Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 8).djvu/296

 way the opossum is propagated? The above account of the young of the opossum is not absolutely incredible. Nature's modes of production are astonishingly various. Aristotle says, that she abhors a vacuum; and certain it is, that she dislikes similarity. Some of her animated existences she produces through the instrumentality of one sex, some of two, some of three, and some without any sex. The snail is an hermaphrodite; and some shell-animals in the East-Indies require, in order to their production, the union of three individuals. The polypus is very prolific, and yet is destitute of sexual distinction. Upon its body appear protuberances, similar to buds upon trees, and these are the real animal in miniature. Whilst in this state, they are nourished, apparently, as buds are nourished by sap, and when they are capable of taking care of themselves, they fall off like ripe fruit.

Two other peculiarities of the opossum are its dread of water, and indifference to fire. It is said that this animal, upon being slightly stricken, pretends to be dead; and continues to appear so even when its paws are burning off; but when put into water it immediately becomes alarmed, and struggles to save itself. Naturalists say, that this animal subsists, principally, upon birds.

{185} Leaving the state of Indiana, I passed into the Illinois Territory. This territory is generally level, but I think it more diversified than Indiana. The Illinois Territory is of immense extent. It is bounded on the east, by Lake Michigan and Indiana; on the south, by the Ohio river: on the south-west and west, by the Mississippi; on the north by Lake Superior; on the north-west by the Lake of the Woods; and west-south-west, by the most northern source of the Mississippi. It constitutes the whole of the North-West Territory, excepting Ohio, Michigan, and In