"Un jésuite rencontra en Tartarie une femme huronne qu'il avoit connue au Canada: il conclut de cette étrange aventure, que le continent de l'Amérique se rapproche au nord-ouest du continent de l'Asie, et il devina ainsi l'existence du détroit qui, longtemps après, a fait la gloire de Bering et de Cook."—Chateaubriand, Génie du Christianisme, Partie 4., Livre 4., Chap. 1.
Yet, with all deference to the edifying letters of this missionary jesuit, it is difficult to make such distant ends meet. It almost requires a copula like that of the fool, who, to reconcile his lord's assertion that he had with a single bullet shot a deer in the ear and the hind foot, explained that the deer was scratching his ear at the time with his foot.
Subjoined is one more proof of the communication which once existed between America and the Old World:
Colomb disoit même avoir vu les restes des fourneaux de Salomon dans les mines de Cibao."—Chateaubriand, Génie, Notes, &c.
MANLEIUS.
Deck of Cards.—
"The king was slily finger'd from the deck."
Henry VI., pt. iii. Act v. Sc. 1.
It is well known, and properly noted, that a pack of cards was formerly called a deck; but it should be added that the term is still commonly used in Ireland, and from being made use of in the famed song of "De Night before Larry was stretched,"
"De deck being called for dey play'd,