completion of it merely accidental; or whether he was really endowed with fupernatural powers, the narrator left to the judgment of his readers; whofe conclufions, he fuppofes, varied according as the mental faculties of each were disposed to admit or reject facts that cannot be accounted for by natural caufes. The ftory of the rattle snake was related to him by a French gentleman of undoubted veracity; and were the readers of this work as thoroughly acquainted with the fagacity, and instinctive proceedings of that animal, as he is, they would be as well affured of the truth of it. It is well known that thofe fnakes which have furvived through the fummer the accidents reptiles are liable to, periodically retire to the woods, at the approach of winter; where each (as curious obferveis have remarked) takes poffeffion of the cavity it had occupied the preceding year. As foon as the feafon is propitious, enlivened by the invigorating rays of the fun, they leave these retrears, and make their way to the fame fpot, though ever so distant, on which they before had found fubfiftence, and the means of propagating their fpecies. Does it then require any extraordinary exertions of the mind. to believe, that one of thefe regular creatures, after having been kindly treated by its mafter, fhould return to the box, in which it had ufually been fupplied with food," and had met with a comfortable abode, and that nearly about the time the Indian, from former experiments, was able to guess at? It certainly does not; nor will the liberal and ingenuous doubt the truth of a story so well authenticated, because the circumftances appear extraordinary in a country where the fubject of itis fcarcely known. Thefe explanations the author hopes will fuffice to convince his readers, that he has not, as travellers are fometimes fuppofed to do, amufed them with improbable tales, or wished to acquire importance by making his adventures favor of the marvellous. CONTENTS. 40 Uncommon behaviour of the Prince of the Winneba- goes at the fall of St Anthony, Extent of the Author's Travels, Description of the river St. Pierre, Sources of the four great rivers of North America, 54 55 59 59 Defcription of the Chipeway river, Extraordinary effects of a hurricane, The author arrived at the Grand Portage on the Account of the lakes lying further to the north weft: Account of a nation of Indians fuppofed to have A fingular prediction of the chief prieft of the Kil- Story of the two Chipeways landing on the island Account of great quantities of copper ore, 66 60 76 76 -lake Ontario and lake Oneida, -lake Champlain, and lake George, |