t
them with the Asiatics, and these ruins extend in a line through that
country from Guatemala as far almost as the Colombia River; whilst
South America produces edifices, not so extraordinary perhaps, but
equally evincing that the worshippers of the Sun might claim descent
from the Guebres and the Parsees.

But to pursue this subject would lead me into a research which would
consume both time and paper, and can only be adequately entered upon
with great leisure. I have collected much upon this interesting
subject, and, having bestowed great attention upon it, have not much
doubt upon the matter.

Singular discoveries are occasionally made in opening the Canadian
forests, though it would seem that ancient civilization had been
chiefly confined to the western shores of the Andean chain, exclusive
of Mexico only. In a former volume was described a vase of Etruscan
shape, which was discovered during the operations of the Canada
Company, near the shores of Lake Huron, and vast quantities of broken
pottery, of beautiful forms, are often turned up by the plough. I have
a specimen, of large size, of an emerald green glassy substance, which
was unfortunately broken when sent to me, but described as presenting
a regular polygonal figure: two of the faces, measuring some inches,
are yet perfect. It is a work of art, and was found in the virgin
forest in digging.

But we are at Amherstburgh, otherwise called Malden, a small town of
two parallel streets and divergencies, famous for a miserable fort,
for Negroes, Indians, fine straw hats, wild turkeys, rattlesnakes, and
loyalty.

I shall never forget the heat of this place, having had the exceeding
luxury of a sitting-room to myself, quite large enough to turn round
in, with one door and one window, and a bed-closet off it, without the
latter. If ever a mortal was fried without a gridiron, it was the
inhabitant of that bed-closet; and right glad was I the next day to
get into a gallant row-boat, belonging to the commandant of the
Canadian riflemen, rowed by a gallant crew, and take the air on the
River Detroit, as well as the breezes on Bois Blanc Island. Bois
blanc, in Western Canadian parlance, is the white wood tree, with
which this island formerly abounded, and now converted into several
blockhouses for its defence.

Amherstburgh was the scene of piratical exploit during the rebellion,
and bravely did the militia beat off the _soi-disant+ general and his
sympathizing vag