ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 381 



black bears, that are always on the watch, for fa- 

 vourable opportunities to fall upon and devour 

 them. The grey bear, on account of his strength 

 and ferocity, may well be denominated the mon- 

 arch of the forest ; and should he at any time find 

 an hundred wolves or more, feeding on the car- 

 case of the buffaloe, the sight of him would cause 

 them all to retire, with all the humility and sub- 

 mission of conscious weakness, and he would be 

 permitted to make his meal, at his leisure and in 

 quietness. 



The country lying between the 52d and the 

 70th degree of north latitude, may be denominat- 

 ed mountainous. Between its elevated parts, how- 

 ever, there are valleys and plains, of considerable 

 extent, and which are covered with timber, of a 

 small growth, more than one fourth part of which 

 is the spruce fir. The other kinds of timber are 

 aspin, poplar, birch, hemlock, spruce, cedar, willow r , 

 and a little pine. Much of this country, in its less 

 elevated parts, is covered with large rocks and 

 stones, w T ith so thin a coat of earth upon them, 

 that it could not be cultivated. I am of opinion, 

 however, that one fourth, if not one third part, of 

 the whole of this great extent of country, might 

 be cultivated to advantage. The soil, in general, 

 is tolerably good ; and, in many places, is not ex- 



