ow the evidence of
subsiding waters. The young man Chappewee, finding how matters were
going, said to his family, "We cannot live thus, we must find land
again, or we shall die; we and all the animals we have with us." So he
called a great council of all the creatures, and proposed that one of
them should dive into the great abyss, and fetch up some mud to make a
world of. The ox, being asked to undertake the hazardous service,
declined, because, he said, his tail was in the way; the mammoth
refused because of his trunk; the elk and deer pleaded their horns;
the legs of the musk-ox, were 'too short'; in fact, all the animals
made some excuse except the beaver. He professed his willingness to
encounter a risk, which must be encountered by some one, and, without
any ado, down he went, amidst the applauses of all the animals. Soon
his carcase was seen floating on the surface of the waters, and they
knew that he had fallen a victim to his courage and intrepidity.

Another attempt was necessary, and, after much persuasion, the
musk-rat was induced to make it. He was gone a long, very long time,
and was supposed by them to have met the same fate as the unfortunate
beaver; but, just as they had given him over, and were preparing to
chuse by lot a third animal for the same errand, he appeared, nearly
dead with fatigue, but he had a little earth in his paws. The sight of
the earth very much rejoiced the young man Chappewee; but his first
care was about the safety of his faithful servant, the rat, which he
rubbed gently with his hands, and cherished in his bosom until it
revived. He next took up the earth, and, moulding it with his fingers
into a ball, he placed it on the waters, where it increased by
degrees, until it formed a little island in the ocean. His next care
was to furnish this island with man, beast, and bird. A wolf, which he
was anxious to put out of the way, he being a sad snarler, was the
first animal which the young man Chappewee placed on the infant earth;
but the weight of the creature was so great, that it began to sink
upon one side, and was in danger of turning over. To prevent this
accident, the wolf was directed to keep moving with a quick step round
the island, which he did for a whole year; and, in that time, the
earth increased so much in size, that all on board the canoe were able
to disembark upon it. After a long and perilous drifting of the canoe
hither and thither, its voyagers were at length able