will fhut the mouths of your defpicable, but dangerous enemies. Mr. d'Argouge dropt on the fubject: Ah! the old finner: he never believes in God, but when he has the fever. I rated him foundly, declaring that there was neither truth nor charity in fuch infinuation. Farewell, my Phebus; the good accounts I have of your health are fupremely pleafing: my pleasure were complete, could I do you any, and fee France in better condition.'

The Letter-writer,-whoever the Writer may really be,appears, every where, an admirer of M. de Voltaire, to an excefs that does not, we apprehend, in all refpects, coincide with the indifferent terms on which this celebrated genius hath, for fo many years, remained, with the court of his natural prince.

ART. X. Travels through that part of North America formerly called Louifiana. By Mr. Boilu, Captain in the French Marines. Tranflated from the French by John Reinhold Forster, F. A. S. Illuftrated with Notes relative chiefly to natural Hiflory. To which is added, by the Tranflator, a fyftematic Catalogue of all the known Plants of English North America, or a Flora America Septentrionalis. Together with an Abract of the most useful and neceffary Articles contained in Peter Loefling's Travels through Spain and Cumana in South-America. 8vo. 2 Vols. in Boards. Davies. 1771.

10s. 6d.

HE provinces of North America are now become a very interefting object, particularly to the inhabitants of Great Britain. It is a country which affords ample matter for employing the pens of literary men, and accordingly publications of this kind have of late been pretty numerous; they seem to be always acceptable to the public, and when executed with fidclity by perfons of ability and judgment, muft, without doubt, prove both entertaining and ufeful.

Mr. Boffu's account of Louifiana is contained in twenty-two letters, addreffed to the Marquis de l' Eftrade, the firft dated in February, 1751, the laft in November, 1762. During this period he was engaged in two expeditions to this country, but though from his own relation he appears to have been faithful and zealous in the French fervice, his voyages do not feem to have been very beneficial to himself after the firft, indeed, we are told that he received a gratuity from the king of France; but the fecond was finished by his being recalled, and broke, together with other fuperior and inferior officers.

The letters were written at the request of M. de l'Eftrade. At the clofe of one of them, the Author tells the Marquis, that ⚫ if he cannot amufe him with his ftile, at least he shall make his narrative interefting, through the fingularity of the facts he intends to relate.' And, in another place, when speaking of

his obfervations on the different parts of the country, and the genious of the natives, &c. he adds, I think this ftudy not beneath a traveller. You are a foldier and a philofopher; I am perfuaded that what I fhall give you an a count of will pleafe you: for I fatter myself that you depend upon the fidelity of your hiftorian: indeed I mean to affert nothing but what I am eye-witnefs of; for I can neither invent nor exaggerate.' Some accounts, however, which this writer gives, relate to circumstances and events many years prior to his vifit to this part of the world; for thefe therefore he must have depended upon the teftimony of others; but as to the many particulars which he afferts from his own knowledge, he generally appears to be worthy of entire credit.

Among various other matters Mr. Boffu, as is customary with Authors who have written concerning the Indians, fometimes prefents us with the fpeeches which were made on different occafions, by the chiefs and elders of thefe nations. It is well known that it has not been unusual with other historians to amplify and embellifh this part of their fubject in order to recommend their work; and we muft acknowledge that we generally read these Indian harangues with a degree of diffidence. Mr. Forfter, the tranflator, feems to intimate a little fufpicion of the fame kind. The Author, in relating fome of the arguments which an old warrior ufed to animate the foldiers who were going out against the enemy, among other things we are told he faid, Go, my comrades, as men of courage, and with the heart of a lion. Upon which the tranflator's note is, An hyperbole no Indian in America would make use of, not knowing that creature, which is not to be met with in that country."

Mr. Boffu give an account, as other travellers have done, of the difcovery of the skeletons of elephants in North America, from whence he argues for the junction of Louisiana with Afia: after telling us that his bad ftate of health prevented his going to take the command of Fort du Quéne, he obferves, this voyage would have enabled me to examine the place on the road, where an Indian found fome elephants' teeth, of which he gave me a grinder, weighing about fix pounds and a half.' After which he proceeds as follows: In 1735, the Canadians, who came to make war upon the Tchicabas, (Chickshaws,) found, near the Ohio, the fkeletons of feven elephants; which makes me believe, that Loufiana joins to Afia, and that these elephants came from the latter continent by the western part, which we are not acquainted with a herd of thefe animals having loft their way, probably entered upon this new continent, and having always gone upon main land and in forefts, the Indians of that time not having the ufe of fire-arms, have not been

able

able to destroy them entirely, it is poffible that feven arrived at the place near the Ohio, which, in our maps of Louisiana, is marked with a crofs. The elephants, according to all appearance, were in a fwampy ground, where they funk in by the enormous weight of their bodies, and could not get out again, but were forced to stay there.'

The tranflator remarks upon this paffage, that modern geographical obfervations render this Author's fuppofition improbable; befides which he adds, that the teeth of the animals, faid to be found on the American continent, appear, upon examination, to be very different from thofe of the common elephant, and confequently they cannot be of the fame species.

Mr. Boffu has, nevertheless, feveral reflections on the popula tion of America, and its connection with Afia on the fide of Tartary, in this his ninth letter, and in the twenty-first. Among other remarks, he takes notice of a conjecture, which has by fome perfons been embraced, that there is a part of America which was peopled by the Welch, and that their language formed a confiderable part of the languages of the American pations. Though he does not appear to lay any great stress upon thefe relations, he tells us that the Dutch brought a bird, with a white head, from the ftreights of Magellan, which the natives called Penguin; this word is an old Welch one, and fignifies white head; from hence they conclude that the natives originally came from Wales.' The tranflator's note upon this paffage feems a very juft one, when he tells us, This, however, is a wrong fuppofition; for it appears, that the bird in queftion has a black, and not a white head; but its name is Spanish, and fignifies a fat bird, the Penguin, or rather Pinguin, being very fat.'

