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SKETCHES

01>TB£

HISTORY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS;^

■) I

or TH£

ifORTB jBonmaoBx nmuM9j

WITH

A PLAN FOR THEIR MELlOHATIONi

BY JAMES BUCHANAN, Esq.

HIS £KITANN1C MAJESTY'S COKSUL FOR THE STATE QT NEW«\'QtvK.

IN TWO VOLUMES;

VOL. I.

xmw-YOBs :

PUBUSHED Br WILLUM BOKKADAU.t;
Nor 130 Fulton-street.

1824.

I ^

a,-**:: ^ ^.■,

fiotithem District of J\''eis;-York, sa^

^ T C! ^ Be jt REMEMBKltED, That on the 27th day NovenibQi.

T JLi J5, ♦A. D, 1824, in the 49th year of the Independence of tlio
^ ♦United States of America, William Borraaaile, of the said

'^♦♦'♦'♦♦'^♦♦District, hath deposited in this office the title of a Bo»k

th*^ right whereof he claims as Proprietor, in the words followiog,

^0 Wit ;

" Sketches of the History, MaQners, and Customs, of the
North American Indians, with a {ilan for their meliora-
tion. By James Buchanan, Esq. his Britannic Majesty's
' Consul for the State of New- York. In two volumes."

in conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled '- Au
Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps.
Charts, und Books, to the auvhors and proprietors of such copies, duriujt'
the time therein mentioned." And also to an Act, entitled " Au Act.
supplementary to an Act, entitled an Act for the encouragement of Learn-
ing, b^ securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the authors ami
proprietors of such copies, duringthe times therein mentioned, and exteiiil-
ing the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and efciiiu^
hii^eiical and other prints."

JAMES DILL, Clerk of iJie $ot{the)7i Dislrki of I^en-'YoH.

.,„-», JiU . «^»»6-.-„««tt-'" '

SKETCHES

Of tHE

HISTORY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS

OP THE

NORTH AMEmOAlf UmiAVS,

'00

DEDICATION*

TO HIS EXCELLENCY
UEUT.-OENERAL THE EARL OF DALHOUSIE, G. C. B»

G0VE11N0R.OBNERAL AND COMMANDERIN-CHIEF OF ALL HIS
MAJESTY'S POSSESSIONS IN NORTH AMERICA, lie. Itc.

Weil aware, my Lord, of the effects produced by
splendid talents, great personal worth, and hereditary
rank, in promoting any work of benevolence, I solicited
and obtained permission to dedicate the following pages
to your Excellency.

It is quite unnecessary to speak here of your Lord-
ship's deeds ; they are too recent, too illustrious, too
intimately connected with the history and the glory of
the British Empire.

Wishing your Excellency long to enjoy a reputation ,
thUB acquired and merited,

I have the honour to remain,

Your Lordship's

Most obedient, humble servant^

JAS. BUCHANAN,

J^tto-' YoYkj 1 St Mat/, 1 82 1 .

1-,

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PRteFACE.

In attempting to lay before the Public a sketch o(
the History of the Red Indians of North America, with
a view to excite a general sympathy in behalf of an
oppressed and suffering people, 1 am aware of the great
importance of my undertaking, and sensibly feel my
inability to stand forward as an advocate, in any de-
gree equal to the task I have thus imposed on myself.

With but few exceptions, the American Indians have
been abandoned by the Christian world, as a cruel,
blood-thirsty, and treacherous race, incapable of civi-
lization, and therefore, unworthy of that attention which
the inhabitants of other barbarous climes have received
from the zeal and devotion of many learned and pious
members of society. — Thousunds have raised their voi-
ces against the wrongs of our black brethren of Africa,
From one end of Europe to the other, the humane have
been aroused to a £<?nse of their injuries, and are now
actively engaged in the prosecution of every measure
calculated to alleviate their sufferings ; while but few-
have been stimulated to similar exertions in behalf of
the Red American Indians, from whose native soil the
wealth of a great portion of the civilized world has
been derived. The African is submissive; his ]Mitient
endurance of labour renders his servile and d^ased
state important to us ; he is therefore, preserved. The
North American Indian, on the contrary, prefers ba-
nishment, and even death, to slavery ; but his lands
are serviceable to us, therefore his^xtinction seems to
be desired. The one submits to tlie yoke, — we op-
press and pity him : the other disdains to become the
servant of man — and his whole race is devoted to gra-
dual extermination ; for such must be the inevitable
consequence of nil those measures which have been,
and still are in operation against him, though their in

Mil

PIlCT'ACi:.

fliction is marked by different shades of guilt. In a
few ages, perhaps a few years, these sons of Edom wil)
bff so far removed from the reach or eye of any but those
Engaged in the work of destrnctroir, that no trace wil!
be left to posterity of the wrongs which have been per-
petrated upon the Aborigines of the great American
Continent.

I confess that I had no other idea of an American
Indian, than that he was the most ferocious of human
beings. Whenever l*e became named, his scal|>ing>
knife, tortiahawk, warwhoop, and thirst of blood, were
at once associated in my mind ; and hence I was led
to concur in the almost universal opinion, that he was
totally incapable of being rendered subservient to the
arts of civilized life. In the course of my travels
through the United States and Upper Canada, I met
with several Indians, whose external wretchedness in-
duced me to make inquiries as to their present con-
dition ; and although many persons to whom 1 ad-
dressed myself appeared to be perfectly indifferent on
the subject, and spoke of them in the most degrading
terms, 1 was led to seek for farther information respect-<
ing their character, in the pursuit of which I have been
engaged for three years.

Little did I imagine, that one of the most interest-
ing subjects that can present itself to the human mind,
would open upon me ; the full developement of which
would require the united and extended labours of men
of talent and research, the absolute devotion of their
time and energies, to place before the world an impar-
tial view of the Indians of North America, whose vir-
tues, independence of mind, and nobleness of charac-
ter^ have procured from their oppressors, as a justifica-
tion of those meaiiires of severity which have been
practised toward tfiem, the most foul and unjust repre-
sentations. They have been gradually wasting away
from the effects of cruelty and oppression, unheeded
and unpitied, until their aggregate numbers, it is con-^
jectured, has been reduced to less than two millions.

/*^ '

pnEFAce.

It has hitherto been the policy of those by whom
the North American Indians have been most oppressed,
to represent them as very contemptible in numbers ;
and although they have become nearly extinct on the
borders, and in settled portions of the continent, it may
be fairly presumed that the more warlike and active
tribes have removed into the interior, as they have been
found in numerous bodies by parties engaged in all the
late expeditions. A sufficient number, however, yet
remains to excite our sympathy. The wrongs which
have been inflicted upon their whole race, have furnish-
ed ample regions for the occupancy of civilized man.
And does not our past neglect of their suffering and
abandoned state, loudly call upon us to make repara-
tion for the ills they have endured — to return to acts of
justice, mercy, and kindness ; and, though late, to re-
commend to the surviving Indians the religion we pro-
fess, by all those means which the gospel enjoins f In
the earnest hope that many may be led to a serious
contemplation of this great and glorious object — that
many with the talents, energy, and benevolence of a
Wilberforce, both in the United States and in Great
Britain, may yet be found to interpose their power and
energies in behalf of a race destitute of the use of let-
ters — to vindicate their character, and to set forth some
portion of their wrongs, I have been led to prosecuj[c
my inquiries respecting the North American Indians.

While engaged in these pursuits, I learnt that the
Historical Society of Philadelphia, actuated by a laud-
able desire to preserve an account of the Aborigines,
had requested the Rev. John Heckewelder, a Moravian
Missionary, to furnish a detail of the information he
had acquired during a residence of the greater portion
of his life among the Indians of Pennsylvania and
the adjoining states. That gentleman, although seven-
ty-five years of age, readily engaged in the arduous
undertaking, and his '* Historical Account of the In~
dian Nations'' has been published in the transactioas
ef the Society, who have thus rendered an important
service to science and to mankind ; while the reverend

t*--

X PREFACE.

author has left on record an unparalleled example of
benevolence, sympathy, patience, and self-devotion.
From the fulness of his work, I deemed the further
prosecution of my labours unnecessary, lest my efforts
might appear to many as a mere presumptuous display.
I had therefore, abandoned all intention of placing niy>
self before the public ; but upon my arrival in London
in the summer of 1820, having casually spoken of the
Interest I had taken in the present state of the North
American Indians, it was suggested, that from my ob-
servations and researches, which extended to other
tribes than those more particularly noticed by Air. Heck-
G.we)der, together with extracts from such parts of his
useful and interesting volume^ as tend to confirm and
illustrate the facts I had collected, or the vi^iws I had
taken of the subject, the public might be presented with
a work, in some degree calculated to facilitate the
adoption of measures in favour of the Indians.

Under this impression, I have consented to place
my humble labours before the Public, disclaiming the
slightest pretension to merit as an author, and having
no view to pecuniary advantage from the publication :
yet I can with confidence state, that with di/gence and
zeal I have availed myself of every opportunity of coK
lecting information from the most authentic sources.
Many curious statements have been rejected, though
perhaps true ; and the reader is earnestly entreated to
keep in mind the fable of the Lion and the Panther, as
he will thereby be induced to view with jealousy, re*-
ports which may be prejudical to the Indian character.
Let him also remember, that they have no historians,
to record their wrongs, or plead their cause against
<heir oppressors ; — yet they believe, as I do, that the
Gtreat Spirit hears their sighs and regards their suf-
ferings, and that He will appear to the oppressor and
the oppressed as a God of Justice.

* Mr. Heckewelder's ** Historical Account" exists only in the print-
ed iraneactions of the Philadelphian Society. It is, ou this accountt
little, if at all, known cmong the British Public; and I have ttverSfor^
be^cepioMs in my extracts from (h^ Rer. Author's pag;e{i.

• r*

■ A «- fc-WH»^-

PREFACE.

Many recent acts of barbarity which have been CQm»
mitted upon the Indians, I have deemed it prudent to
omit in the present work; but those who read the
speeches in Congress on the late war against the Semr*
nole Indians, will find therein much to excite tueii*
sympathy. My object is not to awaken national feel-
ings or prejndiceiii, but to unite the efforts of all good
men in behalf of these oppresped children of the wilder-
ness ; so that societies may be formed, to watch over
their rights, and, by the powerful agency of the press,
to restrain lawless power from farther acts of cruelty
and injustice. — Happily this feeling has of late been
extended in the United States ; and the humane and
just sentiments promulgated by His Excellency DeWilt
Clinton, Governor of the State of New York, the un-
wearied zeal of Mr. Colden, the mayor, and the ho^
mane disoosition of many persons of the highest re-
spectability in the United States, lead me to avoid even
the appearance of wishing to allow any sentiment to
iniit^le in this work, which might attach to it an air of
nationality. The kindness and civility which I have
experienced in the United States, I have uniformly and
shall ever be ready to acknowledge.

With this exposition of my motives, sources of infor-
mation, and desires, I trust my feeble efforts will be
iiupported by all classes of people ; and, entreating a
favourable feeling towards the execution and arrange^
m.ent, I commit the cause of the Americun Djdianrs to-
an enlightened and benevolent Public,

J^ew York, 1st May, 1821.

».

t . - — •

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE NORTH
AMERICAN INDIANS.

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTOHY.

r My design in the following pages is rather to collect /
a series of facts and observations, bearing on the recenti
and present state and chcracter of the North American
Indians, than to furnish an account of their remote
history. Whether they are or are not the Aborigines;
whether their derivation is to be sought among the
Tartars, who, in ages past, according to the sublime
hypothesis of Governor De Witt Clinton, over-ran
and exterminated nations who then inhabited great
part of North America, and who had made considera-
ble progress in the arts of civilized life ; whether the
theory adopted by Adair and Dr. Boudinot be true,
that they are the descendants of the long-lost ten tribes
of Israel ; whether, in short, America was peopled from
any of the countries of the old hemisphere, or those
from America, are questions which, however interesting,
I leave to be discussed by abler Antiquarians than my-
self. My anxiety, awakened by the present oppressed
and demoralized condition of the red Indians, has
indeed glanced backwards a few years to ascertain
their character previous to their intercourse with
European man ; and I think it might be safely asserted
that, until that fatal period of their history, they were, in
(he unsophisticated qualities of mind, one of the
noblest people of the earth. It is indeed astonishing
how, without the aid of science or letters, they coui^.

--!«5T\ -

INTRODUCTION.

Ijave acquired so much of that moral power, dignity,
and courtesy, which in our pride we attribute exchi-
sively to civilized life. Their religious belief is, to
say the least of it, purer than that of refined and philo-
sophical Greece and Rome ; and they follow its doc-
trines with perfect sincerity. Neither infidelity, luke-
warmness, nor hypocrisy in regard to spiritual matters
is ever found among them, excepting, indeed, their
prophets, priests, and conjurers. We are told by M.
De la Salle, in the account of his last expedition and
discoveries in North America, in 1678, "that at the
decrease of the moon, the Indians carried a great dish of
their greatest dainties to the door of the temple, as an
oblatory sacrifice ; which the priests offered to their
god, and then they carried it home, and feasted them-
■selves with it." Here, at any rate, is a little touch of
Sacerdotal refinement, worthy of an European Friar.

Their languages re characterized by abundance,
strength, comprehensiveness of expression, and ad-
mirable method in their grammatical structure ; " in-
deed," says Mr. Duponceau, " from the view offered
by Mr. Heckewelder of the Lenni Lenape idiom^ it
would rather appear to have been formed by philoso-
phers in their closets, than by savages in the wilder-
ness."* And in their oratory, which they take great
pains to cultivate, they have never been exceeded, in
ancient or modern senates, for pertinent argument, and
eloquence both imaginative and pathetic. Governor
Clinton, speaking of the Iroquois, or Five Nations,
tells us that, *' their exterior relations, general interests,
and national affairs were conducted and superintended
by a great coqncil, assembled annually in Onondaga,
the central canton, composed of the chiefs of ep.zh. re-
public; and eighty sachems were frequently convened
at this national assembly. It took cognizance of the
great questions of war and peace ; of the affairs of the
tributary nations, and of their negotiations with the

* D up anceau's Report to the American Philosophical Society, h«td
*t Philadelphia, p. 14.

INTRODUCTION.

dignity,
exclu-
ef is, to
id philo-
its doc-
y, luke-
matters
!d, their
dbyM.
ion and
at the
Lt dish of
le, as an
to their
(d tbemr\
touch o|^
Friar. ,
indance,
and ad-
re; "in-
offered
idiom^ it
philoso-
( wilder-
ke great
jeded, in
ent, and
Governor
Nations,
nterests,
intended
loudaga,
j?ich re-
onvened
:e of the
rs of the
i^ith the

siety, held

French and English colonies. All their proceedings
were conducted with great deliberation, and were dis-
tinguished for order, decorum, and solemnity. In
eloquence, in dignity, and in all the characteristics of
profound policy, they surpassed an assembly of feudal
barons, and were perhaps not far inferior to the great
Amphyctionic Council of Greece."^ In another place
herspesksof the sublime display of intellectual power
in the address of Garangula, an Onondaga chief, to
M. Delabarre, a French general, who in 1683, marched
with an army against the Iroquois. This rhetorical
talent, however, is declared by the same authority to
be peculiar to the Five Nations. " The most remark-
able difference," he states, ** existed between the con-
federates and the other Indian nations, with respect to
eloquence. You may search in vain in the records
and writings of the past, or in events of the present times,
for a single model of eloquence among the Algonkins,
the Abenaquis, the Delawares» the Shawanese, or any
other nation of Indiana except the Iroquois. "f On the
other hand, the Rev. Mr. Heckewelder, who has spent
the greater portion of a long life among the Lenni Le-
nape, or Delawares, has affirmed in his historical ac-
count of the Indian nations, (of which the Lenni Le-
nape and the Iroquois form the two great divisions,)
that the Delawares are also conspicuous for oratorical
ability. He quotes a speecii of Captain Pipe, a chief
of that nation, and has made use ofthe following words
in commenting on It. " Here we see boldness, frank-
ness, dignity, and humanity happily blended together,
and most eloquently displayed. 1 am much mistaken
if the component parts of this discourse are not put to-
gether much according to the rules of oratory which
are taught in the schools, and which were certainly un-
known to this savage. The peroration is short, but
truly pathetic, and I would say, sublime ; and then the
admirable way in which it is prepared ! I wish I

* De Witt Clinton's Discourse to the New- York Soci' ty, p. 49, 60.
t De Witt Clinton's Discourse to the New- York Society, p. 71.

.SI

INTRODUCTlOK*

could convey to the reader's mind only a small part of
the impression which this speech made on me and on all
present when it was delivered."^

The assertion of Governor Clinton seems to have re*
suited from his knowing more of the Five Nations than
of any other tribe of Indians. The Shawanese, no less
than the Delawares, are among his list of exceptions ;
and yet we find, in the book lately published by Mr.
Hunter, a most splendid example of eloquence in a
speech of Te-cum-seh, a Shawanee warrior.f The ef-
fect it had on his hearers, one of whom was Mr. Hun-
ter himself, was electrical ; and I will quote his account
of it, in order to show that the high opinion of Indian
oratory is not derived from any one authority which
might be exaggerated, or through the medium of pro-
fessed translators, who might be disposed to manufac-
ture these harangues, after a given model, into the Eu-
ropean tongues ; but that it operates upon all alike,
and shines with the same character through every va-
riety and accident of interpretation. The Indian ora-
tions have been rendered by illiterate persons sent
among them to conciliate their favour ; by prisoners,
male and female, who learnt the language during their
captivity ; by learned missionaries ; by traders, who
will not perhaps be suspected of romantic enthusiasm ;
by Dutchmen, Frenchmen, Englishmen, and Americans;
and the result, in all cases, has been very similar. The
doubts, therefore, which have been, and still continue to
be, entertained as to Indian eloquence, are, to say the
least of them, inconsiderate. The probability is that
they are injured, rather than improved, by transmission
into European languages. " I wish it was in my power,"
says Mr. Hunter, speaking of Te-cum-seh, " to do jus-
tice to the eloquence of this distinguished man ; but it
Is utterly impossible. The richest colours, shaded with
a master's pencil, would fall infinitely short of the glow-

* Ileckewelder'a Historical Account of the Indian Natioiu, p. 124, '
t Hunter's iyieia»U'3 tfi^ Cajptivitr atneng^ th^ NoKh A'merioAi In«
^ian»^ p. 43, &c.

^mm,

'liii^i^\

v^g^'"

fSa^M^iUfcl

^##»#tf*3^

„^y,,«^ielip**^^IF«M^*^J^|„, his latter

* Hunter, p. 212.

>«lilf<<impM«ir<"''*«v>-

INTRODUCTION*

nRtiiittUjythey display ^jp oco«4iopt in private life which
are too ^t to stir up jth^ iretentro^ and envy, and all
the mea9 ;paiiionii of c»yiliiid iQan, It will be naturally
expecu^ thai having >|D(iyen thit^fpmroarjr of loidian
virtutl^^'SliOttld sav something of Indian vices ; and I
ai^iappy that ihe fatter will bear no proportion to the
fcmer catalogue. Cruelty and an eager appetite for
r^^nge, are th^ chief, if not the only, deformities of
their nature; and these are scarcely ever |nant^sted,
e3(cept in their op^ ho|tilides,jhe causes of w^^h are
precisely similar to those which actuate civ|]j|?d naUians.
Then, indeed, their feroci^ bres^ks out wi|h lalmost de-
monaical fury ; their captives are generally doomed to
death ; but it is not until they have undergone the most
exquisite tortures, the most ingenious, unuttcraUe, and
protracted agony, that the final blow is given. ThesQ
atrocious practices are not, however, peculiar to our
ui^lettered Indians. The metal boot and wedge, the
thumb-screw, the rack, the gradual burnings of Smith-
peHf the religious butchery of the bloody Piedmontese,
" who rolled mother with infant down the rocks,'' the
dismemberment by horses, " Luke's iron crown, anc
\)amien'8 bed of steel," sufficiently attest the claims of
trnlightened man to distinction in the art of torture.
*' But the Five Nations," says Governor Clinton, in his
masterly and eloquent discourse, "notwithstanding their
horrible cruelty, are in one respect entitled to singular
commendation for the exercise of humanity ; those ene-
mies they spared in battle they made free ; whereas,
with all other barl^arous nations," and he might have
added ivitb mpst civilized nations, " slavery was the
commutation of death. But it becomes not us, if we
value the characters of our forefathers ; it becomes not
the civilized nations oif Europe who have had American
possessions, to inveigh against the merciless conduct of
the savage. His appetite for blood was sharpened and
whetted by European instigation, and his cupidity was
enlisted on the side of cruelty by every temptation."*

* »e Witt Clinton's Discourse, p. 56.

^gsaw""*

-^^

^■%:

INTKODUCTIOIV.

*'' Oar aistll^lii seeking for causes to extenuate ttie in-
humanity of the Indians, might have said sdmething of
their natnral and just resentment of tlte aggressions and
tyranny of the liian of Europe, by whom they liave
been reduced to the lowest tftate of wretchedness. In the
wars between France and England and their colonies,
their Indian aHiet were entitled to a premium for every
H(dp of an efiemy. In the war preceding 1703, the go-
verttnient of Massachtraetts gave twelve pounds for eve-
ry Indian scalp; in that year the premium was raised
to forty pdundk, bftt in 1722, it was augmented to oriQ
hundred pounds t 9. itiTA sufficient to purchase a con-
siderable extent of American I«p'^. An act was passed
on the 25th of February 1745, by the American colo-
nial legislattire, entitled, ".^n Act for giving a reward
for sudt tcalpaf he, hcj^ Not- content with this exe-
crable polliition of their minds by the agency of lucre,
we have sown party division among the Indians, which
in att its discordant shapes rages with uncontrolled
sway; " Their nations are split up into fragments ; the
son is arrayed against the father ; brother against bro-
ther ; fhmilies against families ; tribes against tribes ;
and canton against canton. They are divided into fjnc-
tions, reHjAfiou^, political and personal ; Christian and
Pagan ; American and British ; the followers of Corn-
planter «nd Sagoua Ha ; of Skonadoi and Captain
Peter. The tninilter of destruction is hovering over
them^and before thr passing away of the present gene-
"^ration, hot a single Iro^^nois will be seen in the sitate of
New-York."*

Tei with alt this gnilt at our doors we call the poor
Iiidians ** savages,^^barbarians.'' l^'es, they hlive, in*
diied;^^^^Wnit; so since they were debauched and cOn-
^ailMi^^d'l^the liquor and the example of European
rtjatW^ Our*efe«»," says Heekewelder, " have destroy-
4^theih^M¥e''^tm oV(f swords," I do not hesitate to
say that, in liiy opinion, their ignorance of letters has
be^n th% only faihdrfuice to thdir being, politically

De Witt Cnhtonv p. 88, 89.

ufTRODUirrioir.

'"**

spf akiog, a most powerful people. With the faculty of
circulating and improving their natural information, by
meant of literature, they would either not have been
objccti for the crafty arts of civilised man, or they
would have been invulnerable to themj and never could
have been driven from their territoriei. Their courage
and warlike character, unaided by learning, are things
but of inferier force. " Knowledge** sayi Bacon, ^ it
power.*' How with tnch elementt of mind at they
pottett, they could, unlike other originally great people,
have continued destitute of written wiidora, mutt ever
remain a myttery. Jt it thi^ important want which
compels them to endure their wrongt in ttlerce. They
have no meant of making their grievances known to the
rest of the world ; but must look for intercessors among
those who have robbed and enslaved them. '* Why
then,** I may ask with the benign Heckeweldcr, ** should
not a white man, a Christian, who has been treated by
them at all times with hospitality and kindnets, plead
their honest cause, and defend them at they would d«- \
fend themselves, if they had but the means of bringing
their facts and their arguments before an impartial pub-
iief hetk not be said that among the whole race of
wliite Christian men, not one single individual could be
found, who, rising above the cloud of prejudice with
which the pride of civilisation has surrounded the ori-
ginal inhabitants of this land, would undertake the task
of doing justice to their many excellent qualities, and
raise a small frail monument to their memory.'* /

■ ¥>

"1>

Ci4'

^i'miiniilifli" CHAPTER II. ^^

INDIAN ACCOUNT Or THE FIRST ARRlVAti OF TUe^
DUTCH AT NBW-YORK ISLAND. f

Tbb following simple and touching relation of this
important event, was taken down many years sincefrom
the mouth of an intelligeot Delaware Indian, by Mr.
Heckewelder, and may be eonsidered as a correct ac^
count of the tradition existing among them. It is given
as much as possible in their own language. ^'i"

^' A great many years ago, when men with a white
skin had never yet been seen in this land, some Indians
who. were out a fishing at a place where the sea widens,
espied at a great distance something remarkably large
floating on the water, and such as they had never seen
before. These Indians immediately returning to the
shore, apprized their countrymen of what they bad ob-
served, and pressed them to go out with them and dis-
cover what it might be. They hurried out together,^and
saw with astonishment the phenomenon which now ap-
peared to their sight, but ccpjd not agree upon what, it
was ; some believed it to be an uncommonly large fish
or animal, while others were of opinion it must be a
very big house floating on the sea. At length *he
spectators concluded that this wonderful object wes
moving towards the land, and that it must be an animal
or something else that had life in it ; it would therefore
be proper to inform all the Indians on the inhabited
islands of what they had seen, and put them on their
guard. Accordingly they sent off a number of runners
and 'Watermen to carry the news to their scattered chiefs,
that they might send off in every direction for the war«^
vioq, with a message that they # heuld come on il^me-

:\^

i 1

i4r*^«C*;r'

»«.liiillllil»(1l^

llfDIAK ACCOUNT Or THI

»,.^

dUtely. ThcM arriving in numberi , and having them-
selvei viewed the strange appearance, and observing
that it was actnally moving^ towards the entrance of the
river or bay, concluded it to be a rcnrarkably large
house in which the Mannitto (the Great or Supreme
Being) himself was present, and that he probably was
coming to visit them.

*' By this time the chiefs were assembled at Yo/k
Island and deliberating as to the manner in which they
should receive their Mannitto on hi| arrival. £*'ery
measure was taken to be well provided with plenty of
meat for a sacrifice. The women were desired to pre-
pare the best victuals. All the idols or images were
examined and put in order, and a grand dance was sup-
posed not only to be an agreeable entertainment for the
Great Being, but it was bielieved that it might, with, the
addition of a sacrifice, contribute to appease him if he
was angry with them.

'*The conjurers were also set to work, to determine
what this phenomenon portended, and what the possible
result of it might be. To these and to the chiefs and
wise men of the nations, men, women and children were
looking up for a('"ice and protection. Distracted be-
tween hope and fear, they were at a loss what to do; a
dance, however, commenced in great confusion. .«.,

** While in this situation, fresh runners arrived de-
cjaring it to be a large house of various colours ; and
crowded wiill living creatures. It appears now to be
f;ertain, that it is the greaC Mannitto, bringing them
some kind of game, such as he had not given them be-
fore ; but other runners soon after nrrivinf) declare that
it is positively a house full of human beings-, of quite a
different colour from that of the Indians, and dressed
differently from them ; that in particular one of them
was dressed entirely in red, who must be the Mannitto
himself. They are hailed from the vessel in a lan-
guage they do hot understand ; yeV they shout or yell
ill return by way of answer, according to the custom of
their country. Many are for running off to the woods,
but are pressed by others to stay, in order not to give

^..=4',>

riMUT ABftlTAL OF THE DUTCH.

offence to their viiiter, who might find them out and
deitroy them. The house, some %uy, large canoe, at
latt ttopi, and a canoe of a imaller stie comet on ihore
with tlie red man and some others in it$ some stay with
his canoe to guard it.

" The chiefs and wise men, assembled in council form
themselves into a large circle, towards which the ma»
in red clothes approaches with two others. He sa-
lutes them with a friendly countenance, and they return
the salute after their manner. They are lost in admi-
ration ; the dress, the manners, the whole appearance
of the unknown strangers is to them a subject of won-
der; but they are particularly struck with him who
wore the red coat all glittering with gold lace, which
they could in no manner account for. He, surely, must
be the great Mannitto, but why should he have a white
skin? Meanwhile, a large Hackhack* is brought bj
one of his servants, from which an unknown substanc<
is poured out into a small cup or glass, and handed ti>
the supposed Mannitto. He drink»— has the glasi
filled again, and hands it to the chief standing next t(
him. The chief receives it^ but only smells the con
tents and passes it on to the next chief, who does the same
The glass or cup thiA passes through the circle, with-
out the liquor being tasted by any one, and is upon thi
point of being returned to the red-clothed Mannitto
when one of the Indians, a brave mcu and a grcar
warrior, suddenly jumps up and harangues the assem*
biy on the impropriety of returning the cup with its
contents. It wa« handed to them, says he, by the
Mannitto, that they should drink out of it, as he him-
self had done. To follow his example would be
pleasing to him ; but to return what he had given them
might provoke his wrath, and bring destruction on
them. And since the orator believed i^ for the good of
the nation that the contents offered them should be
drank, and as no one else would do it, he would drink

* Hackhsck is proparly a gourd, but since they hare nen (Itss b«t<
tl«s and dtcanteri, they call them by the lame name.

^>««-''

.. — <;

J«iif3DU9 ACOOUKT Ot lUtm*

It himi^V'^c ^« coi»e<pieQce be what it might; it Was
bejtor for one mwi todiei than that a whole nation
shottldbe 4ettroyed. He then took the glafs, and bid-
ding the assembly a solemn fertwell, at once drank up
its wbote contents. Every eye was fixed on the reso-
tute chief, to see what effect the unluipwn liquor wotiM
produce. He soon began to staggi^, and at last fell
prostrate on the grounds ' His companions now be-
moaned his late, be falls into a sound sleep, and they
think he has expired. He wakes again, jurops^ up and
declares, that he has enjoyed the most delicious sensa-
tions, and that he never before felt himself so happy as
after be had drunk the cup. He asks for more, his
fvUb is granted; the whole assembly then imitate him,
and all become intoxicated.

