find uses for the stump. He would clothe it with ivy so as to render it picturesque, and he would manipulate it so that it should be a home for birds. Many of these stumps are in the grounds, and of them I have selected one or two as examples. The first shows the " brick and mortar " system which Brick and has already been mentioned. Several habitations for birds * are constructed in it, and the stone in front is intended to aid the observer in looking into the nests. I tried to sketch this stump so as not to make it look like a grotesque human face. But exactness was the first con- sideration, and it is represented precisely as it was in 1863. The second sketch was chosen because it represents one of the fungus-visited ash-trees described by Waterton. Old .*. The tree has been broken off some ten feet from the ground, at a spot weakened by a fungus. Of the tree itself little remains except the broken stump and a few small branches which still retain their leaves. Ivy has ascended 5-1 BIOGRAPHY. it, and is hanging in heavy clusters, so as to give the fast-dying tree a verdure not its own. And, as the reader may observe, two more masses of fungus are projecting from the tree and extracting the life from its fibres. DECAYED ASH AND BRICK. The Cole- titmouse. Just above the upper fungus and on its right is a small door, with a hole near the top, and this little door has rather a curious history. In the spot where the door is shown there is a fungus, p roY i n g t na t the wood from which it has sprung was decayed. Now, Water ton had for some time wanted the Cole-titmouse to breed in his park, and, in accordance with this notion, provided it with a home. First, he separated an oblong piece of wood about an inch in thickness so as to form a door. Next, he cut away the soft decayed wood until he had formed a considerable cavity. He then BIOGRAPHY. 55 replaced the door, fastening it with] two little hinges and a hasp, and hored a hole in it about an inch in diameter. In fulfilment of his expectations, the very bird which he wanted soon discovered the locality, examined it care- fully, and then built in the chamber so thoughtfully provided : for it I was never at Walton Hall while the bird was sitting, bnt have often seen the nest. The last of these sketches represents a singularly in- genious combination of accommodation for man and bird The trunk of an old oak-tree has been hollowed out, and the interior is divided into two stories. In the upper there are nesting-places for birds, especially for owls, and in the lower there is a seat where the occu- pant can remain unseen. It is placed on the brow of the hfll which borders the lake, and is so arranged that not 56 BIOGRAPHY. only can the observer watch from its shelter the habits of e. the various aquatic beings which frequent the lake, but can actually look into the nests built on the tops of lofty trees without the birds suspecting that their movements could be seen. With regard to the decay of wood after it had been felled, Waterton was not long in coming to the conclusion that the " dry-rot," as it is oddly named, was caused not so much by external moisture as by the natural sap of the tree which had not been thoroughly expelled. When its Dry-rot, juices have been completely dried and it is thoroughly " seasoned," wood is as lasting as stone. We have in the British Museum specimens of woodwork which, although more than three thousand years have elapsed since the trees were felled, are as sound as when they were first carved. Waterton used to say that paint was the chief cause of dry rot, especially when it was used to cover the deficiencies of ill-seasoned wood, because it closed the pores and did not allow the sap to escape. As a proof BIOGRAPHY. that weather does not injure wen-seasoned i wont to point to certain posts, gates, and o made of oak, which had never been paintec had been in the open air for some seven ha and were perfectly sound. The oak doors of are fully seven hundred yeazs old. They are torn with musket-baHs, but are still free from When he had new doors made which wocli to the weather he used every precaution to keep tie v~- from lodging in them. Xo panels were seen on ~f :-:*: side, which was as smooth as it could be made. Tie ixmntm* were bound with strong iron, painted bef-cre i~ -** put on. Xo matter how well-seasoned the wood might be. i doors were made of deal, three years were allowed -..;< elapse before painting, whfle, if of oak. :: WAS ^Tri jamfr" 1 until six years had passed, and very orr-en TTI.? - : : painted at aH It is also found that if holes were tomred transversely into posts* so as to allow free entrance : : ilr. the dry-rot scarcely ever made its appearance. If modern