BUFFALO TO CLEVELAND. 217 



scribed the scenes and events of those stirring times. 

 He saw the first steamer launched on the lake and 

 said it was regarded as an evil omen by the Indians, 

 who called it " The Devil's Canoe '^ and who ran 

 frightened from the shore at its approach. His 

 stories were most amusing, and their personal narra- 

 tion gave them a freshness which was untiring. 

 While I was with these people, I had the pleasure of 

 meeting Miss Eliza Swan, a talented daughter of 

 the family, who had just returned from Paris, where 

 she had been studying under Jules Le Fevre, the 

 well-known painter. Among her better productions 

 I was especially pleased with her portrait from life 

 of an old man, for which she was awarded a medal by 

 Peter Cooper. 



Central House. 

 GiRARD, Pennsylvania, 



JiUy Second. 



Took a walk with Mr. Swan over his farm in the 

 morning, looking at his stock and grain and quietly 

 admiring the thrift and enterprise everywhere appar- 

 ent. The comfort and refinement of these country 

 homes had made a strong impression, and I became 

 quite enthusiastic over the American farmer. My 

 host took especial pleasure in showing me the changes 

 which half a century had wrought upon his premises, 

 and which certainly were surprising. It was difficult 

 to realize that the fields which we were viewing had, 

 within the memory of my companion, been trans- 

 formed from a wilderness to cultivated acres. While 



