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1
2
3
4
Ol
6
P0NAS3 AND WOWAN;
^ POEll in TWO G4VT0S,
v)/n) S^YH^^^ iijQUvLcJu) xxmA) <^Larax).
A Slory ronnded (^ r»ot
BT
(AuvioTT'i IiLAKO, September 12Ui, 1869.)
OTTAWA.
vtnm AT tn "ouiiKn^' orarai^ bioiav iTRsvr.
j^^^l
1860.
jH|
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'jI^^b
iwwow aa gg^
*^^-- ■ .: hWl
■^•^^^ A
t-'is*!:
'^isajffonr Tr.,,.Mi
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'XTtO
:*x»,
■.i:
.Oi»;r*l
?'■ ?!t?i<l#<
•i
To JAS. P. MOFFAT, Es«k.
1'his Poem is huinbly dedicated by the Author
P. C.
k
'*-JpSKW..-:
How oft, deat- James, upon that shored
Where Ottawa's wild rapids roar
We watched each wave which seemed
to fly
From crag to crag, then passed us by,
Still hurrying on wilh m'ght and main,
Though gone yet still the same again ;
As if Eternity had given
Some emblem here this side of Heaven
TPo warn poor mortals of that date
Of good or ill which must await
Our souls when in a future state.
*Twas wild delight, dear James, when
young,
To gaze with youth's enlivenino; dreams.
Such scenes as these loved Burks sung
Was where Dame Nature once had hung
Her robe where many an eagle screams
And spread its fairy tassels round
Till Echo caught the laughing sound
•»•
f
6
Prom rocky hiJIs and streams j
r '/"^^^^^H eddies madly flew
^--d our frail whae bar/cano;
Who e ^j^^ ^^^^ ^
^«'f Queen Mab with fairy hand
^nd ere the „„ i, T ^^'"'"■°'^e shore
We s!f!l "^ '""'' '■'•°™ view
Where c!,r°*:''^ ""'• ''^^t <=anoe.
Teach. '"' '■'""^'"''^ P°o'
^ th all h.s arts in Nature's scho I y
But now, dear Jamp« f(,o .• . J
Although such m? ^ '""^ '^ fx-ief
Far i
It se<
To s
Whe
The
Butl
In ea
Aris(
ril t(
Ere
i
4«B>»->
/
.^
pride
^id glide
ew
»oe,
irt
art ;
I
band —
5 bore
ie shore
iew
Far in the shadowy grove.
It seems to take some strange delight
To sing its shrill song round at, night
Where whispering lovers rove.
The wild w.olf howls to hear its scream-
But lo ! I see the sun's bright beam
In eastern skies once more.
Arise, dear James, and as we sail
ril tell to you a mournful tale
Ere we reach Pembroke shore.
e;
f ' ; ' i
/
/
•7*^"
^ ■ ») i ^L ^..j^,- If" i r«W .J«<«»<«»»>
Ui
f/
"TiftS^^w
/
Canto i\t Jfirst.
Oh where are those who now couH teU
Of Indian Chief or bravo who fell
Three hundred years ago.
Or who the war-whoop raised on high
Bener;th this bright Canadian sky 1
Come tell me if you know.
*» I can" cried one, an aged man,
Of palsied Hrab and withered hand,
" Their graves 1 will you show ;
Come ! go with me to yonder gla.le..
And there beneath the old oak shaci^j
Lie bones bleachM white like snow,
Tradition tells", the old man said,
" Of this^Brave here, and how he bled ;
He was a warrior firm and true
As e'er loved i^aid or bow-string drew-—
He could a hundred yards, I hear,
B ng down a moose or fallow deer ;
And his pure soul they ne'er could bribe-
PoNAss was loved by all the tribe.
y
10
'" "''^1""""' O'er with Sol's l,„ght
beam.
No darker ray to it was given
!"'^"""'«"'y^P«-hot from Heaven,
H" >va. the first who could espy
A ""king foe With his dark eye,
^»<' than With „„,,,„„^^^,j
f/l ^"''•''''"ioo forth he sprung
Amidst the dark and mortal strife
Wuh Tomahawk and scalping knife.
And I have heard>y Father say
Tlu. twenty ,op.k„,,,.i„^'
I" '"""Ph he hath borne away.
^••^ here the Old man ,ave a Sigh
And tears ,„d„p,^^„
onndmn's war, his grief or toils-
Alas that e'eM had to (ell
Those Wicked scene, by wood or dell ;
They m.y„o:;piease the ear too well.