builders would act upon a knowledge of tMs fact :Lry would render our houses, roofs of buildings, ic, far more enduring than they are at present. DID we wish to show the wonderful command which Waterton had over trees, we need only point to the holly- trees in his park. The holly was a great favourite of his, as it is very hardy when property planted, possesses a beauty of its own, affords shelter for buds in wen as summer, and can be formed into a hedge to and beast. As to laurel hedges, Waterton never would plant them, Lar&- and he had found by experience that in ordinary hawthorn hedges a bush would often die without any apparent 58 BIOGRAPHY. reason, leaving an unsightly gap which could not be filled Forcing up. In most hands the holly is a slow-growing tree, hut "' Waterton made it grow with astonishing rapidity. How he managed to "force " the holly may be seen from his own words. "People generally imagine that the holly is of tardy growth. It may be so in ordinary cases, but means may be adopted to make this plant increase with such effect as to repay us. amply for all our labour and expense. " Thus, let us dig the ground to a full yard in depth, and plant the hollies during the last week of May, taking care to puddle their roots well into the pulverized soil. We shall find by the end of September that many of the plants will have shot nearly a foot in length, and that not one of them has failed, let the summer have been never so dry. " Small plants, bought in a nursery, and placed in your own garden for a couple of years, will be admirably adapted for the purpose of transplanting. Had I been aware in early life of this increasing growth of the holly, it should have formed all my fences in lieu of haw- thorn." I tried this plan with perfect success upon a stony and ungrateful soil. The rationale of the process is, that Roots and the young rootlets, which ought to be carefully spread by branches. ^ e fingers, are able to draw nourishment rapidly from the earth, and in consequence throw up branches in proportion. Waterton advised me to cut down Hie young hollies at first, and his advice was most valuable, although it cost some pangs when followed. I mentioned just now that a good holly hedge is imper- vious to man and beast. So it is ; and not even the rat, stoat, weasel, or even that worst of poachers, the cat, can get through it. True, they might push their way between the stems, but there is one obstacle which prevents them, namely, that they cannot put their feet to the ground. The holly is perpetually shedding its leaves, especially in summer-time, in order to make way for the new leafage. The old leaves fell, become dry, and curl up r with their sharp spikes projecting in all directions. These points. sharp as needles, prick the feet of the prowling animal?. and so prevent them from passing. Of this property Waterton took advantage. Like many landed gentlemen he had a preserve of pheasants, and wi? consequently harassed by poachers. Xow he hated p ro^: u - tion, and always evaded it if possible. On one oc^ion. for example, when eight men and a boy were capered on Sunday morning, while trespassing in Li? rookery, he released them on finding that they were tailor?, saying thit he could not think of prosecuting eight-ninth? and a half of a man. So with the poachers in his preserves. He would not expose them to be shot by keepers, nor would he pro- secute them if he could help himself, but he could circnrn- vent them, and did so effectually by means of the holly. The preserves were situated at some distance fro m the house, so that the poachers could make a rapid inroad and carry of their booty before they could be seized. So Waterton laid a deep scheme. First he planted ne^r the house, and just opposite his window, a clump of yew?, on which trees pheasants are fond of perching. Xext he sur- rounded them with a thick holly hedge, leaving only one little gap, which could be closed by a strong padlocked gate. Then, leaving the trees to grow, he set about the other preparations. He made a number of wooden pheasants, and did it in the simplest manner imaginable. He got some small scaffolding poles and cut them diagonally into pieces about BIOGRAPHY. Wooden as long as a pheasant's body. A lath fastened to one end peasants. ma( j e a ca pital tail, and all that was needed was to trim the shoulder to the neck, and put a head on the other end, a nail doing duty for a beak. STRUCTURE OF WOODKX PHEASANT. By the time that the trees had grown sufficiently for his purpose he had made about a couple of hundred of dummy pheasants. He then threw a few sacks full of beans inside the holly hedge, and laid a train of beans into the preserve. The birds, finding the beans on the ground, naturally followed the trail, and reaching so abundant a supply of food as they saw inside the hedge, flew over it and feasted to their heart's content. Then, not caring to fly, after having gorged themselves, they settled for the night in the yews. Meanwhile the wooden pheasants were nailed on the trees in the preserve, and so exactly did they resemble the actual birds that in the dark no one could detect the imposition. Even in daylight the dummy so closely re- presents the bird that a second glance is necessary in order to make sure that it is only an imitation. The ac- companying sketch represents one of these dummies on the outskirts of the preserve. BIOGRAPHY. 