a quarrelsome fellow, and two or three of his comrades, who inhabited the islands, and carried on a trade in cedar bark, fish spawn, copper, iron, and beads, which they barter for roasted salmon, hemlock-bark cakes, and cakes made of salmon roes, sorrel, and bitter berries.

Having conducted you to the ocean, I must also bring this long epistle to a conclusion, and leave it to Mr. Franklin to relate the events that befel us at this place, with some further remarks on the inhabitants. Farewell.

ARTHUR MIDDLETON.

LETTER XLV.

Mr. Franklin to Edwin Middleton.

Mackenzie's Outlet.

MY DEAR EDWIN,

IN order to complete our narrative, I must continue Arthur's account of our reception amongst the inhabitants of the coast of the Pacific Ocean, who are a very different people from the Indians in the interior parts of the country. Their complexion is between the olive and the copper. Their small grey eyes have a tinge of red; and

their heads are formed like a wedge, which arises from the custom of inclosing the heads of infants in boards covered with leather, till they attain that shape. Many of their habits and modes of life differ also much from the interior tribes, as you must have observed by your brother's account. One morning, as we were consulting on the plan of our return to Fort Chepewyan, a young chief, who had accompanied us as a guide, approached our encampment, with joy and astonishment in his countenance, telling us that some of our country-. men had arrived in a huge canoe, which lay behind a point of land in the channel to the southwest of us. And, as a proof of the truth of this story, he showed us an English halfpenny, which he had received for some small fruit. You may believe this intelligence was very agreeable to all. our party. The idea of meeting, in this remote part of the world, people whose manners resembled our own, and whose interests were the same, was an inexpressible pleasure.

We soon followed the young chief to the shore, where we saw a boat full of white men, attempting to land; and amongst the busiest of the crew, a negro, in whom Arthur soon recognized his faithful Sancho. The vessel was an American trader, from the port of Salem; and the object of the voyage, the skins of the sea-otter, which they purposed to dispose of at Canton in China. Sancho had invested his little capital in a share of the cargo: and

in order to traffic with it to the best advantage, made the voyage in person. The interchange of expressions of regard and satisfaction, between Arthur and Sancho, I leave you to imagine.

They had no sooner landed, than the natives flocked about them; and, from our united numbers, treated us with more respect than they had done before their arrival. A traffic now took place between these strangers and the natives. The former collected a considerable number of seaotter-skins, to which they added those of some other animals; whilst the ship's crew displayed an assortment of knives, scissars, looking-glasses, guns, iron pots and kettles, and other utensils for domestic purposes, besides trinkets and beads. Whilst they were making their bargains, it occurred to me, that if, by the good offices of Sancho, Arthur and I could procure a passage to Canton, it was likely we should meet there with an Indiaman, that would convey us to our native country; as we had now explored the principal civilized parts of North America, and I had no inclination to return through the same uncultivated tract that we had lately passed from Fort Chepewyan. I felt a reluctance in leaving Mr. Roseberry to struggle with the difficulties of such a journey alone; but he was so well convinced of the propriety of the measure, that he over-ruled my scruples, The captain is a well disposed man, and readily agrees with our proposal. If the wind be fair, we shall

sail in a few days; and leave this continent, which has presented us with such a succession of different scenes, perhaps, for ever. A recapitulation of the leading features of the chief districts of the country, may not be amiss, after the minute recitals you have received of our travels, in this long and varied excursion.

The southern states are rich in vegetable productions, and abound in animals of various kinds. They are inhabited by cultivators of tobacco, rice, and corn, who enjoy, in a luxurious mode of life, the produce of the labour of the wretched negro slave. The newly established settlements to the westward are furnished liberally with natural productions. They possess a warm climate, immense forests, and magnificent rivers. The staple commodity is cotton, which is easily raised by the inhabitants, whose manners are simple and laborious, and who feel an independence, from the equality of their condition. Vast tracts of this country are occupied by Indian nations, who are supported by the labours of the chace.

The middle provinces are in a high state of cultivation, and present many large, populous towns, grown rich by trade, manufactures, and commerce. The useful arts of life, in great variety, occupy and enrich the people; who are more polished and luxurious than those who live to the westward of the Allegany Mountains, but less so than the wealthy planters of the southern states.

The eastern coast is a woody, unfertile tract, yielding pasture to numerous flocks of cattle, which, with the timber of the forests, and the fish of the ocean, form the treasures and occupation of a hardy race of men, who are either graziers, woodcutters, or sailors.

The lakes, rivers, and cataracts of Canada, are on the grandest scale. The extremes of winter and summer are felt in this climate, but no middle season. The manners of the people, like their descent, are of French origin, and retain strong marks of their ancient customs. A happy, social, lively disposition is their characteristic, and appears in all ranks, from the merchant in furs, (the great article of their commerce,) to the men who row the boats on the mighty St. Lawrence. The numerous tribes of Indians that live in the neighbourhood of the settlements, supply the Canadians with the furs of different animals, which they often procure from vast distances, in the interior parts of the country.

The northern portion of the continent that extends to Hudson's Bay, and reaches westward to the Pacific Ocean, is inhabited by wandering tribes of Indians; who do not cultivate the earth, but procure a precarious subsistence from the chace of wild animals, the fish of the rivers, fruits that grow spontaneously, bark of trees, &c. Nor would the soil repay the labour of the farmer; for so ungenial is the climate, that the ground is never thawed