Scalps
I
i
ii
lint to renew again my strain .
PoNAss was lov'd throughoniikhe plain
By lovely squaw or huntiaig swain.
WovvAN was she a pretty maid
Who always on her lov^ staid ;
When on o hunting tour they'd go
In winter wilds on frozen snow,
'Twas joy to see her dark loose hair
Broad floating on the winter's air —
With timid look and aspect mild
She'd gaze on Ponass like a child,
And then with Mj^sic's magic art
She'd cheer his lonely drooping heart.
There ne'er was Indian qiieen or king
Had sweeter voice than her^ sing,
And all the learning e'er she knew
Was how to sew the bark canoe,
Or set the traps for grizzly bears
And artful fox or timid hares.
She well knew how those gyves to mat
Or skim across the deep blue lake :
Those were her thoughts from morn
night,
And please Ponass then all was^right ;
Yet still there was some unknown sorrow,
Perhaps to-day, may be to-morrow,
i\
ll'f
12
f 7" '''""«'' ^'W w», l,»ppy here,
And w«h.d r„, „,„g,., ,„^ ^^^^^ _^
When beast and bird ,e.ire<l ,0 re«t
««'<f lay his head on Wowan's breast
And sing to her of old Romance,
W ludmn wars, or Indian .■anoe
No matter whether joy or sorro^v
They ne'er looked forward ,ill to-morrow.
But sweet contentment declced their cot
And both were happy with .heir lot :
Their Winter camp was lined wi.h.n
With many.a deer and racoon skm,
^h.chPona,s placed wiihcare and grace.
Thfllgh snow was piled around .hem deep
They both hy down a while ,o sleep.
Nor never dreamed of human cares
W hich steal upon us unawares,
But March her mantle round did fling
And showed the flowers of early spring.
Cold w,„,er had kept down their head
But Springaroused them from the dead,
The gush offountains that were still,
Now loose are rushing from each hill.
Just like the wicked Mormon, sin.
13
When e'er to eonfess he begins
Those secret vices kept in bond
Break forfh like water from a pond,
Which was bound over all with ice
/Vnd tells them all but one dark vice,
But I will not in verse it name
I would put their follower? to shame,
But to be candid true and plain
And sing the joys of Spring again
Of Ponass and his own dear maid,
As through the shady groves they strayed,
He smoked his pipe and thus began
The history of his dear Wowan—
The neighboring maids ne'er showM her
scorn
Because she was so nobly born ;
Her father on his head did wear
A crown wrought well with human hair
Which he had taken from the dead
Just as the vital spark had fled,
And many a maiden looked with grief
To see such toys upou the chief —
For well they knew sucn warlike toys
Brought sorrows home instead of joys.
His coat wa$ of a changing hue
With curious beads of green and blue,
His nether garments long and wide
^
14
Was tied tL'"*''" his skiu
Which wera'alJ „ """ ^'"■'*'
His hunting g oundT ^'''"'""'«-
And «,eli ffnf^tt'ir '"^^ "'"' ^'<<«
W.h«„,hand.fe„ 1:7 ''■''''
" The home of !„" "" "'«'»'» « '«te
^3eve.paddwir r."-
To fight on river. lafce or Cd'
W-» ^P«ad through Cari"°" "°"'"
^^reVd-^--r-
^ n,« '^^^^n to run
^»d on its surface conMK^'
Some niero<rlvl ! ^^ '^^«
m, ; . ^^Og^yphics blue anJ «
1 /le oid man shnni • , ^'^^»'
^J^en this dark ' "^ ^^^^'"^ ^'^'
_ ^s.rfarkmes«engerdrew„e«rj
15
But wheii the fire wRich once was bright
Had flushed his cheek and cleared his sight,
He threw the roll of burch bark down
And stuck an arrow in the ground,
So then once more you could descry
The flash of anger in his eye;
He summoned all his sturdy band,
They were all armed to a man,
So then he gave a sterner scowl
And filled the Callumetts big Bowl
"With noxious and loathsome weed,
And bid those drink who dared to bleed ;
So now all round the distant- glen
You could discern six hundred men ,
Well armed they were from head to toe
With Tomahawk and good cross-bow,
To every hundred men a man
"Was chosen well throughout the land.
Amongst those Chiefs with aspect stern
One noble youth you could discern,
The night was dark, no star did show
Save when the fire-fly's lamp did glow ;
And then upon each sable face
Strange marks of valor you might trace ;
Some were asleep, but very few,
Some prayed u::ito the Manitou*,
That after death they would be driven
Great Spirit.
