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your neighbourhood? can you send me a copy, with the meaning, if it can be obtained—or drawings andplans of any Indian antiquities? I have heard that the Indians on the Missis-sippi, whose language is totally different, can yet understand each other very correctly by means ofsigns; is it so with those in your neighbourhood,and can you describe their method? What effect has the clearing and settling the country had on the climate—do the streams dimi-nish, and in what degree? What is the present variation of the magnetic needle with you, and what has it been formerly, andat what places observed? It has been remarked in Europe that the varia-tion was effected by an earthquake; can you recol-lect about the time of the late earthquakes, whichextended (I believe) northeasterly from the Missis-sippi, about two years ago, that there was anychange in the variation, and how much? Have you ever observed the Aurora Borealis,or northern lights, in your neighbourhood? whenand where? and describe the phenomena—can yourecollect any change in the variation at the time?this has been observed in Europe. What do you suppose may be the average ele-vation of the hills in your neighbourhood above theirbase? Send me a description, and (if convenient) adrawing of any singular and unaccountable naturalfeature in the country, or of any extraordinary phe-nomena. How far can the great step, which occasionsthe falls of Niagara, be traced into Canada, and inwhat direction—the same of the ledge which occa-sions the rapids at Black Rock? Latitudes and longitudes of any part of thecountry will be very important in constructing acorrect map of the state, and if you can furnish me