" After this general intoxication bad ceased, (fdr they
3ay that while it lasted th. whites had confined them>
selves to their vessel,) the man with the red clothes re-
turned again, and distributed presents among them

consistiig of beads, axes, hoes and stockings, such as
the white people wear. They soon became familiar
with each other, and began to converse by signs. The

I)utch made them understand that they would not stay
here, that they would return l^rae again, but would
pay them another visit the next year, when they would
bring them more presents^ and stay with them awhile^
but as they could not live without eating, they should
want a little land of them to jsow seeds, in order to raise
herbs and vegetables to put into their broths They
went away as they had said, and returned in the fol-
lowing season, when both parties were much rejoiced
to see each other ; but the whites laughed at the Indians,
seeing that they knew not the us^ of the axes and hoes
they had given them the year before ; for they had
these hanging to their breasts as ornaments, and the
stockings were made use of as tobacco pouches. The
whites now put handles to the former ibr them, and cut
trees down before their eyes, Iwed up the ground, and
put the stockings oa their legs. Here, they say, a
general laughter ensued amoug the Indinns, tllat they

■-*-ir-f

WlKtt AMMlVAh OF TUB I^VTCU.

had remained ignorat of the uie of such valuable im-
plementftr aad had borne the weight of such heavy
metal haogmg to their necks, for such a length of time.
They took every, white man- they ^aw for an inferior
Mannitto, attendant on the_ supreme Deity wno shone
superior in the red and laced clotheg. As the whites
became daily: more familiar with the Indians, they at
last proposeU^ to stay with them, and asked only for so
much ground foi' a garden spot as, they said, the hide
of a bullock would cover or encompass, which hide
was spread before them. The Indians readily granted
tins apparency reasonable request; but the whites then
took a knile and beginning at one end of the hide, cut
it up toa long rope, not thicker than a child's finger,
so that by the time the whole. was r.ut np, itmede a
great heap ;^ they then took the rope at one end, and
drew it gently along, carefuliy avoiding its breaking.
It was drawn out into a circular form, and being
closed at its ends^ encompassed a large piece of
grounds The lodiaac were surprised at the superior
wit of the whites,^ but did not wish to contend with
them about a little land, a^ they, had still enough them-
selves. The white and red men lived contentedly
together for along ^me, though the former from time^
to time asked for more land, which was readily obtained,
and thus they gradually proceeded higher up the
Mahicanittuck, until the Indians began to believe that
they would soon want all their country, which in the
end proved true."

• ■ .

* Tbeie Dotehmen were probably aeqnaipted with what is relaleit
of Queen Dido in ancient history, and thus turned their classical
knoWlecl^e to a good aoobnct.

;

bS-l,;

i:;, ■^it-r^r^i.^k'^y-^ ~'iMk^

CHAPTER III.

INDIAN RELATIONS OF THE CONDUCT OF EUROPEANS

TOWARDS THEM.

-m

Long and dismal, says the revereqd author*, whpse
wofk 1 have so often alludecl to, are the cojnpHaints
which the Indians make of European ingra^titude and
injustice. They love to repeat them, and always do it
with the eloquence of nature, ?tide<i l>y an energetic and
comprehensive language, which' our polished idioms
cannot inaitate. Ouen 1 have listened to these descrip-
tions of their hard sufferings, iintil I felt ashamed of
being a white man.

They aie, in general, very minute in these recitals,
and proceed with a great degree o^ order and regular*
ity. They beg;in with the Virginians, wtiom they call
the long knives, ^d who were the first European set-
tlers in this part of the American contine;nt. " It was
we," say the Lenape, Mohicans, and their kindred
tinhei, *' who so kindly received them on their first ar-
rival into our country. We took them by the hRnd,
and bid them welcome to sit down by our sidle, qiid live
with OS as brothers; but how did th^y reqqite our
kindness ? They at first asked only for a liufe land on
which to raise bread for themselvet and their families,
and pasture for tbeir cattle, which we freely gave them.
They soon wanted more, which we r!so gave dfciem.
They saw the game in the woods, which the Great Spi-
rit had given us for our subsistence, and they wanted
that too. They penetrated into the woods, in quest of
game, they discovered spots of land whi^ pleased

* n«ckewekl«r, from whpte work this and the tonffmag c i<aptiQr
«r« extracted. I have had the lew icruple in uring them, bw^.UM Uie
twodiapten are in thflmielves nothing more than a c<mc«ntiatkm o(
the different traditioBi which are floating up and down among the hic*
diastribes.

INDIAN RiSLATIONSj &£C.

OPEANS

whpse

udc; and
ys dp it
etlc and
i idioms
descrip-*
amed of

recitals,
regular^
ihey call
)ean set-
" It was
kindred
%^ ar-
ic hand,
and live
Qite our
; lanii on
families,
kve them.

ve i|iem*
reat ^pi-
y wanted
I quest of
I pleased

iag rltapter
bM^.UMthe
•tittatkin o(
iQBgthciiac'

them ; that land they also wanted, and bee&me #i %et'e
toth to part with it, as we saw they had already more
than they had need of, they took it from us by force
and drove us to a great distance from oui^ ancient
homes.

" By and by the Duichenutan* arrived at ManahacJi-
tanienkf**-\ (here they relate with all its details what
has been said in the preceding chapter.) ** The great
man wanted only a little, little land, on which to raise
greens for bis soup, just as much as a bulicck's hide
%vould cover. Here we first might have observed their
deceitful spirit. The bullock's hide was cut up into
little strips, and did not cover, indeed, but encircled a
very large piece of land, which we foolishly granted to
them. They were to raise greens on it, instead of
which they planted great guns; afterwards they built
strong houses, made themselves masters of the island,
then went up the river to our enemies, the Mengwe,
made a league with them, persuaded us by their wick-
ed arts to lay down our arms, and at last drove us en-
tirely out of the country.

" When the Yengeesej[. arrived at Machtitschwanne,^
they looked about every where for good spots of land,
and when they found one they immediately and without
ceremony possessed themselves of it ; we were aston-
ished, but still we let them go on, not thinking it worth
while to contend for a little land. But when at last
they cume to our favourite spots, those which lay most
convenient to our fisheries, then bloody wars ensued ;
we would have been contented that the white people
and we should have lived qwietly beside encli other ;
but these white men encroached so fast upon us, that

* The Hollanders. t Manhattan, or Nev- York Island.

X An Indian corruption of the word English, whence probably the
nickname Yankees.

5 This word means " a cluster of islands with channels every way,
so that it is in no place shut up or impassable for craft." The Indians
think that the white people have corrupted this word into Massachw-
setts. It deserves to be remarked as an example of the comprehen-
siveness ef the Indian languages.

t'i

liMiiyiniii

riiBir'iivff

INDIAK EBLATIOlfB OV TRB

P !

we Mw at once we skonld lose ailyif we did iroi resist
them. The wars that we carried on against eacb other
were long artd cruel. We were enraged when we saw
the wlute people put our friends and relatives whom
they had taken prisoners on board of their ships^ and
carry them off to sea, whether to drown or Sell ^m
as slaves, in the country from which they came, we knew
not, but certain it is that none of them have^ver re-
turned or even been heard of. At last they got posses-
sion of the whole of the country which the Great
Spirit had given us. One of our iribes was forced to
wander far beyc id Quebec ; Others dispersed in small
bodies, and sought places* of refuge where they could ;
some came to Pennsylvania ; others veent far to the
westward and mingled with other tribes.

**To many of those, Pennsylvania was a last, delight-
ful asylum. But here, again, the Europeans disturb-
ed them, and forced them to emigrate, although they
had been most kindly and hospitably received. On
which ever side of the Lenapewikittuek* the white
people landed, they were welcomed as brothers by our
ancestors, who gave them lands to live on, and even
hunted for tbem, und furnished them with meat out of
the woods. Such was our conduct to the white nien,f
who inhabited this country, until our elder brother, the
great and good 1V]iquon,| came and brought us words
of peace and good will. We belieWd his words, and
his memory is still held in veneratioa among us. But
it was not long before our joy was turned into sorrow :
our brother IVIiquon died, and those of his good coun-
sellors who were of his mind, and knew what h-iu pas-
sed between him and our ancestors, were no longer
listened to jvthe strangers,*^ who had taken their places,
no longer spoke to ns of sitting down by the side of
each other as brothers of one family ; they forgot that
friendship which their great man had established with
lis, and was to last to the end of time ; they now only

* Ti»3 Delavraro river. t The Swedes and Dutch.

t William l*enn. J Tjand 'raders and speculntoM

CONDUCT OV TBE EUROPEANS.

iti'ove to get all our land from us by fraud or by force,
and when we attempted to remind them of what our
good brother had said, they became angry, and sent
word to our enemies the Mengwe, to meet them at a
great council which they were to hold with us at La-
hauwakey* where they should take us by the hair of
our heads, and shake us well. The Mengwe came, the
council was held, and in the presence of the white men,
who did not contradict them, they told us that we were
women, and that they had mad"? us such ; that we had
no right to any land, bacause it was all theirs ; that
we must be gone ; and that as a gre .1 favour they per-
mitted us to go and settle farther into the country, at
the place which they themselves pointed out at Wyo-
ming."!

Thus tliese good Indians, with a kind of melancholy
pleasure, recite the long history of their sufferings.
After having gone through these painful details, they
seldom fail to indulge in bitter, bu; too just reflections
upon the men of Europe. '^ We and our kindred
tribes," say they, " lived in peace and harmony with
each other, before the white people came into this
country ; our council house| extended far to the north
and Tar to the south. In the middle of it we would
meet from all parts to smoke the pipe of peace to-
gether. When the white men arrived in the south,
we received them as friends ; we did the same when
they arrived in the east. It was we, it was our
forefathers, who made them welcome, and let them sit
down by our side. The land they settled on was ours.
We knew not but the Great Spirit had sent them to us
for some good purpose, and therefore we thought they
must be a good people. We were mistaken ; for no
sooner had they obtained a footing on our lands, than

* Easton.

t This actually took place at a treaty held at Easton, in July and
November, 1756.
X Council house here nqieans, ♦' Connexion District."
VOL. I. *^ 3

•'*x

i■<to*!^^,ViK5.^.

■>««-^ v

•* *l .1. II . 1l ,

INDIAN RELATIONS OF THE

they began to pull our council house down* first at one
end and then at the other, and at last meeting each
other at the centre, vvhere the council fire was yet
burning bright, they put it out,f and extinguished it
with our own blood ! J with the blood of those^ who
with us had received them ! who had welcomed them
in our land ! Their blood ran in streams into our fire,
and extinguished it so entirely, that not one spark was
left us whereby to kindle a new fire ;{| we were com-
pelled to withdraw ourselves beyond the great swarop,11
and to fly to our good uncle, the Lelamattenos** who
kindly gave us a tract of land to live on. fiow long
we shall be permitted to remain in this asylum, the
Great Spirit only knows. The whites will not rest
contented until they shall have destroyed the last of us,
and made us disappear entirely from 4he face of the
earth."
. I have given here only a brief specimen of the char-

* Pulling thp council house down. Destroying, dispersing the com-
munitv, preventing theirlfarther intercourse with each other, by 8«t-
tling between them on their land.

t Putting the Jire out. Murdering them or their people, wnere
they assemble for pacific purposes, where treaties art held, &c.

\ Our own blood. The blood flowing from the veins of some of our
community.

( Alluding to the murder of the Conestogo Indiana, who though of
another tribe, yet had joined 'them in welcoming the white people to
their shores. *

In a narrative of this lamentable event, supposed tq bn^i^een writ-
ten by the late Dr. Franklin, it is said: "On the first„fiwival of the
English in Pennsylvania, messengers from this tribe came to welcome
them with presents of venison, corn and skins, and the who!? tribe en-
tered into a treaty of fiiendship with the first proprietor,; William
Penn, which was to last as long as the sun should shine, or the waters
run m the rivers."

II The fire was entirely extinguished by the blood of the murdered
T' inning into it ; not a spark was left to kindle a new fire. This alludes
1o the last fire that was kindled by the Pennsylvaniaii government and
themselves at Lancaster, where the last treaty was held with them in
1762, the year preceding this murder, which put an end to all business
of the kind in the province of Pennsylvania.

IT The great Swamp. The Glades on the Allegheny mountains.

** Delamattenos. The Huron or Wyandots, whom they cull their
uncle. These, though speaking a dialect of the Iroquois language,
are in connection with the Lenape.

. ,. ,«,^>rfcj,^'»«a. /■-.

.^-^

■if^'

CONDUCT OF THE EUROPDANS.

s language,

gfies which they exhibit against the white people. There
are men 'imon^ them who hf»ve by heart the whole his-
tory of what took , 'ace between the whites and the In-
dians, since the forme, first came into their country ;
and relate the whole with ease and with an eloquence
not to be imitated. On the tablets of their memories
they preserve this record for posterity. 1, nt one time,
in AprrI 1787, was astonished when I heard one of
their orators, a ^reat chief of the Delaware nation, go
over this (ground, recapitulating the most extraordinary
events which had before happened, and concluding in
these words : *' I admit there are good white men, but
they bear no proportion to the bad ; the bad must be
the strontiest, for they rule. They do what they please.
They enslave those who are not of their colour, al-
though created by the same Great Spirit who created
us. They would make slaves of us if they could, but
as they cannot do it, they kill us! There is no faith
to be placed in their words. They are not like the In-
dians, who are only enemies while at war, and are
friends in peace. They will say to an Indian, * My
friend ! my brother !' They wUl take him by the hand,
and at the same moment dest jy him. And so you"
(addressing himself to the Christian Indians) " will also
be treated by them before long. Remember ! that this
day I have warned you to beware of such friends as
these. JL know the long knives; they ai;e not to be
trusted."

Eleven months after this speech was delivered by
this prophetic chief, ninety-six of the same ChristisAi,
Indians, about sixty of them women and children, were
murdered at the place where these very w^ords had been
spokeki, by the same men he had alluded to, and in the
same manner* that, he had described. See LoskiePs
History, Part III. ch. 10.

iS'

'«

.ti

"fmmmm

.^^2«ff!^:

CHAPTER IV.

'. fVIDENCES OF GENERAL CAPACITY AND TRUE CON-
^ CEPTION OF COURTESY AMONG THE PRESENT

INDIANS.

In the summer of 1819, during the yellow fever at
New- York, I took a tour, accompanied by two of ray
daughters, and a gentleman, to the Falls of Niagara,
and throui^h a considerable part of Upper Canada.
After stopping more than a week under the truly hos-
pitable roof of the Honourable Colonel Clarke, at the
Falls, I determined to proceed by land round Lake On-
tario, to York ; and Mrs. Clarke offtred to give my
daughters a letter of introduction to a Miss Brandt,
advising us to arrange our time so as to sleep and stop
a day or two in the house of that lady, as she was cer-
tain we should be much pleased with her and her bro-
ther. Our friend did not intimate, still less did we sus-
pect, that the introduction was to an Indian Prince and
Princess. Had we been in the least aware of this, our
previous^ arrangements would )tll have given way, as
there was nothing I was more anxious to obtain than
an opportunity, such as this was so well calculated to
afford, of seeing in what degree the Indian character
would be modified by a conformity to the habits and
Comforts of civilized life.

Proceeding on our journey, we stopped at an inn, ro-
mantically situated, where I determined to remain all
night. Among other things I inquired of the landlord
if he knew the distance to Miss Brandt's bouse, and
from him I learned that it was about twenty miles off.
He added that yolbpcr Mr. Brandt had passed that way
in the morning, and would, no doubt, be returning in the
evening, and that if I wished it, he would be on the look

\i:^^i'<m:m*"-

EVIDENCES OF GENERAL CAPACfTY, hc.

uut for him. This I desired (he landlord to do, as it
would enable rae to iiriiriute our introduction to his
lister, and intention of waiting on her the next morning.

At dusk Mr. Brandt returned, and being introduced
into our room, we were unable to distinguish his colour,
and conversed with him, believing him to be » young Ca-
nadian gentleman. We did not, however, fail to observe
a certain degree ol hesitation and reserve in the manner of
his speech. Ho certainly expressed a wish that we would
do him and his sister the favour of spending a few days
with them in order to refresh ourselves and our horses ;
but we thought his style more laconic than hospitable.
Before candles were brought in, our new friend depart-
ed, leaving us- still in error af> to his nation and colour.

By four o'clock in the morning, we resumed our
journey. On arriving at the magnificent shores of Lake
Ontario, the driver of our carriage pointed out at the
distance of five miles, the house of Miss Brandt, which
had a very noble and commanding aspect ; and we an-
ticipated much pleasure in our visit ; as beside the en-
joyment of so beautiful a spot, we should be enabled to
form a competent idea of Canadian manners and style
of living. Young Mr. Brandt, it appeared, unaware
that with our carriage we could have reached his house

so soon, had not
approach was not

arrived before us ; so that our
announced ; and we -drove up

to the door under the full persuasion that the family
would be apprised of our coming. ^The outer door,
leadin*^ to a spacious hall, was open. 1 We entered,
and remained a few minutes, when seeing no person
about, we proceeded into the parlour, which, like the
hall, had no body in it. We, therefore, had an oppor-
tunity of looking about us at our leisure. It was a room
well furnished with a carpet, pier and chimney glases,
mahogany tables, fashionable chairs, a guitar, a neat
hanging book-case, in which, among other volumes, we
perceived a church of England prayer-book, translated
into the Mohawk tongue, and several small elementary
works. Having sent our note of introduction in by the

3*^

(

ZVIDINCES or SEMKHAL CAPACITY

coachman, and still no person waiting on us, we began
to suspect, (more especially in the hungry state we
were all in,) that some delay or difficulty about break-
fast stood in the way of the young lady's appearance.
Various were our conjectures, and momentarily did our
hunger seem to gain rapid strides upon us. I can as-
sure my readers that a keen morning's ride on the
shores of an American lake, is a thing of all others calo-
culated to make tile appetite clamorous, if not inso-
lent. We had already penetrated into the parlour ;
and were beginning to meditate a further exploration
in search of the pantry, when to our unspeakable asto-
nishment, in walked a charming, noole-looking Indian
girl, dressed partly in the native, and partly in the
English costume. Her hair was confined on the head
in a silk net, but the lower tresses, escaping from thence,
flowed down on her shoulders. Under a tunic or morn-
ing dress of black silk, was a pettioat of the same ma-
terial and colour, which reached very little below the
knees. Her silk stockings and kid shoes were, like the
rest of her dress, black. The grace and dignity of her
EDOvement, the style of her dress and manner, so new,
so unexpected, filled us all with astonishment. With great
w ?, yet by no means in that common-place mode so
generally prevalent on such occasions, she inquired how
we had found the roads, accommodation, &;c. No flut-
ter was at all apparent on account of the delay in get-
ting breakfast ; no fidgeting and fuss-making, no run-
ning in and out, no idle expressions of r gret, such as,
" O, dear me ! had I known of your coming, you would
not have been kept in this way ;" but with perfect ease
she maintained the conversation, until a Squaw,* wear-
ing a man's hat, brought in a tray with preparations for
breakfast. A table-cloth of fine white damask being
laid, we were regaled with tea, cofiee, hot-rolls, butter
in water and ice-coolers, eggs, smoked-beef and ham,
broiled chickens, &lc. ; all served in a truly neat and

* The name of all Indian women.

4MONO THE INDIANS.

comfortable style. The delay, we afterwards discover-
ed, arose from the desire of our hostess to supply us
with hot rolls, which were actually baked while we
waited. 1 have been thus minute in my description of
these comforts, as they were so little to be expected in
the house of rin Indian.

After breakfast. Miss Brandt, as we must still call
her, took my daughters out to walk, and look at the
picturesque scenery of the country. She and her bro-
ther had previously expressed a hope that we would
stay all day ; but though 1 wished o.f all things to do
so, and had determined, in the event of their pressing
their invitation, to accept it, yet I declined the propo-
sal at first, and thus forfeited a pleasure which we all
of us longed in our hearts to enjoy ; for, as I have af-
terwards learned, it is not the custom of any uncor-
rupted Indian to repeat a request if once rejected. They
believe that those to whom they offer any mark of
friendship, and who give a reason for refusing it, do so
in perfect sincerity, and that it would be rudeness to
require them to alter their determination, or break their
word. And as the Indian never makes a show of civi-
lity, but when prompted by a genuine feeling, so he
thinks others are actuated by similar candour. 1 really
feel ashamed when 1 consider how severe a rebuke this
carries with it to us who boast of civilization, but who
are so much carried away by the general insincerity of
expression pervading all ranks, that few indeed are to
be found who speak just what they wish or know. This
duplicity is the effect of what is termed a high state of
refinement. We are taught so to conduct our language,
that others cannot discover our real views or intentions.
The Indians are not only free from this deceitfulness,
but surpass us in another instance of true goodrbreed-
ing and decorum, namely, of never interrupting those
who converse with them, until they have done speak-
ing ; and then they reply in the hope of not being them-
selves interrupted. This was perfectly exemplified by
Miss Brandt and her brother ; and I hope the lesson my

"'••'-'laiitn--

•i^^S^J^}^-

BVIDENCES or GENERAL CAPACITT

(laugliters were so forcibly laii^^lil by ihe natural po-
liteness of their hostess, will never be forgotten by ihem,
and that 1 also may profit by the example.

After stopping a few hours with iliese interesting
young Indians, and givinj^ llieni an invitaiion to (ay lis
a visit at New- York, which iliey expressed threat desire
to fulfil, and which I therefore confidently anticipate,
we took onr leave with real regret on all sides As we
passed through the hall, I expected to see some Indian
instruments of war or the chase ; but perceiving that
the walls were bare of these customary ornaments, I
asked Mr. Brandt where all the trophies were that be-
longed to his lamily ? He told me, and I record it with
shame, that the numerous visiters that from time to time
called on him, expressed their desire so strongly for
these trophies, that one by one he had given all away ;
and now he was exempt from these sacrifices, by not
having any thing of the kind left. He seemed, never-
theless, to cherish with fondness the memory of these
relics of his forefathers. How ill did the civilized vi-
siters requite the hospitality they experienced under the
roof whose doors stand open to shelter and feed all
who enter !

As all about our youn^!: hostess is interesting, I will
add some farther particulars. Having inquired for her
mother, she told me she remained generally with her
other sons and daughters, who were living in the Indian
settlement on the iGrrand River that falls into Lakt
Erie : that her mother preferred 'jemg in the Wig-wams,
and disapproved, in a certain degree, of her and her
brother John's conforming so much to the habits and
costume of the English. It may be added that this fa-
mily are the children of the celebrated Mokawk Indian
Chief, Captain Brandt, who was introduced to his late
Majesty, and who translated the prayer-book, and part
of the scriptures into one of the Indian languages; and
that the house where we were so hospitably entertained,
'Was built upon a grant of land bestowed by George the
Third on that Mohawk Prince.

-*.*•*»«**

--->*,

AMONG THE INDIANS.

>o-

My thus becoming acquainted with this yonntrlatly
and her brother, fully estnbiislies in my mind nil I was
anxious to prove by the education of a young Indian ;
and many such instances might be adduced which would
evince that wisdom, science, and exaltation of charac-
ter, are not the exclusive property of any colour, tribe,
or nation. The bravery, political sagacity, and know-
ledge of government, manifested by the negroes who
now govern in St. Domingo (not to mention other well-
known instances,) are calculated to allay the doubts
which used to prevail as to the capacity of the African.
But between the Indian of North America, and the Afri-
can, there is a remarkable difference. The former ne-
ver can be bowed to become the slave of man, to pay
tribute, or to submit, by any hope of reward, to live in
vassalage. Free* like the son of hhmael, he will die
rather than yield his liberty; and he is, therefore, hunt-
ed down by people wh5 boast of civilisation and Chris-
tianity, and who, while they valu6 their own freedom do
not hesitate to extend their lands and property by the
merciless destruction of the unoffending original pro-
prietor. But let not those who still claim the British
name, nor the citizens of the United States, deceive
themselves in the belief that because the poor Indians,
whose lands they possess, and whose rivers they navi-
^f4e, have no powerful voice to blazon their wrongs,
and hold them up to the abhorrence of mankind, they
wiH always rest unavenged ; or that the civilization
which is pompously carried on, but which is in fact a
slow consuming system of extinction, will avert the re-
tributive justice which God will assuredly render. The
poo|r Indians confess that for their crimes they are now
placed by the Great Spirit under the feet of the white
men, and in the midst of their sufferings, they patheti-
cally warn their cruel oppressors that the time may yet
come when the Lord will have pity on them, and in
turn, punish the Kuropeans. Truly the ways of the
Almighty are wonderful ! The apparent prosperity of
the wicked are among the most unaccountable features

,> I

;^s4*..

-^^^^^^^!^'^''^^:'^m^

EVIDENCES OF GENERAL CAPACITY

of the will of our Creator, and would be utterly without
a solution had we not the Bib!eto guide us into a right
understanding of his designs. However the deist may
scoff, or the philosopher doubt, yet therein we see that
though the wrath of God may be long delayed, the
punishment of iniquity will assuredly come to pass.
The re-action of crime and punishment is to be seen in
the history of all nations. Liet the European oppres-
sors of the Indian savage, as he is called, look to it in
time ; and while the diffusio'i of the true principles of
Christianity throughout the British empire, is followed
by clemency and mercy to the African, it is to be hoped
the same benevolent spirit will extend itself to the noble-
minded Aborigines of North America; and that instead
of supplying arms, ammunition, blankets, and run?, we
may lead th'.'ra to the arts and blessings of peace, and
to the improvement of their admjrsble native talent.

With regard to the terms, " barbarians" and " sava-
ges," which it is the fashion to lavish so prodigally on
our Indians, let us hear what the philosophical French
essayist, Montaif5no, caid nf them, in rpfpr»»nco to these
appellations, between two and three hundred years ago.
" I find that there is nothing barbarous and savage in
this nation, by any thing I can gather, excepting that
every one gives the title of barbarity to every thing
that is not in use in his own country : as indeed we have
no other level of truth and reason, than the example atid
idea of the opinions and customs of the place wherein
we live. There is always the true religion ; there the
perfect government, and the most exact and accomplish-
ed usance of all th<ngs. They are savages at the same
rate, that we say fruits are wild, which nature produces
of herself, and by her own ordinarv progress ; whereas,
in truth, we ought rather to call those wild, whose na-
tures we have changed by our artifice, and diverted from
the common order. ***** These nations, then, seem
to me to be so far harbarons, as havinjac received but ve-
ry little form and Fashion from art and hninnn invention,
and consequently, not much remote from their original

»^ ^'■m:~ffi.^:

AMONG THE INDIANS.

simplicity. The laws of nature, however, govern them
still, not, asyctf much vitiated with any mixture of ours ;
but in such purity, that I am sometimes troubled we
were no sooner acquainted with these people, and that
they were not discovered in those better times, when
there were men much more able to judge of them, than
we are. I am sorry that Lycurgus and Plato had no
knowledge of them ; for to my apprehension, what we
now see in those natives, does not only surpass all the
images wit!^ which the poets have adorned the golden
age, and all their inventions in feigning a happy estate
of man ; but, moreover, the fancy and even the wish of
philosophy itself. So native and so pure a simplicity,
as we, by expevience, see to be in them, could never en-
ter into the imagination of the ancient philosophers, nor
could they ever believe that human society could have
been maintained with so little artifice. Should I tell
Plato that it is a nation wherein there is no manner of
traffic, no knowledge of letters, no science of numbers,
no name of magistrate, nor political superiority, no use
of service, no riches or poverty, no contracts, no suc-
cessions, no dividends, no proprieties, no employments
but those of leisure, iio respect of kindred, but common,
no clothing, no agriculture, no metal, no use of corn or
wine, and where so much as the very words that signi-
fy lying, treachery, dissimulation, avarice, detraction,
and pardon, were never heard of, — how much would he
find his im^aginary republic short of this perfection."*

Our author, in the detail of his negations, is a little
incorrect, but the passage, on the whole, is a noble and
profound^ vindication of this primitive people.

* Montaigne's Essays, book 1. chap. 30. Cotton's translation.

^i %

m t

•n-

-mimiH

BTV'^'.,

CHAPTER V.

FEELINGS AND VIEWS OF THE INDIANS AT THE PRESENT
liOUK, WITH SOME SPECIMENS OF THEIR
RECENT. ORATORT. .

Several chiefs from the Missouri territory, (a part
of North America which is inhabited by tribes of In-
dians, who, from the remoteness of their situation, do
not so often as ofhers,.come in contact with white men,)
were brought by order of the government of the United
States, to Washington under the guidance of Major
O'Fallon. The^ were subsequently taken on to New-
York, .vhere, as at Washington, every thing calculated
to impress their minds was exhibited to them. Previous
to their departure to their native homes, they were in-
troduced to the President of the United States, when
the following speeches were delivered by them. The
reader, I think, will not fail to discern in these addresses
a grand vein of original eloquence, united with great sa-
gacity ; another proof of the error of his Excellency De
Witt Clinton, in confining the rhetorical talent solely to
the Iroquois or Five Nations. It is with feelings of hu-
mility that I allude again to this inaccurate statement.
No one can have a higher respect for this gentleman
than myself His discourse delivered to the Historical
Society of New-York, is not surpassed by any docu-
ment I ever read, for profoundness of intellect, philan-
thropy of sentiment, exquisite beauty of composition,
and extent of historical knowledge condensed within a
brief space.

