by bass and soft maple.  The ground, also, became less moist, and he was soon ascending a rising slope, covered with oak and beech, which shaded land of the very best quality.  The old man was now fully convinced that he had cleared the great swamp; and that, instead of leading to the other world, it had conducted him to a country that would yield the very best returns for cultivation.  His favourable report led to the formation of the road that we are about to cross, and to the settlement of Peterborough, which is one of the most promising new settlements in this district, and is surrounded by a splendid back country.”

We were descending a very steep hill, and encountered an ox-sleigh, which was crawling slowly up it in a contrary direction.  Three people were seated at the bottom of the vehicle upon straw, which made a cheap substitute for buffalo-robes.  Perched, as we were, upon the crown of the height, we looked completely down into the sleigh, and during the whole course of my life I never saw three uglier mortals collected into such a narrow space.  The man was blear-eyed, with a hare-lip, through which protruded two dreadful yellow teeth that resembled the tusks of a boar.  The woman was long-faced, high cheek-boned, red-haired, and freckled all over like a toad.  The boy resembled his hideous mother, but with the addition of a villanous obliquity of vision which rendered him the most disgusting object in this singular trio.

As we passed them, our driver gave a knowing nod to my husband, directing, at the same time, the most quizzical glance towards the strangers, as he exclaimed, “We are in luck, sir!  I think that ’ere sleigh may be called Beauty’s egg-basket!”

We made ourselves very merry at the poor people’s expense, and Mr. D—–­, with his odd stories and Yankeefied expressions, amused the tedium of our progress through the great swamp, which in summer presents for several miles one uniform bridge of rough and unequal logs, all laid loosely across huge sleepers, so that they jump up and down, when pressed by the wheels, like the keys of a piano.  The rough motion and jolting occasioned by this collision is so distressing that it never fails to entail upon the traveller sore bones and an aching head for the rest of the day.  The path is so narrow over these logs that two waggons cannot pass without great difficulty, which is rendered more dangerous by the deep natural ditches on either side of the bridge, formed by broad creeks that flow out of the swamp, and often terminate in mud-holes of very ominous dimensions.  The snow, however, hid from us all the ugly features of the road, and Mr. D—–­ steered us through in perfect safety, and landed us at the door of a little log house which crowned the steep hill on the other side of the swamp, and which he dignified with the name of a tavern.

It was now two o’clock.  We had been on the road since seven; and men, women, and children were all ready for the good dinner that Mr. D—–­ had promised us at this splendid house of entertainment, where we were destined to stay for two hours, to refresh ourselves and rest the horses.