COLONEL CROCKETT'S MEMOIRS.

'WHAT a bodily constitution, what a philosophical mind should that man possess, who determines to locate in a newly-settled district!

On the finger-post which marks the boundary—if such a thing as a finger-post exists in those regions—should be inscribed, " Whosever enters here, leaves comfort behind him." All his pre- vious ideasof living, all the proverbial maxims of prudence which successiveages of civilization have treasured up, must be forgotten. He must commence a regeneration by works. If he wants a house, he must build it; corn—he must grow it; bread—he must

bake it ; flesh—he must shoot it. Furniture—there is timber ad libitum in the primeval forest, let him cut it down, and fashion it

to his purposes as best he may. But should the sin of the angels

tempt him, let him beware of his apartments. In the "far-off West," a carpet is a sin. An opponent of Colonel CRQCKETT lost

his election through his constituents' distaste to the newfangled article, which they took for a bed-quilt, laid down as a mark of pride. Yet a carpet, in the full meaning of the term, it was not which disgusted Mr. B—'s voters. It was square, "not planned to the room ;" and a large border of naked planks surrounded the cunning work they feared to tread upon, though " drink " spread out upon the table tempted them.

All the matters connected with " life in the back-woods," and the social system in a new-settled district, are placed before us in the Eccentricities of Colonel Crockett. We infer that there, as in other places, bread must be earned before it is eaten. But we con- clude, from his example, that even a child with health and the use of his limbs may work his way though he dropt from the clouds —supposing the fall took place within the ken of man. We have their boisterous " frolics " placed before us : we mark the differ- ence between native freedom and civilized licentiousness samples of their shrewd but coarse wit give us an idea of the com- modity: we see the strange manners of Kentucky and Ten- nessee; and we learn from the example of the Colonel how little the advantages of rank and wealth tell in those far-off regions—of what slight avail are conventional distinctions opposed to popular manners and broad common sense. We also learn, that the back- woodsman is not, like the "most thinking people," bamboozled by " native industry," but that he and his representative are op- posed to the "tariff," and favourers of free trade. We catch glimpses, too, of the counterbalancing advantages of dense popu- lation to indifferent pedestrians; as when DAVID Caociczyr, after a day's sport, starts off to a store at some twenty miles distance, to get a supply of powder; or—but let the pamphlet speak for itself in an account of

• TRAVELLING IN A THINFE-TEOPLED DISTRICT.

"Next morning we fixed up, got our pack horses, and off we started for the Shakes. We pitched our tent right on the bank of one of those lakes made by the Shakes (Earthquakes), and commenced hunting we were tolerably succcessful : there was nothing strange about any of our hunts ; only bear hunting: is always the hardest work a man can be at. We killed our game and salted it away as usual, and on the third day 'twas so cold, and there was so much snow on the ground, that we all came to our tent earlier than usual ; we made us a good fire and were lying round it, when Mr. Mars, who had been to Mill's Point rode up. He got down, and told us that he was obliged to be at the land office very early next morning, and if we would set him across the lake there 'twoukl save him the trouble of riding 'round it, which was about twenty miles out of his way. There was an old flat lying on shore • but we all told him we couldn't ; 'twas too cold, and we were tired, But he kept begging us, saying, he was obliged to be there ; and after awhile he pulled out a- bottle of whiskey and passed it 'round. We soon emptied it, and it made me feel in a heap better humour : so when Mars fell to persuading us again, I said I'd set him across, if one of the others would help me. Rees said he would, and Mars being in a great hurry, we went down to the lake, and getting his horse in, we pushed off. 'Twas a mighty tough establishment, oars and all. The oars were covered with ice, and the old fiat had a good deal of snow in it, and she leaked mighty badly ; but I thought she would carry us over ; so after we had started off, Mars said if we carried him straight across he would have to swim a slue, and there was so much mushy ice in it, he didn't believe he could get his horse across; but if we would land him up the lake he could get on safe. To go straight across was -about a mile, bet to go where Mars wanted us was about three. However, we -were all in a right good humour, and the sun was rather better than two hours -high ; so we agreed to land him where he wished. We pulled -away, and just as we got about the un'ddle of the lake, his horse anade-some motionin the boat, and set her to leaking worse than before. I told Mars she'd sink if he didn't- bail her : so he took his hat and went to work. We pulled as hard as '.ve could, and Mars worked mighty hard; but the water run in as fast as he c-ould get it out. By and by, though, we got to the bank, and just as Mars 'gent to lead his horse out, the whole bottom went down. It had only been pinned on, and the weight of the horse broke it loose: Rees and I was a little wet, and when we got upon the bank we didn't know what to do. Mars looked half frozen with his wet hat, and his horse was shivering : he had to ride about fifteen miles, or a little upwards, before he could get to a house"; and we were there without a horse separated by a lake from our tent, and had nothing to strike fire. Mars said he could do nothing for us, for he was all but froze, and must go on, as he had a long way to ride, and 'twas getting late. I told him 'twasn't worth while for him to stay, and off he started. We looked at him till he got out of sight, and we didn't know what to do. Well, there was Rees and I, shivering ; and we must either get back to our tent, or freeze to death. I recollected there was, right opposite to where we started from a canoe ; but 'twas two miles to that place, and then to get to it, we would have to cross the very slue which Mars had been afraid of swimming. This was the only chance. I told Rees 'twasn't worth while to consider— that there was no two ways about it—we must do it or die. So off we started. When we got to the slue, 'twas as Mars said, covered with mushy i ice, and about thirty or forty yards across. We were mighty cold, and t made the chills run over me to look at it. I called to Rees, and told him, as he was tallest, he must go first. He didn't speak, but waded right in; he seemed to think 'twas death any how, and was resigned to his fate. I watched him as he went along. It kept getting deeper and deeper, till for nearly twenty yards he walked along with nothing out but his head. After he got out, I started in, and for nearly twenty yards I had to tiptoe, and throw my head back, and the ice just come along up to my ears—'twas this soft ice made of snow. I didn't speak; we were too near dead to joke each other. We went down to the lake, and there we found the canoe. 'Twas nearly full of snow and water, and I set to work to clean her out ; and when I thought 'twould answer, I called to Rees to come on. He didn't answer me, and I went to him and Zook him— but he was fast asleep. I endeavoured to rouse him up, but I couldn't make him understand any thing; so I dragged him along, and laid him in the canoe. I then straddled one end of it, put my legs as deep as I could in the water to keep them from freezing, and paddled over. Our friend we had lift at the tent had a fine fire. I could see it some time 'before I got ashore, and it looked mighty good. He had been preparing for us, as be knew we would be very cold when we got back. I hailed him, as I run the canoe ashore, to conic and take out Rees ; for, says I, I believe he is dead. I got up, and thought I would junip out, and started to do so ; but I came very near breaking my neck, for I couldn't step more than about six inches. I got out ; I couldn't do any good by staying there, and I left my friend pulling poor Rees out, and started for the fire. I soon

