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vance, a sudden and rapid death was unavoidable; or if F remained where I was, wolves, panthers, and tiger cats, were at hand to devour me. I chose the latter risk, as having less of fatal certainty in it: I thought I could effect something by resistance; or that fortune might favour me by giving a more suitable supper, and a different hunting ground, to the ferocious animals.

The progress of night was considerably advanced; and the powerful exhalations of the preceding sun, for want of wind to disperse or waft them to other parts, were returning to their parent woods. They at first hovered, in the form of transparent clouds, over small creeks and rivulets in the intervals of the mountain ; and then assumed a wider range, spreading over the entire valley, and giving to it the appearance of a calm continued sea. This beautiful transfiguration took place several hundred feet below me; while the summit of the hill had no mist, and the dew was not sensible. The moon shone, but capriciously for though some places were adorned with her brighest beams, and exhibited various fantastic forms and colours, others were unaffected by her light, and awfully maintained an unvaried gloom; a "darkness visible," conveying terror and dismay.

Such apprehensions were gaining fast on my imagination, till an object of inexpressible sublimity gave a different direction to my thoughts, and seized the entire possession of my mind. The heavenly vault appeared to be all on fire not exhibiting the stream or character of the aurora-borealis; but an immensity vivid and clear, through which the stars, detached from the firmament, traversed in eccentric directions, followed by trains of light of diversified magnitude and brightness. Many meteors rose majestically out of the horizon and having gradually attained an elevation of thirty degrees, suddenly burst; and descended to the earth in a shower of brilliant sparks, or glittering gems. This splendid phenomenon was succeeded by a multitude of shooting-stars, and balls and columns of fire; which, after assuming a variety of forms (vertical, spiral, and circular), vanished in slight flashes of lightning, and left the sky in its usual appearance and serenity. "Nature stood checked" during this exhibition; all was

"A death-like silence, and a dread repose."

Would it had continued so for a time! for I had insensibly.

dropped on my knees; and felt that I was offering to the great Creator of the works which I witnessed, the purest tribute of admiration and praise. My heart was full: I could not suppress my gratitude, and tears gushed from my eyes.

These pious, these pleasing sensations, were soon forced to yield to others arising out of the objects and circumstances round me. The profound silence maintained during the luminous representation, was followed by the din of the demon of the woods. Clouds of owls rose out of the valleys, and flitted screaming about my head. The wolves too held some prey in chace, probably deer: their howlings were reverberated from mountain to mountain; or, carried through the windings of the vales, returned to the ear an unexpected wonder. Nor was the panther idle; though he is never to be heard till in the act of springing on his victim, when he utters a horrid cry. The wolf, in hunting, howls all the time; certainly with the view of striking terror for, being less fleet than many of the animals on which he subsists, they would escape him if he did not thus check their speed by confounding their faculties. This is particularly the case with the deer: at the hellish cry, the poor animal turns, stops, and trembles; his eye fill; his flanks heave; his heart bursts; and he dies the moment before the monster rushes upon him. The tiger-cat was busily employed close by me. Like our little domestic creature of the same species, he delights in tormenting, and is admirably skilled in the art. He had now caught an opossum, as I understood by the lamentations, but was in no haste to kill it. By the action and noise, he must have let it escape his clutches several times, and as often seized and overpowered it again; dropping it from the tree, and chasing it up the trunk, till the wretch being wearied at length with his vagaries and cruelty, he strangled and devoured it.

The intervals between these cries and roarings,were filled by the noise of millions of other little beings. Every tree, shrub, plant, and vegetable, harboured some thousands of inhabitants, endowed with the faculty of expressing their passions, wants, and appetites, in different tones and varied modulations. The most remarkable was the voice of whip-poor-will: plaintive and sad, "Whip-poorWill!" was his constant exclamation; nor did he quit his

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place, but seemed to brave the chastisement which he so repeatedly lamented. The moon, by this time, had sunk into the horizon; which was the signal for multitudes of lightning-flies to rise amidst the trees, and shed a new species of radiance round. In many places, where they rose and fell in numbers, they appeared like a shower of sparks; and in others where thinly scattered, they emitted an intermittent pleasing ray.

