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man to go down into the cavern and fhoot the wolf. The negro declined the hazardous fervice.

6. Then it was that their mafter, angry at the disappointment, and declaring that he was afhamed at having a coward in his family, refolved himfelf to destroy the ferocious beast, left the should efcape through fome unknown fifcure of the rock.

7. His neighbors ftrongly remonstrated against the perilous enterprife; but he knowing that wild animals were intimidated by fire, and having provided several strips of birch bark, the only combustible material which he could obtain, which would afford light in this deep and darkfome cave, prepared for his defcent.

8. Having accordingly divefted himfelf of his coat and waistcoat, and having a long rope faftened round his legs, by which he might be pulled back, at a concerted fignal, he entered, head foremost, with a blazing torch in his hand.

9. Having groped his paffage till he came to a horizontal part of the den, the most terrifying darkness appeared in front of the dim circle of light afforded by his torch. It was filent as the houfe of death. None but monfters of the defert had ever before explored this folitary manfion of horror.

10. He cautiously proceeding onward came to an afcent, which he flowly mounted on his hands and knees, until he dif covered the glaring eye-balls of the wolf, which was fitting at the extremity of the cavern. Startled at the fight of fire, flie gnashed her teeth and gave a fullen growl.

11. As foon as he had made the neceffary difcovery, he kicked the rope as a fignal for pulling him out. The people at the mouth of the den, who had liftened with painful anxiety, hearing the growling of the wolf, and fuppofing, their friend to be in the most imminent danger, drew him forth with fuch celerity that he was ftripped of his clothes, and feverely bruifed.

12. After he had adjusted his clothes, and loaded his gun with nine buck fhot, holding a torch in one hand and the mufket in the other, he defcended a fecond time. When he drew nearer than before, the wolf affuming a ftill more fierce and terrible appearance, howling, rolling her eyes, fnapping her teeth, and dropping her head between her legs, was evidently, in the attitude and on the point of springing at him.

13. At this critical inftant, he levelled and fired at her head.

Stunned with the fhock, and fuffocated with the smoke, he immediately found himself drawn out of the cave. But hav

ing refreshed himself and permitted the fmoke to diffipate, he went down the third time.

14. Once more he came within fight of the wolf, which appearing very paffive, he applied the torch to her nofe; and perceiving her dead, he took hold of her ears, and then kicking the rope (ftill tied round his legs) the people above, with no fmall exultation dragged them both out together.

I.

THE AGED PRISONER RELEASED FROM THE BASTIL.

No where elfe on earth, perhaps, has human mifery, by human means, been rendered fo lafting, fo complete or fo remedilefs as in that defpotic prifon, the Baftil. This the following cafe may fuffice to evince; the particulars of which are tranflated from that elegant and energetic writer, Mr. Mercier.

2. The hainous offence which merited an imprisonment furpaffing torture, and rendering death a bleffing, was no more than fome unguarded expreffions, implying difrefpect towards the late Gallic monarch, Louis fifteenth,

3. Upon the acceffion of Louis fixteenth to the throne, the minifters then in office, moved by humanity, began their administration with an act of clemency and juftice. They infpected the registers of the Baftil, and fet many prifoners at liberty.

4. Among thofe, there was an old man who had groaned in confinement for forty feven years, between four thick and cold tone walls. Hardened by adverfity, which strengthens both the mind and conftitution, when they are not overpow ered by it, he had refifted the horrors of his long imprifonment, with an invincible and manly spirit.

5. His locks, white, thin, and fcattered had almoft acquired the rigidity of iron; whilft his body, environed for fo long a time by a coffin of ftone, had borrowed from it a firm and compact habit. The narrow door of his tomb, turning upon its grating hinges, opened not as ufual by halves, and an unknown voice announced his liberty, and bade him depart.

6. Believing this to be a dream, he befitated; but at length rofe up and walked forth with trembling steps, amazed at the fpace he traverfed. The ftairs of the prifon, the halls, the court feemed to him vaft, immenfe, and almost without bounds.

7. He stopped from time to time, and gazed around like a bewildered traveller. His vifion was with difficulty reconciled to the clear light of day. He contemplated the heavens as a new object. His eyes remained fixed and he could not even weep.

8. Stupified with the newly acquired power of changing his pofition, his limbs, like his tongue, refused in spite of his efforts, to perform their office. At length he got through the formidable gates.

9. When he felt the motion of the carriage which was pre pared to tranfport him to his former habitation, he fcreamed out and uttered fome inarticulate founds; and as he could not bear this new movement, he was obliged to defcend. Sup ported by a benevolent arm, he fought out the fireet where he had formerly refided; he found it, but no trace of his houfe remained; one of the public edifices occupied the spot where it had ftood.

