n I did on my
arrival, but the immense distance no way daunted me. I wanted to visit
the States, and I was certain that my gun would always afford me the
means of proceeding by any public conveyance, when I required it. I had
a good sum remaining from the sale of the peltries I had saved; and with
this in my pockets I once more started for the lakes of Upper Canada,
purposing from thence to work my way through the western States down the
Mississippi to New Orleans.

An American vessel, which I found at Goodrich, conveyed me, through Lake
Huron, to a fort at the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, called, if
I recollect rightly, Fort Dearborn. The voyage was long and tiresome.
The feeling that one is in a fresh-water lake, and at the same time
being out of sight of land for days together, is very curious. It gives
one a more perfect notion than anything else can of the vastness of the
country in which such inland seas exist. I must be excused from giving
any minute account of my adventures at this period, as I made no notes,
and I do not recur to them with much satisfaction. In fact, I was weary
of the solitary life of a hunter and trapper, and longed once more to be
among people with whom I could have some thoughts and feelings in
common.

Till I got into the settled districts, I shot and trapped as before. My
rifle always supplied me with abundance of food; and, whenever I reached
a trading-post, I was able to exchange my peltries for a fresh store of
powder and shot. When passing through the more inhabited districts, I
was invariably hospitably received by the settlers, whatever was the
nation to which they before belonged. Travelling through a large
portion of the State of Indiana, I entered that of Illinois, and at
length I embarked with a party of hunters in a canoe on the river of the
same name, which runs through its centre. With these people I proceeded
to Saint Louis, a city situated on the spot where the mighty streams of
the Mississippi and Missouri join their waters.

Saint Louis was founded by the French, and is still very French in its
general aspect. I here easily disposed of my remaining skins for a good
sum of money, which I secured in a band round my waist. I remained here
only two days, for I was anxious to proceed to the south; and, finding a
steamer starting down the Mississippi, I went on board, and for about
eight dollars engaged a passage on deck to New Orleans. The passage
occup