A Word about Indiana.

r. Eprror,—As the wild forest
of Indiana is a region of coun-
try about which very little has
been said in the Canrnet, I

thought perhaps it might not be alto-
gether uninteresting to your readers to
be presented with a panoramic view of

a small portion of it, at least. I think
that the picture will not be extended far

enough to weary anybody much, for I
am no great traveler, especially in these
wilds. Perhaps some reader is saying
to himself, “I think that swamps, and
brush, and stumps, and gloomy forests,
can present no very interesting picture
to the mind. I should much prefer or-
namented groves, or cultivated fields, and
beautiful cottages, and school-houses.”
Well, I cannot say that I wonder much
at your choice, especially with the view
you take of the matter. There are, how-
ever, objects even here that have a great
many charms, particularly for those who,
from choice or necessity, have fixed their
abode among them. Perhaps the in-
terest which these objects excite in our
minds is owing to the fact of their being
connected with that magic word home ;
for you know that even the Icelander is
charmed with his desolate isle.

But let us see. When we have viewed
the picture, we can judge better. We
have some tokens even here of civiliza-
tion, such as school-houses and dwell-
ings, (humble enough, truly,) and culti-
vated fields, which are fast extending
themselves over those regions which
were but a short time ago one unbrok-
en wilderness, But we have much more
of the green waving forests, which were
but lately the hunting-grounds of the

 

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

Indian, where his council-fire burned,
and his war-whoop was heard. That
injured race have been driven far hence,
but many of their implements yet re-
main, and are often found in the fields
and forests, such as arrows and hatchets.

Perhaps there is no place where the
‘sweets of social intercourse” are more
appreciated than in these new settle-
ments—probably because they are par-
taken of so very sparingly. But the
most interesting feature that. meets the
eye of the traveler is the numerous lakes
which are found in various parts, many
of which do not cover more than ten or
twelve acres in extent, and yet their
depth is often almost unfathomable.
They are destitute of any visible inlet
or outlet, and have been the theme of
much scientific investigation concerning
their origin. These lakes contain fish in ©
great quantities, and of almost every dif-
ferent quality. We think these lakes
might be denominated the eyes of the
forest, winking through the live-long
night, when the rays of the moon fall
upon their waters, mirroring upon their
surface the boughs and trees that grow
along their banks, and the timid deer

and other animals that resort to their

margins to drink and gambol.
Prairies do not abound here; yet there
are some small ones, of perhaps three or

| four miles in length, and a mile in breadth.

These are covered in the spring with beau-

tiful wild flowers, and in summer with
long, coarse prairie grass. Many of them

have streams meandering through them,
overhung by drooping willows, which

makes them appear very romantic ; and
it would indeed require no great stretch

of fancy, as has been said by some one,

to imagine, at the hour of twilight, that