^^■-'m^'

^mmmmmm^.

FEELINGS AND VIEWS OF THE INDIANS, hc> 41

Speeches of several of the ( 'hiefs of the Delegation of In-
dians^ under Major O^ Fallon, to the President of
the United States, in Council, on the 4th of February,

1822.

THE PAWNEE CHIEF.

My Great Father : — I have travelled a great distance
to see you — 1 liave seep you and my heart rejoices. I
have heard your words — ihey have entered one ear and
shall not escape the other, and 1 will carry them to my
people as pure as they tame (rom your mouth.

My Great Father: — I am going to speak the truth.
The Great Spirit looks down upon us, and I call Him
to witness all that may pass between us on this occa-
sion. If I am here now ana have seen your people,
your houses, your vessels on the big lake, and a great
many wonderful things far beyond my comprehension,
which appear to have been made by the Great Spirit
and placed in your hands, I am indebted to my Father
here, who invited me from home, under whose wings I
have been protected.* Yes, my Great Father, 1 have
travelled with your chief; I have followed him, and trod
in his tracks ; but there is still another Great Father to
whom I am much indebted — it is the Father of uc all.
Him who made us and placed us on this earth. I feel
grateful •> iV.a Great Spirit for strengthening my heart
for such an undertaking, and for preserving the life
which he gave me. The Great Spirit made us all — he
made my skin red, and yo »rs white ; he placed us on
this earth, and intended that we should live differently
from each other.

He made the whites to cultivate the earth, and feed
on domestic animals; but he made us, red skins, to
rove through the uncultivated woods and plains; to
feed on wild animals; and to dress with their skins.
Ke also intended that we should go to war — to take
scalps — steal horses from and triumph over our enemies

Vol. I.

* Pointing to Major O'Fallon.

1J:J*'*;5U.'X-

,H«IMI«I^'}<M^>-"

PEELINGS AND VIEWS

— cultivate peace at home, and promote the happiness:
of each other. I believe there are no people of any
colour on this earth who do not believe in the Great
Spirit — in rewards, and in punishments. We worship
him, but we worship him not as you do. We differ
from you in appearance and manners as well as in our
customs; and we differ from you in our religion; we
have no large houses as you have to worship the Great
Spirit in ; if we had them to-^day, we should want
others to-morrow, for we have not, like you, a fixed
habitation — we have no settled home except our vil-
lages, where we remain but two moons in twelve. We,
like animals, rove through the country, whilst you
whites reside between us and heaven; but siill, my
Great Father, we love the Great Spirit — we acknow-
ledge his supreme power— our peace, our health, and
our happiness depend upon him, and our lives belong
to him — he made us and he can destroy us.

JWy Great Father : — Some of your good chiefs, as
they are called (missionaries,) have proposed to send
some of their good people among us to change our
habits, to make us work and live like the white people.
I will not tell a lie — I am going to tell the truth. You
love your country — you love your people— you love
the manner in which they live, and you think your
people brave.— I am like you, my Great Father, I
love my country — I love my people — I love the man-
ner in which we live, and think myself and warriors
brave. Spare me then, my Father; let me enjoy my
country, and pursue the buffaio, and the beaveri and
the other wild animals of our country, and I will trade
their «kins with your people. I have grown up, and
lived thus long without work— I am in hopes you will
suffer me to die without it. We have plenty of buffalo,
beaver, deer and other wild animals — we have also an
abundance of horses — we have every thing we want —
we have plenty of land, if you will keep your people
off of it. My father has a piece on which he lives,
(Council Bluffs) and we wish him to enjoy it — we

.--,.r^--^ f

'^'•h^

less

reat

ship

liffer

and
pade
and

OF THE rNOIANS AT PRESENT.

have enough without it — but we wish him to live
near us to give us good counsel — to keep our ears
and eyes open that we may continue to pursue the
right road — the road to happiness. He settles all
differences between us and the whites, between the red
skins themselves — he makes the whites do justice to
the red skins, and he makes the red skins do justice
to the whites. He saves the effusion of human
blood, aiul restores peace and happiness on the land.
You have already sent us a father; it is enough
he knows us and we know him — we have confi-
dence in him — we keep our eye constantly upon him,
and since we have heard your words, we will listen'
more attentively to his.

It is too soon, my Great Father, to send those
good men among us. fVe are not starving yet — we
wish you to permit us to enjoy the chase until the
game of our country is exhausted— until the wild an-
ithals become extinct. Let us exhaust our present
resources before you make us toil and interrupt our
happiness— let me continue to live as I have done,
and after i have passed to the Good or Evil Spirit
from off the wilderness of my present life, the sub-
sistence of my children may become so precarious as
to need and embrace the assistance of those good
people.

There was a time when we did not know the
whites — our wants were then fewer than they are
now. They were always within our controul — we
had then seen nothing which we could not get. Be-
fore our intercourse with the whites (who have
caused such a destruction in our game,) we could lie
down to sleep, and when we awoke we would find
the buffalo feeding around our camp — but now we
are killing them for their skin!^, and feeding the
wolves with their flesh, to make our children cry over
their bones.

Here, My Great Father, is a pipe which I present
you, as I am accustomed to present pipes to all the

I) 1

',»>>ii

FEELINGS AND VIEWS

red skins in peoce with us. It is filled with sach tO"
bacco as we were accustomed to smoke before we
knew the white people. It is pleasant, and the spon-
taneous growth ot' the most remote parts of our
country. I know that the robes, leggins, mocka-
sius, bear-claws, fee, are of little value to yo!i. ^ut
we wish you to have thern deposited and preserved
in some conspicuous part of your lodge, so that
when we are gone and the sod turned over our bones,
if our children should visit this place, as we do now,
they may see and recognize with pleasure the de-
posites of their fathers; and reflect on the times that
are past.

PA.WNEE LOUP CHIEr.

Jily Great Father: — Whenever 1 see a white man
amongst us i^itliout a protector, I tremble for him.
I am aware of the ungovernable disposition of some
of our young men, and when I see an inexperienced
white man, I am always afraid they will make me
cry. I now begin to love your people, and, as I
love my own people too, I am unwilling that any
blood should be spilt between us. You are unac-
quainted with our fashions, and we are unacquainted
■ with yours; and when any of your people come
among us, I am always afraid that they will be
struck on the head like do^s, as we should be here
amongst you, but for our father in whose tracks we
tread. When your people come among us, they
should come as we come among you, with some one
to protect them, whom we know and who knows us.
Until this chief came amongst us, three winters since,
we roved through the plains only thirsting for each
others's blood — we were blind — we could not see the
right road, and we hunted to destroy each other.
We were always feeling for obstacles, and every
thing we felt we thought one. Our warriors were
always gomg to and coming from war. I myself

_ .»*.i«it«'i(i^j

fjm^ ■■«^'*s<»

OF THE INDIANS AT PRESENT.

have killed and scalped in every direction. I have
often triumphed over my enemies.

OTTOE PART IZ AN.

My Great Father: — I am brave, and if I had not
been brave 1 should not have followed my Father
here. 1 have killed my enemies, I have taken their
liorses, and although 1 love and respect my Father,
and will do any thing he tells me, 1 will not submit
to an insult from any one. If my enemies, of any na-
tion, should strike me, I will rise in the might of my
strength, and avenge the spirit of nny dead. •

O^MAHA CHIEF.

My Great Father: — Look at me — look at me, my
father, my hands are unstained with blood — my
people have never struck the whites, and the whites
have never struck them. It is not the case with
other red skins. Mine is the only nation that has
spared the long knives. I am a chief, but not the
only one in my nation ; there are other chiefs who
raise their crests by ray side. I have always been
the friend of the long knives, and before this chiefs
(Major O'F.) came among us, I suffered much in
support of the whites. I was of);en reproached for
being a friend, but when my father came amongst us,
he strengthened my arms, and I soon towered over
the rest.

My Great Father : — ^I have heard some of your
chiefs, who propose to send some good people
amongst us, to iearn us to live as you do ; but I do
not wish to tell a lie— \ am onlj' one man, and will
not presume, at this distance from my people, to speak
for them, on a subject with which they are entirely
unacquainted — ^I am afjraid it is too soon for us to

* Pointing to Mci^or CFallw.
4^

.^|Bir'-*J»T

FEELII7GS AND Vlt^WS

attempt to change habits. We have too much gaiut
in our country — we feed too plentifully on the buf-
falo to bruise our hands with the instruments of agri-
<:ulture.

The Greut Spirit made my skin red, and he made
us to live as we do now; and I believe that when the
Great Spirit placed us upon this earth he consulted
our happiness. We love our country — we love our
customs and habits. I wish (hat you would permit
us to enjoy them as long as I live. When we be-
come hungry, naked — when the gane of our country
^becomes exhausted, and misery encompasses our
families, then, and not till then, do I want those good
people among us. Then ihf^y may lend us a help-
ing hand — then show us the wealth of the earth — the
advantages and sustenance to be derived from its
culture.

I am fond of peace, my Great Father, but the
Sioux have disturbed my repose. They have struck
upon me and killed two of my brothers, and since
more of my bravest warriors, whose deaths are still
unrevenged. Those Sioux live high up the Missouri,
and, although they have seen my father and heard
his words, they rove on the land like hungry wolves,
and, like serpents creeping through the grass, they
disturb the unsuspecting stranger passing through
the country. I am almost the only red skin opposed
to war — but, my father, what should I do to satisfy
the dead, when every wind coming over their bones
bring to my ears their cries for revenge f I am con-
stantly disturbed by the recollection of my brotherSj
and am afraid to neglect their bones, which have
beC!i thrown to the winds, and lie uncovered and ex-
posed to the sun. I must not be slow to avenge
their death ; I am forced to war, my Great Father,
and I dm in hopes you will assist me ; I am in hopes
that you will give some arms to my father to place
in the hands of my brave, to enable them to defend
their wives and children> Since I have known my

•u^am^lfi^;

OF THE INDIANS AT PRESENT.

lade

the
ihed

our
^rmit

be-
inti-y

our

lather, I have obeyed Am commandsj and wlien I die
I will leave my children to him that he may do witli
them as he pleases.

O'SIAHA PARITZAN.

My Great Father: — My father was a chief, but
he grew old, and became dry like grass, and passed
away, leaving tht roots from which I sprung up, and
have gfown so large without one mark of distinc-
tion. I am still green, but am afraid to die without
the fame of my father. I wish you would be so good
as to give me a mark to attract the attention of my
people, that when I return home I may bring to
their recollection the deeds of my father and my
claims to distinction. Since I left home I have been
much afflicted; death sought me, but I clung to my
father and he kept it off. I have now grown fat, and
am in hopes to return to my nation. There is my
chief, (pointing to the Big Elk,) who has no claims,
no inheritance from his father. I am now following
behind him, and treading upon his heels, in hopes
that you and my father here,* will take piiy on mc
and recollect who my father was.

The following minutes of a conference with the
Senecas, exhibit what the Indians are subject to even
in the state of New York at present.

In Senate, February 11, 1620.

MESSAGE FROM HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOtl.

TO THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY.

Gentlemen —

I have the honour to transmit to you the minutes
.of a conference with the representatives of the SeneCa

* Pointing to Major OTallon

.ft'

FEELINGS AND VIEWS

l> *

Indians. I respectfully recommend to your favour-
able considerations, the objects suggested by them ;
and as I understand that there is now a bill before
you, relative to the ferry at Black Rock, it may be
deemed proper by you to consider one of the re-
quests of the Senecas in connexion with the other
provisions contained in that bill.

De Witt Clinton.

Albany, iUh February, 1820.

♦-
Minutes of a Conference between his Exxellencp De

fVitt Clinton, and Pollard and Capt. Strong, the

Representatives of the Sachem Chiefs of the Seneca

JVation, February 7, 1820.

SPEECH OP THE INDIAN REPRESENTATIVES.

Brother ! — I am happy to find you enjoying good
health, a^ the great council fire, in Albany. Although
our number is small now before you, yet we come not
without authority. We are authorized and instructed
to make these communications. We come in com-
pany with an agent of the United States. What we
do, was agreed upon in a council of the Seneca Na-
tion, before we left home.

Brother ! — Last summer, when you were at Buf-
falo, you will recollect that we had an interview with
you, and stated our grievances. We had heard bad
accounts before, concerning our reservations. You
then stated to us, that you were net prepared to
give us an answer to our request, and that you would
prefer receiving a delegation from us, in Albany, at
the commencement of the winter. We now come.
We intended to have come sooner ; but the United
States' agent having agreed to come with us, and he
liaving been detained at Canandaigu, in making his
report, we have been prevented.

Brother ! — Our principal object is, to obtain a full
and fair statement of you, concerning our reservationi
Reports are in circulatiov, that we hav? no rights.

\ \

;^.«^»%(feir''fA.—

OF THE INDIANS AT PRESENT.

We want a statement under your hands, what we
have, and what we have not. We want to know
whether we can go on with our improvements —
whether we are safe from the claims of those who
have pre-emption rights ; or, whether we are to be
swept away, and robbed and phindered of our own.

Brother ! — You can but recollect the treaty be-
tween {Governor George Clinton, and the Seueca Na-
tion. The treaty embraced a conveyance from us to
the people, of a strip of land, of one mile, on the
straights of Niagara. The treaty contained a condi-
tion that we should fujoy the free privilege of passing
the ferry at Black Rock, without paying toll. This
right was confined to the Seneca Nation. The enjoy-
ment of this privilege is interrupted. The man who
has the care of the ferry, cannot discriminate and de-
termine ivhat Indians have a right to pass toll free.
The Six Nations wish to pass toll-free. They are now
prevented, and oftentimes have no money to pay.
They want a general right. The lease of the ferry
expires soon. In consequence of the late war, the
papers concerning the before-mentioned treaty, are
lost. We now ask a copy of that treaty on parch*
ment.

Brother ! — ^Upon pur domains at Buffalo, there are
many depredations. We want a commissioner or an
attorney appointed to settle our difficulties with the
white people — to stand forth on all occasions, as the
protector of our interests, and as a pacificator in all
disputes which we may have.

Brother ! — We last summer informed you of our
wishes to receive instruction, and to near the preach-
ing of the gospel. We solicit aid, that we may in-
struct our children, build a small edifice in which we
can have religious worship ; — we solcit aid too, that
will encourage in us a better knowledge of agricul-
ture.

Brother ! — We have been defrauded in the sale of
our reservation on Genesee river. The land called

*?^?'''*"*"**'***'^^^^iC^!iir*i-t*

... -:u

FEELINGS ANJ> VIEWS

Bayard's reservation, was purchased by Oliver
Phelps, and no equivalent has ever been realized by
us. Have we any remedy ?

Brother ! — One thing more : We wish to speak of
the Cattaraugus reservation. We have the right of
ferriage, on one side of the river. A man, by the
name of Mack, deprives us of this right. Have wc
any remedy ?

Brother ! — We have been brief. We hope to be
understood. We ask answers to our solicitations as
soon as they can be given. We depart in the spirit
of peace, and may the Great Spirit bless you.

ANSWER.

TO THE SACUEMS, CHIEFS AND WARRIORS OP THE
SENECA INDIANS.

Brethren ! — I have received your communication
by your representatives. Pollard and Capt. Strong j
I am rejoiced to hear of your welfare; may the Great
Spirit continue to bless you.

Brethren ! — You desire to know the full extent of
your rights m your reservations. This request is
reasonable You have an absolute and uncontrolled
right to those lands, to all that they contain, am to
all that they can produce. • To prevent a recurrence
of frauds, which have too often been practised by our
people on our Red brethren, our laws have ordained,
that no sale of Indian l^nd shall be val d, without the
sanction of the government. In your case, the right,
of purchasing the lands of your nation, w.ts granted
by the state of New-York to i*^" «tate of Massachu-
setts ; Massachusetts conveyed the right to Phelps
and Gorham ; and afterwards to Robert Morris ; Ro-
bert Morris again sold it to the Holland l.md com-
pany , and the Holland land company have transferred
it to David A. Ogden and his associates. All the right
that Ogden and his company have, is the right of
purchasing your reservations, when you think it ex-
pedient to sell them ; that is, they can buy your

OF TUE INDIANS AT PRESENT.

Oliver
id by

}ak or

^ht of

fy the

!e we

to be
>us as
spirit

lands, but no other persons can. You may retain
them as long as you please, and you may sell them
to Ogden as sron as you please. You are the owners
of these lands in the same way that your brethren,
the Oneidas, are of their reservations. They are all
that is lefl of what the Great Spirit gave to your an-
cestors. !Vo man shall deprive you of thom, without
your consent. This state will protect you in the full
enjoyment of your property. We are strong — we
are willing to shield yon from oppression. The
Great Spirit looks down on the conduct of mankind,
and will punish us, if we permit the remnant of the
Indian nations, which is with us, to be injured. We
feel for you, brethren : we shall watch over your in-
terests ; we know that in a future world we shall be
called upon to answer for our conduct to our fellow
creatures.

I am pleased to hear of your attention to agricul-
ture, education, and religion. Without agriculture,
you will suffer for want ci food or clothing: without
education, you will be in a st te of mental darkness :
and without religion, you cannot expect happiness in
this world nor in the world to come.

Brethren, — Your suggestions about the appoint-
ment of an attorney, to guard you against the in-
trusions and trespasses of the whites ; about the free
passage of the Indians over the ferry at Black Rock ;
about the ferriage on your side of Cattaraugus re-
servation ; and about the erection of a house of wor-
ship and education, will be transmitted to the great
council, who will, I am persuaded, grant these re-
quests.

Brethren, — I recommend to you to refrain from
those vices which have nearly exterminated all our
red brethren. Cultivate sobriety aud justice, and
may the Great Spirit look down upon you with eyes
of mercv!

DE WITT CMNTON.

Albany J 9th February, 1820.

fmm>tL

FEELINGS AND VIEWS

I know not what effect the succeeding document
may have on my readers, but to me it is deeply af-
fecting ; and furnishes a triumphant proof of the
genius of these extraordinary people for eloquence.
It is worthy of remark that the interpreter himself
was unable to write, though a better evidence than
this of the genuineness of the memorial, as proceed-
ing from the unprompted Indians, may, I think, be
found in the character of the language. The style
is primitive ; the short sentences teem with power; a
serene majesty is spread over the entire composition ;
and the pathos searches and melts the very soul. It
bears a considerable resemblance, in my opinion, to
the inspired writings, and could not have been sup-
plied to the Indians by any white scribe ; nor could
its peculiar characteristics have been superinduced
by the art of the translator. At least such is my
belief.

To Ills ExcBLLENCY De Witt Clinton, Es<i. Go-
vernor OP THE State of New-York,
, Feb. 14, 1818.

Father, — We learn from vonr talk delivered at the
great council fire in Albany, your opinion of the
condition and prospects of your red children.

Father^—Vfe feel that the hand of our God has
long been heavy on his red children. For our sins
he lias brought ns low, and caused us to melt away
before our white brothers, as snow before the fire.
His ways are perfect ; he regardelh not the com-
plexion of man. God is terrible in judgment. All
men ought to fear before him. He puttcth down
and buildeth up, and none can resist him.

Father^ — The Lord of the whole earth is strong ;
this is our confidence. He hath power to build up
as well as to pull down. Will he keep his anger for
ever ^ Will he purt'ia to destruction the workman-
ship of his own hand, and strike off a race of men

■-*-«§IU|»!^--»,.

,.#*:;, -^^^^

OF TBC INDIANS AT VftE8£NT.

from the earth, whom his care hath so long preserved
through so many perils ?

jF*aMcr,-^We thank you that you feel so anxious
to do all yoQ can to the perishing ruins of your red
children. We hope, Father, you will raalle a fence
strong and high around i/s, that wicked white men
may not devour us at once, but let us live as long as
we can. We are persuaded you will do this for us,
because our field is laid waste and trodden down by
every beast ; we are feeble and cannot resist them.

JRtiAer, — We are persuaded you will do this for
the sake of our white brothers, lest God, who has
appearied so strong in building up white men, and
pulling down Indians, should turn his hand and visit
our white brothers for their sins, and call them to an
account for ail the wrongs they have done, and all
the wrongs they have not prevented that was in their
power to prevent, to their poor red brothers who have
no helper.

Father, — Would you be the father of your people,
and make them good and blessed of God, and happy,
let not the cries of your injured red children ascend
into his ears against you.

Father, — We desire to let you know that wrong
information hath reached your ears. Our western
brothers have given us no land. You will learn all
our mind on this subject, by a talk which we sent our
Great Father, the President of the United States.
We send it to you, that you may see it and learn our
mind.

Bed Jacket, his ^ mark,
Young King, his ^ mark,
Captain Billey, his ^ mark,
Captain Pollard, his ^ mark,
Twenty Canoes, his ^ mark,
James Stephenson, his ^ markf
* Chief Warrior, his ^ mark,
John Snow, his ^ mark,
^Stfide Town, his >< maiii,
V014. X. 6

i 1

> •'

•54

FEBLINOS AND VIEWS

\f:

Wheel Barrow, his ^ mark,
Captain Cole, his >< mark,
Big Kettle, his >< mark.
Done at the great council fire, Seneca Village,
near Buffalo, 14th Feb. 1818.

Harbt York, Interpreter, his ^ mark.

P. S. The above Chiefs request your Excellency
to publish, or cause to be published, that article
of the treaty between the state of New-York and
the Indians, that relates to their fishing and hunt-
ing privileges, which their white brethren |^em to
have forgotten.

^ The foregoing adaress to Governor Clinton arose

in consequence of the following passage in his Excel-
_ lency's Speech to the Legislation at Albany, deliver-
ed on the 27th January, 1818.
'' " The Indians in our territory are experiencing

the fate of all barbarous tribes in the vicinity of civi-
lized nations, and are constantly deteriorating in
character, and diminishing in number ; and before
the expiration of half a century, there is a strong
probability they will entirely disappear. It is un-
derstood that the Western Indians are desirous that
ours should emigrate to au extensive territory re-
mote from white population, and which will be
granted to them gratuitously. As this will preserve
them from rapid destruction ; as it is in strict unison
with the prescriptions of humanity, and will not in-
terfere with the blessing of religious instruction, there
can be no objection to their removal. This, how-
ever, ought to be free and voluntary on their part,
and whenever it takes place it is our duty to see
that they receive an an^le compensation for their
territory. At the present time they are frequently
injured and defrauded by intrusions upon their lands,
and some of the most valuable domains of the state
arc sufe|bcte(l to similar detriment. !t is very desira-

:aJfe.'

^%*'

-^ »

-^v,«««^^^t

OF VHlT^INDIANS AT "pl^SENT.

r,h

ik,

iTillage.

trk.

;ellency
article
Mk and
d hunt^
sj^^em to

m arose
i Excel-
deliver-

riencing
of civi-
iting in
d before
, strong
I is un-
ous that
tory re-
will be
preserve
t unison
i not in-
sn, there
is, bow-
eir part,
' to see
for their
equently
ir lands,
the state
y desira-

ble that otir lars should provide adequate remedies
in these cases, and that they should be vigorously en-
forced."

Our subject will be further illustrated by the fol-
lowing, which furnishes another instance of the eter-
nal violatifri of treaty by the white people in their
intercourse with the red men of America.

CORNPLANTER»S LETTER.

^ Jlllegheny niver, 2d mo. 2d, \S22.

SPEECH OF CORNPLANTER TO THE GOVERNOR OF

PENNSYLVANIA*

1 feel it my duty to send a speech to the Governor
of Pennsylvania at this time, and inJorm him the
place where I was from— which was at Conewaugus,
on the Genesee River.

When I was a child, I played with the butterfly,
the grasshopper and the frogs ; and as I grew up, I
began to pay some attention and piny with the In-
dian boys in the neighbourhood, and they took no-
tice of ray skin being a different colour from theirs,
and spoke about it. I inquired of my mother the
cause, and she told me that my father was a re-
sidenter in Albany. I still eat my victuals out of
a bark dish— -I grew up to be a young man, and
married me a wife — and I had no kettle or gun. i
then knew where my father lived, and went to see
him, and found he was a white man, and spoke the
English language. He gave me victuals whilst 1 was
at his house, but when I started to return home, he
gave me no provision to eat on the way. He
gave me neither kettle nor gun ; neither did he tell
me that the United States were about to rebel against
the government of England.

I will now tell you, brothers, who are in session of
the legislature of Pennsylvania, that the Great Spirit
has made known to ine that I have been wicked ; and

!»=,»;*"

^"f^-'f^mx^

KfM

FSELING5 AKD VIEWS

the cause thr 9f was the revolationary war in Ame-
rioR. The caase of Indians having been led into sin,
at that iirae, was that many of them were in the prac-
tice of drinking and getting intoxicated. Great Bri-
tain requested us to join with them in the conflict
against the Americans, and promised the Indians land
and liquor. I, myself, was opposed to joining in the
conflict, as 1 had nothing to do with the difficulty that
existed between the two parties. I have noiv inform-
ed you how it happened that the Indians took a part
in the revolution, and will relate to you some circum-
stances that occurred after the close of the war. Ge-
neral Putnam, who was then at Philadelphia, told

-me thelre was to be a council at Fort Stanwix ; and
the Indians requested me to attend on behalf of the
Six Nations — which I did, and there met with three
comroissiouers, who bad been appointed to hold the
council. They told me they would infor ii me of the
cause of .'he revolution, which 1 requested them to
do minutely. They then said that it had originated
on account of the fareavy taxes that had been imposed
apon them by the British government, which had
been, for My years, increasing upon tbem ; that the
Americans had grown weary therettf, and refused to

^ay, which affronted the king. There had likewise
a driSiculty taken place about some tea (which they
wished me not to use, as it had been one of the cau-

'ses that many people had lost the^r lives.) And the
British government now being affronted, the war
commenced, and the cannons began to roar in oar
country. General Putnam then told me at the cpub-
cil at Fort Stanwix, that by the late war, the Ame-
ricans had gained two objects : they had established
themselves an independent nation, and bad obtained
gome land to live upon — the division-line 'of which,
from Great Britain, ran through the lakes. I then
spoke. Mid said that I wanted sonie land for the In-
dians to live on, and General Putnam said that it
should be granted, and I should have land in the

bF THE INDIANS AT PRESENT.

State of New- York, for the Indians. .General Put-
nam then encouraged me to use my endeavours to
pacify the Indians generally ; and as be considered
it;oin arduous task to perform, wished to kqow what
I wanted for pay therefor f I replied to him, that I
would use my en^ieavours to do as he had requested,
with the Iiidians, and for pay therefor, 1 would take
land. I lold him not to pay me money or dry-
goods, but land. And for having attended thereto I
received the tract of Innd on which 1 now live, which
was presented to me by Governor Mifflin. I told Ge-
neral Putnam, that I wished the Indians to have the
exclu«ive privilege of the deer and wild game — which
he assented to. I also wished the Indians to have the
privilege of hunting in the woods, and making fires
— which he likewise assented to.
X The treaty that was made at the aforementioned
council, has been broken by some of the white peo-
ple, which I now intend acquainting the governor
with : — Some white people are not willing that In-
dians should hunt any more, whilst others are satis-
fied therewith y and those white people who reside
near our reservation, tell us that the woods are theirs,
and they have obtaif;eu them from the governor.
Th6 treaty has been also broken by the white people
using their endeavours to destroy all the wolves —
which was not spoken about in the council at Fort
Stanwix, by General Putnam, but has originated
lately.

It has been broken again^ which is of recent origin
White people wish to get credit from Indian^, and
do not pay them honestly, according to their agree-
ment. In another respect it has also been broken
by white people, who reside near my dwelling ; for
when I plant melons and vines in my field, they take
them as their own. It has been broken again by
white people using their endeavoors to obtain our
pine trees from os. We have very few pine trees on
qjir land, in the st^te of l^ew York ; and white peo-

11 I

111

»e

rSSUNGS ANB VIEWS

i;,

pie and Inoia/is often gtei into diapate respecting them.
There is ulso a great quantity of whiskey loaronght
near our reservation by white people, and the Indians
obtain it and become drunken. Another circac^-
stance has taken piace which is very trying to rne^
and i wish the interference of the governor.

The white people, who live at Warren, called upau
me, some time ago, to pay taxes for my land ; whieh
I objected to, as 1 had never been called upon foi
that purpose before ; and having refused to pay, the
white people became irritated, "(tiled upon me fre-
quently, and at length brought four guns with them
and seized our cattle. I still ret'used to paiy, and
was not willing to let the cattle gu. After a time ot
dispute, they returned home, ana i understood the
militia was ordered out to enforce the collection of the
tax. I went to Warren, and, to sivert the impending
drMculty, was obliged to give my note for the tax,
the amount of which was forty-three dollars and
seventy-nine cents. It is my desire that the governor
will exempt me from paying taxes for my land to
white people ; and also cause tnat the money I am
now obliged to pay, may be retimed to me, as f am
very poor. The governor is tlfe person who attends
to f he situation of the people, and I wish him to send
a person to Alleghany, tha^ I may inform him of the
particulars of our situation, and he be authorized to
instruct the whide people, in what manner to conduct
themselves towards Indians.

The government has told us that when any diffi-
culties arose between Indians and white peopl^^, they
would attend to having them removed. We are now
in a trying siHiation, and I wigh the governor to send
a person, authorized to attend thereto, the forepart ot
nejEt summer, about the time that grass has grown
high enough for pasture.

. The governor formerly requested me to pay afl-
tention to the Indians, and take care of them : — wf>
afe now pjTived aft a sitnition that I believe Indian

or TSSINBIANS A.T CaESSNT.

cannot exist, unJesi the governor should comply with
my coquest, and send a person anthoriaer* %o treat
betvMen ns and ^e white people, the approaching
summer. I have now noioiore to speak.

