MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



465 



we got into a canoe, and crossed 

 over to the opposite bank, where 

 we entered a noble forest of pines, 

 growing to tlie height of eighty 

 and a hundred feet, before they 

 branched out, and all of them as 

 straight as if they had been shaped 

 by nature, for no other purpose 

 than to shew her regularity. There 

 were none of them more than 

 six or seven feet in circumference, 

 and being close to the river, could 

 be floated down without any great 

 trouble or expense. 



We now engaged with Tekokee 

 to set all his people to work at 

 cutting down the trees, and giving 

 him a laige English axe, a present 

 with which he was much gratified, 

 we returned with him to his vil- 

 lage, and thence repaired back 

 again to the ship. 



During this excursion, we were 

 highly giatified with the friendly 

 reception we met with from the 

 natives, and with the general ap- 

 pearance of the country, which 

 was every where remarkably beau- 

 tiful. The land on the east side 

 of the core rising in bold perpen- 

 dicular eminences, connected with 

 each other, and stretching along 

 the whole extent in that quarter, 

 forms as it were a natural wall, or 

 rather a continued chain of fertile 

 hills, producing on theii" sides a 

 great deal of brush-wood and 

 small trees, with a rich covering 

 of varied herbage. The prospect 

 on the western side assumes a dif- 

 ferent appearance, but not less 

 attractive ; the land swelling up 

 in curious hillocks, covered with 

 shrubs and fern, or extending in 

 level plains of the richest verdure, 

 and offeiing to the eye some of the 

 roost <lelightful spots that can be 

 imagined. It were impossible for 



Vol. LIX. 



me to give my readers any thing 

 like an accurate idea of the count- 

 less beautiful views that are to be 

 met with in this island ; and the 

 part of it where we had now been, 

 was not surpassed by any other in 

 grandeur and variety. A noble 

 river, smooth and transparent, 

 winding for some distance its in- 

 tricate course through a forest 

 both gloomy and majestic j hills 

 forming themselves into grand 

 amphitheatres, or ascending, with 

 impervious steepness, to a con- 

 siderable elevation J valleys sink- 

 ing down in the most picturesque 

 recesses, and green fields opening 

 on the view at the skirts of the 

 forest J — these scenes, and many 

 more, which I shall not here en- 

 deavour to enumerate, present 

 themselves on either side of the 

 Cowa-cowa. 



Travels in th^ Interior of America, 

 in the Years 1809, ISlO, 1811 ; 

 including a Description of Upper 

 Lousiana, together with the States 

 of Chio, Kentucky, Indiana, and 

 Tennessee, with the Illinois and 

 Western Territories. By John 

 Bkadbury, F.L.S. London, &c. 



Mr. Bradbury relates, that having 

 arrived at St. Louis in Upper 

 Louisiana, intending to make 

 that town or neighbourhood his 

 principal residence whilst ex- 

 ploring the interior of Upper 

 Louisiana and the Illinois territory 

 for the purpose of collecting sub- 

 jects of natural history ; and dur- 

 ing the ensuing spring and sum- 

 mer, making frequent excursions 

 for the purpose ; he was informed 

 on his return to St. Louis, that a 

 party of men from Canada had 

 2 H arrived 