Jl
16
A«seen fa° off' ^T"?"^'^ ''««'»
2!^''hhMeo3;i^'^'"™'"'''e«o«h,
^"'''«''t7St'^<'-'<' he'd Mop
^hose savage wa„n 'wri,'"'"
^»y yet amVeM:-' "^y P°"end
A"'' "use some JWr «'""'«'"';
P" 'hey arnve'wrrt.^""" '"""«""
^"■i if we can't 11 '^'"•'^'«n's God-.
^«' dark oblivionTn '''""»
«.»■
eaven.
^' aud far,
var,
le north,
trees,
ze,
[be
stop
seem
e»
»e.
rk
rod
i^'rite**
1'^
JuBt pen a pack of wolves, and when
Kept without food up in a den
For six long days, and then let go
Upon a flock of sheep below.
No thundering cannons here did roJ^i
I'heir.'deadly shout from shore lo/fifibre.
But nimbly as the fleetest roe
Behind a tree each lurking foe
"Was seen to spy, to lurk, and prance,
To charge the bow and couch the lance.
Such hideous noise and wild despair
Rose forth upon the morning's air
As ne'er was seen in wood or dell,
Such scenes were only fit for Hell.
Each savage foe did shift^his place,
And now they meet each face to face j
Their bows and arrows are thrown by,
Which once with deadly aim did fly.
And nearer and more near the crash
Of sculls and bones forth forth they dash
With Indian savage might and main
Till full ihreerhundred of the slain
Shall never ri&e to|fight again.
Their corpses streaming on Ihe^shore
From"ears and nose and every pore
Send^forth'a liquidlstream of gore.
• But where is Ponass all this day V
Some warrior chief was heard to say,
«See how his tribe oil rim away
I
18
T'il all at onceThl,''' /" '" ""^
Pon'Just eve ^^"'" "■='"'»*'•
Had With a Kt;?"""^""'
The fn,.? ^'J" wessage run :
B'lt wen he knew th'^'""'" "«""".
.And.e„'^eV„r ,e;;„''?r■''"'*''■
f ga^^edaronarfroh^r/'fr'^^-'-
His friend., .. Ji. ''°"' "a" hear-
•^hich he did tflfc-A r. ^ * '"^ »''»
> *
•I'.;
' puraue .'>
View
ho sky,
air
ha»r.
*f«i rockf,
•ckar,
r,
)w«rs
► ' ' *
"eet.
I
ear—
Now tell me what will please the mind
Of those whom fate hath blighted 1
To tell the Muse is oft inclined
Where they some happy scenes may find,
Yet still they are sihort-sighted,
Not all the gems the mountain yiclos,
Nor all the ficagrance of the fields,
Till in death they are united.
But onward still Ponass he hits,
'Mongst wounded men and dismal cries,
Till on the spot where he last night
Had taken such untimely flight,
He paused a little now for breath
And gazed around, but all was death.
Then sitting down behind a mound
The tears come trickling to the grotind j
Such tear- worn lines you ne'er cotild ti^ce
Before upon that manly face-
Such noble looks were never given
To vulgar souls this side of Heaven.
rv
'I-
20
*"' where are all .►.„
^-vercha„8l4':f;\'»|;'i...icr.^
?<"-ev,„geZ5 ;;'"'- h,.b,..,.
^"<l 'hen a fearL , '""*'' ''" bM.
Vpon that fieid ofrll '^* *<' '^'«<>
Where death hV/t! '*''''''''■'«''
/"
21
The message which he was to bring,
But^where'was Wowan and the King—
Just like the maiden when a^eep,
BriElit visions o'er her senses creep
And bring her back to Childhood's hours,
When she had^played among the bowers i
But when the morning light appears
Those happy days of younger years
Are fled, and truth begins to beam
That all was nothing but a dream-
And many a sigh and many a loo.s
Ponass cast on the gury^ling brook
That ran in playful eddies by,
Unconscious of his troubled sigh,
As smoothly o'er its pebbly bed
Its winding course it gently sped
Through many a shady windmg glade
Until it met the high cascade,
Then o'er the rocks it spread in foam
And left the timid eye to roam,
•Whilst it in joyful madness crumbled
The hardest rocks as down it tumbled.
Bu* when it reached the level shore
It murmured gently as before.
Ponass though fierce as tiger Wild,
Yet still he was Dame Nature's child,
And well could rhyme on stream or nil
With deep, profound, poetic skill.
But now his only thoughts were bent
22
Were wl.?^ ^^ ''' ^' P"**^^.