CoRNPLAifTEH, Mis >^ Mafk,
A . Joseph Elkinton,

^' Interprete)r and Scrivener.

2'o Joseph Heister,

"Governor of Menn$yhama. #

I will conclude this chapter with the oration o(
Te-cum-seb, the celebrated Shawanee warrior, as
rendered by Mr. Hunter. It appears, from his ac-
count, that '' some of the white people among the
Osages were traders, and others were reputed to be
runners from their Great Father beyond wbe great
waters, to invite the Indians to take up the toma-
hawk against the settlers. They made many long
talks, and distributed many valuable presents ; but
without being able to shake the resolution which the
Osages bad formed, to preserve peace with "dieir
Great Father, tlie president. Their determinations
were, however, to undergo i^ more severe trial : —
Te-cum-seh now made his appearance among them.''

*' He addressed them in longf eloquert, and pathe-
tic strains; and an assembly more numerous than
had ever been witnessed oti any former occasion,
listened to him with an intensely agitated, though
profoundly respectful, interest and attention. In fact,
so great was the etfect produced by Te-cum-seh*g elo-
quence, that the chiefs adjourned the council shortly
after he had closed bis harangue; nor did they finair
iy come tm a decision on the great question in debate
for several days afterwards."* His proposals werfe,
however, in the end, rejected.

HuDter'8 MemoifSvp. 4fi?

7:1

•^^HBli >u.,..4

/ i

'■^H' FEELINGS ARD VIEWS

" Brothers^ — We all belong to one family ; we art'

all childrcin of the Great Spirit ; we walk in the same

path; slake our thirsfat theisame gpring; afldtf now

afifairs of the greatest concern lead$ us to smoke the

. pipe around the same counciMre V

'.^roMer*,— We are friends ; we must assist each
other to bear our burthens. The bliod of many of
our fathers and brothers has run like water on the
ground, tn satisfy the avarice« of the white men.
We, ourselves, are threatened with a great evil ; no-
thing will pacify them but the destruction of all the
red man.

** Brothers, — When the white^en fiwt set foot on
our grounds, they ;vere hungry ; they had no place
on which to spread flieir blankets, or to kindle their
Hres. ThlCf|y were feeble*; they could do nothing for
themselves. Our fathers commiserated theiir' distress,
atid shared freely with them whatever the Great
Spirit hfd given his red children. They gave them
food when hungry, medicipe when sick, spread skins
fo^thlnn to sleep on, and gave them grounds, that
they might hunt and raise com. — Brothers, the white
people are like poisonous serpents: when chilled,
they are feeble and harmless ; but invigorate them
with warmth, and 4bey sting t|ieir benefactors to
death.

*' The white peopl^came among us feeble ; and
now we have made them strong, they wish to kill us,
or drive us back, as they would Wolves and pan-
thers.

" Brothers, — ^The white men are not friends to the
Indians : at first, they only asked for land sufficient
for a wigWam ; now nothing will satisfy tkem but X\\t
whole of our hunting grounds, from the rising to the
setting sun.

" BrotherSf'-^The white men want more than our
hunting grounds ; they wish to kill our warrior^ ;
they would even kill onr old men, womeik, and jittle
gties.

01* mil! INDIANS AT PRESENT.

•^

'* jBrothers, — Many winters ago, there was no land ;
the sun did not rise and set : all wuf darkness. The
Great Spirit made all things. He gave the white
people a home beyond the great waters. He sup-
plied these grounds witli game, and gave them to his
red children ; and he gave tiiem strength and courage
to defend them.

** Brothers f — -My people wish for peace ; the red
men all wish for peace; but where the white people
are, there is no peace for them, except it be on the
bosom of our mother.

" Brothers^ — The .. hite men despise and cheat the
Indians ; they abuse and insult them ; they do not
think the red men sufficiently good to live.

*'The red men have borne man.v and great inju-
ries ; they ought lo suiTer them no longer. My peo-
ple will not ; they ere determined on vengeance ;
they havt^ taken up the tomahawk : they will make
it fat with blood; they will drink the blood of the
white people. ■< ,

^^ Brothers y~^M.y people are brave and numerous;
but the white people are too strong for th^m alone.
I wish you to tsJu up the tomahawk witu them. If
we all unite, weTwiil cause the rivers to stain the
great waters with their blood.

^* Brothers, — If you do not unite with us, they
will first destroy us, and then you will fall an easy
prey to them. They have destroyed many nations
of red men because they were not united, because
they were not friends to each other.

^'Brothers, — ^The white people send runners among
us; they wish to make us enemies, that they may
sweep over and desolate our hunting grounds, like
devastating winds, or rushing waters.

*^ Brothers, — Our Great Father, over the great
waters, is angry with the white people, our enemies.
He will send his brave warriors against them; he.
will send us rifles, and whatever else we want — he is
our friend, and we are bis children.

■0m

mHAm

•A

FE£L1N08, &:C. OF THE INDlJiiiS*

'" Brothers^-^Who are the white people that wv
should fear thera? They cannot run fast, and are
good marks to shoot at : they are only men ; our
lathers have killed many of them : we are not
squaws, and we will stain the earth ted with their
blood.

" Brothers, — The Great Spirit is angry with our
enemies ; he speaks in thunder, and the earth swal-
lows up villages, and drinks up the Mississippi.
The great waters will cover their lowlands; their
corn cannot grow ; and the Great Spirit will sweep
those who escape to the hills from the earth with his
terrible breath.

^^Brothers, — We must be united ; we must smoke
the same pip ; we must fight each others battles;
and more than all, we must love the Great Spirit;
he is for us; he will destroy our enemieS;, and make
all his red children happy."

■f^

t^'f-- '■■■ ■•'•>«»!*■■

_^,.-^

^§•^3'

Vlt,

CHAPTER VI. •*

ATTACBHCKT TO, AND EDUCATION OF, THEIR
^ CHILDREN.

In consequence mf the universal sentiment that the
Indians, from defect of intellect, afe incapable ot
civilization^ I fully determined to endeavour to pro-
cure a youi% deserted infant (if such could be found)
whom I would have taken and educated with, .id as
one of m)^own. My speoalations on this plan were,
ho^wever, frustrated ; as all who were intimate with
the Indians, concurred in affirming that i6 obtain
one of their ^children ^ould be impossible. No
emolument, or hope of advancement, would induce
an Indian to part with his child. What an exalted
virtue is here established ! People who are es-
teemed most civilized, most refined, have very dif-
ferent feelings as to their offspring, which in many
instances are cast ofl* at their birth to be nursed by
a hireling; alienated from their early home, nnd
abandoned to the too often careless guardianship of
an academy ; consigned to a college, where if they
learn something of Virgil and the mathematics, they
also get initiated, before their manhood, into every
species of dissipation ; and finally sent to remote
parts of the glob.e (no matter where) with little, if
any, regard to a single consideration other than the
acquirement of wealth. How few of the duties
obligatdry on parents are fulfilled by the majority
of Christian fathers and mothers !

The tender solicitude of the Indian women, in
respect to their children, I have had several oppor-
tuliities of witnessing; but it was never .acre com-

^. •«1

ATTACBMENT TO aKO EDUCATION

pletely developcti than by the following itocideot
which took place before my eyes.

A mother with an infant at her breast, and two
other children, one about eleven iMid the other eight
or nine years of age, were in a canoe near* a mile
from land, during a violent tqnall. The windtcamc
in sudden gusts, and the^waves dushed in rapid suc-
cession over the frail vessel. The ^ poor woman,
with a small oar in one hand and the othiiK^surfound-
ing her babe, directed the two yoiing«ooes, who
each had a paddle,iio.get the bihd of the «anoe to
ihe wind while Vhe squaK lasted^, v/hicb, witli much
labour on the part of these tender littje mariners,
aided by the mother, was at length 0kcteAi but
during the effort it was very touching to see the
strong emotions of maternal love, evidenceijl to Jhe
poor infant at her breast. She wcHild clasp H lightly
to her agitated bosom, then cast a n^^ntary look
at her other children, and with an anxious and steady
gate, Witch the coming wave. In this scene were
exhibited such high degrees of fortitude, dexterity,
and parental affection, that I could have wished
many of our civilized mothers, who look and think
with contempt on the poor Indian, had beheld her.

This tenderness in the early nurture of their off-
spring, is followed by the most exact care in their
subsequent education. "It may justly be a subject
of wonder," says Mr. Heckewelder, ** how a nation,
without a written rode of laws or system of jurispru-
dence, without any form or constitution of govern-
ment, and without even a single elective or hereditary
magistrate, can subsist together in peace and harmo-
ny, and in the exercise of the moral virtues ; how a
people can be well and effectuall}' governed, without
any external authority, by the mere force of the
ascendancy which men of superior minds have over
those of a more ordinary stamp ; by a tacit, yet uni-
versal submission to the aristocracy of experiei^e,
talents, and virtue! Such, nevertheless, is the spec-^

.aiiB*y.-7yg^...T .' "LJiiiim wi . ' '

^''

-r -^ -

sscrrsa

"9^-^ OF THBIII CRILDMIK.

tacle which an Indian nation exhibit! to the eye of n
stranger. I have been a witness to it for a long se-
riei of years, and aftei much observation and reflec*
tion to discover the cause of this phenomenoOi I
think I have reason to be satisfied that it is in a great
degree to be ascribed to the pains which the Indians
take to instil at an early age honest and virtuous
principles upon the minds of their children, and to the
method which they pursue in educating them. This
method I will not call a system, for systems are on>
known to these sons of nature, who, by following-
alone her dictates, have, at once discovered, and fol-
low without effort, that plain obvious path which the
philosophers of Europe have been so long in search
of."* •

The manner of this education is described by our
good missionary as follows : —

" The first step that parents take towards the ed«
ucation of their children, is to prepare them for fu-
ture happiness, by impressing upon their tender
minds, that they are indebted for their existence to a
great, good, and benevolent Spirit, who not only has
given them life, but has ordained them for certain
great purposes. That he has given them a fertile ex-
tensive country, well stocked with game of every kind
for their subsistence ; and that by one of his inferi-
or spirits he has also sent down to them from above,
corn, pumpkins, squashes, beans and other vegeta-
bles for their nourishment ; all which blessings their
ancestors have enjoyed for a great number o^ ages.
That this great Spirit looks down upon the Indians^
to see whether they are grateful to him and make
him a due return for the many benefits he has be*
stowed, and therefore that it is their duty to show
their thankfulness by worshipping him, and doing
that which is pleasing in his sight. «

* Heckeweld«r*B Hutorical Account, |>. 98.
VOL. I» f>

ATTACHMEjNT TO AND EDUCATION

t " This is in substance the first lesson tau|;ht, and
from time to time repeated to the Indian children,
which naturally leads them to reflect and gradually
to understand that a Being which hath done such
great things for them, and all to make them happy,
roust be good indeed, and that it is surely their duty
to do something that will please him. They are
then told that their ancestors, who received all this
from the hands ot the Great Spirit, and lived in
the enjoyment of it, must have been informed
of what would be most pleasing to this good Being,
and of the manner in which his favour could be
most surely obtained, and they are directed to look
up for instruction to those who know all this, to learn
from them, and revere them for their wisdom and the
knowledge which they possess ; this creates in the
children a strong sentiment of respect for their eld-
ers, and a desire to follow their advice and example.
Their young ambition is then excited by telling them
that they were made the superiors of all other crea-
/tures, and are to have power over them ; great pains
are taken to make this feeling take an early root,
and it becomes, in fact, their ruling passion through
life ; for no pains are spared to instil into them, that by
following the advice of the most admired and extolled
hunter, trapper, or warrior, they will at a future day
acquire a degree of fame and reputation, equal lo
that which he possesses ; that by submitting to the
counsels of the aged, the chiefs, the men superior in
wisdom, they may also rise to glory, and be called
Wise men^ an honourable title, to which no Indian is
Jndiflercfit. They are finally told that if they respect
the aged and infirm, and arc kind and obliging to
them, they will be treated in the same manner when
their turn comes to feel the infirmities of old age.

"When this first and most important lesson is
thought to be suifficiently Impressed upon children's
minds, the parents next proceed to make them sensi-
ble of the distinction letwetn good and evil ; they

,> '* '- •— T '•'"•^ ♦*'.i*t ^

- ^ "

»•«. < ■ iiiir

'»(■

ifW^ OF THEIR CHILDREN.

tell them that there are good and bad actions, both
equally open to them to do or commit ; tiiat good
acts are pleasing to the good Spirit which gave them
their existence, and that on the contrary, all that is
bad proceeds from the bad spirit who has given them
nothing, and who cannot give them any thing that is
good, because he has it not, and therefore he envies
them that which they have received from the good
Spirit, who is far superior to the bad one.

"This introductory lesson, if it may be so called,
naturally makes them wish to know what is good and
what is bad. This the parent teaches them in his
own way ; that is to say, in the way in which he was
himself taught by his own parents. It is not the les-
son of an hour nor of a day, it is rather a long
course more of practical than of theoretical instruc-
tion; a lesson, which is not repeated at stated sea-
sons or times, but which is shown, pointed out, and
demonstrated to the child, not only by those under
whose immediate guardianship he is, but by the whole
community, who consider themselves alike inte-
rested in the direction to be given to the rising ge^
neration.

" When this instruction is given in the form of pre-
cepts, it must not be supposed that it is done in an
authoritative or forbidding tone, but, on the contrary,
in the gentlest and most persuasive manner : nor is
the parent's authority ever supported by harsh or
compulFive means ; no whips, no punishments, no
thr<;at8 are ever used to enforce commands or com-
pel vibedience. The child's pride is the feeling to
which an appeal is made, which proves successful in
almost every instance. A father needs only to say
in the pfesence of his children ' I^want such a thing
done ; I want one of my children to go upon such an
errand ; let me see who is the ^oo<^ child that will do
it !' This word good operates, as it were, by magic,
and the children imraediately vie with each other to
comply with the wishes of their parent. If a father

e§

ATTACHMENT TO AND EDUCATION

sees an old decrepit mau or woman pass by, Ud
along by a child, he will draw the attention of his
own children to the object by saying, * What a good
child that must be, which pays such attention to the
aged ! That child, indeed, looks forward to the time
when it will likewise be old !* or he will say, * May
the great Spirit, who looks upon him, grant this
good child a long life !'

'* In this manner of bringing up children, the pa-
rents, as I have already said, are seconded by the
whole community. If a child is sent from his father's
dwelling to carry a dish of victuals to an aged per-
son, all '\i the house will join in calling him a good
child. They will ask whose child he is, and on bdng
told, will exclaim, what ! has the Tortoiset or the IjitUc
Bear, (as the father's name may be) got such a good
child f If a child is seen passing through the streets
leading an old decripit person, the villagers will in
his hearing, and to encourage all the other children
who may be present to take example from him, call
on one another fo look on and see what a good child
that must be. And so, in must instances, this me-
thod is resorted to, for the purpose of instructing
children in things that are good, proper, or honoura-
ble in themselves ; while, on the other hand, when
a child has committed a bad act, the parent will say
to him, ' O ! how grieved I am that my child has
done this bad act ! I hope he will never do so again.*
This is generally effectual, particularly if said in
the presence of others. The whole of the Indian
plan of education tends to elevate rather than depress
the mind, and by that means to make determined hun-
ters and fearless warriors.

*' Thus, when a lad has killed his first gafne, such
as a deer br ty bear, parents who have boys growing
up will not fail to say to some person in the presence
c'' their own children, ''That boy must have listen-
ed attentively to the aged hunters, for, though so
young, he has already given a proof that he will be-

•«i-

^^ ox THEIR CHILDREN.

come a goo'] hunteriiimself.' If, on the other hand,
a young man should fail of giving such a proof, it
will b,e said of him * that he did not pay attention to
the discourses of the aged.'

^" In this indirect manner is instruction on all sub-
jects given to the young people. They are to learn
the arts of hunting, trapping, and making war, by
listening to the aged when conversing together on
those subjects ; each Iin his turn relating aow he
acted ; and opportunities are afforded to them for
that purpose. By this mode of instructing youth,
their respect for the aged is kept alive, and it is in-
creased by the reflection that the same respeci will
be paid to them at a future day, when young persons
will be attentive to what they shall relate.

" This method of conveying instruction is, I be-
lieve, common to most Indian nations ; it is so, at
least, amongst all those that I have become ac-
quainted with, and lays the foundation for that volun-
tary submission to their chiefs, for which they are so
remarkable. Thus has been maintained for ages,
without convulsions and without civil discords, this
traditional government, of which the world, perhaps,
does not offer another example ; a government in
which there are no positive laws, but only long esta-
blished habits and customs $ no code of jurispru-
dence, but the experience of former times ; no magis-
trates, but advisers, to whom the people, neverthe^
less, pay a willing and implicit obedience, in which
age confers rank, wisdom gives power^nd moral
goodness secures a title to universal respect. All
this seems to be effected by the simple means of an
excellent mode of education, by which a strong at-
tachment to ancient customs, respect for age, and the
love of virtue are indelibly impressed upon the minas
of youth, so that these impressions acquire strength
as time pursues its course, and as they pass tbrouigh
successive generations.'' ^

'it.

<natato-

*tfH mf i >» Hm i j

-3&1

'ii.ij^:'M*-'W^t'*/^f-'-

CHAPTER VII.

SCNSIBILITT — GRATITUDE' — CRUEL CONDUCt EXER-
CISED TOWARDS THE INDIANS.

In parsing down the St. Lawrence in the summer
of 1819, 1 stopped 'my batteaux at a tavern where I
proposed to remain all night. Two squaws were
there with a basket of wild strawberrief* for sale, and
t directed the mistress of the tavern to purchase
some that I might have them with cream for my
supper. ' It was soon, however, to be perceived by
the conversation in bargaining, that my landlady and
the Indian women could not come to terms. There
seamed to be much harshness in the manner of the
former ; but the replies of the latter were so meek,
and their demeanour so submissive, that bad I been
making the bargain under the'impression of my feel-
ings, few words would have been neces^^ary. The
christian purchaser, ha<wever, continued so extor-
lionate in her demands, that the poor disappointed
heathens turned away from her. Truly unreasonable
indeed must the lady have been, for there was nei-
ther tillage, nor other house near likely to 4ifford a
floiltket for the poor Indian hawkers, who it seemed
had come fb this very tavern with the hope of telling
their fruit. Under this impression I followed the
poor women, put a small sum into the hands of one
of them, and hastily passed on, while they gated at
me with gstpnishmcnt at so unexpected a largess,
for so it appisired to them. On my return from a
walk along the river, I was surprised to see the two
squaws standing at the corner of the house patiently
waiting for me; when, with eyes sparkling with
fftnotions which I could not misunderstand, but

r'TiS?t»f.i;?tr!*'i«,»r,-r-vr- -Bj>i

CONDUCT TOWABbs T0*5 INDUNS.

which I am incapable of portraying, they presented
me with a bowl top-full of picked strawberries, which
I rejected at first, being desirous of convincing
them there were some, if not many, white men who
felt kindly towardi them. But their expression of
entreaty was so vehement, their importunity so great,
that I felt it necessary, to« their happiness to accept
their present, for they had no otBer way of showing
their gratitude. This humble offering furnished my
supper, and sweet indeed would my»meal have been,
had not commiseration for the wrongs of these sorely
abused, persecuted, forlorn,, and abandoned people,
mingled withvmy enjoyment. I am so fully impressed
with their unde^ervedrmisery, and with the nobleness
of their character^ that I should esteem (he > devotion
of my life in their cause the mobi. honourable way in
which it could be employed ; but alas, years and cir-
cdmstances prevent my doing more than making this
feeble effort to rousie the energies of youthful talent
in their behalf; and as' benevolence pervades the
youthful mind rabre powerfully than that of the aged,
I am not without a hope that4housands will yet start
up to advocate the cause of the Red inditinSj . and
prosecute measures for the amelioration of Iheir
state. • ■ ^ ' ■^.:,- . -•

The above instance of want of charity, nay, of
common decency on the part of white people in their
intercourse with the Indians, is not by any means of
rare occurrence. My reader will already have seen
the complaints and pathetic appeals to justice which
the poor children of the wilderness are so frequently
compelled, by the treachery of their civiliied neigh-
bours, to make ; and I am sorry to add another spe-
cimen to the long Hst of these atrocious outrages,
which, in large and petty aggressions, is daily
.swelling and becoming more and more enormous.
In passing, on the very day 1 have just adverted to,
through the thousand islands, one of the boatmen
wiio were.rowing roe, haljooed to ^ canoe in which

*»v

CBCrEL CONIK}OT EXERCISEP

; f-

some Indians were fishing, who immediately camt
towards us, and a barter commenced between tliem
and the boatmen. The boatmen held up a piece of
(y>ld pork and a loaf, for which they were to receive
llsh. The poor young Indians^ (for the eldest was
not above fourteen, and there were two little girls
younger) showed what^Mi they would give; yet
w arily kept at ^ distance, fearing wi*at; in spite of
their precaution, actually took place. The boatmen
struck suddenly at the caiioe with their oars, and in
the confusion which this attack caused, grasped the
fidij the bread and pork they. at first oSered were,
I need hardly say, withheld. Having achieved this
noble enterppse they shouted and assailed the unre-
sisting apd defenceless children (who paddled Cu evi-
dently tearful of further outrage,) with taunts and
mockery, These raen^ were Canadians ; there were
four of them ; and Tliad no other means of punishing
them^ on this occasion than b^ withholding the usual
pecuniary fee. I was in some measure at their
mercy ; but though compelled to be. a calm specta-
tor of so dastardly a theft, 1 confess I was still more
incensed at feeing how heartily some inhabitants of
Canada, ivho were my fellow-passengers^, seemed to
enjoy , tint' joke. The, fact is, the Indians are esteem-
ed lawful prey. Such is the feeling of thousands of
m?u called christians, who boast of civilization, but
who derive their subsistence by intercourse with the
Indians ; and however Just many in the United States
are, and however careful the British government is to
guard the rights of the red men, yet as this guardian-
ship is chiefly committed lo those who are partakers
in the spoils of the Indianii, the care, instead of being
wise and benign, is rather Jo debauch their untutored
minds by the introduction of spirits among them.
Every cup to them is indeed ** unblessed, i^nd the in
gredient is a devil !" Gradually, therefore, are they
diminishing, and receding from the haunts of what we
term civilization ! That this charge dyes not apply

"r''r:^*'' , ^ n i m iTi g ." -rnrm

> II|H > I I ». W I ii | P >^ >

T0WABD8 TBS llmikVS,

to all, and rarelj to the heads of these departmentf .,
I rejoice to admit ; but still those heads of depart-
ments are responsible for all the acts of their subor-
dinate agents, and should exercise a vigilant superin-
tendence, impartially punishing any, the leas^ in-
fringement of their regulations. No man should be
connected with the Indian department who is direct-
ly or indirectly interested in trade with the Indians.

I will not (ieclaim on this subject, but let the fol-
lowing facts, derived from Mr. Heckewelder's ac-
count, peak Ibr thero8;.>lves.

** In the summer of the year 1763, some friendly
Indians from a distant place, came to Bethlehem to
dispose of their peltry for manufactured goods and
necessary implements of husbandry. • Returning
home well satisfied, they put up the first night at a
tavern, eight miles distant.* The landlord not being
at home, his wi^ took the liberty of encouraging the
people who frequented her house for the sake of drink-
ing, to abuse those Indians, adding, that she would
freely give a gallon of rum to any one of them that
should kill one of those black devils. Other white
people from the neighbourhood came in during the
night, who also drank freely, made a gieat d^al of
noise, and increased the fears of those poor IndianSg
who, for the greatest part, understanding English,
could not but suspect that something bad was in-
tended against their persons. They were not, how*"
ever, otherwise disturbed ; but in the morning, when,
after a restless night they were preparing to set ofl*,
they found themselves robbed of some of the most va-
luable articles they had purchased, and on mention-
ing this tc a man who appeared to be the bar-keeper,
they were <;irdered to leave the house. Not being wil-
ling to lose so much property, they retired to some

*" This r«latioii ii aathentiot I have received ittiayt Mr. Hecke-
welder, from the mouth of the chief of the injured party, and his
statement was ooafirmed by communicaticns made at the time by
two respectable mag^btrates of the countjr.

-Ir

'} .S

OBUCL CONDUCT EXERCISED

distance into the woods, where, some of them retnain-*
ing with W^hat wds led them, the others returned to
Bethlel'ieui and lodged their complaint with a justice
of r* e peace. The magistrate gave them a letter to
the the landlord, pressing birii without delay to re&tore
to the Indians the goods thut had been taken from
them. But behold ! when they delivered flmt letter
to the people at the inn they were told in answer,
* that if they set any value on their lives, they must
make Nff Vuh themielves immediately' They well
i^- xoodthat they had no other alternative, and
■ ; s Hy departed without having received back
\ i\*3eir goods. Arrived at Nescopeck on the
Susqueh. ih, they fell in with some other Dela-
wares, who had been treated much in the same man-
ner, one of them having had his rifle stolen from him.
Here th;.- two parties agreed to take revenge in their
own way, for those insults and robberies for which
they could obtain no redress ; and th^t they deter-
mined to ci'o as soon as war should be again declared
by their nation against the English.

" Scarcely had these Indians retired, when in ano-
ther place, about fourteen miles distant from the for-
mer, one man, two women and a child, all quiet In-
dians, were murdered in a most wicked and barbarous
manner, by drunken militia officers and their men,
for the purpose of getting their horse and the goods
they had just purchased.^ One of the women, fal-
ling on^ her knees, begged in vain for the life of her-
self ftnd her child, while the other woman seeing what
was doing, made her escape to the barn, where she
endeavoured to hide herself on the top of the grain.
She however was discovered, and inhumanly thrown
down on the thrashing floor with such force that her
brains flew oat.

** Here, then, were insults, robberies and murders,
all coiiimitlii within the short space of three months,

, '^ Justice Getger's letter fojustice Honefield proreB thiB fiict.

•r^

III . j W H W gj .ji

,jjrOWABD8 THE INDXAMB.

7ff

unatoned for and anreveoged. There was no pvpff?*
peot of ohtait^Qg redress ; the survivors were tber»*
for^ obUffe(^tP;Seek some^other means to obtain re-
venge. Ttiisjr did So; the Indians, already exaspe*
rated against the English in consequence of repeated
outrages, jsnd considering the nation as responsible
for the injuries ii^hich it did neither prevent or pujiisb,
an^for which it did not even offer to make any kind
of reparation, at last declared war, and then the in-
jured^arties were^ liberty to redress themselves for
the wrongs they had suffered. They immediately
started against ti;e objects of, their. Ufgred, and find*-
ing their way unseen and undiscovered, tp the ion
which had been the scene of the first outrage, they
attacked^ it at d^yrbreak, fired unto, it on the peoole
within .who were lying, on their beds. Strang tr
relate ! the murderers of the man, two womer. i^nv
child, were among them. They were m.^'Ally
wounded, and died of their wounds shortly aftc^ a ay da*
The Indians, afler leaving this house, murdorei, by
accident an innocent family, having mist ^n the
house that they meant to attack, after which %.n<.y re-
turned to their homes. <<>

" Now a violent hue and cry was raised against
the lodians^T^Po language was too bad, no crimen too
black to brand them with. No faith was to be placed
in those savages ; treaties with them were of no ef-
fect ; they ought to be cut off from the face of the
earth ! Such was the language at that time inevery
body's mouth; the newspapers were filled with ac-
counts of the cruekics of the Indians ; a variety of
false reports were circulated in order to rouse the
people against them ;^ vabile they, the really injured
party, having no printing presses among'^ themy could
not make known the story of their grievances.

** ^ r^o faith can be placed in what the Indians pro-
mise at treaties ; for scarcely is a treaty concluded
than they are again murdering us.' Such is our
complaiol against these unfortunate people; but they

V •

» "^''i

^, W\ '^t'M^^r^^^f

iiiaii>ihg^winil^.aiiii Mfwiing Mr

your life, ikl^ ihoiild yma find tpftt the bwi^yowr
c<Hiiitry n«E^ reach yom mbfutjMnmm, ymMre
Qtdy to efcep or cooeeal yoHnelr lor a while until
thr stora hes bloiro over ! I well recollect the time
wheftMihieyei eod mardeiKrf of lodiaot fled fiesealw?

1^'

TOWARDS THE INDIANS.

pending punishment across the Susquehannah wiiere
they considered themselves s&t'e ; on which account
this river had the name given to it of ' the rogues^ ri-
ver.* I have heard other /ivers called by similar
names.

" In the year 1742, the Reverend Mr. Whitefield
ofiered the Nnzareth Manor (as it was then called)
tor sale to the United Brethren. He had already
begun to build upon it a spacious stone house, in-
tended as a schuni-house for the education of Indian
children. The Indians, in the meanwhile, loudly
exclaimed against the white people for settling in this
part of the country, which had not yet been legally
purchased of them, but, as they said, had been ob-
tained by fraud.* The Brethren declined purchasing
any lauds on which the Indian title had not been
properly extinguished, wishing to live in peace with
all the Indians around them. Count Zinzendorfl
happened at that time to arrivn in the country ; he
found that the agents of the proprietors would not
pay to the Indians the price which they asked for
for that tract of land ; he paid them out of his pri-
vate purse the whole of the demand which they made
in the height of their ill temper, and moreover gave
them permission to abide on the land, at their vil-
lage, (where, by the by, they had a fine large peach
orchard,) as lung ns they should think proper. But
among those white men, who afterwards came and
settled in the neighbouriiood of their tract, there
were some who were enemies to the Indians ; and a
young Irishman, without cause or provocation, mur-
dered their good and highly respected chief, Tademi,
a man of such an easy and friendly address, that he
could not but be loved by all who knew him. This,
together with the threats of other persons ill dispo-
sed towards them, was the cause of their leaving

* Alluding to what was at that time kuowo by the name of th«
ijbng dayU walk.

