devoured large quantities of its inner rind. Scarcely had they eaten it, however, when they became exceedingly delirious, and were forced to lie down among the hay, where they remained until morning in an agony of despair. By daylight, on the 10th morning, they were much better, and would have arisen, but, recollecting that they now possessed no materials for lighting a fire, they resolved to roll themselves up in the hay again, and quietly await the hour of dissolution, whenever it should arrive. Their resolution had but just been formed, when they heard: the joyful sound of a cow-bell, which seemed to proceed from the opposite shore of the river. They arose immediately, and, on looking over the water, perceived, to their infinite satisfaction, a log-house recently erected, but yet without any appearance of inhabitants. For some time they felt inclined to distrust the evidence of their senses, and to consider the log-house as a creature of their disturbed imaginations. They recollected passing that way before, without observing any building; but, on ' calling to mind the circumstance of seeing the boat and the canoe, they were convinced that all was reality-delightful, heart-cheering reality! They' therefore resolved, by some means or other to ford the river; and, walking with feeble steps but + The sound of a cow-bell is always considered a joyful sound, by persons who are lost in the woods; for when they meet with domestic animals of any kind, they are generally sure of soon discovering a settlement. bounding hearts along the bank, they soon dis-, covered a crossing-place. On arriving at the opposite shore, they were met by a white man and two Indians, who took them to the house of one Townsend, with whom they were well acquainted, and from whom they experienced every mark of attention which their wretched condition required. The heart of sensibility, if conversant with affliction, may form some estimate of their feelings at that moment. Every tender emotion, of which the soul of unlettered man is susceptible, may be supposed to have been in full exercise at that exhilarating interview: And if a single feeling had then any marked preponderance over another, it must have been that of GRATITUDE-boundless, unspeakable gratitude, to the Protecting Power of an Almighty and Gracious, Deliverer. A few months previous to this event, Townsend had discovered a salt-spring on the banks of the river Sauble; and was at this time preparing to commence a manufactory of that article, at a distance of nearly twenty miles from any human habitation. This embryo salt-manufactory was the building which Howay and Nowlan discovered after they heard the ringing of the cow-bell: It was a fortunate circumstance for them; for, if this spot had been uninhabited, as it was a short time before, they must unquestionably have breathed their last on the banks of that unexplored river, which flows into Lake Huron, at a point which is nearly 100 miles from any settlement. They were only 30 miles from the Lake, when interrupted by the swamp, in avoiding which they had inadvertently wandered back into the woods, and, on discovering their own tracks, returned unconsciously to the place where they had lain five nights before, -a catastrophe which, at the time, they lamented as a dire misfortune, but which afterwards, as you have seen, was the cause of their final deliver ance. At Townsend's house, they were fifty miles from home; every yard of which they had to travel through the wilderness, but not without the aid of a blazed line to direct them. Nowlan's feet were by this time in a very bad condition, and as he could not procure at that lonely dwelling the materials necessary to prevent mortification, which, he was apprehensive, would very soon take place, he and his companion set off early on the following morning. Mrs. Townsend kindly furnished them with provisions, and every thing necessary for their journey; and, on the eve of the thirteenth day after their departure from the Talbot Settlement, they had once more the happiness of enjoying the comforts of their own fire-sides. So much for the enviable pleasures of the American bear-chase! + When the Canadians enter the forests to form a settlement or for any other purpose, they mark the route which they take, by cutting off the bark from the trees with an axe as they go along; and the paths, thus marked, are called "blazed lines." LETTER XII THE WOLF THE WOLVERINE-THE FOX THE CATAMOUNT-THE WILD CAT THE LYNX, OR GUTHRIE, in his " Geographical, Historical, and Commercial Grammar," has the following strange passage respecting an animal, too well known in America: "WOLVES are scarce in Canada; but they afford the finest furs in all the country. "Their flesh is white, and good to eat; and they 66 pursue their prey to the tops of the tallest trees." This sentence contains no less than five positive assertions, every one of which is diametrically opposite to the truth. The learned Geographer, while writing this singular passage, must either have been under the influence of an evil genius, or must have resolved to exercise his talents for fabrication with a view to convince the public of their potency, or to satisfy himself respecting their extent. For he certainly could find no authority in the annals of American History, for declarations so utterly unfounded. Wolves are very numerous in every part of Canada: They produce no fur at all: Their skins are, if possible, inferior to that of a dog, and of so little value, that, when the animals are killed, they are seldom deprived of their pelts. Their flesh is black, and so wretchedly bad, that the most savage inhabitant or wild animal of the wilderness would not attempt to touch or taste it. They are also unable to climb the lowest tree; and, when they are pursuing any other animal, they give up the chace the moment that their prey takes refuge in a tree. There is no part of Canada in which horses, cows, sheep, and hogs, are exempt from the ravages of these desperate animals; but they seldom attack a man, unless they are greatly oppressed with hunger. ! In the United States, a premium of 20, and, in some parts, of 30 dollars, is given to any person who produces a wolf's head before the nearest resident magistrate. By this means, the Americans may expect to see them soon extirpated from that country. In certain Districts of Canada also, four dollars are offered for every wolf's head, provided it be taken by a white man, Small as this sum is, yet if they would extend the same bounty to the Indians, more of these ravenous beasts would be destroyed in one month, than are now killed in half a century. The natives, justly offended that the bounty is not extended to them, would not |