Covered over with fantastic figures, done either in paint,
or in quill work artfully interwoven into the fibres of
the bark, they presented, in their smooth and polished
surface, strong evidence of the address of the savages
in their preparation of this most useful and abundant
produce of the country. Interspersed with these, too,
were numerous stands filled with stuffed birds, some of
which combined in themselves every variety and shade of
dazzling plumage; and numerous rude cases contained the
rarest specimens of the American butterfly, most of which
were of sizes and tints that are no where equalled in
Europe. One solitary table alone was appropriated to
whatever wore a transatlantic character in this wild and
museum-like apartment. On this lay a Spanish guitar, a
few pieces of old music, a collection of English and
French books, a couple of writing-desks, and, scattered
over the whole, several articles of unfinished needle-work.
Such was the apartment in which Madeline and Clara de
Haldimar were met at the moment we have selected for
their introduction to our readers. It was the morning of
that day on which the second council of the chiefs, the
result of which has already been seen, was held at Detroit.
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