Vol. I. 7

' i'-;

CRUEL CONDUCT EXCBCISED

the settlement on this manor, and removing to places
of greater safety.

It is true, that when flagrant cases of this descri[>"
tlon occurred, the government, before the revolution,
issued proclamations ofl'ering rewards fur appre-
hending the ofleuders ; and in later times, since the
country hat> become more thickly settled, those who
had been guilty of sui^h offences were brought before
the tribunals to take their trials. But these formali-
ties have proved of little avail. In the first case, the
criminals were seldom, if ever, apprehended; in the
second, no jury could be found to convict them ; for
it was no nnr< luroon saying among many of the men
of whom jurif 8 in the frontier countries were com-
m jnly composed, that no man should bo put to
death for killing an Indian ; for it was the same
thing as killing a wild beast !

^*In iiie course of the revolutionary war, in which
(as in all civil commotions) brother was seen fight-
ing against brother, and friend against friend, a
party of Indian warriors, with whom one of those
white men, who, under colour of attachment to their
king, indulged in every sort of crimes, was going
out against the settlers on the Ohio, to kill and de-
stroy as they had been ordered. The chief of the
expedition had given strict orders not to molest any
of the white men who lived with their friends the
Christian Itidians ; yet, as they passed near a set-
tlement of these converts, the white man, unmindful
of the ordprs he had received, attempted to shoot
two of tlir Missionaries who were planting potatoes
in their field, and though the captain warned him to
desist, he still obstinately persisted in his attempt.
The chief, in anger, immediately took his gun from
him, and kept him under guard until they had
reached a considerable distance from the place. I
.have received this account from the chief himself,
who on his return sent word to the Missionaries
that they would do well not to go far from home

-«(•»«.

TOW/RDS TUK INDIANS.

?4\*

o places

descrijh
volution,
appre-
since the
lose who
ht befor/e
; formaiU

case, the
d; in the
hem ; for
f the men
vere com-
ic put to
the same

in which
lecn fight-
friend, a
e of those
nt to their
vas going
U and d«-
ief of llie
nolest any
friends the
near a set-
unmindful
d to shoot
g potatoes
ned him to
lis attempt,
gun from
they had
I place. I
ef himself,
Missionaries
from home

as they were in too great danger from the whitt
people.

" Another white man of the same description,
whom 1 well knew, related with a kind of barbarous
exultation, on his return to Detroit from a war ex-
cursioa with the Indians in which he had been en-
gaged, that tiie party with which he was, having
taken a woman prison^T who had a sucking f)abe at
her breast, he tried to persuade the indinns to kill the
child, lest its cries should discover the place where
tbey were; t!ie Indinns were unwilling to commit the
deed, on which the white man at ouce Jumped up,
tore tiie child from its mother's arms, and taking it
by the legs dashed its head against a tree, so thai the
brains flew out all arou d. The monster in relating
Uiis story said, 'The little dog all the time was
making wee /' Me added, that if he were sure that
his old father, who some time before had died in Old
V^irginia, would, if he had lived longer, have turned
rebel, he would go all the way into Virginia, raise the
body, and take oil' his scalp !

" Let us now contrast with this the conduct of the
Indians. Carver tells us in his travels tvith what
moderation, humanir y and delicacy they treat female
prisoners, and particularly pregnant women.* i
refer the reader to the following fact, as an instance
of their conduct in such cases. If his admiration is
excited by the behaviour of the Indians, I doubt not
that his indignation will be raised in an equal degree
by that of a white man who unfortunately acts a
part in the story.

'* A party of Delawares, in om of their excursions
during the revolutionary war, took a white female
prisoner. The Indian chief, after a march of several
days, observed that s'ne was ailing, and \'. as soon
convinced (for she was far advanced in her preg-
nancy) t.hat the time of her delivery was near. He

* Cftrver'a Travels, cb. 9, p.l9({.

CKUEL CONDUCT EXERCISED

immediately made a halt on the bank of a stream,
where, at a proper distant from the encampmentt he
built for her a close hut of peeled barks, gathered
dry grass and fern to make her a bed, and placed
a blanket at the opening of the dwelling as a substi-
tute for a door. He ikien kindled a fire, placed a
pile of wood near it to feed it occasionally, and
placed a kelile of water at hand where she might
easily use it. He then took her into her little in-
firmary, gave her Indian medicines, with directions
tbow to use them, and told her to r^'St easy, and she
might be sure that nothing should disturb her.
Having done this, he returned to his men, forbade
them from making any noise, or disturbing the sick
woman in any manner, and told them that he him-
self should guard her during the night. He did so ;
and the whole night kept watch before her door,
walking backward and forward, to be ready at her
call at any moment, in case of extreme necessity.
The night passed quietly ; but in the morning, as
he was walking by on the bank of the stream, seeing
him through the crevices, she called to him and pre-
sented her babe. I'ho good c'.nef, with tears in his
eyes, rejoiced at her safe delivery; he told her not to
be uneasy, thm he should lay by for a few days, and
would soon bi'tng her somi nourishing food, and
some medicines to take. T!ien going to his encamp-
ment, he ordered all hi« men to go out a hunting,
and remained himself to guard the camp."

Forgive me, reader, if, for a momet, I disturb the
order of my extract. There is nothing that I know
within the whole scope of anecdotal history more
affecting than the present narration. How exalted
was the humanity of this Indian Chief! how refined
his delicacy ! hew watchful and tender his care ! —
The pathos, though deep, is sweet ; and Mr. Hecke-
welder has communicated the story in a style of feel-
ing and simplicity worthy of it. He has made us
witnesses of the transaction. We see through the

TOWARDS THE INDIANS.

darkness of the night, the swarthy warrior walk-
ing • anxiously backward and forward before the
hut of bark, — the *' little infirmary" of the labouring
woman The morning comes ; and in the pale
dawn behold ! the poor creature pointing, in a state
of utter exhaustion, to her babe, delivered in the
wilderness — in night and solitude ! Yet was she not
entirely without support ; for, over and above the
secret aid which came to her pangs from high, see !
she meets with sympathy in a wild man, a stranger,
a warrior ; who melts into tears at the sight ! My
heart, too, swells as I read. Bear wi^i me — we will
resume our extract.

"Now for the reverse of the picture. Among the
men \vhom this chief had under his command, was
one of those white vagabonds whom I have belore
described. The captain was much afraid of him,
knowing him to be a bad man ; and as he had ex-
pressed a great desire to ^o a hunting with the rest,
he believed him gone, and entertained no fears for
(he woman's safety. But it was not long before he
was undeceived. While he was gone to a small
distance to dig roots for his poor patient, he heard
her cries, and running with speed to her hut, he was
informed by her that the white man had threatened
to take lier life if aUe did not immediately throw her
child into the river. The captain, enraged at the
cruelty of this man, and the liberty he had taken
with his prisoner, hailed him as he was running off,
and told him ' That the moment he should miss the
child, the tomahawk should be in his head.' After
a (*i\Y days this humane chief placed the woman
carefully on a horse, and they went together to the
place of their destination, the mother and child doing
well. I have heard him relate this story, to which
he added, that whenever he should go out on an ex-
.cursion, he never would suffer a white man to be of
his party.

" Vet I must acl^nowledgc thai I have known an

■*y

^,.*-.

CRUEL CONDUCT BXEBCISED

Indian chief who had been guilty of the crime of kil-
ling the child of a female prisoner. His name, was
Glikhican. In the year 1770, he joined the congre-
gation of the Christian Indians ; the details of his
conversion are related at large by Loskiel in his
History of the Missions.^ Before that time he had
been conspicuous as a warrior and a counsellor, and
in oratory it is said he never was surpassed. This
raaii, having joined the French in the year 1754 or
1755, in their war against the English, and being at
that time out with a party of Frenchmen, took among
other prisoner, a young woman, named Rachel Ab-
bottf from the Conegocheague settlement, who had
at her breast a sucking babe. The incessant cries
of the child, the hurry to get off, but above all, the
persuasions of his white companions, induced him,
much against his inclination, to kill the innocent
creature; while the mother, in an pgony of grief,
and her face vuffused with tears, begged that its life
might be spared. The woman, however, was
brought safe to the Ohio, where she was kindly
treated and adopted, and some years afterwards was
married to a Delaware chief of respectability, by
whom she had sever^il children, who arc now living
with the Christian Indians in Upper Canada.

** Glikhican never forgave himself for having com-
mitted this crime, although many times, and long be-
fore hh becoming a Christian, he had begged the
woman's pardon with tears in his eyes, and received
her fiee and full forgiveness. In vain she pointed
ont to him all the circumstances that he could have
allcdged to excuse the deed ; in vain she reminded
him of his unwillingness at the time, »nd his having
been in a manner compelled to it by his French asso-
ciates; nothing that she did say could assuage ins
sorrow or quiet the perturbation of his mind ; h^
railed himself a wretch, a monster, a cowardj (the

•* LotklHp. 3. qh.3

TOWAaDS THE INDIANS.

proud feelings of an Indian must be well understood
to judge of the force of this self-accusation,) and to
the moment of his death the remembrance of this
f tal act preyed like a canker-worm upon his spirits.
I ought to add, thnt from the time of his conversion
he lived the life of a Christian, and died as such.

" The Indians are cruel to their enemies ! — In
some cases they are, but perhaps not more so than
white men have sometimes shown themselves. There
have been instances of white men flaying oi taking
oflfthe skin of Indians who had fallen into their hands,
then tanning those skins or cutting them in pieces,
making them up into razor-straps, and exposing
those for sale as was done at or near Pittsburg some-
time (luring the revolutionary war. Those thing.<i
are abominations in the eyes of the Indians, who,
indeed, when strongly excited, inflict torments on
their prisoners and put then to death by cruel tor-
lures, but never are guilty of acts of barbarity in
cold blood. Neither do the Delawares and some
other Indian nations, ever on any account disturb
the ashes of the dead.

" The custom of torturing prisoners is of ancient
date, and was first introduced as a trial of courage.
I have been told, liowever, that among some tribes
it has never been in use ; bat it must be added that
those tribes gave no quarter. The Delawares
accuse the Iroquois of having been the invenlers of
this piece of cruelty, and charge them further with
eating the flesh of their prisoners after the torture
was over. Be this as it may, there arc now but few
instances of prisoners being put to death in this
manner.

" Rare as these barbarous executions now arc, 1
liavc reason to believe that they would be still less
Irequcnt, if proper pains were taken to turn the In-
dians away from this heathenish custom. Instead of
this, it is but too true that they have been excited to
cruelty by unprincipled white men, who have Joioed

s i

CRUEL CONDUCT EXERCISED

iij their war-feasts and even added to the barbarity
of the scene. Can there be a more brutal act than,
after furnishing those savages, t**) they are called,
with implements of war and destruction, to give them
an ox to kill and to roast whole, to dance the war
dance with them round the slaughtered animal, strike
at him, stab him, telling the Indians at the same
time, ' Strike, stab ! thus you must do to your ene-
my !* Then taking a piece of the meat and tearing
it with their teeth, ' So you must eat his flesh !' and
sucking up the juices, * Thus you must drink his
blood f and at last devour the whole as wolves do a
carcass. This is what is known to have been done
by some of those Indian agents that 1 have men-
tioned.

*' Is this possible ^ the reader will naturally ex-
claim. Yes, it is possible and every Indian war-
rior will tell you that it is true. It has come to me
from so many credible sources that I am fmced to
believe it. How can the Indians now be reproached
with acts of cruelly to which they have been excited
by those who pretended to be Chri^f^lians and civi-
lized merj, but who were worse savages than those
whom, no doubt, they were reacy to brand with that
^larnc

"When hostile governments * give direcfions to
omploy the Indians ar^^inst their enemies, they surely
do not kno'v that i?ch I the manner in which their
orders are to be ei.ctucd ; but let me tell them and
every government who will descend to employing
these auxiliaries, that this is the only way in which
their subaltern agents will and can proceed to make
their aid cifectual. The Indians are not fond of in-
terfering in quarrels not their own, and will not fight
with spirit for the mere sake of a livelihood whicli.
they can obtain in a more agreeable manner by bunt-
ing and their other ordinary occupations. Their pas-
sions must be excited, and that is not easily done
when they themselves have not recervcd any injury

JKits."^'*

VOWAIlt)S THE INDIANS.

from those against whom they are desired to fight.
Behold, then, the abominable course which must un-
avoidably be resorted to — to induce them to do what ?
— to lay waste the dwelling of the peaceable cultiva-
tor of the land, and to murder his innocent wife and
liis helpless children ! I cannot pursue this subject
farther, although 1 am far from having exhausted it.
I have said enough to enable the impartial reader to
decide which of the two classes of men, the Indians
and the whites, are the most justly entitled to the epi-
thets of brutes, barbarians, and savages. It is not
for me to anticipate his decision."*

* See HockewoUler, chap. 44.

CHAPTER VIII.

VANITY AS TO DRESS, AND OTHErVeRSONAL
DECORATION.

r-'' y

The warriors and chiefs arc distinguished by tlieii
ornaments. The present dress of the Indians is well
known to consist in blankets, plain or ruflled sisiits
and leggins for the men, and cSoth petticoats for tl.<?
women, generally red, blue, or black. Tlie blan-
kets are sometimes made of feathers. This manu-
facuire roquire? great patience, being a very tedious
kind of work ; yet the Indians do it ir: a moat inge-
nious manner. The feathers (generally those of the
turkey and choose) arc curiously arranged and inter-
woven together with a sort of thread or twine, which
they prepare from the rind or bark of the wild hemp
'jLml nettle. The v^althy adorn themselves with- ri-
bands or gartering of various colours, beads, and sil-
ver broaches. They wear, moreover, broad rings or
bands on their arms, fingers, and r^und their hats;
these oruuments are highly valued if of silver, but if
only plated they >*re despised, and would hardly be
worn. I have seen in young children, three rings in
each ear. These decorations are arranged by tht
women, who, as well as the men. know how to dress
themselves ni style. Those of the men consist in the
painting of themselves (their head and face principal
iy,) wearing gaudy garments, with silver arm span-
gi: '' and breast-plates, and a belt or two of wampum
i^aAf^jing to their necks. The women, at th** expense
of tficir husbands or lovers, line their petticoat and
blanket ' ith choice ribcinds of various colours, or
with gartering, on which they fix a number of silver
broaches oi* sroul! round buckles. They adorn their

VANITY AS TO DRESS, hc.

leggi'igs in the same manner ; their mockaseus are
nep.(ly embroidered witli coloured porcupin>'? quills,
and are besides, almost entirely covered with various
trinkets ; they have also a number of little bells and
brass thimbles fixed round their ankles, which, when
ihey walk, make a tinkling noise, which is heard at
some distance ; this is intended to draw the attention
of those who pass by, that they may look at, and ad-
mire them.

The women make use of vermilion in painting
themselves for dances ; but they are very careful and
circumspect in applying the paint, so that it does not
offend or create suspicion in their husbanas ; there
is a mode of painting which is left entirely to loose
women and prostitutts.

The following diverting anecdote is told by my oUl
friend the Moravian missionary : —

" As 1 was once resting in my travels at the house
of a trader who lived at some distance from an Indian
town, I went in the morning to visit an Indian ac-
quaintance and friend of mine. I found him engaged
in plucking out his beard, preparatory to painting
iiimself for a dance which was to take place the en-
suing evening. Having finished his head-dress, about
an hour before sunset, he came up, as he said, to
see me, but I and my companions judged that ho
came to be seen. To my utter astonishment, I saw
three diOerent paintings or figures on one and the
same face. He had, by his great ingenuity and
judiijment in laying on and shading the different
colours, made his nose appear, when we stood di-
rectly in front of him, as if it were very long and
narrow, with a round nob at the end, much like the
upper part of a pair of tongs. On one clicck there
was a red round spot, about the size of an apple,
and the other was done in the same manner with
black. The eye-lids, both the upper and lower
ones, were reversed in the colouring. When wo
viewed him in profile on one sido,, his nose reprcr

7><'

^ii

l«

-*i»

VANITY AS TO 3RESS, &C.

V J

sented the beak of an eagle, Trith the bill rounded
and brought to a point, precisely as those birds liavc
it. though the moian was somewhat open. Thf eye
was astonishingly well done, and the head, upon
the whole, appeared tolerably well, showing a great
deal of fierceness. When we turned round to the
other side, the same nose now resembled the snout of
a pike, with the mouth so open, that the teeth could
be seen. He seemed much pleased with the execu-
tion ; and having his looking glass with him he con-
templated his work, seemingly with great pride and
exultation. He asked me how i !i!<ed it .'* 1 answer-
ed that if he had done the work on a piece of board,
bark, or any thing else, I should like it very well,
and often look at it. ' But,' asked he, • why not so
as it is .'" * Because,' said 1, ' I cannot see the face
that is hidden under thuse coloui-s, so as to know
who it is.' ' Well,' he replied, ' I must go now ;
and as 3'ou cannot know me to-day, I will call ic-
monow mornihPf before you leave this place.' Hi-
did so, and when he came back, he was washed clean
again."

When the men paint their iltiighs, legs and breast,
they generally, after laying on a thin shading coat ol
n darkish colour, and sometianes of a whitish clav,
dip iheir fingers' ends in black or red paint, and then
spreading them out, bring the streaks to a serpentine
form.

The notion formerly entertained that the Indians
arc beardless by nature, and have no hair on their bo-
tljes, is now entirely exploded. It is scarcely possi
hie, indeed, for any person to pass a few weeKs onl's-
amour these people, without seeing tiicni pluck out
their beards with tweezers made expressl3' ^'^'' ^''''^*
purpose. They peiforrn the operation in a very
•juick manner, much like the plucking of a fowl ; and
the oftener it is done, the finer the hair grows, till at
last the roots are so destroyed, that little or no hair
appears left. The reasons they give for thus deraci-

VANITY AS TO DRESS, &C.

iiating their hair, are that they may have a clean
skin to lay the paint on, when they dress for their
festivals or dances, and to facilitate the tattooing them-
selves ; a custom formerly much in vogue among
them, especially with those who had acquired celebri-
ty by their valour. They say that either painting
or tattooing on a hairy face or body would have a
disgusting appearance.

Tattooing is now greatly discontinued. The pro-
cess is quickly done, and does not seem to give much
pain. They have poplar-bark in readiness, burnt and
reduced to a powder ; the figures that are to be tat-
tooed are marked or designed on the skin ; the ope**
rator, with a small stick, rather larger than a com-
mon match (to the end of which some sharp needles
are fastened) quickly pricks over the whole so that
blood is drawn; then a coat of the above powder is
laid and left un to dry.

I was travelling in the United States, near Lake
Erie, accompanied by a (5entleman who, like myself,
was a stranger in the country ; and after riding se-
veral miles through the woods in great suspense, as
scarcely any track was discernible, we at length ar-
rived at an Indian hut. Night was now approaching,
and we determined to return ; but, observing through
the trees a number of Indians coming towards us, we
changed our purpose, lest our going off might have
been considered an indication of fear, a thing they
are very apt to resent. We, therefore, spurred our
horses forward, and proceeded towards several well-
constructed framed houses, near one of which stood
two Indian men. Having alighted, we fastened our
horses to the railing tha^ enclosed a small garden,
and accosted the men with assumed confidence,
though not altogether without fear, for as they were
living within the States, it occurred to our minds that
they might not be friendly if they perceived we were
British. These men were engaged sharpening an ax
at a grindstone. When the Indian who turned the

V tt 8

" 4
if

VANITY A8 TO DBE88, &IC.

Stone, discovered he wai looked ot, he immediately
changed hands at his work, and with secret pride, but
i/Tected carelessness, extended the little finger of the
nand now employed, on which we conid not avoid
seeing a large silver ring. No sweet clergyman, in
odour with the ladies, could have better displayed a
jewel over the edge of his pulpit, — no spruce physi-
cian, conscious of his brilliants, while feeling his pa-
tient's pulse ; or dandy, taking a pinch of snUfl'with
an eye to the exhibition of his trinkets, could have
dond the tiling with a finer air than our Indian. This
high mark of civilization, 1 must confess, inspired me
with courage. We went post ihem to the house, into
which we entered without ceremony, though the door
was shut. We there found a young squuw who took
little notice of us. The house was a framed one,
well boarded outside, and lined and floored with the
same material within. It was about twenty feet
square, and ten high. In the side there was a loft,
which seemed to be used as a kind of store-house for
cobbs, or heads of Indian corn, wool, he. There
were tuo bedsteads with blankets and covers of stri-
ped woollen and linen, a small table, and some rude
chairs. On each side the fire stood a holiow trunk
of a tree, about two feet ten inches high, in the bot-
tom of each of which were a hard stone, and a large
wooden pou u'er or pestle for bruising Indian corn.
There were, moreover, some pots, pans, wooden
plotcs and dishes, a churn lor milk, and pails for
milking, scooped out of the solid tree. Few cabins
in Ireland surpassed the one 1 am describing; and
very few indeed, I grieve to say, equal it. Other
buildings, still more commodious, appeared at a dis-
tance ; but as night was gaining upon us, and we
had still seven miles through the woods to go, we
hurried away from the interesting scene. On our
road we met two squaws, each riding a very good
Torse. Upon seeing us, they imitated the polished
oirs of the most refined people; holding themselves

VANITY AS TO DRESS, &C>

more erect, reining \i\ their steeds, and looking at u»
with real modesty ol' manner. As soon as they pass-
ed they dashed forward w'uli laughter, being highly
amused at the astonishment apparent in us.

My own observations have convinced me that
many of the feelings and acqurremeiits which in the
most fashionable constitute the surest marks of civi-
lization, are to b« found abundantly among the In-
dians. The men are fond of war and religion, of
hunting, fishing, and feasting ; averse to laltour, and
impatient of control. Does this prove them savages ?
The women aifect dress and distinction : are doting-
ly fond of their children, whose wants, together with
the wants of their husbands, they labour to supply.
They are also warmly attached to their kindred and
tribe. As some of these characteristics are not to
be found in civilized life, the women may, for aught
1 know, bear some mark of savages. But with such
inherent qualities, what might not these tribes become,
both men ^nd women ?

Another trait of the Indian character is that thev
are kind and merciful masters to their horses ; and
cattle of every description are well fed, and kept in
good condition by them.

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23 WfST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

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CHAPTER IX.

ATTEMPTS RECENTLY MAUE TO LEAD THE INDIAN'
TRIBES TO ADMIT TEACHERS OF CHRISTIANITY
AMONG THEM ; WITH OBSERVATIONS THEREON,
AND MINTS TO MISSIONARIES.

Several scattefed tribes, in various parts of the
United States, and in Upper and Lower Canada,
have nominally embraced Christianity as professed
by the Roman Catholics and other sects ; and recent
effort! have been made by Missionary Societies to
forward amon^ all the nations a willingness to ad-
mit teachers to instruct them in the Christian profes-
sion. A grand council of the Indians of many scat-
tered and distant tribes, was to be held in the autumn
or fall of 1819, for the purpose of deliberating and
deciding whether these religious teachers were or
were not to be allowed a footing amor.g them. I
happened at the time to be in the neighbourhood
of their assembling, (not far distant from Buffa-
lo ;) but findinfj that the subject would occupy
many days, perhaps weeks, arid that the dis-
cussions would oe held among themselves, ard in
their own languages, I was prevented from attending
the council. I availed myself, however, of every
opportunity of getting at the turning point of this
important subject. On my journey from Buffalo to-
wards Canada, I met an Indian Chief proceeding to
the council fire to enter upon the above deliberation.
He had an excellent horse, saddle, and bridle ; his
rifle, pistols, tomahawk, and blanket were slung on
his horse ; the scalping k^ife and pipe were attached
to his person. The tout-ensemble of his dress was
finery itself. He had silver clasps on his arms, long

RECENT ATTEMPTS, &C.

peacock-feathers in his cap, and conspicuous above
all, was a large silver cross, about eighteen inches
long, suspended by a string of wampum round his
neck. This indicated that he was a champion of
Christianity. He had alighted from his horse, and
was leaning against a rail fence, but in so beastly a
state of drunkenness, that although he made many
efforts to remount, he was unable, while I continued
to observe him, to accomplish it. The very stirrup
seemed to bafle him, and swing away from his foot :
like another ecclesiastical adventurer (Hudibras,)

«.

he had much ado

To reach it with his desperate toe,"

his

I would willingly have offered my aid to the chief,
but fearing to give offence, I continued my journey,
deeply mortified at what I had witnessed; yet I
reflected that many champions of the cross had at
all times gone forth like this poor besotted Indian ;
like him accompanied by arms and external decora-
tions, and if not drunk ]iytth rum, intoxicated with the
love of earthly distinctions, power, and dominioa ^
and oyer all, the cross! as if that emblem could
sanctify the warlike spirit and abomination that it
covered.

In a few days afterwards, I was fortunate enough
to meet with an intelligent young Indian chief, from
Avhom Ilearned many important particulars relative to
the grand council meeting. It appeared that for
many years the subject had been debated, and I was
enabled to acquire from my young informant, a know-
ledge of the positions which the different parties took
upon this important question. The favourers of
Christianity alleged that the Great Spirit had ceased
to regard them on account of their crimes, and had
given them into the hands of the white men : that
many years had gone over since the white men ob^
rained a footing among them, and that while they

■i'A^

-S-. .'ISfe-.

■ •* - "V *t

RECENT ATTEMPTS TO

» ■

.*>■

(the Indians) were melting away from the face of the
earth, the ^vliites were every year increasing. • Tliis
must evidently proceed from the determination of the
Great Spirit, and it was wisdom, therefore, to yield
to the religion of the Europeans, as the only means
ol avoiding the total destruction of their tribes ; by
doing so they would find more favour and security,
not only from their father at Washington, but from
their great father beyond the salt lake."^ (For as
this council was attended by chiefs from tribes in the
United States, so also were many there from the Bri-
tish side.)

The opposers of the measure urged, in reply, that
the Great Spirit was angry with the Indians but for
a season, and had only given temporary power to
while men to punish them. The Indians had in for-
mer times enjoyed many and great blessings, and
should do so again. Why, therefore, ought they to
depart from the worship of their fore-fathers, and
follow the religion called Christian f As under the
name of that religion, and from those who professed
it, had they experienced all their wrongs and suffer-
ings, and had arrived at their present wasted condi-
tion ! Surel}' they should not embrace a faith that
would tolerate such wickedness. What treaty had
Christians kept with them? What just principles had
they not violated f Had they not despoiled them of
their lands, of their hunting grounds, of their lakes,
and their mountains f Had they not slain their young
men and their old warriors ? Had they not taught
them to act as beasts, yea, worse than the beafits of
the forest, by the use of spirituous liquors f Did they
not give rum to them to deceive and cheat them ; to
take from ihem their fields and their skins f And had
they not derived loathsome diseases and other evils
from those professing Christianity ? Can the God of
the Christians approve such acts ? — " Away,"conclu-

* The King of England.

CONVERT THE INDIANS.

ded these reasoners, '^ with the religion and the name
of Christian, why should we embrace it ?"

I have thus embodied the outline of the contro-
versy ; and alas ! how painful is it to admit that
these objections are but too well founded. Never-
theless, the young Indian chief seemed to think that
the majority will consentHo receive Christianity. As
this young man could read English very well, I
endeavoured to point out to him that true Chris-
tianity no more countenanced oppression nor unjust
conduct than the Great Spirit did, from whom it
came ; and that what the Lord Jesus Christ taught
and practised, was alone to be found in the New
Testament, where his own words were recorded, and
where the effects produced upon all who believed
them, were to be seen. I told him that our Saviour
denied those to be his people who acted unjustly to
any: that his religion made no distinction between
white and black men — between men of any name or
nation under Heaven : that he who truly did unto
his neighbour as he would be done by, was approved
of Christ, while he who did wrong was condemned.
All men were sinners; but the Lord Jesus, in his in-
finite compassion, came into the world to give. his
life a ransom for their offences. Such, therefore, as
believed in his exceeding love and propitiation, and
were led, by such belief, to forsake their sins, to love
each other, to be at peace with all men, to perform
the duties of life uprightly, to obey their parents,
masters, and governors, and live piously with the
fear of God in their hearts, were true Christians. I
strongly endeavoured to impress on the mind of my
young friend, that Christianity was not to be known
by the professions made in the present day, which
generally were nothing more than a system of
opinions, arranged so as to acquire respect to a cer-
tain order of men, that they might the more easily
grasp wordly power and wealth ; whereas the religion
of the Cross, as taught by Jesus and his Apostles,

! 4

— . -^ . - I

RECENT A1TEMPT3 TO

M .

li\

and as we have it set forth in the Scriptures, does
not- countenance a lust after secular honours or do-
minion, but expressly forbids it to his followers;
merely requiring of them that they should yield
honour where honour is due, and that their lives
should be meek, holy, harmless, and undefiled ; not
returning evil for evil, but good for evil.

