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as could conveniently find lodging, in order to prevent the possibility of his escape. In this disagreeable and painful posture he remained until morning.

29. During this night, the longest and most dreary conceivable, our hero used to relate, that he felt a ray of cheerfulness come casually across his mind, and could not even refrain from smiling, when he reflected on this ludicrous group for a painter, of which he himself was the principal figure.

30. The next day he was allowed his blanket and mocasons, and permitted to march without carrying any pack or receiving any insult. To allay his extreme hunger, a little bear's meat was given, which he sucked through his teeth. -At night the party arrived at Ticonderoga, and the prisoner was placed under the care of a French guard.

31. The savages who had been prevented from glutting their diabolical thirst for blood, took every opportunity of manifesting their malevolence for the disappointment, by horrid grimaces and angry gestures; but they were suffered no more to offer him violence or personal indignity.

32. After having been examined by the Marquis de Montcalm, major Putnam was conducted to Montreal by a French officer, who treated him with the greatest indulgence and humanity.

1.

X. The FAITHFUL AMERICAN DOG.

AN officer in the late American army, on his station

at the westward, went out in the morning with his dog and gun, in quest of game. Venturing too far from the garrison, he was fired upon by an Indian, who was lurking in the bushes, and instantly fell to the ground.

2. The Indian running to him, struck him on the head with his tomahawk in order to dispatch him; but the button of his hat fortunately warding off the edge, he was only stunned by the blow. With savage brutality he applied the scalping knife, and hastened away with this trophy of his horrid cruelty, leaving the officer for dead, 'and none to relieve or console him, but his faithful dog.

3. The afflicted creature gave every expression of his attachment, fidelity, and affection. He licked the wounds with inexpressible tenderness, and mourned the fate of his beloved master. Having performed every office which

sympathy dictated, or sagacity could invent, without being able to remove his master from the fatal spot, or procure from him any signs of life, or his wonted expressions of affection to him, he ran off in quest of help.

4. Bending his course towards the river, where two men were fishing, he urged them by all the powers of native rhetoric to accompany him to the woods. The men were suspicious of a decoy to an ambuscade, and durst not venture to follow the dog; who finding all his caresses fail, returned to the care of his master; and licking his wounds a second time renewed all his tenderness; but with no better success than before.

5. Again he returned to the men; once more to try his skill in alluring them to his assistance. In this attempt he was more successful than in the other. The men, seeing his solicitude, began to think the dog might have discovered some valuable game, and determined to hazard the consequences of following him.

6. Transported with his success, the affectionate creature. hurried them along by every expression of ardour. Presently they arrived at the spot, where, behold, an officer wounded, scalped, weltering in his own gore, and faint with the loss of blood!

7. Suffice it to say, he was yet alive. They carried him to the fort, where the first dressings were performed. A suppuration immediately took place, and he was soon conveyed to the hospital at Albany, where in a few weeks he was entirely recovered, and was able to return to his duty.

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8. This worthy officer owed his life, probably to the filelity of this sagacious dog. His tongue, which the gentleman afterwards declared, gave him the most exquisite pleasure, clarified the wound in the most effectual manner, and his perseverence brought that assistance, without which he must soon have perished.

9. "My dog the trustiest of his kind,
With gratitude inflames my mind;
I mark his true, his faithful way,
And in my service copy Tray."

XI. VOLCANOES of ICELAnd.

CELAND is noted for volcanoes, which seem to be more furious there than in any other part of the world.

They begin with a subterranean rumbling noise, with a roaring and cracking in the place from whence the fire is to burst forth. Fiery meteors also precede the eruption of fire, and sometimes shocks of earthquake.

2. The drying up of small lakes, streams, and rivulets, is also considered as a sign of an approaching eruption; but the immediate forerunner is the bursting of the mass of ice on the mountains. Flames then issue from the earth, and lightning and fire balls from the smoke, and stones and ashes are thrown to a vast distance. In 1755, a stone of

290 pounds weight was thrown 24 miles.

3. The most tremendous eruption ever known was in 1783. Its first sign was perceived on the first of June, by a trembling of the earth in the western part of the province of Shapterfall; it continued and increased till the 11th day, when the inhabitants quitted their houses, and lay in tents. A continual smoke was seen to arise out of the earth in the northern parts of the island and three fire-spouts broke forth in different places.