At length the day began to dawn: both the noisy and the glittering world now withdrew, and left to Nature a silent solemn repose of one half-hour. This I employed in reflections on the immensity and number of her works, and the presumption of man in pretending to count and describe them. Whoever dares to compose the history of nature, should first pass a night where I did: he would there be taught the vanity of his views,and the audacity of his intentions. He would there learn, that though gifted with a thousand years of life,and aided by ten thousand assistants, he still would be hardly nearer to his purpose; neither the time nor the means would be sufficient for him to pourtray, with their properties, the herbs under his foot, and, with their affections, the insects that dwell among them. Yet every country has its natural historian! A residence of three weeks, and a daily wałk of two hours for that period, are deemed an ample qualification for the discovery and character of the productions of some of the finest regions on the globe. Such was not the disposition of St. Pierre: after passing many years in the laborious search of natural objects, and many years more in investigating their laws and principles, as a preparation for writing the history of nature, he abandoned the pursuit as impracticable and impious; and favoured the world merely with his Studies, which are beautiful, intelligent, and unassuming.

I conclude for the present; again entreating you to observe, that in my letters you are not to look for the graces of style, or peculiar accuracy of detail. I write from the heart, from the impulse of the impressions made by real events; and this will, I hope, sufficiently gratify your tender and amiable feelings.

T. A.

LETTER II.

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Sun-rise in a deep valley. Breakfast at an inn. American forests generally free from underwood. The Author kills. a large bear in the forest: its deliberate precaution on being shot. An Indian camp: gradual expulsion of the Indians into the interior, and their near extermination. Grandeur and beautiful tints of an autumnal scene. Laurel-hill. Delightful vale leading to Pittsburg. Expences at the American inns. Comfort a term of very various application.

Pittsburg, October, 1806.

As day approached from the east, I recommenced my journey. The sun soon after coloured in gay attire" some of the summits of the mountains, but his luminous body was not visible for a considerable time; and when it did appear in all its majesty, its rays were for several hours too oblique to penetrate the depths of the valley, and disperse the ocean of vapour which the preceding day had formed. It was interesting to observe with what reluctance the mists dissipated. Till touched by the magic beam, they were one uniform sheet: they then assumed a variety of forms; clouds representing grotesque and lively figures, crowning some of the highest trees. Some de

scended to the bosom of the stream, and followed the windings of the waters; others hovered over fountains and springs; while the larger portion rose boldly to the mountain-tops, in defiance of the sun, to gain the higher atmos phere, and again descend to the earth in dew or showers.

The birds, with the first dawn, left the recesses of the valleys; and taking their elevated seats, "joined in one universal choir." At least, nothing had more the resemblance of a general thanksgiving, or oblation of praise, to the Author of life and light; and though it might have been but a burst of exultation for the return of morn, I referred thinking it a grateful expression of worship, which said to me: "Go thou and do likewise."

It was near ten before I had descended the mountain, and reached a place of refreshment. You may conceive

how much I was exhausted; and how much I felt for my horse, who had fasted all night after a tedious journey. In recompence I now took good care of him, and resolved to let him rest the remainder of the day. Indeed I was prepossessed in favour of this inn for it was clean, the landlady civil, and her husband sober; three extraordinary circumstances, and which I little expected to meet on that road. My breakfast consisted of Indian bread, wild pigeons, and coffee made of native peas: nothing could be more conformable to the place and to my appetite. During the repast I conversed with my host on subjects which I supposed within the range of his information and capacity. I was mistaken: he was entirely unacquainted with the country round him. He never went west, because he had no business; on the east, he was bounded by the mountain, which he was determined never to ascend; and on his right and left was a wilderness which he feared to pene-, trate, as it abounded with wild beasts, snakes, and reptiles of all kinds.

I borrowed his gun and ammunition; and having set the house with a pocket compass, took a north-west course through the woods. The American forest have generally one very interesting quality, that of being entirely free from under or brush wood. This is owing to the extraordinary height, and spreading tops, of the trees; which thus prevent the sun from penetrating to the ground, and nourishing inferior articles of vegetation. In consequence of the above circumstance one can walk in them with much pleasure, and see an enemy from a considerable distance. I soon felt the advantage of this; for I had not been long out, before a bear fell from a tree, and rose erect, about twenty yards before me. He was in the act of looking up to the branch from which he had slipped, when I fired, and lodged a ball in his groin. He staggered, and leant against a tree but recovering a little from the pain and surprise, he deliberately stooped to pick up a quantity of clean leaves; which with the utmost precaution he stuffed into the wound, and thus stopped the flow of blood. I was prepared to fire a second time, but my heart failed me: I was overcome by the firmness which he shewed on receiving the shot, and the means he employed to correct its injury. He tried to climb the tree once more, but could not the vital stream again rushed out; he fell to the

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