The earnestness with which these observations
were attended to by the young Indian, greatly in-
terested me ; and how should I rejoice that Chris-
tianity should be exhibited to these simple people, by
acts of benevolence, charity, and mercy, leaving the
speculations and systems to the learned and refined.
.The Moravian misssonaries set a laudable example
in this respect, and the consequences have been that
their labours have proved more successful than those
of all other sects whatever. Preparation is neces-
sary previous to the reception of any principles ; and
in this way God was graciously pleased to act.
The Jewish dispensation was the forerunner of the
Gospel ; the Prophets, (and the last and greatest of
them, John the Baptist,) were all sent to prepare the
way for the appearance of the Saviour of men ; ayd
when the Lord of life and glory camCf he gradually
initiated the minds of men to receive the full display
of his mercy and his divine character. But now,
forsooth, those who assume the name of Missionaries,
or, in another word, that of Apostles, despise this
mode, and at once open upon the poor mind of the
heathen, the whole artillery of their college stores of
doctrine and wisdom, forgetting that bodily wants^
and comforts must be established, before the minu
can' be fitted to receive instruction. The glad
tidings of salvation to poor sinners can be taught
without books: it was so propagated at first : it is a
plain statement of facts, easy to be recollected. We
have several accounts of the manner of the original
publication of the Gospel ; especially in the 2d, 10th,
and 1 3ih of •' Acts." The things therein stated were

-~ 75i5.-aii^ ■ „.

■"» -C. ■

„ V. ti-' -'"'

i ..1 ■

CONVERT THE INDIANS. 97

what the early Christians believed ; and in the mere
belief of which they found joy and salvation ; .and
such things the Indians are fully capable of bearing
in their minds. Until we return to the simple teach-
ing of the primitive apostles, and abandon our
school-wisdom, success with the Indians cannot,
I feel fully persuaded, be looked for with confidence.
That our endeavours hitherto, have indeed been
worse than ineffectual, the following most important
letter from an Indian chief to the governor of one
of the United States, (New York) will abundantly
show.

LETTER FROM RED JACKET.

Canandaiguat I8ih Jan. 1821.
"brother parrish,

" I address myself to you, and through you to the
governor.

^' The chiefs of Onondaga have accompanied you
to Albany, to do business with the governor ; I also
was to have been with you, but I am sorry to say
that bad health has put it out of my power. For
this you must not think hard of me. I am not to
blame for it. It is the will of the Great Spirit that
it should he so.

** The object of the Onondagas is to purchase our
lands at Tonnewanta. This, and all other business
that they may have to do at Albany, must be trans-
acted in the presence of the governor. He will see
that the bargain is fairly made, so that all parties may
have reason to be satisfied with what shall be done ;
and when our sanction shall be wanted to the trans-
action it will be freely given.

" I much regret that at this time the state of my
health should have prevented me from accompany-
ing you to Albany, as it was the wish of the nation
that I should state to the governor some circumstan-
ces, which show that the chain of friendship between

<i ' 'M

I .

RECENT ATTEMPTS TO

US and the white people is wearing out and wants
brightening.

" I proceed now, however, to lay them before you
by letter, that you may mention them to the gover-
nor, and solicit redress. He is appointed to do
justice to all, and the Indians fully confide that he
will not sufier them to be wronged with impunity.

" The first subject to which we would call the at-
tention of the governor, is the depredations that are
daily committed by the white people upon the most
valuable timber on our reservations. This has been
a subject of complaint with us for many years ; but
now, and particularly at this season of the year,
it has become an alarming evil, and calls for the
immediate interposition of the governor in our behalf.

" Our next subject of complaint is, the frequent
thefts of' our horses and cattle by the white people,
and their habit of taking and using them whenever
they please, and without our leave. These are evils
which seem to increase upon us with the increase of
our white neighbours, and they call loudly for
redress.

'' Another evil arising from the pressure of the
whites upon us, and our unavoidable communication
with them, is the frequency with which our chiefs,
and warriors, and Indians, are thrown into jail, and
that too for the most trifling causes. This is very
galling to our feelings, and ougbt not to be permitted
to the extent to which, to gratify their bad passions,
our white neighbours now carry this practice.

" In our hunting and fishing too, we are greatly
interrupted by the whites. Our venison is stolen
from the trees, where we have hung it to be re-
claimed after the chase. Our hunting camps have
been fired into, and we have been warned that we
shall no longer be permitted to pursue the deer in
those forests which were so lately all our own. The
fish, which in the Buffalo and Tonnewanta Creeks,
lised to supply us with food, are now, by the dams

CONVERT THE INDIANS.

and other obstructions of the white people, prevented
from muhiplying, and we are almost entirely de-
prived of that accustomed sustenance.

" Our Great Father, the president, has recom-
mended to our young men to be industrious, to
plough and to sow. This we have done, and we arc
thankful for the advic*-, and for the means he has
afibrded us of carrying it into effect. We are hap-
pier in consequence of It ; but another thing recom-
mended to us, has created great confusion among us,
and is making us a quarrelsome and divided people;
and that is, the introduction of preachers into our
nation. These black-coats contrive to get the consent
of some of the Indians to preach among us, and
wherever this is the case, confusion and disorder are
sure to follow, and the encroachments of the whites
upon our lands, are the invariable consequence. The
governor must not think hard of me for speaking
thus of the prerchers ; I have observed their pro-
gress, and when 1 look back to see what has taken
place of old, 1 perceive that whenever they came
. among the Indians, they were the forerunners of their
dispersion; that they always excited enmities and
quarrels among them ; that they introduced the white
people on their lands, by whom they were robbed and
plundered of their property; and thai the Indians
were sure to dwindle and decrease, and be driven
back in proportion to the number of preachers that
came among them.

" Each nation has its own customs and its own
religion. The Indians have theirs given to them by
the Great Spirit, under which they were happy. It
was not intended that they should embrace the reli-
gion of the whites, and be destroyed by the attempt
to make them think differently on that subject from,
their fathers.

" It is true these preachers have got the consent of
some of the chiefs to stay and preach among us, but
I and my friends know this to be wrong, and that

V' M

100

RECENT ATTEMPS TO

they ought to be removed ; besides we have been
threatened by Mr. Hyde, who came among us as a
school-master and a teacher of our children, but has
now become a black-coat, and refused to teach them
any more, that unless we listen to his preaching and
become christians, we will be turned off our lands.
We wish to know from the governor if this is to be
so, and if he has no right to say so, we think he
ought to be turned off our lands, and not allowed to
plague us any more. We shall never be at peace
while \\e is among us.

" We are afraid too that these preachers, by and
by, will become poor, and force us to pay them for
living among us^ -and disturbing ws.

" Some of our chiefs have got lazy, and instead of
cultivating their lands themselves, employ white
people to do so. There are now eleven white fami-
lies living on our reservation at Bufialo ; this is
wrong and ought not to be permitted. The great
:?ource of all our grievances is that the white men are
among us. Let them be removed, and we will be
happy and contented among ourselves. We now cry
to the governor for help, and hope that he will attend
to our complaints, and speedily give us redress.

" Red Jacket."

This letter was dictated by Red Jacket, and inter-
preted by Henry Obeal, in the presence of the follow-
ing Indians :

Red Jacket's son, Corn Planter,

John Cobb,

Peter, Young King's broiher,

Tom the Infant,

Blue Sky,

John Sky,

Jemmy Johnson,

Marcus,

Big Fire,

Captain Jemmy.

- «- -j^

MINTS TO MISSIONARIES.

101

The mistakes that have revailed on the subject
of civilisation in general ought to have taught us to
aJter our plans. There is a cry in favour of educa-
tion, which has produced, and continues to produce,
lasting evils. Education is now understood to con-
sist in reading, writing, arithmetic, and knowledge
of languages; and by the application of these, we
are told that the miseries and crimes which pervade
civilized Europe are to be removed ; the people to
be made happy ; society, in short, to be regene-
rated.

Jn this belief the mania for education has seized
on all ranks; yet poverty, discontent, and crime
seem to keep pace with all our endeavours. If
the Indians are to be improved, or civilized, " Why
education, to be sure, will do it : that is all that is
wanted. But the education must be commenced by
a missionary, and this missionary must undergo a
certain series of scholastic studies to bt fitted for his
duty." Now let us look a little at this, the usual
mode of proceeding. To civilize the Heathen,
thousands, with the purest zeal, contribute their
schemes ; but the little success resulting from them
all, has furnished the means of triumph to the infidel
and deist, occasioned lukewarmness in many who
at first were ardent in the cause, and led to a
conclusion either that' the subjects of such philan-
thropy ore incapable of receiving its benefits; that
the Almighty has decreed that the time is not yet
come for their condition to be meliorated; or that
such attempts are made merely for interested and
similar ends. I appeal to all who have had an
opportunity of knowing the general character of mis-
sionari >s, whether the following brief view is not the
mode by which five sixths of them have been selected.
Sermons are preached ; prayer meetings are held
avowedly to promote the conversion of the Heathen ;
a cry is heard, "Who will devote himself to the ser-
vice of God .^" Hence many of acknowledged weak-

rot. I. 9

-'- v!*' • '

102

HINTS TO MISSIONARIf^S.

M'^

ness of intellect, and some whose pecuniary embar-
rassments lead them to seek for support in this
way, offer to undergo perils by land and by water
in this, to their heated or interested imaginations,
glorious work. These persons are accordingly
sent to an academy to learn languages, the capacity
for which constitutes a chief ingredient in their quali-
fication. They are then sent forth, at a considerable
expense, to evangelize the Heathen ; and their great
aim is to preach what they call the Gospel Xo the old,
and to civilize the young, by what 1 denominate, fur
sake of distinction, ^^book education.^*

That so much failure, nay, that almost uniform
failure, has arisen from the employment of such in-
struments, should surely have been expected ; for,
while I freely admit that of all undertakings this is
among the most praise-worthy, if followed with a
single eye to the glory of God, and good of man, I
feel convinced that none requires more profound
knowledge of human nature, and intimate acquaint-
ance, not only with the passions of others, but with
our own. When I read the manner in which the
Lord Jesus Christ taught his disciples, I find that
tlie doctrines concerning himself and his kingdom
were the last things he inculcated, and even then
very sparingiy. When questions, bearing on the
subject, were excited by his conduct and actions, he
answered them; but never made ihe doctrinal the
prominer?t part of his mission. His first public act
was in administering to the amusement and festivity
of the people by converting water into wine ; thu
next was attention to their sick ; on another occa-
sion he provided them with food ; and his whole di-
vine life, was spent in going about promoting their
bodily comforts, having in ultimate view the good
of their souls ; so that the great object was kept, as
it were, in the buck-ground. See how merciful he
was to their offences : how he repressed all severity
in judging or condemning ; and evermore refused to

l-*-%v,.l

-^ 4.t>.

HINTS TO MISniONAniES.

103

y embar-
rt in this
I by wfttci'
iginations,
:cordingly
le capacity
heir quali-
insiderable
Iheir great
iothe oW,
ninate, for

ist uniform
of such in-
lecled ; for,
rigs this is

ed with a
1 of man, I
I profound
Le acquaint-
rs, but with
1 which the

1 find that
his kingdom
lid even then
ring on the
d actions, he
loctrinal the
rst public act
and festivity
o wine; the
mother occa-
his whole di-
omoting ibeir
/iew the good
t was kept, as
\v merciful he
d all severity
ore refused to

be a ruler, assuming only the meek and lowly rank
of one that served !

In short, let us carefully t'.\aminc the means wliicli
He, w^o had the hearts of jJl men in his hands, and
who could turn them as lie pleased, adopted for the
instruction of mankind, and much light will be af-
forded in all future attempts to instruct those nations
denominated heathen or savage. The Moravians,
as before mentioned, have been more successful than
all other sects put together, in fonseqjjence, I con-
ceive, of ihi^ir having had more i i'jj;ard to the Chris-
tian plan as adverted to. •

The following hints 1 ofler witti lu.mility, as means
which, from my ob.-iervntion of mun in his natiu'al
and polished state, appear, to nio at least, likely to
succeed :

The Indians, as already showi:, are fond of silver
rijigs, collars, and other trinkel.-. as ornaments of
dress; of music, fishing, and huin.og, as sources of
amusement ; and are by no means insensible to the
bodily advantages arising from a store of food and
clothing against a time of want.

Upon these, their main desires, I would found my
plan.

I would select a blacksmitl*, provide him \yith a
portable forge, portable scatulings of iron, and all
necessary instruments for polishing iron and cop-
per. . There should also be a man uniting the car-
penter's and caf-t maker's trades, well furnished with
suitable tools, 'i'o these i would add one or two
persons who could play on the clarionet, flute,
violin, or other musical instrument of simple con-
struction. This establishment should be under the
superintendence of a man of discretion, divested
of gloomy habits and those false views that con-
nect austerity of manners with the essentials of
Christianity. He should make allowance for the
prejudices and passions of those under his charge,
that he might the better give them a just direc-

A''

■'r

104

HINTS TO UISSlONARfCS'.

tion ; and, especially in the commencement of his
authority, he should deal tenderly with offences, re-
doubling his care with regard to the delinquent.

Under the eye of such a person, the oporations
should begin in a fertile place, in the neighbourhood
of such of the tribes as might desire an establish-
ment of thi$ nature ; making the pleasures of music,
or the possession of manufactures, the reward for
devoting themselves to industry. In this way I
would assist them in building houses, so as to induce
them to value a fixed habitation ; and the house so
built should belong to the tribe to bestow as they
pleased. By repairing their tools and instruments
of agriculture, assisting in raising their houses, in
structing such as wished it to handle the ax for their
own benefit, and making the hearing and learning of
music the reward for industry, I should confidently
hope to induce some few to abandon the migratory
life they have hitherto led, which, in my opinion, is the
most important point to be gained. Afler this shall be
firmly established, a time will gradually come c n
when the inculcation of book-knowledge will be high-
ly beneficial j but in our early efforts it is worse than
useless. If the Indian can be prevailed on to aid in
building a house ; if he finds there a solace after his
fatigues, and the means of allaymg his hunger, I am
warranted by all that 1 have seen and heard, in as-
serting that the best rudiments of civilization will be
immovably fixed.

The above establishment should be capable of
being transferred from tribe to tribe. Its members
should have their wives and families with ther.) ; no
man should be sent without his wife on any account.

The party should, moreover, consist of persons
duly sensible of the blessings and privileges of the
Christian religion, and shbuld at stated times assem-
ble for worship, paying great attention to solemnity,
decorum and order, in doing so ; yet having especial
care to avoid all kind of constraint with regard ta

HINTS TO MISSIONARIES.

105

the Indians, or any species of penalty for non-attend-
ance on their part. The Lord's day should never-
theless be truly kept as a Sabbatii by all, 3S far as
cessation from worldly labour is concerned. The
Indians should be told the reason of resting thereon ;
that such rest was first instituted by God to perpetu-
ate the remembrance of his having created the world,
and all things therein ; and latteily to keep in the
.minds of men the memory that Christ arose from the
dead on die first day of the week, having completed
the work of redemption. The good news of salva-
tion to sinners of all nations, through the atonement
on the cross, should be proclaimed with joy and
praise and thanksgiving, and not with those gloomy
severities, which are regarded as true piety by many.
The Indians would thus be led to inquire concerning
God aiirl the Saviour j when portions of the Bible,
descriptive of the attributes of the Most High, and
the life of the Lord Jesus, should be read ; carefully
avoiding to pass from one portion until it should be
firmly fixed in their recollection, (of which their ca-
pacity is great,) nor until they desired to hear more.
These means, always accompanied by kindness and
sympathy, I confidently hope God would approve
and bless.

I by no means desire to be understood as wishing
to discourago the efibrts of persons who may differ
with my views of the subject ; neither do I arroga'a
that those I have set forth are infallible ; but I do
conceive that the great qualification of humility, of
being and •^.''ting as a servant to the heaihen, has not
been sufficiently tried. Few men can resist ihz temp-
tation of power, when within reach ; and 1 have
proofs too abundant, before me, that many who
seem humble before their superiors, are haughly and
tyrannical among the Indians. The letter from Red
Jacket to Governor Clinton, quoted in this chapter,
shows how wide this evil has spread ; and I fear th^
s^h'ii of IMr. Hvde is not so lare as, for the iionoiy^

9* ^

auat^^

106

HINTS TO MISSIONARIES.

of human nature, one could wish it to be. I^o spe-
cies of vileness can be more injurious, or more oppo-
sed to the example of Christ and his Apostles.

I have been lead to recommend music, as i found
that of the articles sent here by the British Govern-
ment, a large quantity oi jews' harps, (the parent of
all instruments,) were selected b^ the Indians in pre-
ference to knives, and other valuable articles. Is
there any sentence more common than the following*
words of the poet ? ^

Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast,
To soften rocks, and bend the knotted oak 1

Yet when and where has it been tried as ^n auxiliary
in the work of civilization ?

Mil

M /

107

CHAPTER X.

ttCMONSTBANCES OF THE INDIANS TO THE GOVERN*^
HENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1790.

It is ifo less curious tl)an lamentable to observe the
uniform and withering persecution which the Indians
have laboured under from their earliest acquaintance
with white men to the present day. Whatever dis-
similarity may have existed in the characteristics,
political and moral, of the various nations of Europe,
they seem to have resembled each other in this one
thing, namely, inextinguishable, unsparing oppression
of the North American Indians. D'Uch, French,
English, and even those who. in one sense, may be
termed their own countrymen, the citizens of the
United States, have all agreed in keeping no faiti>
with the original inhabitants of this vast continent.
No : their dominions were too fertile in sources of
wealth, for them to expect any thing like fair-deal-
ing from their refined invaders, who first flattered
and cajoled them, and then rewarded their hospitali-
ty with the sword and the cannon. The United
States, especially about the time of their struggle
with the mother-country for their own independence,
Jt anight be thought would have had so lively a sense of
Me value and blessing of liberty, as not to attempt
any undue control or tyranny over their red bre-
thren ; but alas, like other nations, their worship of
freedom was nut as it existed in the abstract, but OH'-
ly as it afiected their own happiness.

This will be illustrated in the following interesting
correspondence between the Senecas and General
Washington, in 1790.

'.J

108

RBMONSTRA?TCES OT

To the Great Council of the Thirteen Fires.* The
Speech of Corn Plants Half Town, and Big Tree,
Chiefs and Counsellors of the Seneca JVation.

Father J — ^The voice of the Seneca Nations speaks
to you, the great counsellor, in whose heart the
wise men of all the Thirteen Fires have placed their
wisdom ; it may be very small in your ears, and we
therefore entreat you to hearken with attention, for
we are about to speak of things which are to us very
gJ'eat.

When your army entered the country «f the Six
Nations, we called you the town^destroyer ; and to
this day, when your name is heard, our women look
behind them and turn pale', and our children cling
close to the necks of their mothers. Our counsellors
and warriors are men, and cannot be afraid ; but
their hearts are grieved with the fears of our women
and children, and desire that it maybe buried so deep
as to be heard no more.

When you gave us peace we called you father,
because you promised to secure us in the possession
of our lands. Do this, and so long as the land shall
remain, that beloved name shall be in the heart of
every Seneca.

Father, — We mean to open our hearts before you,
and we earnestly desire that you will let us clearly
understand what you resolve to do.

When our chiefs returned from the treaty at Fort
Stanwix, and laid before our council what had been
done there, our nation was surprised to hear how
great a country you had compelled them to give up
to you, without your paying to us any thing for it.
Every one said, that your hearts were yet swelled
with resentment against us for what had happened
during the war, but that one day you would consider

* Thirteen States.

THE INDIANS IN 1790.

lOff

It with more kindness. We asked each other, what
have we done to deserve such severe chastisement f

Father, — ^When you kindled your Thirteen Fires
separate!}',* the wise men assembled at them told us,
that you were all brothers ; the children of one great
father, who regarded the red people as his children.
They called us brothers, and invited us to his pro-
tection. They told us that he resided beyond the
great water where the sun first rises ; that hd was a
king whose power no people could resist, and that
his goodness was as bright as the sun : what they
said went to our hearts. We accepted the invitation,
and promised to obey him. What the Seneca Na-
tioii promises they faithfully perform ; and when you
refused obedience to that king, he commanded us to
assist his beloved men in making, you sober. In
obeying him, we did no more than yourselves had led
us to promise. The men who claimed this promise
told us, that you were childi'en and had no guns ;
thai when they had shaken you, you would submit.
We hearkened unto thera, and were deceived until
your army approached our towns. We were de-
ceived, but your people teaching us to confide in that
king, had helped to deceive us, and we now appeal
to your heart, is all the blame ours f

father, — When we saw that we had been deceived,
and heard the invitation which you gave us to draw
near to the fire you had kindled and talk with you
concerning peace, we made haste toward it. You
then told us you could crush us to nothing, and you
demanded from us a gieat couutry, as the price of
that peace which you had oflered to us ; as if our
want of strength had destroyed our rights. Our
chiefs had felt your power and were unable to con-
tend against you, and they therefore gave up that
country. What they agreed to has bound our na-
tion ; but your anger against us must by this time

^ before the uulou of the States,

5 .,^

f f

ri^

rr< 'hj

11 iM' ¥r

]

iio

REMONSTRANCES OF

be cooled, and although our strength is not increased,
nor 3'our power become less, we ask you to consider
calmly : \\'<'re the terms dictated to us by your com-
missioners reasonable and just f

Father, — Your commissioners, when they drew
the line which separated the land then given up to
you, from that which you agreed should remain to
be ours, did most solemnly promise, that we should
be secured in the peaceable possession of the land
which we inhabited, east and north of that line. —
Does this promise bind you ?

Hear now, we entreat you, what has since hap-
pened concerning that land. C3n the day we finish-
ed the treaty at Fort Stanwix, commissioners from
Pennsylvania told our chiefs, that they had come
there to purchase from lines of their state ; and the}'
told us that all the lands belonging to us within the
line, would strike the river Susquehanna below Tioga
branch. They then left us to consider of the bar-
gain until next day. The next day we let them
know, that we were unwilling to sell all the land
within their state, and proposed to let them have a
part of it, which we pointed out to them in their map.
They told us that they must have the whole, that it
was already ceded to them by the great king, at the
time of making peace with you, and was then their
own ; but they said that they would not take advan-
tage of that, and were willing to pay us for it, after
the manner of their ancestors. Our chiefs were una-
ble to contend at that time, and therefore they sold
the lands up to the line, which was then shown them
as the line of that state. What the commissioners
bad said about the land having been ceded to them
at the peace, they considered as intended only to les-
sen the price, and they passed it by with very little
notice ; but since that time we have heard so much
from others about the right to our lands which the
king gave when you made peace with him, that it is
pur earnest desire that you will tell us what it means,

/•/

THE INDIANS IN 1700.

Ill

Our nation empowered J. L. to let out a part of
our lands ; he told us that he was sent by Congress
to do this for us, and we fear he has deceived us in
the writing he obtained from us ; for since the time
of our giving that power, a man named P — , has
come and claimed our whole country northward of
the line of Pennsylvania, under a purchase from
that L. to whom he said he had paid twenty thou-
sand dollars for it ; he also said, that he had bought
it from the council of the Thirteen Fires, and paid
them twenty thousand more for the same ; and he
also said, that it did not belong to us, for that the
great king had ceded the whole of it, when you
made peace with him. Thus he claimed, the whole
country north of Pennsylvania, and west of the lands
belonging to the Cayugas. He demanded it ; he
insisted on his demand, and declared to us that he
would have it all. It was impossible for us to grant
him this, and we immediately refused it. After some
days he proposed to run a line a small distance east-
ward of our western boundary, which we also refused
to agree to. He then threatened us with immediate
war "f we did not comply.

Upon this threat our chiefs held a conncil, ind
they agreed that no event of war could be worse
than to be driven, with our wives and children, from
the only country which we had any right to ; and
therefore, weak as our nation was, they determined
to take the chance of war rather than submit to such
unjust demands, which seemed to have no bounds.
Mr. Street, the great trader at Niagara, was then
with us, having come at the request of P — ; and as
he had always professed to be our great friend, we
consulted him on this subject. He also told us that
our lands had been ceded by the king, and that we
must give them up. Astonished at what we heard
from every quarter, with hearts aching with com-
passion for our women and children, we were thus
compelled to give up all our county north of the

t.t I

112

RfillONSTRANCES OS

line of Pennsylvania, and east of the Chenesee river
up to the great forks, and east of a sooth-line drawn
up from that fork to the line of Pennsylvania. For
this land P. agreed to pay us ten thousand dollars
in hand, and one thousand dollars a year for ever.
He paid us two thousand five hundred dollars, and
he sent for us to come last spring and receive our
money ; but instead of paying us the residue (or re-
mainder) of the ten thousand dollars, and the one
thousand dollars due for the first year, be ofiered
only five hundred dollars, and insisted that he had
agreed with us for that sum to be paid yearly.

We debated with him for -six days, during all
which time he persisted in refusing to pay us our
Just demand ; and he insisted that we should receive
tlie five hundred dollars ; and Street from Niagara
also insisted on our receiving the money as it was
ofiered us. The last reason which he assigned for
continuing to refuse paying us was — that the king had
ceded the land to the Thirteen Fires, and that he
had bought them from you and paid you for them.

Father^ — We could bear this confusion no longer
and determined to press through every difficulty,
and lift up our voice so that you might hear us, and
to claim that security in the possession of our lands,
which your commissioners so solemnly promised us ;
and we now entreat you to inquire into our com-
plaints, and to redress our wrongs.

Father^ — Our writings were lodged in the hands
of S. of Niagara, as we supposed him to be our
friend ; but when we saw P. consulting S. on
every occasion, we doubted of his honesty towards
us ; and we have since heard that he was to receive
for his endeavours to deceive us, a piece of land ten
miles in width west of the Chenesee river ; and near
ibrty miles in length extending to lake Ontario ;
and the lines of this tract have been run accordingly,
although no part of it is within the bounds which
limit this purchase.

:-%^w

^t:^--

THE INDIANS IN lYOO

11^

> our com-

Father^ — ^Yoii have said that we were in your
;lic ikI, and that by closing it yon could crush us to
nothing. Are you then determined to crush us ? IT
you are, tell us so, that those of our nation who have
become your children, and have determined to die
so, may know what to do. In this case one chief
has said, he would ask you to put him out of his
j)ain. Another, who will not think of dying by the
hand of his father, or of his brother, has said he will
rotire to the Chalaughque, eat of the fatal root, and
sleep with his fathers in peace.

Before you determine a measure so unjust, look
lip to God, who made us as well a^ yon ; we iiope
he will not permit you to destroy the whole of our
nation.

Father, — Hear our case : Many nations inhabited
this country, but they had no wisdom, therefore they
warred together ; ilie Six Nations were powerful
and compelled them to pea<:e. The land for a great
extent was given up to them, but the nations which
were not destroyed all continued on those lands :
and claimed the protection of the Six Nations, as
brothers of their fatiiers. They were men, and
when at peace had a riglit to live upon the earth.

The French came among us, and bu5lt Niagara;
they became our fathers, and took care of us. Sir,
AVilliam Johnson rame, and took that fort from the
French ; he became our father, and promised to take
care of us, and he did so until you were too strong
for his king. To him we gave four miles round
Niagara, as a pliice of trade. We have already said
how we came to join against you ; we saw that we
were wrong, we wished for peace, you demanded a
great country to be given up to you, it was sur-
rendered to you as the price of peace, and we ought
to have peace and possession of the little land which
you then left us.

Father, — When that great country was given up
to you there were but tew chiefs present, and they

vol.. I. 10

^...rt

(14

REMONSTRANCES OP

III' I'JS

were compelled to give it up. And it is not the Sik
Nations only that reproach those chiefs with having
given up that country. The Chipaways, and all the
nations who lived on these lands westward, call to
us, and ask us, "Brothers of our fathers, where is
the place which you have reserved for us to lie down
upon .'"'

Father^ — You have compelled us to do that which
makes us ashamed. We have nothing to answer to
the children of the brothers of our fathers. When
last spring they called upon us to go to \\nr to se-
cure them a bed to lie down upon, the Senecas
entreated them to be qnief until we had spoken to
you ; but on our way down, we heard that your
army had gone towards the country which those na-
tions inhabited ; and if they meet together, the best
blood on both sides will stain the ground.

Father, — We will not conceal from you that the
great God, and not men, has preserved the Corn
Plant from the hands of his own nation. For they
ask continually, " Where is the land on which our
children, and their children after them, arc to lie
down upon .'' ,You told us," say they, " that the line
drawn from Pennsylvania to Lake Ontario, would
mark it forever on the east, and the line runnintc from
JBeaver Creek to Pennsylvania, would mark it on
the west, and we see that it is not so ; for first one,
and then another, come and take it away by order
of that people which you tell us promised to secure
it to us." He is silent, for he has nothing to answer.
When the sun goes down he opens his heart before
God ; and earlier than the sun appears again upon
the hills he gives thanks for his protection during the
night ; for he feels that among men, become despe-
rate by the injuries they sustain, it is God only that
can preserve him. He loves peace, and all he had
in store he has given to those who have been robbed
by your people, lest they should plunder the inno-
cent to repay themselves. The whole season, wliich

...wwi^ f'SS'-

THE INDIANS IN 1790.

115

Others liavc employed in providing' for tlicir fami-
iios, he' lias spent in endeavours to preserve peare :
and tliis moment his wife and children are lying on
the gi*oinid, and in want of food : his heart is in pain
for tliem, but he perceives that the Gi'cat Spirit will
(ry his firmness in doing what is ri^bt.

Father, — The game which the Great Spirit sent
into our country for us (o eat, is going from among
us. We thought he intended we sliould till the
giound with the plough as the white people do, and
we talked to one another about it. But before we
speak to you concerning this, we must know from
you whether you mean to leave us and our children
any land to till. Speak plainly to us concerning this
groat business.

All the land we have been speaking of belonged to
the Six Nations : no part of it ever belonged to the
King of England, and he could not give it up to you.
The land we live on our fathers received from God,
and they transmitted it to us for our children, and we
cartiiot part with it.

Father i — We told you that wc would open our
Iiearts to you : hear us once more. At Fort Stanwi.v
we agreed to deliver up those of our people who
should do you any wrong, and that you might try
them and punish them according to your law. We
delivered up two men accordingly ; but instead of
trying them according to your law, the lowest of
your people took them from your magistrate, and
put them immediately to death. It is just to punish
the murderer with death, but the Senecas will not
deliver up their people to men v/ho disregard the
treaties of their own nation.

