ever before beheld. Nor was I asked from whence I came; whither I was going; or, any other question whatever. This little appetite to curiosity has exposed almost all Indian nations to the charge of stupidity and insipience of character. Never was charge more ill founded and unjust. Their apparent want of curiosity is the result of habit growing out of maxims, and the first instructions of their youth—which tend to suppress idle enquiries.

After a very interesting conversation with Onamo, the head, I retired to rest, and reposed with the utmost peace, security, and confidence.

LETTER XXVII.

Dayton-a rich and fine country-Trees, shrubs, & flowers-Humming Birds—Mad River-situation of the inhabitants on its banks-The Great Miami-Hamilton town,

Cincinnati, August, 1806.

NEXT morning, after passing through a delightful range of country, I reached the town of Dayton, which is composed of about forty houses, standing on a point of land formed by the junction of the Mad and the Great Miami Rivers. I put up at an excellent inn, kept by a Dutch family, whom I found well disposed and assiduous in business. The site of the town is more favorable to commerce than to health. On the rise of the Miami, the waters of the Mad River are subject to back and to

inundate its bank in the vincinity of the town, and consequently to spread the The seeds of pestilence and fever. Inhabitants, principally Dutch and Irish, had lost the florid feature of their own country, and the children looked pale, ematiated, and languid. These unfavorable appearances are entirely to be attributed to the local cause I have mentioned-for the inhabitants of high prairies, or meadows, and of other parts distant from the inundations look perfectly cheerful and as fresh and high complexioned as can be expected in persons, who, for nine months in the year, are in a constant state of copious perspiration, owing as well to the excessive heat of the sun as to the perpetual toil imposed by necessity on all

new settlers.

The principal stream of emigration has, for a few years, flowed towards the Mad River. After a variety of

folly, disappointment, and error, the unfortunate and the perturbed in spirit, have at length found and fixed upon a truly rich and distinguished abode. I rode forty miles up the right bank and returned on the left to Dayton; and must candidly confess, I never beheld a tract of land so favored by nature, and so susceptible of improvement by art. Nearly the whole tract is a chain of prairies partially obscured from each other by groves of magnificent trees, and shrubberies diffusing every species of perfume, and exhibiting the bloom and radiance of every flower. Among the trees the splendid magnolia and tulip are found, and among the shrubs are seen, the althea, arbutus, honey-locust, and various other aromatics. The uncultivated portions of the prairies abound in flowers of such luxuriance and height, that, in riding through, it is often necessary to turn them from the

face with the whip; and the general herbage, plants, and flowers, rise to the saddle skirts. The most conspicuous flowers were, the geranium, holy-oak, and passion-flower, to which the sweet pea and many blossoming creepers ran up and closely adhered. These prairies were formerly the favorite resort of buffaloes, but the wanton carnage committed among their droves, has made them retreat and pass indignant to less savage lands. Some few herds of deer still linger in their favorite haunt, and at this season browse in safety under the protection of the pasture which effectually covers them from sight. The little humming birds alone retain their empire over the flowery waste; like bees, they fly from blossom to blossom, nor heed the traveller who stops to admire their burnished plumage and diminutive structure, displaying in their nature the utmost harmony in expres