got to walking right good, and felt the fire before I got to it. But I was hardly at it before I began to burn all over:. I kept turning round—my pains only grew worse. I was suffering torments worse than death, and I quit the fire. I turned towards the canoe. Our companion had poor Rees in his arms, Isis feet dragging the snow, coming towards the fire. I didn't say any thing to him, for I didn't know what to say; but while I was looking on, I recollected that there was a mighty big spring not for off; and a notion struck me to go and git into it. The sun was just down, and the sky looked red and cold, as I started off for the spring. When I got there I put my legs in, and it felt so warm that I sat right flat downin it—and I bent down, so as to leave nothing out but my mouth and the upper part of my head. You don't know how good I did feel. I wasn't cold any where but my head. I sometimes think now of that frolic ;

and I believe the happiest time I ever spent was while I was in that spring. I felt like I was coming to ; 'twas so warm, and every thing around me looked so

cold. How long I remained there I don't know ; but I think an hour or two : 'twas quite dark whenI got out. I went to my tent, and there I saw poor Rees wrapped up in some blankets and laid before the fire, his friend watching over him. He was dull and stupid, and had not spoken. The fire had no other

effect upon me than to make me feel comfortable. I took off v clothes, got dry, went to sleep, and nexer experienced any inconvenience. But all our at- tention could not get poor Rees entirely well. We stayed with him two or three days, and then carried him home ; but he never walked afterwarda. That frolic sickened me with hunting for one while."

Gentlemen in red jackets and top-boots expatiate largely upon their exploits in the field, when the cloth is cleared, and take fancied leaps after dinner, whose reality might give them pause before. The knights of the fowling-piece kill far more game than is ever doomed to reach their friends in Town. But what are even their fictitious achievements, compared with sporting in the Forest. The excitement of being in at the death of a fox, is nothing corn pared with the probability of a gentleman's being in at his own. You spring a covey, and miss ; you tell a tale of the sun or the wind. You fire at a bear, with a similar result ; your bewildered visitors, if they wait, may have an opportunity of verifying- the passage of BYRON,

" Love itself could never pant

For all that-beauty sighs to grant,

With half the fervour hate bestows

Upon the last embrace of foes."

Here we have a specimen of the difficulties and dangers of

HUNTING IN THE BACK WOODS.

Still hunting is with all hunters a favorite amusement. It requires more talent, and gives a wider field for the formation of stratagems and the exercise of ingenuity than any other species of the same occupation. There are many modes practised by a wary hunter of approaching game, even in an open field, which are attended with success. One will steal up while it is feeding—re- maining perfectly still, and personating a stump when it becomes tbe least alarmed. His progress is gradual, and at stolen intervals. The object which lie wishes to shoot becomes familiarized to the stump, as it supposes, and the hunter approaches as near as he wishes. Another personating a hog, will, upon his hands and knees, root himself alona until within shooting distance. Either of these modes, when practised with skill, often proves successful. But there are a thousand plans, the best of which the hunter must select, and will be go- verned in his choice entirely by circumstances. To bear-hunting, Colonel Crockett has ever been most wedded : first, because it is profitable; secomily, because there is danger in it, and consequently great excitement. It equires a man to be a bear-hunter • for hems frequently thrown into situations which require as much coolness anddetermined purpose of mind as though he were in a regular battle. All hunters agree in saying, that its meat is superior to that of any other wild game. You may drink, from its peculiar sweetness (and it will never be attended with the slightest inconvenience), a pint of pure bear oil at a draught. [Does it operate upon the hair, taken internally?] "One evening as we were coming along, our pack-horses loaded with bear meat, and our dogs trotting lazily after us, old Whirlwind held up his head and looked about, then rubbed his nose agin a bush, and opened. I knew, from the way he sung out, 'twas an old he bear. The balance of the dogs buckled in, and off they went right up a hollow. I gave up the horses to naY friend, to carry 'em