her son, whom she hoped would have comforted her drooping years, cut off in the bloom of youth, like some tall, tender sapling, that yields to the keen cutting axe of the laborious woodman. It falls, and with it sinks the expectation of what it might have been, when once its towering top had overlooked the forest, and its wide-spreading, majestic branches, green with its beauteous foliage, afforded spacious shelter to the wearied traveller, from the sun's scorching heat*."

This, my dear brother, is the substance of my Mohawk's narrative; which in many places you must admire, for the simplicity and expression of the figures, whilst it describes the manners of these untutored nations, both in time of war and in council. I have nothing further to say, but, with Indian simplicity, to bid you farewell.

H. FRANKLIN.

*The five Mohawk nations are the same race with those called by the French, Iroquois. The Wyandots, or Hurons, are likewise of the same lineage. The Chippawas, Ottowas, and Shawanons, are all denominated Nottowegh. The English call those who sided with the Shawanons, Mingoes; which is the common appellation of the five nations along the Ohio, as Mohawk is at Albany.

LETTER

LETTER XXXI.

Arthur Middleton to his Brother Edwin.

St. John's, on Lake Champlain,

DEAR EDWIN,

A PROMISE, my dear Edwin, should always be observed: I hasten to fulfil mine, and give you the particulars of our journey from Albany to Lake Champlain.

Cohog is a small village, which is distinguished by the neighbourhood of a remarkable fall in the Mohawk river. Though a cataract is no great novelty for me, I was charmed with the sublimity of this, which differs in many respects from most I had before seen. The breadth of the river is three hundred yards; a ledge of rocks extends quite across it, and from the top of them, the water falls about fifty feet perpendicularly. The appearance of this grand spectacle varies according to the quantity of water: after heavy rains, it descends in an unbroken sheet, from one bank to the other; whilst, at other times, the greater part of the dark-coloured rocks are visible. Fol lowing the direction of the Hudson river, we came to Stillwater, a place that receives its name from the uncommon tranquillity of that part of the

stream opposite to it. We were stopped an hour or two by some mineral springs upon the borders of a marsh. Each of them is contained in the crater of a pyramidal rock, about a man's height. The rocks seem to have been formed by the petrifaction of the water, and the water within them is generally below the rim of the mouth of the rock, and bubbles up, as if boiling; and at the beginning of the summer, regularly overflows the bason. The guide showed us the properties of these springs in several experiments. They extinguish a lighted candle in an instant, and suffocate any animal that is put down into the rock; but neither Mr. Franklin or myself would suffer any creature capable of feeling, to be tormented for our amusement. After having gratified our curiosity, we quickened our pace, and reached Saratoga before the close of evening. It consists of a few detached houses, and a Dutch reformed church. This place excited no very flattering recollections in my mind, as being remarkable for the surrender of General Burgoyne. Whilst we were examining the remains of the encampments, with painful reflections on the ill success of our countrymen, `a grey-headed American, perceiving we were strangers, accosted us with a degree of national pride, perhaps allowable, but not very congenial to our sensations at that moment, and related the events of that unfortunate day. "There, gentlemen," said he," is the very spot where the British gene

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ral delivered up his sword to our commander, General Gates." Sir," replied Mr. Franklin, with more asperity than I ever heard him speak on any other occasion, "the next time you boast of the exploits of your countrymen, be sure know to whom you address yourself: we are Englishmen ;" and hastily taking hold of my arm, abruptly withdrew.

The next day we renewed our journey, and observed that the woods of these parts chiefly consist of different species of the oak; hiccory; hemlock firs; and Weymouth pines, which differ from the tree of the same name in Europe. Amongst the under-wood are plenty of wild raspberries, which we found very refreshing. Wretched roads, made of the trunks of trees, brought us, by Fort Edward' and Fort Anne, to Skenesborough, a town situated on the borders of Lake Champlain. Here Mr. Franklin hired a boat to convey us'across the lake, and having provided two or three blankets, and a' basket of provisions, we set sail with a fair wind. Our voyage lasted several days, and was far more agreeable than being cooped up in a large vessel, on the ocean, where nothing is to be seen but the sky above, and a vast expanse of water around; for we landed frequently, both for the sake of procuring refreshments, and observing the mode of life of the people, who dwell in the scattereď farm houses that skirt the lake. Many of these are wretched log-houses, that are scarcely a defence against

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the weather, and so badly supplied with any thing eatable, that we could seldom obtain milk, eggs, or even bread. At night, we generally wrapt ourselves in our blankets, and lay down on the cabin. floor. This mode of sleeping is not very comfortable, till use has reconciled it; but when I am well tired in the day, I am not disturbed by the hardness of my bed. At Ticonderoga we enjoyed, with double relish, the comforts of a good inn, the only dwelling house in the place. The agreeable accommodations arise from the good management of the mistress, who is always the active person, whilst the husband minds his farm or other occupations.

The ruins of the old fort and barracks, are to be seen on the top of a rising ground just behind the tavern; but they are in such a state of decay as to be of no use, nor is there any probability of their being repaired. There are the remains of another fort at Crown Point, which has also been demolished. Some of the ditches are, however, perfect; which, with the ruined buildings, overgrown with different shrubs, particularly ivy, combined with a view of the lake and the distant mountains rising beyond it, have a fine effect. This prospect was rendered still more picturesque to us by a large birch canoe full of Indians, in the dresses of their nation. Their skins were painted of various colours, and in the most whimsical manner one leg of the same man was white, whilst the other was daubed with green; his body was