by the legislature for seven years, and the justices of the peace for the term of three years, by their respective townships. The resolutions of their assembly are quite free from that narrow-minded prejudice found in Pennsylvania and the southern states, which sees in the law of Moses the only rule for direction, and loses sight of that liberal spirit which pervades the law of Christ. The inhabitants of Ohio are not, however, so religious as their neighbours, the Pennsylvanians. Their ministers exercise little influence; and numerous sects contribute greatly to lessen their authority, which is certainly not the case in the north. The people of Ohio are equally free from the uncultivated and rude character of the western American, and from the innate wiliness of the Yankees. This state is not unlike a vigorous and blooming youth, who is approaching to manhood, and whose natural form and manner excite our just admiration.

CHAPTER II.

Tour through Kentucky.—Bigbonelick.—Mammoths.—Two Kentuckian Characters.—Kentuckian Scenes.

After a stay of six days in Cincinnati I departed; crossed the Ohio in the ferryboat, and landed in the state of Kentucky, at Newport, a small country town of Campbell county. It contains, besides the government arsenal for the western states, a court-house, and about 100 buildings, scattered irregularly upon the eminence. From thence to Bigbonelick, the distance is 23 miles; the country is more hilly than on the other side of the river; it is, however, fertile, the stratum being generally limestone. The growth of timber is very fine; the trees are beech, sugar-maple, and sycamore. The contrast between Ohio and Kentucky is striking, and the baneful influence of slavery is very soon discovered. Instead of elegant farms, orchards, meadows, corn and wheat fields carefully enclosed, you see patches planted with tobacco, the leaves neglected; and instead of well-looking houses, a sort of double cabins, like those inhabited in the north of Pennsylvania by the poorest classes. In one part lives the family, in the other is the kitchen; behind these, are the wretched cabins of the negroes, bearing a resemblance to pigsties, with half a dozen black children playing about them on the ground.

About three o’clock I arrived at Bigbonelick, well known for its Mammoth bones. The lands ten miles on this side of Bigbone are of an indifferent character, dreary and mountainous. The valley of Bigbone is about a mile long, and of equal breadth; it no doubt has been the scene of some great convulsion of nature. The water is seen oozing forth from the many bogs, and has a saltish taste, impregnated with saltpetre and sulphur. These quagmires are covered with a thin grass, which has the same taste. Their depth is said to be unfathomable. Whether the Mammoth bones which are found here, were brought into the valley by a convulsion of the earth, by an inundation, or whether the animals sunk down when in search of food, remains to be decided. The first two suppositions seem authorised by the circumstance, that bones were found, not on their carcases, but scattered, which could not be the case if they were swallowed up alive. The same revolution of nature which carried elephants and palm-trees to Siberia and Lapland, and the lions of Africa to the coast of Gibraltar, may, in like manner, have brought these animals to Bigbonelick. The tradition handed down to us by the Indians respecting them, is remarkable. “In ancient times, it is said, a herd of these tremendous animals came to the Bigbonelicks, and commenced an universal destruction among the buffaloes, bears, and elks, which had been created for the Indians. The Great Spirit looking down from above, became so enraged at the sight, that taking some of his thunderbolts he descended, seated himself on a neighbouring rock which still bears the print of his footsteps, and hurling down the bolts among the destroyers, killed them all with the exception of the big bull, which, turning its front to the bolts, shook them off; but being struck at last in the side, he turned round, and with a tremendous leap bounded over the Ohio, the Wabash, the Illinois, and the great lakes, beyond which he is still living at the present day.”

Some few weeks later, I spoke with an Indian trader at Trinity. According to his account, he found in one of his excursions, traces of a large animal, belonging to none of the species known to him, and equal in size to the elephant. On making inquiries of an old Indian, the latter ascribed the traces to an immense, but very rare animal, the race of which was almost destroyed by the Great Spirit; there remaining but very few on the other side of the lakes. He also pretended that he had seen one of those animals: whether the tale of the Indian, or that of the trader, a class of people somewhat prone to exaggeration, be true or not, I am incapable of deciding. I afterwards met this man at New Orleans, and requested him to go along with me to one of my acquaintances, in order to furnish further information on this subject, and enable me to give publicity to it, but he pretended business, and refused to accompany me. The researches which were undertaken here, were amply rewarded. The greatest part of the early discoveries has been transmitted to London; a fine collection is exhibiting in the Museum at Philadelphia, and in the Levee at New Orleans.

The road from Bigbonelick is, for the distance of ten miles, dreary and the country barren. I arrived late at a farm-house, of rather a better appearance, where I intended to stop the night. The first night’s lodging convinced me but too plainly, that the inhabitants of this state, justly called in New York, half horse and half alligator, had not yet assumed a milder character. The farmer, or rather planter, was absent with his wife; and his brother, who took care of the farm, was at a horse race; an old man, however, with his daughter, answered my application for a lodging, in the affirmative. I was supping upon slices of bacon, roasted corn bread, and some milk, when the brother of the farmer returned from the races with his neighbour. Both had led horses besides those on which they rode. Before dismounting they discharged their pistols. Each of the Kentuckians had a pistol in his girdle, and a poniard in the breast pocket. Before resuming my supper I was pressed to take a dram. With a quart bottle in one hand, and with the other drawing the remains of tobacco from his mouth, in rather a nauseous manner, the host drank for half a minute out of the bottle; then took from the slave the can with water, and handed the bottle to me, the mouth of which had assumed, from the remains of the tobacco, a brownish colour. The Kentuckian looked displeased when I wiped the bottle. I however took no notice of him, but presented it, after having drunk, to his friend. We sat down.

“How far are you come to day?” asked the landlord.

“From Cincinnati.”

“You don’t live in Cincinnati, I guess, do you?”

“No, sir.”

“And where do you live?”

“In Pennsylvania.”

“A fine distance!” exclaimed my host, “I like the people of Pennsylvania better than those G——d d——d Yankees, but still they are no Kentuckians.” I gave my full and hearty assent.

“The Kentuckians,” continued my landlord, “are astonishingly mighty people; they are the very first people on earth!”

“Yes, sir.”

“They are immensely great, and wonderfully powerful people; ar’nt they?”

“Yes, sir.”

“They are ten