An Indian boy, about fifteen years of age, was standing at some distance from the fort, when a Savage fired his gun, and accidentally killed an Englishman. As he was advancing, he discovered the boy leaning against a tree, and not being of the same nation, he formed the resolution of taking him prisoner: having no suspicion of the boy’s intention, he went up to him, and took him by the arm; the boy very artfully drew back, and shot the Indian through the chin: this so incensed him, that he was raising his hand to tomahawk him, when another Indian instantly coming up, asked his companion who had wounded him? he replied, the boy, adding, that he would immediately take his scalp: the other prevented his bloody purpose, and told him he would protect the lad, for he was too brave to die. He carried him to the fort, where he was purchased by the commanding officer, to prevent the Indian whom he had wounded from killing him. {43} _Description of_ LAKE SUPERIOR, _with the Ceremony of Indian Adoption_. Having taken in Indian corn, and hard grease, (the food all traders carry to the upper country) and exchanged my large canoes, or maître canots, for smaller ones, the latter being more convenient to transport across the carrying places, and better calculated to run into small creeks, we proceeded to the Falls of St. Mary, (a strait so called) which is formed by two branches that separate from each other at the furthest point of the lake. Here is a small picketted fort built by the Indians, and about ten log houses for the residence of English and French traders. The nation of the Sauteurs formerly were settled at the foot of the Falls, and the Jesuits had a house near them.[47] At this place there is abundance of fine fish, particularly pickerill, trout, and white fish of an uncommon size. From this place we continued our voyage to Lake Superior, formerly called Lake Tracy, in honour of Mons. de Tracy, who was appointed viceroy of America by the French king in June, 1665. It is reckoned six hundred leagues in circumference, and on it are a great number of large and small islands. At the entrance of this lake is a high rock, somewhat in the shape of a man, which the Chippeway Indians call “Kitchee Manitoo,” or the Master of Life. Here they all stop to make their offerings, which they do by throwing tobacco, and other things, into the water: by this they intend to make an acknowledgment to the rock, as the representative of the Supreme Being, for the blessings they enjoy, cheerfully sacrificing to {44} him their ornaments, and those things which they hold most dear.[48] An example worthy of imitation, so far as respects the good intention of the creature to the Creator, exhibiting an evident proof that man in his natural state, without any of the refinements of civilization, is sensible of his dependance on an invisible power, however ignorantly, or unworthily, he may express his belief. God alone knoweth the heart, and