It never once did cro^, h
O?" ''' '"'««'• »»J that full well
Of every mca„,at,oa or spell '
His kaowleUge was bv „T
Of every poifonoTwe'e "ITr^ '*=""'
^;P^'^^«h»d not long tojiv,
|S9S--est.
By living chief or 1 *"""'' ''« *»'''
^ s ^-niei, or warrior boM
No cloud obscured th^ q , V
23
But Ponass watched willi steady eyo
His course across the deep blue sky.
And oft did wish he had the skill
To drag him down behind the hill,
And leave him nought but sta s above
Till he would try to find his love ;
For ne'er did Sun so slowly roil
To any living, mortal soul.
But evening grey at last came down
Wltii sober sweetness on the ground j
And all was calm, serene and still,
Naught could be heard but whip-poor-will.
Such scenes as these, we've oft been told,
Are dearer to the heart than gold ;
Yet groves or gold can ne'er impart
Much pleasure to a drooping heart.
No leaf did stir, nor breath of wind
Blew through the vale tha,t night.
The worn-out hare and hungry hind,
They thought their foes were far behind
And slept 'neath the pale star-lit,ht ;
But the iavage wolf and the bear
ICept gnashing the teeth in t' "'r head,
They had risen and left their lair
By the scent of the tainted dead.
But oh how short was their repose !
They awoke from sleep and heard their foes
Eat the warrior slain that bled !
But there was one that did not sleep —
I
....tvt'^'^' ' ';
24
Poiiass his faithful watch did keen,
Jt was just now the midnight hour,
And heavy clouds began to lour,
J hen Ponass gently glides away
7'J^^^^ Cat steals upon its prey,
Where all his foes were sleeping sound
iheir bows and arrows on the ground
Were carelessly all strewn arotmd.
-Their upturned faces to the skies,
As If cold death had sealed their eves.
But oh what horrorniet his view "
When stiffand cold as lead
• Upon the wild flowers there that grew
Fresh blood-stain drops instead of'dew.
Where'er his footsteps tread.
For here- within this fatal r in--
Lay his dear Wowan, and the King-
Alas ! they both are dead '
This was no time lor con^ard fear,
10 daub his cheeks with childish tears
Some wild flowers he did gently strw
Within a lovely bark canoe,
And then his precious load he bore
Away to yonder distant shore
He Jaid them both upon the strand,
T^^en turned his boat away from land
He drew his boat upon a cape,
To cause, if need,> quick esckpe.
I
,-?,-t
25
The first thing that brave Ponass done,
He cut their arrows every one,
Likewise their bows and Tomahawks,
Ponais he did them take
And iunk them many a fathom deep
Beneath the deep blue lake.
Their bark canoea were landed dry
And turned on tht shore.
He sank them in the river,
They never saw them more.
So here upon this lonely isle
With hunger they did wail,
Just three were left of all this tribe
To tell the mournful tale.
He spent nextMay In grief and woe
With Wo wan and 'the King ;
Then'he with heart-felt sadness
A Funeral Song did sing —
FUNEBAL SONG.
Ope, dearest, ope, and let me see
Those^looks.which were entrancing
How beautiful they shone to me ,
When in the Wigwam dancing !
No other^maid was like to thee
With thy lovely dark eyes glancing.
mmmm
kf-mmi
216 .
CHORUS :
Wowan d«ar ! Wowan dear ! oh my dear !
Thou saidst we ne'er would sever.
Canst ihou hear? Canst thou hear t Canst thou
hear?
No thy ear3 are closed forever.
Wake, dearest, wake, and from thee fling
Those ties which doth encumber
Thy tongue, which so well could sing
To mo the sweetest number.
Heaven's bells for joy will ring
If thou wake from thy slumbep.
Chwus-^Wowaa dear, &c.
He made a grave both long and deep
And in it placed an arrow,
Saying * My love died-savage hands
Will die by mine for sorrow.'
He stretched them both in burch baik white.
Woe's me how sad's my Muse
To tell how Ponass placed their traps,
Their beads and broad snow-shoes.
Their grave it now being finished
Ponass's race was run.
p
is
k white.
\
oar!
Einst thou
lee fling
sing
27
He gazed awhile bewildered
Upon the setting Sun ;
He laid hia heart upon the shaft
And pierced his body through ; -'
Then sank to rest on Wowan's breast
And bade the world Adieu !
They loved on earth when they had breath
The old man said to me,
« Their souls are in the spirit land,
Those are their bones you see.
1 )\
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