hief, by signs, appeared to ask them to accompany him, that the rest
of his tribe might see what seemed to them exceedingly wonderful, and
having followed him they soon arrived at a place where several Indians
were engaged in erecting small wigwams of bark.

The chief, however, made them understand that this was only their
hunting-ground, and told them that their village lay far off, in the
direction of the sun, which was then sinking behind the trees, and to
which they should soon return.

From this time the missionaries commenced learning the language of their
entertainers, in which they were able to converse with some facility by
the time that the Indians returned to their village, which was situated on
the Oneida. Having arrived there, Price began to teach them; but they,
having patiently listened to his first sermon, to his great sorrow, never
assembled to hear him again; and, in consequence, he told Wilmington that
he would try to discover whether there was any truth in the reports they
had heard at Boston concerning the inland waters, and asked him if he was
willing to be his companion.

Had Heard Great Roaring.

Wilmington assented, and having endeavored to inform the Indians of their
intention, the chief, who had conducted them to the village, made them
understand that the river which flowed past led to an immense basin, which
they supposed was formed by the continual running of several large rivers,
but that few of his tribe had ever paddled far round its borders.

There was, however, an old man who in his youth had ventured to proceed in
his canoe for many suns along it, and returned with the report that he had
arrived at an immense river which ran into the fresh sea, where, having
landed for the purpose of hunting, he had heard a terrific roaring, as he
thought, of waters, and, advancing through the woods toward the sound,
for some miles the stream became so rapid that no canoe could go up
against it. Being very much alarmed, he had hurried back to his bark and
instantly commenced his return; but he was the only one of the tribe who
had ever dared to sail so far, and from his account they supposed it the
source of the lake.

Having learned this, they asked the chief, whose name was Maiook, whether
he would allow any of his Indians to accompany them down the river to the
lake and ascertain from whence the sound that had alarmed the aged Indian
arose. He at first tried to dissuade them by every argument