L\ither^ — Innocent men of our nation are killed,
one after another, and of our best families ; but none
of your people who have committed those murders
have been punished. We recollect that you did
promise to punish those who killed our people ; and
f/e ask, was it intended that your people should kill

llEMONSTnANCES Or

llie Sciiccas, and not only remain unpunished, but
be protected from the next of* kin ?

Father^ — Tliese arc to us very j^reat things; wr
Know that you arc very stronp:, and we have heard
that you are wise, and we shall wait to hear vour
answer that we may know timi you arc just.
Signed at Philadelphia, December, 1790.

his
By the Corn -|- Plant,
mark,
his
Half -f Town,
** mark,

his
Bio + Tree,
mark.
In the presence of

Jostrn Nicholson, Interpreter,
and sundry others.

The Reply of the President of the United States, to
the Speech of the Corn Plant, Half Town, and
Big Tree, ( kiefs and Counsellors of the Seneca
JVaiion of Indians,

I, the President of (he United States, by my own
iuouth, and by a written speech, signed by my own
band, and sealed with the seal of the United States,
speak to the Spneca Nations, and desire their atten-
tion, that they would keep this speech in remem-
brance of the friendship of the United States. I
have received your Speech with satisfaction, as a
'proof of your confidence in the justice of the United
States ; and I have attentively examined the several
objects which you have laid before me, whether de-
•livered by your chiefs at Tioga Point in the last
month to Colonel Pickering, or laid before me in the

tut: INDIANS IN 1790.'

present raonth by Corn Plant and otbcr Seneca
Ciiiefs now in Philadelphia.

In the first place, I observe to you, and I request
it may sink deep in your minds, that it is my desire,
and the desire of the United Stales, that all the mise-
ries of the late war should be forgotten, and buried
for ever. That, in future, the United Stales and the
Six Nations should be truly brothers, promoting
each other's prosperity by acts of mutual friendship
and justice.

I am not uninformed that the Six Nations have
been led into some diOiculties with respect to the
sale of their lands since the peace. But I must in-
Ibrm you that these evils arose before the general
government of the United States was established,
when the separate slates, and individuals under their
authority, undertook to treat with the Indian tribes
respecting the sale of their lands.

But the case is now entirely altered. The general
government only has the power to treat wiiji the
Indian Nation, and any treaty formed and held with-
out its authority will not be binding.

Here then is the security for the remainder of
your lands. No state or person can purchase your
lands, unless at some public treaty held under the
authority of ihc United States. The general govern-
ment will never consent to your being defrauded,
but it will protect you in all your rights. Hear well,
and let it be heard by every person in your nation^
that the President of the United States declares that
ihe general goverjmicnt considers itself bound tp
protect you in all the lands secured 3'ou by the treaty
at Fort Stanwix, the 22d day of October, 1784, ex-
cept such parts as you may since have fairly sold to
persons properly authorized to purchase of you.

You complain that J — L — and O — P — have
obtained your lands, assisted by Mr. S — of Niagara,
and that they have not complied with their agrC'e-
ment.

10*

118

nKMONSTRANCES Of

It appears, upon inquiry of the governor of New-
York, that J — L — was not legally autliorised to
•treat with you, and that every thing he did with you
lias been declared null and void, so that you may
rest easy on that account.

But it does not appear from any proofs, yet in the
jiossession of government, that O — P — has de-
irauded you. If hovrever you should have any just
cause of complaint against him, and can make satis-
factory proof thereof, the Federal Courts will be
open to you for redress, as to all other persons.*

But your great object seems to be, the security of
your remaining lands, and It have therefore upon this
point meant to bi* sufilciently strong and clear.

That in future you cannot be defrauded of your
■lands. That you possess the right to sell, and the
right of refusing to sell your lands ; that therefore
the sale of your lands, in future, will depend entirely
on yourselves.

But that when you may find it for 3 our interest to
sell any part of your lands, the United States must
be present by their agent, and will be your security
that you shall not be defrauded in the bargain you
may make.

It will however be important, that, before you
make any further sale of your land, you should de-
termine among yourselves, who are the persons
among you that shall give such conveyances thereof,
as shall be binding upon your nation, and for ever
preclude all disputes relative to the validity of the
sgle.

That, besides the before-mentioned security for
your land, you will perceive, by the laws of Con-
gress, for regulating trade and intercourse with the
Indian tribes, the fatherly care the United States
intend to take of the Indians. For the particulav

* Refening an ludian Chief tq thQ coutts of law fca? reUrMs, i*
"Wors^ (hau a jplniij tibial, b.

!*!«Pi*>«l4M*MfM

T^IIE INDIANS IN 1790.

110

to reUrw?, ->

Weaning of this law, I refer you to the explanations
given thereof by Col. Pickering at Tioga, which,
with the laws, are herewith delivered to you.

You have said in your speech, that the game is
going away from among you, and thaf you thought
it the design of the Great Spirit that you till
ground ; bnt before you speak upon this subject you
want to know, whether the United States meant to
leave you any land to till.

You now know that all the lands secured to you
by the treaty of Fort Stanwix, excepting such parts
as you may once have fairly sold, are yours, and
that only your own acts can convey them away.
Speak therefore your wishes on the subject of tilling
the ground : the United States will be happy to afford
you every assistance in the only business which will
add to your numbers and happiness.

The murders which have been committed upon
some of your people by the bad white men, I sin-
cerely lament and reprobate, and I earnestly hope
that the real murderers will iv.t secured and punished
as they deserve*. This business has been sufficient-
ly explained to you here by the governor of Pennsyl-
vania, and by Col. Pickerinj^, in behalf of the United
States, at Tioga.

The Senecas may be assured, that the rewards
offered for apprehending the murderers, will be con-
tinued until they are secured for trial, and that when
they shall be apprehended, they will be tried and
punished, as if they had killed white men.

Having answered the most material parts of your
speech, I shall inform you that some bad Indians,
and the ouu-ast of several tribes, who reside at the
Miami village, have long continued their murders
and depredations upon the frontiers lying along the
Qhio. That they have not only refused to listen to
my voice, inviting them to peace, but that, upon^

''> Xo attempt was erer made to punhu tUtoUt b y

heuonstrances or

deceiving it, they renewed their incursions and mur-
ders with greater violence than ever. I have there-
fore been obliged to strike those bad people, in order
to make them sensible of their madness. I sincerely
hope they will hearken to reason, and not require to
be farther chastised. The United States desire to be
friends of the Indians upon terms of justice and hu-
manity ; but they will not suffer the depredations of
the bad Indians to go unpunished.

My desire is, that you would caution all the Se-
necas, and Six Nations, to prevent their rash young
men from je'ning the Miami Indians; for the United
Slates cannot distinguish .the tribes to which bad In-
dians belong, and every tribe must take care of their
own people.

The merits of the Corn Plant, and his friendship
for the United States, are well known to me, and
shall not be forgotten ; and as a mark of the esteem
of the United States, I have directed the secretary of
war tc make him a present of two hundred and fifty
dollars, either in money or goods, as the Com
Plant shall like best, and be may depend on the fu-
ture care and kindness of the United States. And 1
have also directed the secretary of war to make
suitable presents to the other chiefs present in Phila-
delphia, and also that some farther tokens of friend-
ship be forwarded to the other chiefs now in their
nation.

Remember my words, Senecas : continue to be
Strong in your friendship for the United States, as
the only rational ground of your future happiness,
and you maj' rely upon their kindness and protection.

An agent shall soon be appointed to reside iti
some place convenient to the Senecas and Six-Na-
tions ; he will represent the United States. Apply-
to him on all occasions.

If any man brings you evil reports of the inten
tions of the United States, mark that man as your
enemy, fpr h^ will mean to deceive von, and lead

J •-

tmmmti

II ' III iiiKIt

THE INDIANS !N 1790.

121

you into trouble. The United States, will be true
and faithful to their engagements.

Given under my hand and seal of the United
States, at Philadelphia, tliis twenty-ninth
day of December, in the year of our Lord
1790, and in the fifteenth year of the Sove-
reignty and Independence of the United
Slates.

G. Washington.
By the President,

T. Jefferson.

Enrolled in the lloUs-OfHce, for the State of
Pennsylvania, in Commission Book No. 1, page
255, &c.

Matt. Iiivin.

To the President of the United States of America.
The Speech of Corn Plants Half Town, and Big
Tree, Chiefs of the Seneca JVation.

Father^ — ^Your speech written on the great paper,
is to us like the first light of the morning to a sick
man, whose pulse beats strongly in his temples, and
prevents him froni sleeping ; he sees it and rejoices,
but is not cured. You say you have spoken plainly
on the great point ; that you will protect us in our
lands, secured to us at Fort Stanwix ; and that wo
have the right to sell, or refuse to sell it. This is
ver}' good.

But our nation complain that you compelled us, at
that treaty to give up too much of our lands. Wc
confess, that our nation was bound by what was
done there, and acknowledge your power. We have
now appealed to yourselves against that treaty, as
juade while you were too angry at us^ and therefore

\22

REMONSTRANCES OF

i -

Unreasonable and unjust. To this you have givwJ
us no answer.

Father^ — That treaty was not with a single state,
it was with the Thirteen States ; we should never
have given all that laud to one state. We know
that it was before you had the great authority ; and
Us you have more wisdom than the commissioners,
who forced us into that treaty, we expect you have
tnore regard to justice, and will now at our request
reconsider the treaty, and restore to us part of that
land.

Father, — The land which lies between the line run~
ning south from the Lake Erie, to the boundary of
Pennsylvania, as mentioned in the treaty at Fort
Stanwix ; and the eastern boundary of that land
which yo»i soid, and the Seaecas confirmed to Penn-
sylvania, is the land on which Half Town and all his
people live, with other chiefs, who always have been,
and still are dissatisfied with the treaty at Fort
Stanwix. They grew out of this land, and their
fathers' fathers grew out of it, and they cannot be
persuaded to part with it ; we therefore entreat you
to restore to us this little piece.

Father, — Look at the land ive gave to you at the
treaty f and thtn cast your eyes upon ivhat we now ask
you to restore to us ; and you will see that what we
ask is a very little piece. By giving it back again
you will satisfy the whole of our nation. Tl^e chiefs
who signed that treaty will be in safety ; and peace
between your children and our children will continue
so long as your lands continue to join ours. Every
man of our nat'on will turn his eyes away from all
the other lands, which we then gave up to you, and
forget that our fathers even said tUat they belonged to
them.

Father, — We see that you ought to have the path
at the carrying place from Lake Erie to Niagara, as
it was marked down at Fort Stanwix ; and we are
\vining it should remain to be yours, And if you

:it'

/ »

THE INDIANS IN 1790.

123

desire to reserve a passage, through the Counewaugo,
and through the Chataujxhque Lake, and land for a
path from that Lake to Lake Erie, take it where you
like best. Our nation will rejoice to see it an open
path for you and your children, while the land and
water remain ; but let us pass along the same way,
and continue to take the fish in these waters in com-
mon with you.

Father^ — ^You say you will appoint an agent to
take care of us. Let him come and take care of our
trade : but we desire he may not have aiiy thing to
do wiih Our lands; for the atjjents which ha\e come
among us, and pretended to take care of us, have
always deceived us whenever we sold lands ; both
when the king and when the separate slates have
bargained with us. They have by this means occa-
sioned many wars, and we are unwilling to trust
them again.

Father^ — When we return home, we wiil call a
great council, and consider well how land may be
hereafter sold bv our nation : and when we have
agreed upon it, we will send you notice thereof; but
we desire you will not depend on your agent for in-
formation concerning land.

Father^ — We will not hear lies concerning you ;
and we desire that you will not hear lies concerning
us ; and then we shall certainly live in peace with
you.

Father^ — There are men who go from town to
town, and beget children, and leave them to perish,
or to grow up without instruction, unless better men
take care of them Our nation has long looked
round for a father, but they found none that would
own them for their children, until you now tell us that
your courts are open to us, as to your own people.
The joy we feel on this great news so mixes with the
sorrows that are past, that we cannot express our
gladness, nor conceal the remembrance of our afllic-
tion : we will speak of it another time.

■US'

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I-

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124

IIEMONSTIIANCES OF

I.. I'

*' <f

Father^ — We are ashamed tliat we have listened

to L 's lies, or been inlluenced with threats of

war from P , and would hide that whole trans-
action from the world, and from ourselves, by quietly
receiving from P — ^ what he promised to give us

for the lands they cheated us of. But as P

will not pay us even according to that fraudulent
bargain, we must lay the whole proceedings before
your courts. When the evidence which we can pro-
duce is heard, we think it will appear that the whole
bargain was founded in lies, whicii he placed one
upon another ; that the goods which he charged to
us as part payment, were plundered from us; and

that if P was not directly concerned in the theft,

he knew of it at the lime, and concealed it from us ;
and that the persons we confided in were bribed by
him to deceive us m the bargain ; and if these facts
appear, that your courts will not say that such bar-
gain? are just, but set the whole aside.

Father, — We expect that our evidence might bo

called for, as P was here and knew what we

had said concerning him ; and as Ebonezer Allen
knew something of the matter, we desired him to
continue here. iVicholson, the interpreter, is very
sick, and we desire that Allen ma^' remain a few days
longer, as lie speaks our langimgc.

Father, — The blood that was spilt near Pine
Creek is covered, and we shall never look where it
lies. We know Pennsylvania will satisfy us for that
which we speak of to them, b'-fore w<' speak to you.
The chain of friendship will now, we hope, be made
strong, as you desire it to be. We will hold it fast,
and our end of it shall never rust in our hands.

Father, — We told you what advice we gave to the
people you are now at war with ; and we now tell
you they have promised to come again next spring
to our towns. We shall not wait for their coming,
but set out very early in the season, and show them
what you have done for us, which must convince

THE INDIANS IN 1790.

125

lliem that you will do for therw*(BVery thing that they
ought to psk. We think *'^ey will hear ul, and fol-
low our advice.

Father f — ^You gave us leave to speak our minds
concerning tilling of the ground. We ask you to
teach us to plough and grind corn, and supply us
with broad-axes, saws, augecS, and othi^r tools, to
assist us in building saw-mills, so that we may make
our Louses more comfortable and durable ; that you
will send smiths among us ; and above all that you
will teach our children to read and write, and our
women to spin and weave. The manner of doing
these things for us, we leave to you who understand
them ; but we assure you we will follow your advice
as far as we are able.

The President of the United StateSf his second Reply
to the Speech of Corn Plants Half Town, and Big
^j TreCf Chiefs of the Seneca JYation of Indians,

Brothers, — I have tnaturely considered your se-
cond written speech. You say your nation complain,
that at the treaty of Fort Stanwix, you were com-
pelled to give up too much of your lands ; that you
confess your nation is bound b^ what was then done,
and acknowledging the power of the United States ;
that you have now appealed to ourselves against that
treaty, as made while we were angry against you ;
and that the said treaty w-as therefore unreasonable
and unjust. T?ut while you complain of the treaty
of Fort Stauwiir, in 1784^ you seem entirely to for-
get, that you yourselves, Corn Plant, Half Town,
and Big Tree, with others of your nation, confirmed
by the treaty at Fort Harmar upon, the Muskingum,
so late as the 9th of January, H89, the boundaries
marked at the trcjaty at Fort Stanwix, aad that in

■-^>^^^ ■'■y^-^f.-. J^r

126

HEMONSTRANCES Of

11^

consequence thereof, you then received goods to a
considerable amount.

Although it is my sincere desire, in looking for-^
ward, to endeavour to promote your happiness by
all just and humane arrangements, yet I cannot dis-
annul treaties formed by the United States before
ray administration; especially as the boundaries
mentioned therein have been twice confirmed by
yourselves. The lines fixed at Fort Stanwix and
Fort Harmar must therefore remain established.
But .Half Town and others, who reside upon the
lands you desire may be relinquished, have not been
disturbed in their possession ; and I should hope,
while he and they continue to demean themselves
peaceably, and to manifest their friendly dispositions
to the people of the United States, that they will be
sufiered to remain where they are. And the agent
who will be appointed by the United Stat«»s will be
your friend and protector : he will not be sufiei:ed to
defraud you or to assist in defrauding you of your
lands, or of any other thing ; and all his proceedings
must be reported in writing, so as to be submitted to
the President of the United States. -

You mention your design of going to the Miami
Indians, to endeavour to persuade them to peace.
By this humane measure you will render those mis-
taken people a great service, and probably prevent
their being swept fronf the face of the earth. The
United States require only that those people should
demean themselves peaceably j biit they may be as-
sured that the United States are able, and will most
certainly punish them severely for all their robberies
and murders.

You may, when you return from this city to your
own country, mention to your nation, my desire to
promote their prosperity, by teaching them the use
»f domestic animals, and the manner that the white
people plough and raise so much corn ; and if, upon
cDnsideration, it would be agreeable to the nation at

*! — i III jprwwwwpwi

— l iumju n . i i , ' I I

THE INDIANS IN 1790.

iarge to learn those valuable arts, I shall find some
means of teaching them, at such places within their
country as shall be agreed on.
4r I have nothing more to add, but to refer you to my
former speech, and to repeat my wishes for the hap-
piness of the Seneca Nation,

Given under my hand, and the seal of the
United States, at Philudelphia, this 19th
cfay of January, 1791.

G. Washington.
Byj#ie president,

Thomas Jefferson.
Enrolled in Commission Book, No. 1, page 259,
SiC, for the State of Pennsylvania.

, Matthew Irvin.

To the Great Counsellor of the Thirteen Fires. The
Speech of Corn Plant, Half Town, and Big Tree,
Seneca Chiefs.

Father f — No Seneca ever goes from the fire of his
friend until he has said to him, "I am going." We
therefore tell you that we are now setting out for bur
own country.

Father, — We thank you from our hearts that we
ncv know'ths^ there is a country'that we may call
our own, and on which we may lie down in peace.
We see that there will be peace between our children
and your children, and our hearts are very glad.
We will persuade the Wyandots, and other western
nations to open their eyes, and look towards the bed
which you have made for us, and to ask of you a bed
for themselves and their children that will not slide
from under them. We thank you for your presents
to us, and rely on your promise to instruct us in rais-
ing corn as the white people do. The sooner you do
thh the better for us ; and we thank you for the care

■ -1

-«»5-n«t|(«H-«*

fe l!i.

128

REMONSTRANCES Or

which you have taken to preveut bad people coming
to trade among us. If any come without your
license, we will turn them back ; and we hope our
nation will determine to spill all the ram that shall
hereafter be brought to our towns. * '

FaiheVf — We are glad to hear that you are deter-
mined to appoint an agent that will do us justice, in
taking care that bad men do not come to trade among
us ; but we earnestly entreat you, that yOu will let us
have an interpreter, in whom we can confide, to re*
side at Pittsburgh. To that place our peop||i^ and
other nations will long resort: there wc must send
what news we hear when we go among the western
nations, which we are determined shall be next
spring. We know Joseph Nicholson — he speaks
our language so that we clearly understand what you
say to us, and depend on what he says. If we were
able to pay him for his services, we wool ^ do it ; but
when we give him land for pay, it has not been con-
firmed to him, and he will not serve any longer un-
less you will pay him. Let him stand between us
and you, we entreat you.

Father,- — ^You have not asked of us any surety for
peace ou our part ; but we have agreed to send nine
Seneca boys to be under your care for education ;
tell us at what time you will receive them, and they
shall be sent at that time. This will assure you
that we are indeed at peace with you, and deter-
mined to continue so. If you can teach them to be
wise and good men, we will take care that our na-^
tion shall be willing to be instructed by them.

Signed in the presence of
« Joseph Nickolsou, Interpreter*

Thomas Proctor,
- Timothy Matlack.

Philade1j?hiaf February 7, n9U

;Ti .. »»>ip;y»>' ■■ ■ '<i<* mW '>»»W I II n i H <n»t-«i— nt (8 y «_<|

THE INDIANS IN 1790.

129

The subscriber, the Secretary of War, has sub-
mitted your speech of yesterday to the President of
the United States, who has commanded him to as-
sure you of his good wishes for your happiness, and
that you may have a pleasant journey to your own
country.

The Governor of the Western Territory will ap-
point 3'ou an interpreter, whenever one shall be ne-
cessary. The President of the United States does
not chose to interfere on this point.

The President of the United States thinks it will
be the best mode of teaching you how to raise corn,
by sending one or two sober men to reside in your
nation, with proper implements of husbandry. It
will therefore be proper that you should, upon con-
sultation, appoint a proper place for such persons to
till the ground : they are not to claim the lands on
which they shall plough.

The President of the United States also thinks it
will be the best mode of teaching your children to
read and write, to send a schoolmaster among you,
and not for you to send your children among us ;
he will therefore look out for a proper person for
t^iis business.

As soon as you shall learn any thing of the in-
tentions of the Western Indians, you will inform the
Governor ^of the Western Territory thereof, or the
of|cer commanding at Fort Washington, in order to
be communicated to the President of the United
States.

Given at the War Office of the United States^
the 8th of February, 1791. ,

(Copy.) Knox, Secretary of Wajj.

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IJO TREATY METWEEN THE UNITED STATES,

Jl Treatybeiween the United States of America ^ and
the Tribes of Indians called the Six Nations.

The President of ths United States having deter-
mined to hold a conference witli thb Six Nations of
Indians, for the purpose of removing from their
minds all causes of complaint, and establishing a
firm and permanent friendship with them ; and
Timothy Pickering being appointed sole agent for
that purpose ; and the agent having met and con-
ferred with the Sachems, Chiefs, and Warriors of the
Six Nations, in a general Council : Now, in order
to accomplish the good design of tbjs conference,
the parties have agreed on the following articles ;
which, when ratified by the President, with the ad-
vice and consent of the Senate of the United States,
shall be binding on them and the Six Nations :

Article I. Peace and friendship are hereby
lirmly established, and shall be perpetual, between,
the United States and the Six Nations.

Article II. The United States acknowledge the
lands reserved to the Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga
Nations, in their respective treaties with the state of
New York, and called their reservations, to be their
property ; and the United States will never claim
:he same, nur disturb them, or either of the Six Na-
tions, nor their Indian friends residiuiu, .hereon and
united with them, in the free use and enjoyment
thereof: h\ki the said reservations shall remain
theirs, until they choose to sell the same to the peo-
ple of the United States who have the right to pur«
chase. -

Article HI. The land. of the Seneca Nation is
bounded as follows: Beginning on Lake Ontario,
at the north-west corner of the land they sold to Oli-
ver Phelps, tlie line runs westerly along the lake, as
far as O-yong-wong-yeh Cree]t, at Johnson's Land-
ing place, about four miles eastward from the Fort
of Niagara ; then southerly up tbatCreek to its main

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AND THE INDIANS Or THE SIX NATIONS. 131

fork ; then Straight to the main fork of Stedman's
Creek, which empties into the river Nragara above
Fort Schlosser ; and then onward, from that fork,
continuing the same straight course, to thai river ;
(This line, from the mouth of O-yong-wong-veh
Creek to the river Niagara above Fort Schlosser,
being the eastern boundary of a strip of land, ex-
tending from the same line to Niagara river, which
the Seneca Nation ceded to the King of Great
Britain, at a treaty held about thirty years ago, with
Sir William Johnson ;) then the line runs along the
river Niagara to Lake Erie ; then along Lake Erie
to the north-east corner of a triangular piece of land
which the United States conveyed to the state of
Pennsylvania, as by the President's patent, dated
the third day of March, 1792 ; then due south to the
northern boundary of that state ; then due east to
the south-west corner of the land sold by the Seneca
Nation to Oliver Phelps ; and then north and north-
erly, along Phelphs' line to the place of beginning on
Lake Ontario. Now, the United States acknow-
ledge all the land within the afure-mentioned boun-
daries to be the property of the Seneca Nation, and
the United States will never claim the same, nor
disturb the Seneca Nation, nor any of the Six Na-
tions, or of their Indian friends residing thereon and
united with them, in the free use and enjoyment
thereof; but it shall remain theirs until they choose
to sell the same to the people of the Utrited States,
who have the right to purchase.

Article IV. The United States having thus de-
scribed and acknowledged what lands belong to the^
Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecus, and
engaged never to claim the same, nor to disturb
them, or any of the Six Nations, or their Indian
friends residing thereon and united with them, in
the free use and enjoyment thereof: Now, the Six
Nations and each of them hereby engage that they
will never claim any other Icmds within the bounda.-

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'^■1

132 TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES,

ries of the United States ; uor ever disturb the peo-
ple of the linked States in th«;^ free use and enjoy-
ment thereof.

Article V. The Seneca Nation, all others of the
Six Nations concurring, cede to the United States the
right of making a wagon road from Fort Schlosser
to Lake Erie, as far south as Buffalo Creek ; and
the people of the United States shall have the free
and undisturbed use of this road for the purposes of
travelling and transportation. And the Six Nations
and each of them will forever allow to the people of
the United States a free passage through their lands,
and the free use of the harbours and rivers adjoin-
ing and within their respective tracts of land, for the
passing and securing of vessels and boats, and liber-
ty to land their cargoes where necessary for theix*
safety.

Article VI. In consideration of the peace and
fricndsdip hereby established, and of the engage-
ments entered into by the Six Nations ; and because
the United States desire, with humanity and kind-
ness, to contribute to their comfortable support ;
and to render the peace and friendship hereby estar
b)ished strong and perpetual ; the United States now
deliver to the Six Nations and the Indians of the
other nations residing among, and united with them,
a quantity of goods of the value often thousand dol-
lars. And for the same considerations, and with a
view to promote the future welfare of the Six Natipns
and of their Indian friends aforesaid, the United
States will &dd the sum of three thousand dollars to
the one thousand five hundred dollars heretofore al-
lowed them by an article ratified by |he President on
the twenty-third clay of April, 1792; making in the
whole four thousand five hundred dollars ; which
shall be expended yearly for ever, in purchasing
clothing, domestic animals, implements of husband-
ry, and other utensils suited to their circumstances,
and in compensating useftil artificers who shall reside:

i^^-StB^WBta-r,"*^-

AND THE INDIAZ^S OF THE SIX NATIONS. 133

with or near tFienii and be employed for their benefit.
The immediate application of the whole annual al-
lowance now stipulated, to bef made by the Superin-
tendent appointed by the President for the affairs of
the Six Nations and their Indian friends aforesaid.

Article VII. Lest the firm peace and friendship
now established should be interrupted by the mis-
conduct of individuals, the United States and Six
Nations agree, thjt for injuries done by individuals,
on either side, no private revenge or retaliation shall
take place ; but instead thereof, complaint shall be
made by the party injured to the oiHfer: by the Six
Nations or any of them to the President of the Uni-
ted States, or the Superintendent by him appointed :
and by the Superintendent, or other person appoint-
ed by the President, to the principal chiefs of the Six
Nations, or of the nation to which the offender be-
longs : and such prudent measures shall then be
pursued as shall be necessary to prese^ve our
{icvice and friendshio unbroken; until the legis-
lature (or great council) of the United States shall
make Other equitable provision for the purpose.

Note. It is clearly understood by the parties to
this treaty, that the annuity stipulated in the sixth
article is to be applied to the benefit of such of the
Six Nations and of their Indian friends united with
them as aforesaid, as do or shall reside within the
boundaries of the United States : For the United
States do not interfere with nations, tribes, or faroi-^
lies of Indians elsewhere resident.

In witness whereof, the said Timothy Pickering,
and- the Sachems, and Wai:-chiefs of the said
Six Nations, have hereto set their hands and
seals. — Done at Konon-daigua, in the state
of New-York, the eleventh day of Novem-

f«

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■'.-#?- s

■i

134 • TREATY BETWEEN, &C. ''^

ber, in the year one thousand seven hnndred
and ninety-four.
(li. 8.) Timothy Pickering.

Signed by Fifty-J^ine Chiefs of the SixJVations.

I grant there is some fairness, and an appearance
of more, in the replies of the American government ;
but it cannot be denied that in one or tvro instances
the complaints of the Indians are evaded, and in
others wholly overlooked. The consideration, such
as it is, did not come spontaneously, but was brought
about by a strong appeal which it was not possible
to neglect. The redress altogether is inadequate.
The United States, perhaps, went as far as their ea-
j)edienc£s would allow ; but justice is another thing.

135

CHAPTER XI.

SALE OF LANDS BY THE INDIANS.

* ■'

The following is a statement of land purchased
by the Uniced States from the Indians up to the year
1820:

Total quantity, 191, 77S^36 acres.

Ini|uiyment for whicb, sums to the amount of
2,54^^16 dollars, have been appropriated.

Of these lands 18,601,930 acres^ have been vended
by the States's Government, and there remain in their
possession 173,176,606 acres.

Tho sum of 22,2^9,180 dollars has actually been
paid into the treasury of the United States, in part
of the purchases of the above land ; leaving still due,
(for which the land is a security) 22,000,657 dollars.

The account, then, will stand thus :

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SALE OF LANDS BY THE INDIANS

13:

How irresistibly, to say nothing of natural rights,
do these transactions establish the claim of the In-
dians to protection and kindness from the United
States !

The purchases of land from the Indians by the
British Government do not exceed ten millions of
acres; for 7,491,190 of which the Indians receive

foods annually amounMng in value to £4155 Halifax
iirrency, or 1 6,620 dollars. The British Govern-
ment has not sold its lands, but, with the exception ^of
a few hundred acres lately disposed of near York in
Upper Canada, has made gratuitous grants of them.
Besides which, about 20,000 Indians annually re-
ceive from the British governmen blankets, and
presents of various kinds — so that while the Ameri-
cans have gained so largely by their intercourse with
the natives within their territories, the British are an-
nually losers. But both are awfully deficient in using
means to improve the condition of the Indians.

