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Arcahne's, or the fpider's web. Thofe people, 23 

 your Grace very well fees, do their deity full as 

 little honour as he deferves, by fending him to 

 fchool to fuch a contemptible infect. 



The profpecl: you enjoy from this place gives 

 no very great idea of the fertility of the foil, tho* 

 you find excellent land at nb great diflance. The 

 fame may be faid of the beaver iflands, which you 

 Jeave on your left foon after you have entered lake 

 Michigan. The Outaways who retired thither 

 fow maize on them, which good hufbandry they 

 have learned from the Hurons, with whom they 

 have long dwelt in thofe parts. The Amikouys had 

 formerly their abode in thefe iflands ; this na- 

 tion is now reduced to a very fmall number of 

 families, who have gone over to the ifland Mani- 

 toualin, to the north of lake Huron ; it is howe- 

 ver one of the nobleft in all Canada according to 

 the Indians, who believe them defcended from the 

 great beaver whofe name they bear, and who is 

 next to Michabou or the great hare, their principal 4 



He it is, fay they likewife, who has formed 

 lake Nipiffing-, and all the rapids or currents 

 which are found in the great river of the Outa- 

 ways, are the remains of the caufeway he had builc 

 in order to compleat his defign. They alfo add 

 that he died in the fame place, and that he is bu- 

 ried under a mountain which you perceive on the 

 northern fhore of lake Nipiffing. This moun- 

 tain viewed from one certain fide, naturally enough 

 reprefents the figure of a beaver, which circu al- 

 liance has no doubt occafioned all thefe tales ; but 

 the Indians maintain that it was the great beaver 

 who gave this form to the mountain, after he had 



deity. 



made 