4. These spouts of fire ascended to a vast height, so as to be visible at the distance of 200 miles. Immense quantities of ashes, sand, and other substances, were cast up and spread over the country. The atmosphere was so filled with them, as to be rendered dark, and great damage was done by the pumice stones which fell red hot in large quantities.

5. The shower continued for many days. The fire sometimes appeared in a continual stream, and sometimes in flashes with a noise like thunder, which lasted the whole summer. At the same time fell vast quantities of rain impregnated with acid and salts, which corroded the face and hands of people; in other places there fell showers of hail which did much damage. In places near the fire, the grass and every green thing was destroyed; being covered with a crust of sulphurous and sooty matter.

6. Such thick vapours were raised by this conflict of adverse elements, that the sun was obscured, and appeared like blood; and the whole face of nature seemed to be changed. This dreadful scene lasted several days, and the whole country was laid waste. The inhabitants fled to the utmost parts of the island, to escape the terrible conflagration.

7. On the first eruption of fire, the river Skapta was considerably augmented, but on the 11th day, the waters were dried up. The next day a prodigious stream of red hot lay

was discharged from the earth and ran down the channel which the river had left, and overflowing the banks, rose to a great height and spread desolation over the whole adjacent country.

8. The fiery steam then ascended the channel, and mounting high, it destroyed the village of Ruland, though situated on a hill, consuming the houses and every thing that stood in its way. It spread, till it had converted a tract of 36 miles of country into a sea of fire. It then changed its course to the south, and after filling the channel of the Skapta for six miles, it burst upon a wide plain, carrying flaming wood on its surface, and overwhelming the earth with torrents of liquid fire.

9. It continued thus to spread from June 12 to August 13, when it ceased to extend itself, but continued to burn. When any part of the surface acquired a crust by cooling, it was soon broken by the mass of fire below, and then tumbling among the melted substance, it was tossed about with prodigious noise and crackling, and small spouts of fire were continually shooting into the air.

10. When it left the channel of the Skapta, this mass of fire was 400 feet in depth. It ran in every direction where it could find a vent, and destroyed a number of villages. In one place it came to a cataract of the river, of 14 fathoms height, where it fell with a tremendous noise and terrible convulsions. In another it stopped up the channel of a river, filled a large valley and destroyed two villages, though it approached no nearer than 600 feet.

11. Other villages were inundated by the waters of rivers driven from their channels by the fiery torrent. At last having filled all the vallies to the south, it changed its course to the north, and spread over a tract of country 48 miles in length and 36 in breadth. It dried up several rivers and formed lakes of fire. At last, on the 16th of August, the eruption ceased.

12. The whole extent of ground, on three sides, covered by this dreadful inundation, was computed to be 90 miles long and 24 broad; and the depth of the lava from 100 to 120 feet. Twelve rivers were dried up-20 villages destroyed, and a considerable number of people. The extent of ground covered on the north was not ascertained. Some hills were melted down-others covered, and the whole had the appearance of a sea of red hot melted metal. 13. After this eruption, two new islands rose from the One in February 1784, rose about 100 miles south

sea.

west of Iceland. It was about 3 miles in circumference, and a mile in height. It burnt with great violence, sending forth prodigious quantities of sand and pumice stones. Both islands have since disappeared.

XII. GEN. WASHINGTON'S RESIGNATION. Mr. President,

1.THE great events on which my resignation depended, having at length taken place, I have now the honour of offering my sincere congratulations to Congress, and of presenting myself before them, to surrender into their hands the trust committed to me, and to claim the indulgence of retiring from the service of my country.

2. Happy in the confirmation of our independence and sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable nation, I resign, with satisfaction, the appointment I accepted with diffidence; a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a task, which however, was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our cause, the support of the supreme power of the Union, and the patronage of heaven.

3. The successful termination of the war has verified the most sanguine expectations; and my gratitude for the interposition of Providence, and the assistance I have received from my countrymen, increases with every review of the

momentous contest.

4. While I repeat my obligations to the army in general, Ishould do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge, in this place, the peculiar services and distinguished merits of the gentlemen who have been attached to my person during the war.

5. It was impossible the choice of confidential officers to compose my family should have been more fortunate. Permit me, Sir, to recommend in particular those who have continued in the service to the present moment, as worthy of the favourable notice and patronage of Congress.

6. I consider it as an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my official life, by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them to his holy keeping.

7. Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire

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