Note 23 — Chapter XXXV · Completion of two farm-houses;—a lake;—the beast with a bill.

Another sort of object now presented itself to confirm the certainty that we were no longer inhabitants of Europe; it was the appearance of a quantity of swans which glided over the surface of the lake; but their colour, instead of white, like those of our country, was a jetty black23; and their plumage had so high a gloss as to produce, reflected in the water, the most astonishing effect. The six large feathers of the wing of this bird are white, exhibiting a singular contrast to the rest of the body; in other respects these creatures were remarkable, like those of Europe, for the haughty gracefulness of their motions, and the voluptuousness of their nature. We remained a long time in silent admiration of the scene; some of the swans pursued their course magnificently on the bosom of the blue water; others stopped and seemed to hold deliberations with their companions, or to admire themselves, or caress each other; many young ones followed in the train of the parent bird, who frequently turned half round in execution of her watchful and matronly office. This was a spectacle which I could not allow to be interrupted by bloodshed, though Ernest, rendered a little vain by his success and my encomiums, would have been ready to fire upon the swans, if I had not absolutely forbidden the attempt; at the same time I consoled him with the promise that we would endeavour to obtain a pair of the interesting creatures for our establishment at Falcon’s Stream.