The place we had chosen was the site of an old Indian village, as was manifest from the number of mounds and other remains of ancient works extant around us. I turned to rest under my small shed and near a good fire, full of the vague ideas, and wide and wandering notions which the place, situation, and circumstances irresistibly inspired. I slept in the midst of mounds, which some thousands of years before were inhabited by men whose name and history were no longer on the face of the earth, and whose line and offspring I vainly sought for among existing nations. Overcome at length by toil, and weary of fruitless conjectures, I fell into the soundest sleep, and might have remained for hours in that oblivion, had I not been startled up by cries such as we are instructed to believe issue from spirits "confined fast in fire, to howl for ever in regions of eternal night."

In an instant we were up and armed. The cry however approached, and increased to an alarming degree; the shrubs rustled, the leaves flew, and the pursuing and the pursued, passed us in apparent hundreds. The whole uproar, however, only was occasioned by a couple of wolves enjoying their nocturnal recreation in the chase of a herd of deer.

They hunt in the stile of the best dogs, but give tongue with less melody. The Indians, who have the first rate dogs, cross the breed with the wolf, and have this purpose effected by tying the female dog to a tree, in the haunt of wolves, when she is in season. Roused up again by a din not likely to quit the ears in a short time, we pursued our way to the Kenhaway, and having met with no very particular event, I am again at liberty to conclude.

LETTER XX.

Settlement of the French families removed from Galliopolis-their mode of life and domesti cated animals-A French rural repast and dance-Navigation to Alexandria-account of the town and its vicinage-PortsmouthThe Sciota river- Chilicothé, principal town of the Ohio State-difficult access to it-The Peckawee Plains-a grand situa tion for a capital-Antiquities of Chilicothé and barbarous taste of the inhabitantsthe Governor, his worthy character-slavery entirely abolished-its beneficial effectsSalt springs-Run to Maysville.

Maysville, or Limestone K'y.

July, 1807.

ON leaving the Great Kenhaway, I descended without interruption or stop twenty miles, when I made fast to the right-hand shore, immediately opposite Little Sandy Creek. I brought to for

the purpose of enquiring into the situation of the French families who abandoned Galliopolis in consequence of the imposition practised on them by the vender of the lands, and the ill health they enjoyed while on them. Opposite to the creek I have mentioned, and at the place I landed, is a tract of land of twenty thousand acres, extending eight miles on the river, granted by Congress to these unfortunate settlers as some indemnification for the losses and injuries they had sustained; and four thousand acres adjoining, granted to M. Gervais, one of the principals, for the same purpose. On this latter tract, I understand, M. Gervais laid out a town named Burrsburgh, but it yet has to get an habitation and an inhabitant.

I found the settlers in something better health than at Galliopolis. They dwell altogether along the river bankThey pursue a very mean system of

agriculture. Their best exertion only extends to a few acres of Indian corn and garden-stuff to meet their rigid necessities. They appear to have no idea of farming, or to think, what I conceive perfectly just, that the price of produce is too contemptible to yield an equivalent for the labor and health necessarily wasted in bringing it to growth and maturity. The management of peach-orchards suits their talents and habits, and these they bring to profit and perfection. There are here two peach-distilleries at work, that vend about three thousand gallons of peach brandy, the amount of which furnishes the settlement with coffee, snuff, knives, tin ware, and other small articles in demand among French emigrants. I found the women constantly occupied in making an excellent strong cotton cloth, blue, for the men, and party-coloured for themselves and children. I took a walk