61 The poachers were completely deceived, and Waterton used to enjoy the reports of their guns, knowing that they were only wasting their shot upon the wooden images, manor FHEASAXT ix TREE. while the real birds were comfortably asleep under i.is ey-r. If the reader will refer to the illustration on page 36, he will see that on the right hand, and near the poplar, is a rather curious circular object. This represents the pheasant fortress in question, and, although the small si2e prohibits any detail, the general shape and appearance are sufficiently shown. It will also be seen how close to the house is the fortress, so as to be under the master's eye. He made several more of these ingenious refuges, of which other birds besides the pheasants took full ad- vantage. There was not a tree in the park that Waterton did not K*o*iedg< know, and, if the smallest damage were done, he would - be sure to find it out. One day I found the keeper much disturbed, having discovered some shot in a tree trunk, and being quite sure that he would be called to account BIOGRAPHY. for it. The man was right enough, for Waterton found the shot, before many hours had passed, and the keeper had to undergo a severe cross-examination. Aenal j^ j. on } v fa^ ~^ Q know the trees individually, and had distinctive names for them, but there was scarcely one which he had not climbed, and in the topmost branches of which he had not sat, pursuing his favourite amuse- ments of watching birds, and reading Horace or Virgil. There are not many men who at the age of sixty would have either the power or nerve to climb a tall tree, but Waterton retained his powers of tree- climbing until his death, and very shortly before his fatal accident had ascended one of the largest trees in the park, he being then in his eighty -third year. Such a spot for study may seem a remarkable one, but Waterton was never affected by heights, and the man who had scrambled up the cross of St. Peter's at Rome, climbed the lightning conductor, and stood with one foot on the head of the colossal angel of St. Angelo, was not likely to be made giddy by the view from the top of an oak-tree. In part of his autobiography, Waterton mentions that ^ ie climbed to the top of the conductor, and left his glove on it, but he does not tell the sequel of the story. All Rome rang with the exploit, which reached the ears of the Pope, Pius VII. Knowing that the glove would spoil the conductor, he ordered it to be removed at once. Not a man could be found in Rome whose nerves were equal to such a task, and so Waterton had to repeat the ascent and fetch his glove down again, to the amusement of his friends, and the delight of the populace. No one could have given the advice in tree-climbing which is quoted on page 50, without having experienced the comparative strength of the different trees. Perhaps BIOGRAPHY. 63 the reader may not know that coming down a tree is a far Climbing more difficult task than ascending it. In the latter case, ^ the climber can see his course, and note beforehand where he shall place his hands and feet, while in descending he has to trust partly to memory, and partly to touch. It is easy enough, for example, to spring for a few inches from a lower to a higher branch, but to drop those few inches is a very nervous business, I have more than once seen a climber ascend a tree very boldly, and then be so frightened that he could not be induced to come down without some one to guide his feet. The same rule holds good with precipices, where a man can always ascend where he has descended without jumping, but not nV<: -'. Even with trees, Waterton must needs have his joke. All the important trees in the park had their names. y. jmao f There were, for example, the Twelve Apostles standing in a group, all starting from one root, the Eight Beatitudes, the Seven Deadly Sins, &c. Then there were an oak and a Scotch fir twined together, and going by the name of Church and State (see p. 64). YEW was one of Waterton's favourite trees, and he was jj if y flc