10. He now faw nothing which brought to his recollection, either that particular quarter, the city itself, or the objects with which he was formerly acquainted. The houfes of his nearest neighbors, which were fresh in his memory, had affumed a new appearance.

11. In vain were his looks directed to all the objects around him; he could discover nothing of which he had the smallest remembrance. Terrified, he flopped and fetched a deep figh. To him what did it import, that the city was peopled with living creatures? None of them were alive to him; he was unknown to all the world, and he knew nobody; and whilst he wept he regretted his dungeon.

12. At the name of the Baftil, which he often pronounced and even claimed as an afylum, and the fight of his clothes which marked his former age, the croud gathered around him ; curiosity blended with pity excited their attention. The most aged asked him many queflions, but had no remembrance of the circumstances which he recapitulated.

13. At length accident brought to his way an ancient domeftic, now a fuperannuated porter, who, confined to his lodge for fifteen years, had barely fufficient ftrength to open the gate. Even he did not know the mafter he had ferved; but informed him that grief and misfortune had brought his wife to the grave thirty years before; that his children were

gone abroad to diftant climes, and that of all his relations and friends, none now remained.

14. This recital was made with the indifference which people difcover for events long paffed and almost forgotten. The miferable man groaned, and groaned alone. The croud around, offering only unknown features to his view, made him feel the exceffes of his calamities, even more than he would have done in the dreadful folitude which he had left.

15. Overcome with forrow, he prefented himself before the minifter, to whofe humanity he owed that liberty which was now a burden to him, Bowing down, he faid, "Restore me again to that prifon from which you have taken me. I cannot furvive the lofs of my nearest relations; of my friends; and in one word, of a whole generation. Is it poffible in the fame moment to be informed of this universal destruction, and not to wish for death?

16. This general mortality, which to others comes flowly and by degrees, has to me been iftantaneous, the operation of a moment. Whilft fecluded from fociety, I lived with myfelf only; but here I can neither live with myfelf, nor with this new race, to whom my anguish and despair appear only as a dream."

17. The minifter was melted; he caufed the old domestic to attend this unfortunate perfon, as only he could talk to him of his family.

18. This difcourfe was the fingle confolation which he received; for he fhunned intercourfe with the new race, born fince he had been exiled from the world; and he passed his time in the midst of Paris in the fame folitude as he had done whilft confined in a dungeon for almost half a century.

19. But the chagrin and mortification of meeting no perfon who could fay to him, "We were formerly known to each other," foon put an end to his life.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FALLS OF NIAGARA.

AMONG the many natural curiofities which this coun

try affords, the cataract of Niagara is infinitely the greatest. In order to have a tolerable idea of this ftupendous fall of wa ter, it will be neceffary to conceive that part of the country in which Lake Erie is fituated, to be elevated above that which contains Lake Ontario, about three hundred feet.

2. The flope which feparates the upper and lower country is generally very fteep, and in many places almost perpendic ular. It is formed by horizontal ftrata of ftone, great part of which is what we commonly call lime-ftone. The flope may be traced from the north fide of Lake Ontario, near the bay of Teronto, round the weft end of the lake; thence its direction is generally eaft, between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie; it croffes the ftrait of Niagara; and the Chenefeco river; after which it becomes loft in the country towards the Seneka Lake.

3. It is to this flope that our country is indebted, both for the cataract of Niagara and the great falls of the Chenefeco. The cataract of Niagara, was formerly down at the northern fide of the flope, near to that place which is now known by the name of the Landing; but from the great length of time added to the great quantity of water, and diftance which it falls, the fofid ftone is worn away, for about feven miles, up towards Lake Erie, and a chafm is formed which no perfon can approach without horror.

4. Down this chaẩm, the water rushes with a moft aftonishing velocity, after it makes the great pitch. In going up the road near this chafm, the fancy is conftantly engaged in the contemplation of the most romantic and awful profpects ima ginable, until, at length, the eye catches the falls, the imagi nation is inftantly arrested, and you admire in filence! The river is about one hundred and thirty-five rods wide, at the falls, and the perpendicular pitch one hundred and fifty feet.

5. The fall of this vaft body of water produces a found which is frequently heard at the distance of twenty miles, and a fenfible tremulous motion in the earth for fome rods round. A heavy fog, or cloud is conftantly afcending from the falls, in which rainbows may always be feen when the fun fhines.

6. This fog, or fpray, in the winter feafon, falls upon the neighboring trees where it congeals, and produces a moft beautiful cryftaline appearance. This remark is equally applica ble to the falls of the Chenefeco.

7. The difficulty which would attend levelling the rapids in the chafm, prevented my attempting it; but I conjecture the water muft defcend at leaft fixty-five feet. The perpendicu lar pitch at the cataract is at least one hundred and fifty feet; to thefe add fifty-eight feet, which the water falls in the lait

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