about in every direction. I freely admit I was never more startled, and loudly called for rescue. I could not disengage myself, for I felt his powerful claws not only tightly holding me by my clothes, but inserted through them slightly into the skin. I had not been many seconds in this position, when a man rushed out from a small counting-house by the spot, who assured me I should not suffer any injury; "for," said he,

although he is a panther, yet he is very young, and has no harm in him." I was very soon released, and although his master repeated several times I might handle him without risk, yet the event made a very deep impression on my mind.

After paying my respects to Colonel Porter, who received me very coldly, scarcely amounting to civility, I walked round the little town of Detroit, then (fifty years ago) containing a population amounting to 2,500 persons. I recrossed the river Detroit to dine with our friend and the officers whom I had accompanied from Amherstburgh; we there passed a most pleasant day. Mrs. McKee was a most charming little brunette, the daughter of a Mr. Askin residing at Detroit, one of whose sisters had been married to a Lieutenant Meredith, of the Royal

Artillery. The Lieutenant had been one of the officers attached to the company of gentlemen cadets studying at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, probably about the year 1787, and was at that time married. Soon afterwards, however, he had the misfortune to lose his wife during her confinement. Meredith was a most affectionate husband, and his grief was not only very acute but was of long duration. After the death of his wife, when he would admit of no consolation from his numerous and anxious friends, while passing his time in solitude, he frequently observed a mouse in the room, which by degrees became so familiar, that it would sit on his breakfast-table by his cup, then would ramble from the cloth to his hand, thence on his knee, and so on until it finally climbed into his waistcoat, where it seemed to have arrived at the summit of its ambition.

Meredith's mind had suffered considerably by the shock of his wife's unexpected death, and this mouse so deeply interested him, that he felt fully convinced that the soul of his lost wife had passed into its body.

CHAPTER VI.

Extraordinary conduct of an Indian woman-Saut of St. Mary's-Indian manners-Burning to death of a woman-Changes of temperature-The woods on fire -Hail-storm-Arrival at Montreal-The waters of the Ottaway and St. Lawrence-Major Hale, good shot and angler fly-fisher-Parties to Stoneham-Depth of snow Court-house and cathedral - Sleighs at Montreal with sixteen horses-Major Alves frostbitten.

It was related to me at Amherstburgh that a party of the neighbouring Indians having waged war against some other Indian tribe, a prisoner had remained in their hands without having been scalped and murdered in accordance with their usual practice: this poor creature, a fine, handsome, stout fellow, was doomed to be tomahawked in cold blood.

pose, at the appointed time, a

For this pur

large fire was

made and a ring formed of the men and women sitting on the earth round the fire, upon which was placed the enormous kettle full of water wherein to boil a dog, in order to celebrate the event with proper and ample rejoicings. As soon as the water began to boil, the intended victim was brought out into the ring, and informed that he was at liberty to make his brag, or what with us would be called a last dying speech and confession. Upon this the prisoner, who had painted himself with much care and in the most fantastical manner from head to foot, to his entire satisfaction, entered the circle with a slow and majestic step, and walked round and round the inside of the enclosure pompously enumerating the many occasions on which he had spilled the blood of his enemies, the frequent daring acts he had performed, and the murders and injuries he had committed against the nation by which he was then held a prisoner.

During this time, a boy, about twelve years of age, had been selected as one of the best looking or most daring; perhaps, also, in consequence of his expertness with the tomahawk, and being painted and decorated with eagles'

feathers, was directed to follow the prisoner round in his walk, with his tomahawk in hand, ready to strike the fatal blow. The boy accordingly advanced with haughty air, clenching the instrument of death in his right hand, whilst waiting the victim's order to strike. The practice being to inflict the blow on the back of the head, not with the sharp edge of the tomahawk, but with the opposite side, which is formed of metal, and serves frequently as the bowl of a pipe, which is less likely to glance off than would be the cutting or hatchet side. As soon as the man falls, be he dead or still living, the boy, or some other Indian, steps forward, and with the sharp point of a common butcher's knife cuts a circle about four inches in diameter through the skin of the head, which must contain the star, or division of the hair on the crown. Having done this, he lifts up the skin all round the edge of the circle, passing his knife between the skull and the scalp, and then taking a firm grasp of the hair, with one violent tug he tears the scalp from the head, which he flourishes round his own, whilst he screeches out the war-whoop, to which the whole of the savages present, reply