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Show 148 Among tiH• gn•at nmnlnlnls tktl formerly inl1ahi trc1 our eo nti1wnt· 1ltlL Rll<:li as an• 110w c•xlind, llwre wer ' sonH' wlii elt i:il'<'lll to h:tv<' bid cl l'lianc·c• lo tiH' (' llan g<'H I hav<' cl('lail<'d. 'l'li \'Hl' W< ' l'l' ]ladi\'nlarly till' 1n:t~ t od 0 11 :tncl eilopliant , both Of wlti ·It IV(')'> lJI'Obably ("{l,]l:tbl l' Of \'nduring- gn·n.L Kl'I'P rity of' <"linl:t!P. 'I'll ' mn.nllnot.li, W(' kn ow, was Wl'll <l Pf'<'IJ decl from ti ll' l'O id h.r a. lhi l'k eo:t! of' hair n.ncl wool, and was probably ('a.pa bl<' of' c·ncluring a dPgT<'f' of' eolcl as Hl' V<'J '< ' :t · lhaL in wlii <" li l il t' lllll f'k -ox now li vt'H. \\'(' kn ow tlmt hotli lh<'l:i<' g n·at. ln o n ~l<' I 'S thl' r lt•pli:tnL and lllaslodon <'Olilinu c·d to inl1abi t th c• inl \' ri or of' Olll' t'OllliiH'nt long af'lt'r the p; la<"i <' I'H had rd l'(•:tt<•tl hc•yond lh <· lllJP<' I' lak <·~. and wli t'n t li <' miuul<•KL dl'lail :,; of' Hurf'n.cP Lopog rapl1y wc• ro lli l' f':llll l' aK now. 'I'IJis is prOI'<' Il by lll<' f'aet tlmt we not unf'n•qu<'lifly find tiH •IlJ t' lll bt ·<lti<'cl in pt•al in II Ja n·d ll'S whi\'11 :u·p .· till nmrHhl'::;, wh<•l·e lll <'.)' l1a1·<· lH·<' Il mirl'cl :uHl sufl'o<·al<•d. It iH L' ven clainwcl Umt h<•n •, as on tli<• i':Ui'O]ll':lll ('() lllill t' ll [, lllall 11':1 1-\ a ('()[l'llllJOI'ary Of' liH' lll<llllll10lh , and that hl'l'<' :ts l h<•n•, lw <'Oll!ri bu t<•< l larp;Ply lo i l · Jina.l t•xlin el ion. On l hi :,; poi nt, liow<'l'l'r, llHH'<' an cl ]}(' (f< ·r <· vicl <'nee than any .)'l'L ol >laiiH'<l iH lll'<'l'H:-:ary , 1wf'ol'<' Wt' \'H n ('On;.; icl<•r t IH' cot<'lll po1·a.n l'ity o f' mn n mHl tht• l'll'p liant in .A nwl'il'a nK prol·t· n. 'l'lu• wan l ing p1·oo f' may lw obtai1w<l (O-IYIOI'I'OW, b ilL (o-dny II'(' :II'(' wilh ont it. Till· pi l'llll 'l'K wiJi (' li p;<•o logy li old .· up to our vi <·w of Nol'!l1 A nwri!':t clnrinp; LIH' 'i'l' rlia1·y ag<'H, an• in all n•::; pr•ets bu t Oil<', 11101\\ n.ttmdil'o and ilil i'J'<'s linp; lllnll <'CHild lH' dmwn f'rolll it ~ pn'sl'n t aH ]I<'<·l ~-; . 'l'li l' ll a w:trlll Hllll gc· nial elimal<· Jll'l'l':ti ll'<l f'mm l h<· null' to lll <' J\r<:t ie Rl'rt ; !li t' ( 'alladi:ul highlands W<' r<' liig lwr, hu t t il e' H o\'k.)' M o1111ln.im: lowt• r and 1<•:-;R 1)1'oa<l. ~ l o~L of' IIi<· <'OiilinPnl exliibi tl'Ll an JIIHlulating klil'f'a('<', I'O UIIcll•cl hiJJR nnd broad l':ill l')'fl 00Vl'l'l'cl wi th f'OI'l'H(K g' r:tlldl 'l' than :l.ll_r of' thP }li'<'K<'nt cln r, or wid <· <' X] >anses of' ri cl1 R:tvannah 01'<'1' wllieh ron nH•cl l'OU11li <'SH hl'nls of' anim:tl K, lii:IIIY of' gigantie size•, Of' wlli ('ll our l l)'(' 'l' llt nwag<'l' f'nun a. rl'lains bu t a f't •w <lwarl'<•t1 reprc•sc•ntativ •H. N oble ri v<' l'.' tlowc ·d through plains and v nll <•y~-;, and sea-likl' lak<•s 1ll·oacler a11d IIJOr ' 11\lllll' l'OUS tlJ:tn tli Ofi<' fh<' ('Oil(int'Jlt IIOW bc>n.r::;, cliv •rfl ifi <•d iii • l:iCl'IWry . Through unnumlwn•cl ngt•s tli<• f;c•a ·ons ran t hl'il· ceaHeh•. s co u1· · , tho : u11 r ose and set, moonH waxed and wanc>d ovl'r tiJi · f'air land, but 110 II u man <1.)'