VI P R E F W C E .
■ riaturfe to be effe&ually transferred* tb the' page. Moufitaifls andVamés,
the drèary waftë; and wrd&feeadmgforéfe-Éié lakes* and ri ver^fticr-'
%êed èSCb^hher' ïn' gterietal' d efér^tfonarid;:éM6é|ri:’ oö•SWSëate of thé
Ftóific Öéeaa, -wh^è thé - villïÉg^i'#eiré; permanent- arid*khlfthKaMtamS
in a great meafure ftationary, fmall bands of wanderihg Iridiahs1 aVè
the only people whom I fliall introduce to the acquaintance of my
readers.
The beaver and the buffalo, the .moofe-rdeer and the‘dk,.which are
thewprMcipal, animals; to; »beüfeuntb in* ,thefe; -countries, are already fo
familiar to thé n atu raliüsof E urope, andlhayeibeen fooften as well as
correéüy tdefcribedin their works, tthat,the bare mention ofitherii, as
they enlivened the landfcape, or. were hunted- for food; with a cur-
fbry account .of the foil, the couhfe arid navigation of lakes and. rivers;
and their various produce,, is . all that, can be reafonably expefted from
me.
X do.;mct, pofefs the fcience of . the naturalift; andfeeveniifffthe
Qualifications -of that; -chara&er had been attained by me/ its curious
ipisit;would n€ii«ha»eL:brieri.igfatkBedv/ I cQukJ.rinot. flop'to; digs,'into
the earth,- over whofe furface’ I was. compelled to pafs rwith rapid
iteps^ nor could I turn afide to - collect the plants* which' nature
might have •fcattered on the;, iway*' when,, my;. tb@ugfe.uwere lanxi#
dully employed in-making provifion for the day that was paffirig
over me. I had to encounter perils by land and perils by water; to
watch thefavage who .was our guide, ©r * to guard againft .thofe ofi’his
tribe whaimight meditate our deftru&iom ■ I had,"Mpathe paffibris and
fears
fears ofyptjhers toyoCPtrol^and fubdue. To day I had to- affuage die
riling dj-ihontents, and on the mprrqw to cheer the fainting fpirits, of
the people .who accompanied me. .Th© toil of our navigation was in-
Qeffaofti apdibffeintimes extreme; and in our progress over land we
bad nQipcotehiiou from,;th^.feVerity iof the-elements, andipoIfelTed no-
accommodations, or conveniences but fu,ch as -could be contained in
the" burdenfon our.ffiou-kters; which aggravated the tp fe o f ourf march,,
and. added ip they weariforaenefsi of our way. ;
• Though the eventsi which journals may .have little in.
thenrielveslto' ftrike the imagination^ of thofe who love to be aftonifhed,.
0® It© gratify: the. curiofity o f fach as are enamoured o f romantic adventures
j. neverthelefs, when. ,it{is»> confidered »that f explored.thofe waters
which had never;before borne■ apy-otherj-yeflel than the canoe of the.
Iftvage; and traverfedithofef,deferts where an Etfropean had. never before.,
prefented- himffilf to the>eye of its-fwarthy native^; yfhen. to thele.
eonfiderations1 are added the important; obj,e£k which were purfued,.
with dangers that swore. encountered*; and the* difficulties that
were furmounted to attain- them, this work. will,. I flatter myfelf, be.
found to excite an intereft* and conciliate regard; in. the minds of
thofe who perufe it.
■ The general map which illuffrates this vofume, is reduced by Mr.
Arrowfmith from his three-feet map of North-America, with the Iateftr
difeoveries, which he is about to republiffi. His profeffional abilites are
tWell known, and no encomium of mine will advance the general and
merited opinion of them.
Before