Page:An account of a savage girl.djvu/11

 nightingale, and that so naturally, as often to deceive the people of the convent. One of the chief objects of this gentleman's journey to Songi, was to view the bludgeon used by Le Blanc as her principal weapon, in her wild state, which she said was in the possession of the Viscount d'Epinoy, the proprietor of Songi. From some characters which Le Blanc informed him were engraved on this bludgeon, this gentleman hoped to have been able to form more certain conjectures about her native country, and the more early part of her history and adventures. Unluckily, however, the Viscount had set out from his seat at Songi about half an hour before our arrival, and no body appeared who could give any information about the bludgeon.

particulars above mentioned, which the gentleman whom I attended, learned in the several conversations he had with Madamoiselle [sic], and which make no part of the following narrative, are chiefly these.—That she remembered the country she came from was a very cold country, covered with snow a great part of the year: That the children there are accustomed to the water from the moment of their birth, and learn to swim as soon as to walk.—That they are also taught very early to climb trees; and a child of a year old there, is able to climb a tree. That the people live in little huts above the water, like beavers, and subsist chiefly by fishing. She