第50章

Whenwolf-huntinginTexas，andwhenbear-huntinginLouisianaandMississippi，Iwasnotonlyenthralledbythesport，butalsobythestrangenewbirdsandothercreatures，andthetreesandflowersIhadnotknownbefore。Bytheway，therewasonefeastattheWhiteHousewhichstandsaboveallothersinmymemory——evenabovethetimewhenI

luredJoelChandlerHarristhitherforanight，adeedinwhichtotriumph，asallwhoknewthatinveteratelyshyreclusewilltestify。

Thiswas“thebear-hunters’dinner。”Ihadbeentreatedsokindlybymyfriendsonthesehunts，andtheyweresuchfinefellows，menwhomI

wassoproudtothinkofasAmericans，thatIsetmyheartonhavingthematahunters’dinnerattheWhiteHouse。OneDecemberI

succeeded；thereweretwentyorthirtyofthem，alltold，asgoodhunters，asdaringriders，asfirst-classcitizensascouldbefoundanywhere；nofinersetofguestseversatatmeatintheWhiteHouse；

andamongothergameonthetablewasablackbear，itselfcontributedbyoneofthesesameguests。

WhenIfirstvisitedCalifornia，itwasmygoodfortunetoseethe“bigtrees。”theSequoias，andthentotraveldownintotheYosemite，withJohnMuir。OfcourseofallpeopleintheworldhewastheonewithwhomitwasbestworthwhilethustoseetheYosemite。HetoldmethatwhenEmersoncametoCaliforniahetriedtogethimtocomeoutandcampwithhim，forthatwastheonlywayinwhichtoseeattheirbestthemajestyandcharmoftheSierras。ButatthetimeEmersonwasgettingoldandcouldnotgo。JohnMuirmetmewithacoupleofpackersandtwomulestocarryourtent，bedding，andfoodforathreedays’trip。Thefirstnightwasclear，andwelaydowninthedarkeningaislesofthegreatSequoiagrove。Themajestictrunks，beautifulincolorandinsymmetry，roserounduslikethepillarsofamightiercathedralthaneverwasconceivedevenbythefervoroftheMiddleAges。Hermitthrushessangbeautifullyintheevening，andagain，withaburstofwonderfulmusic，atdawn。Iwasinterestedandalittlesurprisedtofindthat，unlikeJohnBurroughs，JohnMuircaredlittleforbirdsorbirdsongs，andknewlittleaboutthem。Thehermit-thrushesmeantnothingtohim，thetreesandtheflowersandthecliffseverything。Theonlybirdshenoticedorcaredforweresomethatwereveryconspicuous，suchasthewater-ousels——alwaysparticularfavoritesofminetoo。Thesecondnightwecampedinasnow-storm，ontheedgeofthecanyonwalls，underthespreadinglimbsofagroveofmightysilverfir；andnextdaywewentdownintothewonderlandofthevalleyitself。IshallalwaysbegladthatIwasintheYosemitewithJohnMuirandintheYellowstonewithJohnBurroughs。

LikemostAmericansinterestedinbirdsandbooks，IknowagooddealaboutEnglishbirdsastheyappearinbooks。IknowthelarkofShakespeareandShelleyandtheEttrickShepherd；IknowthenightingaleofMiltonandKeats；IknowWordsworth’scuckoo；Iknowmavisandmerlesinginginthemerrygreenwoodoftheoldballads；I

knowJennyWrenandCockRobinofthenurserybooks。ThereforeIhadalwaysmuchdesiredtohearthebirdsinreallife；andtheopportunityofferedinJune，1910，whenIspenttwoorthreeweeksinEngland。AsIcouldsnatchbutafewhoursfromaveryexcitingroundofpleasuresandduties，itwasnecessaryformetobewithsomecompanionwhocouldidentifybothsongandsinger。InSirEdwardGrey，akeenloverofoutdoorlifeinallitsphases，andadelightfulcompanion，whoknowsthesongsandwaysofEnglishbirdsasveryfewdoknowthem，Ifoundthebestpossibleguide。

WeleftLondononthemorningofJune9，twenty-fourhoursbeforeI

sailedfromSouthampton。GettingoffthetrainatBasingstoke，wedrovetothepretty，smilingvalleyoftheItchen。Herewetrampedforthreeorfourhours，thenagaindrove，thistimetotheedgeoftheNewForest，wherewefirsttookteaataninn，andthentrampedthroughtheforesttoaninnonitsotherside，atBrockenhurst。Attheconclusionofourwalkmycompanionmadealistofthebirdswehadseen，puttinganasterisk(*)oppositethosewhichwehadheardsing。Therewereforty-oneoftheformerandtwenty-threeofthe