78 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



extend everywhere, but whom he had not yet 

 seen, although he was now an old man. The old 

 sceptic is not a little conceited, as the foUowing 

 exordium to one of his speeches evinces: "It is 

 very strange that I never meet with any one who 

 IS equal m sense to myself." The same old man, 

 in one of his communicative moods, related to us 

 the foUowmg tradition: The earth had been 

 termed, but contmued enveloped in total dark- 

 ness when a bear and a squirrel met on the 

 shores of a lake; a dispute arose as to theii 

 respective powers, which they agreed to settle by 

 TTk T "P^""' <iirections%ound the lake! 

 and which ever arrived first at the starting pomt, 

 ^as to evince his superiority by some sign^ act 



loudlvT "JV^"™! '"^^'' -° "P a tree, and 

 oudly demanded light, which instantly beaming 



^ iisTt-?'^' ''^P^"'"^ ^^ Sloomwith 



bark fror;he?ee Ind ^ '"'^ ^ ^'"^ 1 

 floating- ^ ^'"^'^'^ « wi"i the power of 



means rf? '"" "''^^''=^'«« of the earth the 



means of raversmg the waters. 



ascribeS""'- '"^ "°* ""^ ««' P«>Ple who have 



r';t ITr ""'"^ tothringenuityof 



bear, otteT „nH ! PP""" '"'^'^"^ '°'^^'^'' '^ 



' ^'' '^'^ ""-^ ^imals of prey, or rather 



