262 TRAVELS THROUGH UPPER CANADA t 
lions they see in any of these places. The 
shipping, however, at Philadelphia and the 
other sea-ports, seldom fails to excite their ad¬ 
miration, because they at once see the utility 
and advantage of large vessels over canoes, 
which are the only vessels they have. The 
young Wyandot, whom I before mentioned, as 
having made such a wonderful day's journey 
on foot, happened to be at Philadelphia when 
I was there, and he appeared highly delighted 
with the river, and the great number of ships 
of all sizes upon it; but the tide attracted his 
attention more than any thing else whatsoever. 
On coming to the river the first day, he looked 
up at the sun, and made certain observations 
upon the course of the stream, and general 
situation of the place, as the Indians never fail 
to do on coming to any new or remarkable 
spot. The second time, however, he went 
down to the water, he found to his surprise 
that the river was running with equal rapidity 
* 
in a contrary direction to what he had seen 
it run the day before. For a moment he ima¬ 
gined that by some mistake he must have got 
to the opposite side of it; but soon recollecting 
himself, and being persuaded that he stood on 
the very same spot from whence he had viewed 
it the day before, his astonishment became great 
indeed. To obtain information upon such an 
interesting point, he immediately sought out 
