CHAPTER XIII.

My first winter at the foot of Lake Superior—­Copper mines—­White fish—­A poetic name for a fish—­Indian tale—­Polygamy—­A reminiscence—­Taking of Fort Niagara—­Mythological and allegorical tales among the aborigines—­Chippewa language—­Indian vowels—­A polite and a vulgar way of speaking the language—­Public worship—­Seclusion from the world.

CHAPTER XIV.

Amusements during the winter months, when the temperature is at the lowest point—­Etymology of the word Chippewa—­A meteor—­The Indian “fireproof”—­Temperature and weather—­Chippewa interchangeables—­Indian names for the seasons—­An incident in conjugating verbs—­Visiting—­Gossip—­The fur trade—­Todd, McGillvray, Sir Alexander Mackenzie—­Wide dissimilarity of the English and Odjibwa syntax—­Close of the year.

CHAPTER XV.

New Year’s day among the descendants of the Norman French—­Anti-philosophic speculations of Brydone—­Schlegel on language—­A peculiar native expression evincing delicacy—­Graywacke in the basin of Lake Superior—­Temperature—­Snow shoes—­Translation of Gen. i.3—­Historical reminiscences—­Morals of visiting—­Odjibwa numerals—­Harmon’s travels—­Mackenzie’s vocabularies—­Criticism—­Mungo Park.

CHAPTER XVI.

Novel reading—­Greenough’s “Geology”—­The cariboo—­Spiteful plunder of private property on a large scale—­Marshall’s Washington—­St. Clair’s “Narrative of his Campaign”—­Etymology of the word totem—­A trait of transpositive languages—­Polynesian languages—­A meteoric explosion at the maximum height of the winter’s temperature—­Spafford’s “Gazetteer”—­Holmes on the Prophecies—­Foreign politics—­Mythology—­Gnomes—­The Odjibwa based on monosyllables—­No auxiliary verbs—­Pronouns declined for tense—–­Esprella’s letters—­Valerius—­Gospel of St. Luke—­Chippewayan group of languages—­Home politics—­Prospect of being appointed superintendent of the lead mines of Missouri.

CHAPTER XVII.

Close of the winter solstice, and introduction of a northern spring—­News from the world—­The Indian languages—­Narrative Journal—­Semi-civilization of the ancient Aztec tribes—­Their arts and languages—­Hill’s ironical review of the “Transactions of the Royal Society”—­A test of modern civilization—­Sugar making—­Trip to one of the camps—­Geology of Manhattan Island—­Ontwa, an Indian poem—­Northern ornithology—­Dreams—­The Indian apowa—­Printed queries of General Cass—­Prospect of the mineral agency—­Exploration of the St. Peter’s—­Information on that head.

CHAPTER XVIII.