Wisconsin Historical Collections, Volume IX (1882)

              192 wisconsin state historical society undulating moving mass — tens of thousands of heavy powerful beasts were fleeing from their hated enemies but all had been put under adam's control i had not had a fair shot in due time we returned home the wild fowl season came and i practiced on them until the ice shut them off and they disappeared ; then followed a few days of muskrat hunting when winter shut me in not a book or paper of any kind to beguile and shorten the tedium of the season ; a little trapping and one snow-shoe trip of sixty miles to visit my nearest neighbor then making oars and paddles to wear off the winter finally the indian hunters came in trade was soon over my little half-breed took off my little boy and girl to her friends and i never saw her again my boat was repaired and about the twentieth of march 1814 i left the river st peter's with full intent to return to the trade not of course knowing what a kind providence had in store for me arriving at prairie du chien,i as usual deposited such articles as i would require for the next winter's trade ; and after feast ing eight or ten days at my friend mons brisbois on thickened milk and sugar i started for mackinaw it being early in the season and hard work for the men to stem the strong current of the ouisconsin river i permitted them to go on leisurely stop ping along the sand banks to collect turtles eggs which were ex cellent eating and to kill rattle-snakes some of which were very beautiful to behold — at a respectful distance — being about four feet long with skin of a bright golden color interspersed with ebony black heart-shaped spots but the eating of turtle's eggs was after a few days brought to a sudden termination these eggs are somewhat less in size than a pigeon's my cook brought me as usual a dozen for breakfast on opening the first one i observed something coiled in it like a black hair ; but how a hair could get inside of an egg i could not make out so i summoned the men to examine the phenomenon they at once called out " a snake i was not aware till then that turtles and rattlesnakes eggs were quite similar and that they both made their deposits in the sand for the warmth of the sun to hatch ; nor did i know how many