_Discovering the bodies of the Drowned_ (Vol. iv., p. 148.). It is
curious that a similar practice to that of discovering the bodies of the
drowned by loading a loaf with mercury, and putting it afloat on the
stream, extracted from the _Gent. Mag._, seems to exist among the North
American Indians. Sir James Alexander, in his account of Canada
(_L'Acadie_, 2 vols., 1849), says, p. 26.:--
"The Indians imagine that in the case of a drowned body, its place
may be discovered by floating a chip of cedar wood, which will
stop and turn round over the exact spot: an instance occurred
within my own knowledge, in the case of Mr. Lavery of Kingston
Mill, whose boat overset, and the person was drowned near Cedar
Island; nor could the body be discovered until this experiment was
resorted to."