"The next morning, by daylight, he continued his journey, not forgetting
to blaze with his axe the trees to the right and left as he went along.
The ground was so spongy and wet that at every step he plunged up to his
knees in water, but he seemed no nearer the end of the swamp than he had
been the day before. He saw several deer, a raccoon, and a groundhog,
during his walk, but was unmolested by bears or wolves. Having passed
through several creeks, and killed a great many snakes, he felt so weary
towards the second day that he determined to go home the next morning. But
just as he began to think his search was fruitless, he observed that the
cedars and tamaracks which had obstructed his path became less numerous,
and were succeeded by bass and soft maple. The ground, also, became less
moist, and he was soon ascending a rising slope, covered with oak and
beech, which shaded land of the very best quality. The old man was now
fully convinced that he had cleared the great swamp; and that, instead of
leading to the other world, it had conducted him to a country that would
yield the very best returns for cultivation. His favourable report led to
the formation of the road that we are about to cross, and to the
settlement of Peterborough, which is one of the most promising new
settlements in this district, and is surrounded by a splendid back
country."

We were descending a very steep hill, and encountered an ox-sleigh, which
was crawling slowly up it in a contrary direction. Three people were
seated at the bottom of the vehicle upon straw, which made a cheap
substitute for buffalo robes. Perched, as we were, upon the crown of the
height, we looked completely down into the sleigh, and during the whole
course of my life I never saw three uglier mortals collected into such a
narrow space. The man was blear-eyed, with a hare-lip, through which
protruded two dreadful yellow teeth which resembled the tusks of a boar.
The woman was long-faced, high cheek-boned, red-haired, and freckled all