<' wa · lh re to lllal'lt ils lwauty, nor hnman int •lll'et to contr I an l u it ~:~ exubernn t f'c• J·tilily . Flow<'r;.; O] l<'necl tll •ir nJn.ny-eolon·cl pc·tals on 111 <':1.dow and hill -~-;iu ', and fill l'cllh ' air with tl1 ·ir l)('J'f'untc'H, 1Jul only for llle Till•: AN('[I ~NT LAIU..:i:! OF \VESTI-:ItN AMJ<:HH 'A. 14!) dt• l<•cln.tion of' th • wandc•ring b<•e. l•'ruits rip ' IWcl in tl1c• f\ 1111 , h ut tll <' l'<' was no /l((nd llt<'l'() to pluck , nor any speal<ing to no·ue to t·a ·tl'. Bird!:\ ·:LII"' in tlll1 tn•c•:, l1u t l'or 110 l'LtrH ..., but l11Pir own. 'l'h ' f:lurf'ac·l' of' Jake or ri ver was whi lc•nc•d. by no ~-;ail , 1101' f'ui 'I'OW<'d by any prow bu t tho lJr a t of' the watc> r-f'owl ; ancl tit<' f'ar-r •aelli1w ·IIOI'l'H c·ell Ol'd 110 HOllll<l b ut t he dash of' lll <' waveR, and l hP lowi1w of' t il<' herd;.; that slak<•cl t ll l'ir l hirK! in lht· ery:-: tal ll'att'I'K. l~if'e :Lll(llwaut y WN ' •vei'.}' Wh<' J'e, and man, t il l' g n ·n.t de ·t roycr hacl .11ol yd COlli , bu t not all wa.· p <·a 'l' n.n cl IJlll'lllOIIY in tl1i ;.; Arcadia.. Th f'ore<'H of' nature ar<' alw:Lys at wa.r, a11d n•clunda111 Iii'· <'O illlll'lK ab11nclant d<·ath . 'I'll<' inJJUIII<'ml!l t . 1wei\'K of' :tllillmls an tl pla11t s lm l <'aelt it · h<' l't'ditary <·n<' lll Y, and l11 • stru n·n·le of' lift· wa:,; HO sl1a1·p a11d 1)il tl' r, tl1at in til <' ln.p:l' of' ag<'H many gt'll< 'l'a and i:i j>t' ·i<'!:l W<' re bl olkd out f'on· vc• r. 'I'll <' hl'nl::; of' herbi vo rt•s- wllirh inelu cl <•d all tll l' gclll·m now li vi11g Oil tlw •nrth '::; Kurf';Let', wi th lll ttlly ~-; lrn.ll g<' f'orlll i:! l ong sin · • exlin · f'orllll 'tl t.I H• (II'<'Y of' (':ll'lliVOI'l'i:! ('Onlllll' llHIII':l[' LO lhC'HO ill 1)011' ' I' and lllll1lb ' I'S. 'l'h<• ('()()o f' lll l' t1 0110 ttnd th wltiKtl<• of tl1 ' q uail ll' l'l' ' am;w ' l't>d by t ill' SC I'l':t lll of lh • l'llp; IL', aud th • l owing of' li l'rlS a11d llw bi<'tttill::'' of' Jl ock s ('O ilH' to th<• l'al' of' tit illlagi11ation , mi11 rrkd wi th th , roar of' lil t' lion, the howl of' the• wolf', and th <• despairing cry ot' t he vieLim. Y it•ldillg to tl1 Hlow-:Lding hut irre ·istilJk f'or<·es of' 11atun•, ea ' It in ·uccPs: ion of th '· ' vari onH ani11ml form · l1a · di sapjH'al' •<1 till all 'hav ' pa. 'Sl'd awlly OJ' he 'II !'ha.ng<•d to lll('il' nHKlPru repn•Hc•nlati vl ·, whil t• thc• co untry tli <•y iuliabill'd, by lh c• upll l':t\'al Of' ill:! lrlOUilfain :::;, til l' d •ep >iting Of' i ts vall eyH, lltl' filli11g a11d dmini11p; of' i ts grC"at lakes li:'t lwcouw wl1at it i:. 'l'h esc· \'h<tll iT<'S whi eh I ha.v ' r •vi ew<•l in an h.our '<.'<' ill lik<' thl' !:lwif'tly <'Oil l't:uti vl' pi ·turc · of' th • pl1anta:-:magoria. 01· th sllif't ing sc.:<•nes of the drama, b ut the rcon ·of' tim , in wlliCII tl1 'Y ""'I'<' l'fl't•cted an· Kimply inti nit> a11d illeo1np.1· • h c n ~:~ ibl, to u ·. \Ve l1:LVe 110 l'Pason to ·u ppOH<' t hat terHt firma wns l<•ss fin11 , or t'l1n.t tl1o order of nat ure in whiC'h 110 ·han (r ' i f:> I'CCOI'd<'<l wilhin llle lli storic rwri o<l , was IC' ;.; 'OII Ktan t t ll<'ll than now. A t tli ' pr 'Sl'llt rat • Of ('ktiJO'O- tlii'OWillg OUt man'r:; infllll' ll0e- tt !H' I'iOd. ill fiJI ito to us would b • r<•quired to rpvoluti o11iz • th ·Jimate, flora and f'au11a, but t.li t•r • i · no •vid •n · tlmt el1atw l ' wer ' more rapid durin"' tho 'L'<' rl iary :wl' ·. Err ry day •cs somethinrr tal ·<'n from tl1' r ock y barrit>r of' NiaO'ara ; and, gc lo(ri ·ally ·peaking, at no n•m te time our gt· at lakei:! will luLve \ |