( 260 ) 



called le C bar bonier e, or the Coal-pit, from the- 

 great quantity of fea coal found in the places adja- 

 cent. Nothing is to be feen in this courfe but im* 

 menfe meadows, interfperfed with fmall copfes of 

 wood, which feem to have been planted by the hand 

 the grafs is fo very high that a man is loft amongft 

 it, but paths are every where to be found as well 

 trodden as they could have been in the belt peopled 

 countries, though nothing paifes that way except- 

 ing buffaloes, and from time to time fome herds of 

 deer, and a few roe- buck. 



A league below the coal-pit you fee a rock on 

 the right, entirely round, extremely high, and its 

 fu mm it in the form of a terrafs this is 1 called the 

 Fort of the Miamis, becaufe thefe Indians had for- 

 merly a village there. A league beyond this on the 

 left, is feen another rock, quite fimilar to the for- 

 mer, and which has got the fimple appellation of 

 the Rock. This is the point of a very high terras,, 

 llretching the fpace of two hundred paces, and 

 bending or winding with the courfe of the river 

 which is very broad in this place. This rock is 

 fteep on all fides, and at a difrance one would take 

 it for a fortrefs. Some remains of a palifado are 

 flill to be feen on it, the Illinois having formerly 

 caft up ah entrenchment here, which might 

 be eafily repaired in cafe of any irruption of the 

 t£nemy. 



The village of thefe Indians flands at the foot of 

 this rock in an ifland, which, together with feveral 

 others, all of a wonderful fertility, divides the ri- 

 ver in this place into two pretty large channels. I 

 went afhore here in the evening about four o'clock^ 

 where I met with fome of my countrymen, who 

 were trading with the Indians. I had fcarce landed 



whers 



