254 THE LIFE OF 



tures ; in ihtCe, by long habit, he had acquired 

 a moft grotefque facility, and abfolutely fome- 

 times, might have been miftaken for a great 

 baboon. 



At feven next morning our horfes were col- 

 le(5led, and we prepared to continue our jour- 

 ney. We found ourfelves obliged to pafs ano- 

 ther branch of the fame river, not lefs rapid 

 than the former ; the horfes were fent over by 

 the dragoons and IndianSj and we followed in a 

 canoe. 



Here we faw an extraordinary mode of fifli- 

 ing, almoft incredible indeed, and what I fhould 

 not perhaps have ventured to mention, had not 

 Mr. Black, in his narrative, already publiftied 

 it. The fifh, at the river's mouth, are fo very 

 plentiful, that the ihoals feem to cover the fur- 

 face of the water, and nothing more is done than 

 to beat the waves with the paddles ofthecanoes^ 

 The filh, thus alarmed, having no room to fave 

 themfelves by fwimming, leap out of the water 

 in fuch numbers, that thofe which accidentally 

 fall into the canoe, are fufficient to load it in a 

 few minutes. 



When we had crofled this river, one of our 

 horfes took in his head to leave his companions, 

 and fet off as faft as he could; he was followed 

 by many others, and we were in danger of 

 loling feveral more. The fame Indian, who 



' had 