accustomed to say that it would be perfect if its leaves were only furnished with spikes sharp enough to keep out the cats, stoats, weasels, and his pet abhorrence, the brown rat, which he always called the Hanoverian rat, and stoutly believed was imported into England by the same ship that brought. William of Orange to our shores, I rather fancy that the Hanoverian origin of the brown rat must have been one of Waterton's early jokes, and that he gradually came to consider it as a fact The yew fur- nishes harborage for many birds, which after all do not seem to suffer much from four-footed enemies. The 64 BIOGRAPHY. well-known yew-hedge in the garden of Merton College, Oxford, is full of little birds, though their domiciles are not easily seen through the dense foliage. Uses of the Waterton made great use of this valuable tree, and yew ' formed with it evergreen walls, impermeable to the north wind, the one foe which he dreaded, and which seemed quite to benumb him. I have seen him with his lips so CHURCH AND STATE. paralysed by the north wind that he could scarcely frame a word. He spent most of his waking time out of doors, and his yew hedges were a great advantage to him in sheltering him from the north wind, and forming pleasant nooks which received the cheering rays of the southern sun. He wrote as follows in his Essay on the Yew-tree : " It BIOGRAPHY. has already repaid me for the pains which I have taken in its cultivation ; and when I resort to my usual evening stand, in order to watch the flocks of sparrows, finches, and starlings, whilst they are dropping in upon the neighbouring hollies, I feel not the wintry blast, as the yew-trees, which are close at hand, are to me a shield against its fury ; and in fact, they offer me a protection little inferior to that of the house itself." There is a magnificent crescent-shaped yew-hedge, which partly surrounds the stables, and shuts them out from sight so effectually, that no one could suspect their pre- sence unless informed of it Another yew-hedge forms a sort of wall behind the Ivy Tower, and aids in keeping it quiet for the many birds which breed in it. I have given the land view of the gateway (sometimes called the " Ivy Tower " in the Essays) because it shows how admirably Waterton adapted existing objects to his chief pursuit at Walton Hall, namely, the cherishing of birds and study of their habits. The view is taken from the southern window of the guest- chamber, and is one of the first objects that meets the visitor's eyes on rising in the morning. One portion of this illustration requires notice. Just above the yew-hedge may be seen a curious - looking circular tower ; with a conical roof. This was built ex- pressly for the use of starlings, and is appropriately named the Starling Tower. Many starlings found a home in the ' Ivy Tower, but wishing to accommodate these birds still further, Waterton buflt this tower for them, and a very interesting structure it is, uniting several advantages. In the first place, it is raised upon a smooth stone pillar, on which rests a large circular, flattened stone, considerably larger than the pillar. The object of this arrangement is to keep out rats, the worst foes of the F 66 BIOGRAPHY. Cats and starling. Even the most active and sharpest-clawed rat Rats. C0 uld hardly climb up the pillar, and if it did, would be stopped by the flat stone. In fact, this pillar and stone are similar in design to the "staddles" on which wheat-stacks ought to be built, if farmers wish to preserve their grain. Cats are also foes to the starling, but the flat stone is too high for most cats to reach by jumping, and if ATKWAV BACK they tried to do so, the upper surface of the stone is made with a slope, and is so smooth, that the claws could not retain their hold. The tower is circular, and is built in regular layers of stones. Each alternate stone is loose, and when pulled out, discloses a chamber behind, to which the bird obtains * by means of a channel cut in the corner of the Ihe birds took possession of the tower at once BIOGRAPHY. :_--: i-i i: i- ' -:y -.^.'. ::-__: :: Oe atones and aee the birds sitting on their eggs bang in the kast ahnned at the intra sequeoee of the protection which ther enjo are to be found in great numbexs around will assemble on the lawn in front of t r ;/ --'-'- In that they may he within a few yards which they are being watched. A sec wards bnflt and placed in another pod THE leader may remember that Waierton drained some fish-ponds and planted them with trees, which grew with great rapidity. By means of the erer-useful yew, -various anettering-pbces were made in it, and there was a little angle-roomed cottage where Tfaterton could sift by a fire r 2