I have here _inserted_ more than I originally intended, but they will serve to give you an idea of the notions of these people; & except a few, I have selected those that appeared most rational: _however they will all come in time_. (44) There is a kind of disease(or distemper rather, & of the _mind_, I am fully persuaded,) peculiar to the Crees & Sauteux's & of which they have the greatest dread & horor; & certainly not without the very greast cause, the consequences 49 times out of 50 being death unfortunately to many be- sides the _subjects_ or objects themselves. They term _this_ Wen-di-go (according to the french pronunciation, which is more correct than the English, in this word)--the pro- per signification of which, to me at least, & no one I think can doubt it, is _Giant_ of the Anthropophagi _Genus_, sect, tribe, or kind &c. The stories related of these are as extravagant & fantastatic as those we read in our old romances _in the days of Chivalry_; differing in no one circumstance hardly but the means used in their destruction, which of course is often done by the intervention or assistance of their Guardian Genii. However, there are some few more ra- tional than those of _ours_ & tho' still beyond all bounds of credibility, are as devoutly be- lieved by these poor creatures as the Gospel is by the most orthodox among us. I do not remember any of these sufficiently correctly to give you a few of the stories, one excepted:-- --Suffice it to say that they are of uncommon size--Goliath is an unborn infant to them; & to add to their _dread_, they are represented as possessing much of the Power of Magicians. Their head reaching to the tops of the highest _Poplars_ (about 70, or 80, feet) they are of proportionate _size_, of course they must be very heavy: their gait tho grand & majestic, at every step the Earth shakes. They frequently pursue their Prey (_indians_ of course) invisibly, yet they cannot so completely divest themselves of all the incommodi- ties of nature as to prevent their approach being known. A secret & unaccountable horor pervades the whole system of one, several, or the whole band, of those of whom he is in pursuit: Phenomena in the heavens, earth &c. &c.--"In the days of_ Noah_ (or near them at least) there were a large party of _indians_ collected together for mutual safety: many camps had been already destroyed by him, & the indians were in great danger being entirely ex- terminated. At last they bethought themselves of a plan. "It is needles to go to war upon him- "--what can we do to him with our arms! Let us make an immense Large trap (of wood) "& draw lots which of us shall serve as bait: it is a dangerous assay indeed, but will any generous one amongst us refuse sacrificing his life for the safety of so many?"--They made this trap on the opposite side of a small opening in the woods, so that he might see the person seated from afar.