woods all the reft of the day. If the morn ing be dry and windy, all the fowlers (that is every body) are difappointed, for then they fly fo high that no fhot can reach them; but in a cloudy morning the carnage is incredible; and it is fingular that their removal falls out at the times of the year that the weather (even in this ferene climate) is generally cloudy. This migration, as it paffed by, occafioned, as I faid before, a total relaxation from ali employments, and a kind of drunken gaiety, though it was rather flaughter than fport; and, for above a fortnight, pigeons in pies and foups, and every way they could be dreffed, were the food of the inhabitants. Thefe were immediately fucceeded by wild geese and ducks, which concluded the carnival for that feafon, to be renewed in September. About tix weeks after the paffage of these birds, fturgeon of a large fize, and in great quantity, made their appearance in the river. Now the fame ardour feemed to pervade all ages in pursuit of this new object. Every family had a canoe; and on this occafion

all

all were launched; and thefe perfevering fishers traced the courfe of the flurgeon up the river; followed them by torch light; and often continued two nights upon the water, never returning till they had loaded their canoes with this valuable fish, and many other very excellent in their kinds, that come up the river at the fame time. The fturgeon not only furnished them with good part of their food in the fummer months, but was pickled or dried for future. ufe or exportation.

CHAP.

CHAP. IX.

Defcription of the Manner in which the Indian Traders fet out on their firft Adventure.

To return to the boys, as all young men

were called here till they married.

Thus early trained to a love of fylvan fports, their characters were unfolded by contingencies. In this infant fociety penal laws lay dormant, and every fpecies of coercion was unknown.

Morals, founded on christianity, were foftered by the sweet influence of the charities of life. The reverence which children in particular had for their parents, and the young in general for the old, was the chief bond that held fociety together. This veneration, being founded on esteem, certainly could only have exifted thus powerfully in an uncorrupted community. It had, however, an auxiliary no less powerful.

Here,

Here, indeed, it might with truth be faid,

"Love breath'd his infant fighs from anguifh free."

In confequence of the fingular mode of affociating together little exclufive parties of children of both fexes, which has been already mentioned, endearing intimacies, formed in the age of playful innocence, were the precurfors of more tender attach

ments.

These were not wrought up to romantic enthusiasm, or extravagant paffion by an inflamed imagination, or by the fears of. rivalry, or the artifices of coquetry, yet they had power fufficient to foften the manners and elevate the character of the lover.

I know not if this be the proper place to observe, how much of the general order of fociety, and the happiness of a people, depends on marriage being early and univerfal among them: but of this more hereafter. The defire (undiverted by any other paffion) of obtaining the object of their affection,

VOL. I.

fection, was to them a ftimulus to early and fevere exertion. The enamoured youth did not liftlessly fold. his arms and figh over his hopeless or unfortunate paffion. Of love not fed by hope they had not an idea. Their attachments originated at too early an age, and in a circle too familiar to give room for thofe first fight impreffions of which we hear fuch wonders. If the temper of the youth was rafh and impetuous, and his fair one gentle and complying, they frequently formed a rafh and precipitate union without confulting their relations, when perhaps the elder of the two was not above feventeen. This was very quietly borne by the parties aggrieved. The relations of both parties met, and with great calmness confulted on what was to be done. The father of the youth or the damfel, whichever it was who had moft wealth, or fewest children, brought home the young couple; and the new married man immediately fet about a trading adventure, which was renewed every feafon, till he had the means of

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