and to the delight they found in their pipes. But their length especially depended on the will of the chief, and the advice of the conjurors. Their dreams frequently alter the direction of their journeys. Ignorance and superstition go hand in hand, amongst the people of all countries.

Mr. Martin was treated very capriciously, and sometimes beaten without any cause. On one of these occasions his patience forsook him, and he returned the blows, with the approbation of the whole troop. They said he had proved himself a a man, and that none but women submitted to such treatment without opposition. From that time he thought he was treated with more respect.

In the course of their journey, they met a negro laden with whiskey. He was the slave of an Indian, who was hunting in the woods, and had commissioned him to sell the liquor. The negro soon sold his whole stock, and followed the troop, waiting for his master. The Indians halted soon after to enjoy their whiskey with more ease, and to prepare for their entrance into Sandusky, which was distant but a few day's journey, by touching up their colours; each being at liberty to paint himself according to his fancy, except that they all, men and women, wear a certain mark, the badge of their tribe, on their breast or arms: that of the Shawanese is a wolf. The troop was soon joined by the negro's master, and shortly after by two other Indians, who took Mr. Martin by the hand,

and

and conducted him to the chief, whom they seem ed to address in a suppliant manner. After an

hour's conversation, of which Mr. Martin was evidently the subject, and after the petitioners had presented two gallons of whiskey, Mr. Martin was delivered to them, and carried off. Every ray of hope now vanished: he gave himself up to certain destruction: he dared not, for some time, ask his fate of the negro, who understood English, lest he he should betray him. He moved on in silence and secret despair; but being no longer able to support the torturing idea of uncertainty, he at last, with great timidity, applied to the negro, who told him, that one of the two Indians to whom he now belonged, had some time ago killed one of the Mingo tribe, and by their laws, he was bound to furnish a person instead of the one he had slain, or be himself surrendered to the vengeance of his family; that being too poor to buy a prisoner, he had prevailed on the Shawanese, by entreaties and the whiskey, to make him a present of their new taken prisoner: and that, therefore, he now belonged to to the Mingoes, to whom he would be delivered up in a few days. The prospect of slavery was pleasing, compared with the dread of torture and death, which he had had constantly before his eyes.

He journeyed on with his new masters for several days, in the same manner as with the former, except that he was not tied at night. Unfortunately, they fell in with the Shawanese again; and

the

and the chief, become sober, regretted his former generosity; and being the stronger, from the numbers that accompanied him, compelled the Mingoes to resign Mr. Martin to his former misery and anxiety. Some days after they met an Indian driving a horse laden with whiskey, belonging to a tribe residing farther to the eastward. The desire of another revel induced the chief to exchange his prisoner for a cask of that intoxicating liquor. He was once more consigned to a new master, who employed him in assisting in the chace; and after hunting some time in the woods, carried him to his town, that bordered on the eastern side of Lake Ontario. Here he had passed several months in captivity, occupied in menial offices, though he was not treated with severity. Having gained the confidence of his masters, by his docility and industry, he had prevailed on them to suffer him to accompany them on a trading expedition to St. John's, in hopes that he might meet with some person who would sympathise with his misfortunes, and redeem him from the slavery under which he groaned. I could not hear this affecting recital without attempting to deliver him; but he had rendered himself so useful to his employers, that, after many proposals that were rejected, I almost despaired of success. At length I prevailed, by the influence of a box of paints, several hundred silver buttons, with other silver trinkets, and two casks of rum. To express the gratitude and satisfaction

satisfaction that were shown by Mr. Martin is impossible. I advanced him a sum of money to enable him to make the best of his way to Philadelphia, where he has relations, who are persons of the first respectability; and as he appears to be a man of worth, I have no doubt of receiving remittances from him, to reimburse me for what I have expended on his account. The days which afford such opportunities of succouring the distressed, should be reckoned amongst the happiest of our lives. May you enjoy many of them, and suffer none to escape, without tasting the exquisite pleasure they afford.

Your's, &c.

H. FRANKLIN.

LETTER XXXIII.

Arthur Middleton to his Brother Edwin

Quebeck,

MY DEAR EDWIN,

THE country around St. John's is flat,

and almost destitute of trees, from a dreadful fire which destroyed the woods for miles, and has rendered firing very scarce.

We

We set out from this place in a light waggon, which carried us through a picturesque country, by the town of Chambly, adorned with a fine old castle, built by the French, to La Prarie, a small place, where we exchanged our vehicle for a bateau, in which we embarked for Montreal. A bateau is a flat-bottomed boat, with sharp ends, particularly adapted to the stormy lakes and rivers of America.

Since we left St. John's, the face of things bears quite a different aspect, and it is easy to perceive that we have entered a new territory. The British flag; soldiers on duty; the French inhabitants running about in their red night-caps; the children saluting you at the doors; (a custom never ob. served in the United States;) the improved appearance of the houses; large Roman Catholic churches and chapels; priests in their robes; nuns; friars; large wooden crucifixes by the road side; and, above all, a universal change of language from English to French. In order to account for these alterations, I must tell you, that Canada belonged to the French, till it was ceded by treaty to the English, in 1760; and it is still chiefly inhabited by people of French extraction, who are allowed the exercise of the Catholic religion.}

Montreal is the capital of Upper Canada. It is built upon an island of the same name, in the river St. Lawrence, and is surrounded with walls, though the suburbs extend far beyond them. The build