6

We shall now add a few extracts, by which our readers may be enabled to form fome judgment both of the original and of the tranflation. There are many interefting relations which we might felect, but as they are generally of a greater length than our limits will allow, we must be contented with fome fhorter quotations.

Mr. Bofiu gives the following account of the ceremony of adoption among the Akanzas, to which he himself fubmitted:

The Akanzas have adopted me; they have adopted me as a warrior and a chief, and have given me the mark of it, which is the figure of a roe-buck imprinted on my thigh. I have willingly undergone this painful operation, which was performed in the following manner: I was feated on a tyger's fkin; an Indian burnt fome ftraw, the afhes of which he diluted with water he made ufe of this fimple mixture to draw the roe-buck; he then followed the drawing with great needles, pricking them deep into the flesh, till the blood comes out;

this blood mixing with the afhes of the ftraw, forms a figure which can never be effaced. I fmoked the calumet after that; they spread white fkins under my feet, on which I walked; they danced before me, crying out for joy; they told me afterwards, that I could go to all the people that were their allies, prefent the calumet, and fhew my mark, and I would be well received; that I was their brother, and that if any one killed me, they would kill him; now I am a noble Akanza.. These people think they have done me all the honour due to a defender of their country, by thus adopting me and I regard this honour almoft like that which the Marshal de Richelieu received, when his name was infcribed in the golden book at Genoa among the noble Genoefe. It is true, there is fome difference between an infcription and the operation I have undergone; I cannot exprefs to you how much I have fuffered by it; I did all I could to prevent fhewing how much I was affected; on the contrary, I joked with the Indian women that were present; and all the spectators, amazed at my infenfibility, cried out for joy, and danced round about me, faying, I was a true man. The pain has been very violent, and I have had a fever from it for a week together. You cannot believe how fond the Akanzas are of me fince that time.'

.

One of this writer's letters, dated at the Illinois, concludes with the following relation: I fhall finish my letter with the defcription of a very odd and extraordinary ceremony, performed by the Miouris, who came hither as ambaffadors at the time when the Chevalier de Boifbriant commanded here. This tragic ftory will at the fame time ferve to teach officers,-that both the theoretical and the practical part of geography ought to be understood by them; and that it is neceflary they fhould carefully ftudy the interior fituation of a country where they are at

war.

In 1720, the Spaniards formed the defign of fettling at the Miflouris, who are near the Illinois, in order to confine us (the French) more to the weftward.-They believed, that in order to put their colony in fafety, it was neceffary they should entirely deftroy the Miffouris; but concluding it would be impoffible to fubdue them with their own forces alone, they resolved to make an alliance with the Ofages, a people who were the neighbours of the Milouris, and at the fame time their mortal enemies. With that view they formed a caravan at Santa Fe, confifting of men, women and foldiers, having a Jacobine prieft for their chaplain, and an engineer-captain for their chief and conductor, with the horfes and cattle neceflary for a permanent fettlement.

The caravan being fet out, miftook its road, and arrived at the Miouris, taking them to be the Ojages. Immediately

the

the conductor of the caravan orders his interpreter to speak to the chief of the Milouris, as if he had been that of the Ofages, and tell him that they were come to make an alliance with them, in order to destroy together the Miuris their enemies. The great chief of the Miffouris concealed his thoughts upon this expedition; fhewed the Spaniards figns of great joy, and promised to execute a defign with them which gave him so much pleafure. To that purpofe he invited them to reft for a few days after their tiretome journey, till he had aflembled his warriors, and held council with the old men: but the refult of this council of war was, that they fhould entertain their guests very well, and affect the fincerest friendship for them. They agreed together to fet out in three days. The Spanish captain immediately diftributed fifteen hundred mufkets amongst them, with an equal number of pistols, fabres, and hatchets; but the very morning after this agreement, the Miffeuris came by break of day into the Spanish camp, and killed them all, except theJacobine prieft, whofe fingular dress did not feem to belong to a warrior: they called him a Mag-pie, and diverted themselves with making him ride on one of the Spanifh horfes, on their days of affembly.

All thefe tranfactions the Miouris themf.lves have related, when they brought the ornaments of the chapel hither. They were dreffed out in thefe ornaments: the chief had on the naked fkin the chafuble, with the paten fufpended from his neck, having driven a nail through it, and making use of it as a breaft plate; he marched gravely at the head of all the others, being crowned with feathers and a pair of horns. Thofe that followed him had more chafubles on; after them came thofe who carried the ftole, followed by thofe who had the fearfs about their necks; after them came three or four young Indians, fome with albs, and others with furplices on. The Acolothifts, contrary to order, were at the end of the proceffion, not being adorned enough, and held in their hands a cross or chandelier, whilft they danced in cadence. Thefe people, not knowing the refpect due to the facred utenfils, hung the chalice to a horie's neck, as if it had been a bell.

The fift Frenchman who faw this masquerade arrive, ran laughing to give M. de Boisbriant intelligence of it: this officer, who is as pious as he is brave, was overcome with grief at the fight of the Indians, and knew not what to think of the event; he feared they had deftroyed fome French fettlements; but when he faw them near-by, his .fadnefs vanifhed, and he had much to do to keep himself from laughing with the reft. The Milouris told him, that the Spaniards intended to have deftroyed them; that they brought him all these things, as being of no use to them, and that, if he would, he might give them fuch