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138

~tf.'

CHAPTER XII.

NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT INDIAN NATIONS HITHERTO
DISCOVERED IN NORTH AMERICA, IHE SITUATION Oli,
THEIR COUNTRIES, WITH THE NUMBER OF THEIW
FIGHTING MEN.

•

The Choctaws or Flatheads, on the Molect 4,600

The Natches 150

The Chukesvvs, Mississippi - - - 750
The Cherokees, South Carolina - - fi,500
The Chatabas, between North andS. Carolina 150
The Peantias, a wandering tribe, both sides of

the Mississippi . - - - fOO

The Kasgresquios or Illinois - - - 600
The Piaiiiiishaws ^ - - , . 250
The Qurachtenons > on the Wabash - 400

The Kikapous S - - - - 300

The Shawanese or Sciota _ _ - 500

The Delawares, on the west of Ohio - 300

The Miamis - _ . - _ 350

The Upper Creeks back of Georgia ^

The Middle Creeks, North Florida > - 4,000

The Lower Creeks, East Florida )

The Caocutas, on the East of the River Aliba-

mous ------ 700

The Alibamous, West of the Alibamous - COO
The Arkansas 2,000

I Vest Side.

The Anjoues, North of the Missouri - 1 ,000

The Padilonians, West of the Mississippi 600

The White Panis, South of the Mississippi 2,000

The Freckled or Prickled Panis - - 2,000

Carried forward 24,350

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^1*

IITHER'rO
JATION O^
)F THEIW

700

COO

2,000

1,000

•

500

2,000

xrd

24,350

NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT INDIAN NATIONS. 139

Brought forward
South of the Mississippi

24,350
1,600
600
1,000
3,000
],800
2,500

The Caiisas

The Osages

The Grand Eaux

The Missouri, upon the River Missouri

The Sioux of the Woods, towards the heads

The Sioux of the Meadows of the Missouri

The Blanks Barbus, or White Indians with

Beards ' - - - - - 1,500
The Assiniboils, farther North near the Lakes 1,500
The Christaneaux - - - - 3,000

The Orusconsins, on the river of the same

name, falling into the Mississippi
The Mascordins ^ - - - .
The Sakis > South of Pecan's Bay

The Mechuouakis ) "

Folle Avoini, or Wild Oat Indians

500
500
400
250
S50
700
350

The Peans - - - - -

The Potawatamls, near Detroit
The Missisagues, or River Indians, being wan-
dering tribes on lakes Huron and Superior 2,000

The Ottapoas, Lake Superior

The Chepewas - - - -

The Weandots, Lake Erie

The Six Nations or Iroquois

The Round-headed Indian^ near Ottawas

The Algonkins, near the above

The Nepessins, near ditto -

The Chatas, St. Lawrence

TheAmelestes, or the Bark

The Mukmacks, Bark of Nova Scotia

The Abenaques, ditto

- I

900

5,000

300

1,500

2,500

300

400

130

550

700

350

The Conaway Crunas, near the Falls of St. Lewis 200

Total - 58,730 Warriors.

HO NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT INDIAN NATIONS.

58,730 warriors, one-third old men, makes 78,30G-
Multiplying by six gives 469,866 souls, merv^om^t^
and children.*.

The foregoing list I received from old Mr. Hecke-
tvelder, the Missionary, to whom I paid a visit a short
time ago at Bethlehem, where he resides. His active
and constant exertions, in the cause of benevolence,
seem to have been rewarded with health and long
life. He is now in his eighty-eighth year, and his
faculties are vigorous and alert. From him I learnt
that it is not in the power of man to come at any thing
demonstrative as to the numbers of the Indians. The
list now before the reader, refers to what was known
between the years 1770 and 1780^ and 1 have no
reason whatever to doubt its accuracy. I find in the
records of 1794, that a treaty was arranged at Phi-
ladelphia with the President of the United States,
which comprehended upwards of fifty-seven thousand
Indian warriors.

This statement, therefore, could not have included
the inhabitants of the immense regions from the Mis-
sissippi to the Pacific Ocean, and North to Hudson's
Bay. But travellers have in all places found num-
bers, so that having reference to extent of territory,
I do not overrate the population of the Indian nations
at two millions ; taking in from the Isthmus of Pa-
nama, and consequently including Mexico. It should
be borne in mind that the great body of any Indian
tribe never appear to strangers : only the scouts are
seen. .

* The publishers think it necessary to state that the M. S. i^
the above Indian names was in an almost illegible hand ; and tho
author being in America, they had no means of correcting it.

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His active

CHAPTER Xlll.

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

JUSTJCE.

The Indians have a strong innate sense of justice,
which will lead them sometimes to acts which some
men will call heroic, others romantic, and not a (ew^
perhaps, will designate by the epithet barbarous ; a
vague indefinite word, which if it means any thing,
might, perhaps, be best explained by something not
like ourselves. However that may be, this feeling
certainly exists among the Indians, and as 1 cannot
describe it better than by its ejects, I shall content
myself with relating on this subject a characteristic
anecdote which happened in the year 1793, at an In-
dian village called La ChinCy situated nine miles
abov9 Montreal, and was told me in the same year
by Mr. La Ramee, a French Canadian inhabitant of
that place, whom 1 believe to be a person of strict
veracity. I was then on my return from Detroit, in
company with General Lincoln and several oth^r
gentlemen, who were present at the relation, and gave
it their full belief. I thought it then so interesting,
that I inserted it in my journal, from which I noiv
extract it.

There were in the said village of La Chine, two
remarkable Indians, the one for his stature, being
six feet four inches in height, and the other for his
strength and activity. Tliese two meeting together
ene day in the street (a third heing present,) the fi^r^-
mer in a high tone made use of some insulting lan-
guage to the other, which he could not well put up
with : he called him a coward, ss^id he was hjs fjAkrlov

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INDIAN Anecdotes.

II"

If.

f"'' ''J

ill every respect, and so provoked his anger, that un-
able any longer to contain himscir,the latter instantly
replied : '' You have grossly insulted me ; but 1 will
prevent you from doing the like again !" and at the
same moment stabbed him through th« body with his
knife, so that he dropped down dead by his side.
The alarm being immediately ^:pread through the
village, a crowd of Indians assembled, and the mur-
derer having se'xted himself on the ground by the
side of the dead body, cooly awaited his fate, which
he fould not expect to be any other than immediate
death, particularly as the cry of the people was
<' Kill him! Kill him!" But although he placed his
body and his head in a proper posture to receive the
stroke C/f the tomahawk, no one attempted to lay
hands on him ; but after removing the dead body
from where it lay, they left him alone. Not meeting
here with his expected fate, he rose from this place
for a more public part of the village, and there lay
down on the ground, in the hope of being the sooner
despatched ; but the spectators, after viewing him, all
retired again. Sensible that his life was justly for-
feited, and anxious to be relieved from a state 6f sus-
pense, he took the resolution to go to the mother of
t|}e deceased, an aged widow, whom he addressed in
these words : *' Woman, I have killed thy son ; he
had insulted me, it is true : but still he was thine,
and his life was valuable to ihee. I, therefore, now
surrender myself up to thy will. Direct as tho»i wilt
have it, and relieve me speedily from misery." To
which the woman answered : " Thou hast indeed,
killed my son, who was dear to me, and the only sup^
perter I had in my old age. One life is already lost,
and to take thine on that account, cannot be of any
service to me, nor better my situation. Thou hast,
however, a son, whom if thou wilt give me in the place
of my son whom thou hast slain, all shall be wiped
away." The murderer then replied : " Mother, my
son is yet but a child, ten years old, and can ^e of'

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

143

•10 service to thee, but rather a trouble and charge ;
but here am I, truly capable of supporting and main*
taining ;liee: if thou wilt receive me as thy son, no-
thing shall be wanting on my part to make thee com-
fortable while thou livest." The woman, approving
of the proposal, forthwith adopted him as her son,
and took the whole family to her house. —

Heckeweldek.

Forbearance of Temper in Accidental
Misfortunes.

They judge with calmness on all occasions, and
decide with precision, or endeavour to do so, between
an accident and a wilful act; — the ^rs^ (they say)
they are all liable to commit, and therefore it ought
not to be noticed, or punished ; — the second being a
wilful or premeditated act committed with a bad de-
sign, ought on the contrary to receive due punish-
ment.

To illustrate this subject, T shall relate a few of
the cases of this description which have come within
my knowledge. One morning early, an Indian came
into the house of another who was yet a-bed, asking
for the loan of his gun for a morning hunt, his own
being out of repair. The owner readily consented,
and said : " As my gun is not loaded, you will have
" to take a few balls out of your pouch !" In taking
the gun down, it, however, by some accident went
off, and lodged the contents in the owner's head,
who was still lying on the bed, and now expired.
The gun, it appeared, was loaded, though unknown
to him, and the lock left in such condition that by a
touch it went off. A cry was heard from al sides-
in the house : " O ! the accident !" for such it was
always considered to have been, aod was treated as
such.

A hunter went out to kill a bear, sonie of those
aAlmals having b^en se^ji in th^ n^ighj)pnrji9?d. Ift

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144

INDIAN ANRCDOTES.

an obscure p<irt of a wood, he saw at a distance
something black moving, which he took for a bear,
the whole of the animal not being visible to him ; he
fired, and found he had shot a black horse. Having
discovered the mistake, he informed the owner of
what had happened, expressing at the same time his
regret that he was not possessed of a single horse,
with which he could replace the one he had shot.
What ! replied the Indian whose horse had been
killed, do you think 1 would accept a horse from
you, though you had one to give, after you have
satisfied me that you killed mine by accident 9 No,
indeed! for the same misfortune might also happen
to me.

An aged Indian who had gone out to shoot a tur-
key, mistook a black hog in the bushes for one of
those birds, and shot him ; finding out by inquiry
to whom the hog belonged, he informed the owner
of the mistake he had made, offering to pay for the
hog ; which the other, however, not only would not
accept of, but having brought the meat in, gave him
a leg of the animal, because he thought that the un-
fortunate man, as well on account of his disappoint-
ment, in not feasting on turkey as he expected sooi>
to do when he shot the hog, as for his honesty in lU^
forming of what he had done, was entitled to a share
of what he had killed.

Two Indians with a large canoe, going down the
Muskingum river to a certain distance, were ac-
costed by others going by land to the same place,
who requested them to take their heavy articles, as
kettles, axes. Hoes, &£c., into their canoe, which they
fVcely did, but unfortunately were shipwrecked at the
' rocks of White Eyes's falls (as the place is called,)
where the whole cargo was lost, and the men saved
themselves by swimming to the shore. The qufs-
tiun being put and fully discussed, whether those men
with the oanoe, who had taken charge of the proper*
ty of the pth«rs, m^ by this negl^Qt Ipit ths whole,

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

145

1»

were not liable to pay for the loss ? It was decided
in the negative, on the following grounds : —

1 . That the canoe men had taken the articles on
board, with the pleasing hope that they thereby
would oblige their fellow men, and did not expect any
recompense for that service.

2. That although tiiey might have avoided the
danger and the ioss, by unloading the canoe at the
head of the fall, and carrying the cargo by land be-
low it, (which was but a short distance,) as was cus-
tomary, when the river was not in a proper state to
run through, yet that, had those who travelled by
land been in the place of those in the canoe, they
might, like them, have attempted to have run through,
as is sometimes done with success, and been equally
unfortunate.

3. That the canoe men having had all their own
property on board, which was all lost at the same ^
time, and was equally valuable to them, it was clear
that they had expected to ruri safely through, and
could not have intentionally or d* ignedly brought
on themselves and others the mistbrtune which had
happened, and therefore the circumstance must be
ascribed entirely to accident. — Heckewelder.

Matrimony and Divorce.

Had the following anecdote been in ei^istence in
the time of our great poet Milton, would he not have
translated it into his high style, and given it a place
in his treatise on the ** Doctrine and Discipline of
Divorce .?" One can easily conceive how he would
have chuckled over such a thing in the midst of the
bitterness (caused by his^^wife's misconduct,) with
which he sat down to compose his " Tetrachordon,"
and other tracts on the subject. B.

An aged Indian, who for many years had spent
much of his time among the white people both in
Pennsylvania rnd New-Jersey, one day about the
year 1770 observed, that the Indians had not only

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146

INDIAN ANECDOIES.

a much easier way of getting a wife than the whites,
but were also more certain of getting a good one ;
" For," (said he in his broken English,) " White
man court,— court, — may be one whole year ! — may
be two years before he marry ! — well ! — may be then
got very good wife — but may be not ! — may be very
cross ! — Well now, suppose cross ! scold so soon as
get awake in the morning ! scold all day ! scold un-
til sleep ! — all one ; he must keep him* ! White
people have law forbidding throwing away wife, be
he ever so cross ! mu3t keep him always ! Well ! how
does Indian do ? — Indian when he see industrious
Squaw, which he like, he go to Aim, place his two
forefingers close aside each other, make two look like
one — look Squaw in the face — see him smile — which
is all one he says, Yes 1 so he take him home — no
danger he be c. rss ! no ! no ! Squaw know too well
»what Indian do if he cross ! — throw him away and
take another ! Squaw love to eat meat ! no husband !
no meat ! Squaw do every thing to please husijband !
he do the same to please Squaw ! live happy !" —

Heckewei^per.

Pride.

I H

This passion of the Indians, which I have called
pride^ buf* which might, perhaps, be better denomi-
nated high-mindednesf, is generally combined with
a great sense of honour, and not seldom produces ac-
tions of the moFt heroic kind. I am now going to
relate an instance of this honourable pride, which I
have also witnessed. An Indian of the Lenape na-
tion, who was considered ns a very dangerous per-
son, and was much dreadt^d on that account, had
publicly declared that as soon as another Indian,
who was then gone to Sandusky, should return from
thence, he would ccrtair^ly kill him. This danger-

■^ The pronouns in the lodian langunge hare no fcmenine gender.

Jkmm j-Mf'^M^M '

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HfDtkV ANECDOTES.

147

Q the whites,
a good one ;
,sh,) " White
year ! — may
-may be then
-may be very
J so soon as
ly ! scold un-
im* / White
away wife, be
; ! Well ! how
le industrious

place his two
> two look like

smile — which
lim home — no
know too well
lim away and
I no husband !
ease husband !
ve happy I'*—
:kewei^per.

I have calleti
better denomi-
combined willi
no produces ac-
1 now going to
pride, which I
the Lenape na-
jangerous per-
t account, had
nother Indian,
nld return from
- This danger-

ofemenine gender,

ous Indintr called in one day at my house on the
Muskingum to ask me for some tobacco. While
this unwelcome guest was smoking his pipe by my
fire, behold ! the other Indian whom he had threat-
ened to kill, and who at that moment had just arri-
ved, also entered the house. I was much frightened;
as I feared the bad Indian would take that cpportu-
nity to carry his threat into execution, and that my
house would be made the scene of a horrid murder.
I walked to the door, in order not to witness a crime
that I could not prevent, when to my great astonish-
ment I heard the Indian whom I thought in danger,
address the other in these words : " Uncle, you
have threatened to kill me— you have declared that
you would do it the first time we should meet. Now
I am here, and we ar^s together. Am I to take it
for granted that you are in earnest, and tiiat you are
really determined to take my life as you have de-
!ared ? Am I now to consider you as my avowed
enemy, and in order to secure my own life against
your murderous designs, to be the first to strike you
and imbrue my hands in youl: blood ^ — I will not,
I cannot do it. Your heart is bad, it is true, but still
you appear to be a generous foe, for you gave me
notice of what you intended to do ; you have put me
on my guard, and did not attempt to assassinate me
by surprise ; I, therefore, will spare you until you
lift up your arm to strike, und then, uncle, it will be
seen which of us shall fall !" The murderer was
liuinderstruck, and without replying a word, slunk
off and left the house.

The next anecdote will display an act of heroism
produced by this elevation of mind which I have
called pride, which perhaps, may have been equalled,
but, I dare say, was hardly ever surpassed. In the
spring of the year 1782, the war chief of the Wyan-
dots of Lower Sandusky sent a white prisoner (a
young man whom he had iaken at Fort IVrintosh)
»«; a present to another chief, who was called the

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INDIAN ANECDOTES.

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Half-king of Upper Sandusky, for the 'purpose of
beiog adopted into his family, in the place of one of
his sons, who had been killed the preceding year,
while at war with the people on the Ohio. The pri-
soner arrived, and was presented to the Half-king's
wife, buH'she refused to receive him, which, accord-
ing to the Indian rule, was, in ^ct, a sentence of
death. The young man waS) therefore, taken away,
for the purpose of being tortured and burnt on the
pile. While the dreadful preparations were making
near the village, the unhappy victim being already
tied to the stake, and the Indians arriving from all
quarters to join in the cruel act or to witness it, two
English traders, MesF imndel and Rohhins^ (I
delight in making this honorable mention of their
names,) shocked at the idea of the cruelties which
were about to be perpetrated, and moved by feelings
of pity and humanity, resolved to unite their exer-
tions to endeavour to save the prisoner's life by of-
fering a ransom to the war chief, ^hich he, however
refused, because, said he, it was an established rule
among them, that when a prisoner who had been
given as a present, was refused adoption, he was irre-
vocably doomed to the stake, and it was not in the
power of any one to save his life. Besides, added
he, the numerous war captains who were on the
spot, had it in charge to see the sentence carried into
execution. The two generous Englishmen, hotv-
ever, were not discouraged, and determined to try a
last effort. They well knew what effects the high-
minded pride of an Indian was capable of producing,
and to this strong and noble passion they directed
their attacks : " But," said they, in reply to the an-
swer which the chief had made them, ** among all
those chiefs whom you have mentioned, there is none
who equals you in greatness ; you are considered
not only as the greatest and bravest, but as the best
man in the nation." " Do you really believe what
yoQ say f " said at once the Indian^ looking them full

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

su the face. " Indeed we do." Then, without say-
ing another word, he blackened himself, and taking
bis knife and tomahawk in his hand, made his way
through the crowd to the unhappy victim, crying out
with a loud voice : ** What have you to do with my
prisoner f" and at o ./ce cutting the cords with which
he was tied, took him to his house which was near
Mr. Arundel's, whence be was forthwith secured and
carried off by safe hands to Detroit, where the com-
mandant, being informed of the transaction, sent him
by water to Niagara, where he was soon afterwards
liberated. The Indians who witnessed this act, said
that it was truly heroic ; they were so confounded by
the unexpected conduct of this chief, and by his
manly and resolute appearance, that they- had not
time to reflect upon what they should do, and before
their astonishment was well over, the prisoner was
out of their reach. — HECKEWK{<t>ER.

1)1

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Marvellous Sagacity in tracing Footsteps.

It is certain that the Indians, by the prints of the
feet and by other marks and signs perceivable only to
themselves, can readily discover, not only that men
have passed through a particular path or line of
march, but they can discriminate to what particular
nation those men belong, and whether they are their
friends or their enemies. They also sometimes make
discoveries by examining obscure places, and by
that means get informed of an enemy's design.
Nay, there are those among them who pretend to be
able to discriminate among various marks of human
footsteps the different natiui«a cf those to whom they
respectively belong. I shall not undertake to assert
thus far, but I shall relate an anecdote, the truth of
which I firmly believe, in proof of their extraordinary
sagacity in this respect.

In the beginning of the summer of the year 1755,
a most atrocious and shocking murder was unex-

VOL. I. 13

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INDUN AWECDOTEffrf

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pectodly committed ' / a party of Indians, on fbnr^
teen uhitc settlers Wi bin five miles of Shamokinv
The surviving whites, in their rage, determined to
take their revenge by murdering a Delaware Indian^
who happened to be ii those parts and was far from
thinking himself in ;.ny danger. He was a great
friend to the whites, was loved and estee iied by them,
and in testimony of their regard, had received from
them the name o{ Duke Holland^ by ^h'lch he was
generally knov. n. This Indian, satisfiec that his na-
tion was incapable of committing such a foul murder
in a time of profound peace, told the enraged settlers,
that he was sure that the Delawares were not in any
manner concerned in it, and that it was the act of
some wleked IVlingoes or Iroquois, whos>3 custom it
was to involve other nations in wars with each other,
by clandestinely committing murders, so that they
might be laid to the charge of others than themselves.
But all his representations were vain ; he could not
convince exasperated men whose minds were fully
bent upon revenge. At last, he offered that if they
would give him a party to accompany him, he would
go with them in quest of the murderers, and was sure
he could discover them by the prints of their feet and
other marks well known to him, by which he would
convince them that the real perpetrators of the crime
k jlonged to the Six Nations. His proposal was ac-
cepted ; he marched at the head of a party of whites
and led them into the tracks. They soon found
themselves in the most rocky parts of a mountain,
where not one of those who accompanied him
was able to discover a single track, nor would they
believe that man had ever trodden upon this ground.
as they had to jump over a number of crevices be-
tween the rocks, and in some instances to craw]
over them. Now they began to believe that the In-
dian had led them across those rugged mountains iu
order to give the enemy time to escape, and threat-
ened him with instant death the moment tliev shouhl

INDIAN AK£CD0T£1S.

151

fee fully convinced of the fraud. The Indian, true
to his promise, would take pains to make them per-
ceive that, an enemy had passed along the places
through which he was leading them ; here he would
show them that the moss on the rock had been trod-
den down by the weight of a human foot, there that
it had been torn and dragged forward from its place ;
farther he would point out to them that pebbles or
small stones on the rocks had been removed from
their beds by the foot hitting against them, that dry
sticks by being trodden upon were broken, and even
Uiat in a particular place, an Indian's blanket had
been dragged over the rocks, and removed or
loosened the leaves lying there, so that they lay no
more flat as in other places ; all which the Indian
cculd perceive as he walked along, without even
stopping. At last arriving at the foot of the moun-
tain on soft ground, where the tracks were deep, he.
found out that the enemy were eight in number, and
from the freshness of the foot prints, he concluded
that they must be encamped at no great distance.
This proved to be the exact truth, for after gaining
the eminence on the other side of the valley, the In-
dians were seen encamped, some having already laid
down to sleep, while others were drawing off their
leggings* for the same purpose, and the scalps they
had taken were hanging up to dry. " See !" said
Duke Holland to his astonished companions, *' there
is the enemy ! not of my nation, but Mingoes, as I
truly told you. They are in our power ; in less
than half an hour they will all be fast asleep. We
need not fire a gun, but go up and tomahawk them.
We are nearly two to one, and need apprehend no
danger. Come on, and you will now have your full
revenge !" But the whites, overcome with fear, did
not choose to follow the Indian's advice, and urged
him to take them back by the nearest and best wav,

) i;

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152

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

which he did, and wlien thov arrived at home late as
.light, they reported the number of the Iroquois to
have been so great, that they durst not venture to at-
tack them.

This account is faithfully given as I received it
from Duke Holland iiimself, and took it down in
writing at the time. I had been acquainted with
this Indian for upwards of twenty years, and knew
him to be honest, intelligent, and a lover of truth.
Therefore 1 gave full credit to what he told nie, and
as yet have had no reason to disb.lieve or even to
doubt it. I once employed him lo save the life of a
respectable gentleman, now residing at Pittsburg,
nho was in imminent danger of being killed by a
war party. Duke Holland conducted him safely
through the woods, from the Muskingum to the Ohio
settlement. He once found a watch of mine, which
had been sent to me from Pittsburg by a man who
had got drunk, and, lost it in the woods about fifty
miles from the place where I lived. Duke Holland
wont in search of it, and having discovered the tracks
of the man to whom it had been intrusted, he pursued
them until he found the lost article, which he deliver
ocl to me. — Heckevvelder.

Treatment of Prisoners.
Much has been said on the subject of the prelimi-
Jiary cruelties inflicted on prisoners, when they enter
an Indian village with the conquering warriors, it
is certain that this treatment is very severe when a
particular revenge is to be exercised ; but otherwise,
[ can say with truth, that in many instances, it is
rather a scene of amusement, than a punishment.
Much depends on the courage and presence of raind
of the prisoner. On entering the village, he is shown
a painted post at the distance of from twenty to forty
yards, and told to run to it and catch hold of it as
(juickly as he can. On each side of him stand men,
women and children, with axes, sticks, and other of-

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IKDIAN ANECDOTES.

153

fensive weapons, ready to strike him as lie runs, in
the same manner as is done in the European armies
when soldiers, as it is called, run the gauntlet. If
he should be so unlucky as to fall in the way, he will
probably be immediately despatched by some person,
longing to avenge the death of some relation or
friend slain in battle ; but the moment he reaches
the goal, he is safe and protected from further insult
until his fate is determined.

If a prisoner in such a situation shows a deter-
mined courage, and when bid to run for the painted
post, starts at once with all his might, and exerts all
his strength and agility until he reaches it, he will
most commonly escape without much harm, and
sometimes without any injury whatever, and on
i*eaching the desired point, he will have the satisfac-
tion to hear his courage and bravery applauded.
But wo to the coward who hesitates, or shows any
symptoms of fear ! He is treated without much
mercy, and is happy, at last, if he escapes with his
life.

In the month of April 1782, when I was myself a
prisoner at Lower Sandusky, waiting for an oppor-
tunity to proceed with a trader to Detroit, I witnessed
a scene of this description which fully exemplified
what 1 have above stated. Three American prison-
ers were one day brought in by fourteen warriors
from the garrison of Fort M'Intosh. As soon as
they bad crossed the Sandusky river to which the
village lay adjacent, they were told by the Captain
of the parly to run as hard as they could to a paint-
f d post which was shown to them. The youngest of
the three, without a moment's hesitation, immediate-
ly started for it, and reached it fortunately without
t-eceiving a single blow ; the second hesitated for a
moment, but recollecting himself, he also ran as fast
as he could and likewise reached the post unhurt';
but the third, frightened at seeing so many meo, wo-
men and children with weapons in (licir hstnds, ready

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INDIAN ANECDOTES.

•I

to Strike him, kept begging the Captain to spare his
iife, saying he was a mason, and he would build him
a fine lurge stone house, or do any work for him that
he should please. " Run for your life," cried the
chief to him, *< anddonU talk now of building houses!"
But the poor fellow still insisted, begging and pray-
ing to the Captain, who at last finding his exhorta-
tions vain, and fearing the consequences, turned his
back upon him, and would not hear him any longer.
Our mason now began to run, but received many a
hard blow, one of which nearly brought him to the
ground, which, if he had fallen, would at once have
decided his fate. He, however, reached the goal,
not without being sadly bruised, and he was besides,
bitterly reproached and scoffed at all round as a vile
<-.oward, while the others were hailed as brave men,
and received tokens of universal approbation. —
Heckewelder.

Civilized Indian guilty of Forgery.

The following are curious documents concerning
the above fact. They are now first printed from the
originals in my possession. There is something
very simple and touching in the memorial of the
Chiefs ; but the letter of the ofiender himself is ra-
ther too canting. Education seems in his instance,
to have obliterated every atom of real and native
eloquence. It is to be hoped that he was sincere in
his contrition; but real shame and sorrow seldom
seek for fine phrases ; and poor Josiah, it must be
acknowledged, expresses himself too much like a
Milliner's apprentice who had been studying the
" Complete Letter Writer." The penmanship is in
a plain, strong hand. I have bad the letter printed
without any alteration whatever, in either spelling or
punctjiation. B.

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

155

To his Excellency De Witt Clinton^ Governor of the
State of JVew- York.

The memorial and petition of the undersigned
Chiefs Peace makers and warriors of tlie Muhhi-
connuk or Stockbridge Tribe Oi' Indians humbly re-
presenteth :

That whereas a certain young man of our Tribe
by the name of Josiah W. Andrew had committed a
forgery about one year ago last March, and was sen-
tenced to the State's Prison at Auburn for the term,
of five years. And we have thought it was our duty
to write few lines to your Excellency on his behalf.
Be it known to your Excellency that it is well
known to all our Tribe, that previous to the crime for
which said Josiah was committed, he had always
maintained a good character, and was considered by
the nation to be a good meaning, innocent, and inof-
fensive young man, and was never known to be guil-
ty of any heinous crime, only that he was subject to
intemperate habits, which finally brought him to the
place where he is now in confinement. The said
Josiah, has an aged and pour father who is very in-
firm, and wishes to see his son in order to have liis
help and to comfort him in his declining years, as he
has no other son or daughter in this country to ren-
der him anv assistance.

We therefore hope and pray your Excellency will
condescend to have the goodness to pardon the said
poor Josiah, as we have reason to believe that he will
reform if he will be restored to society once more.
And we believe he has already reformed by the infor-
mation we have received from him.

This is the desire of the whole of our nation, and
hope that your Excelleficy will hear us and grant us
eur request.

■(^•••'•VT'

'f-if"

166

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

S'<

Done in a general Council, at New Stockbridge.
this 16th day of January, 1821.

Hendrick Aupaumiit,
Jacob Kunkopot,
Solomon Q. Hendiiik,
Abner W. Hendrick,
Abram Man-maun-teth-e-con,
John W. (^uinney,
Abram Pie,

Solomon U. Hendrick, Clk.
Thomas J. Hendrick,
William Tompson.

Isaac Littleman,
£li8ha Konkapot,
John Littleman, ;l;
John Baldwin,
Cornelius Aaron,
Thomas Palmer,
Harry Aaron,
Jacob Cheekthauron,
Francis P. Aaron,

In behalf of the Tribe.

Auburn, December 2ith, 1820.
Mr. Sargent sir,

I imbracc this oppertunity of conversing tvith you
by way of writing to inform you of my heaUh which
is as good as I can expect, confined as I am within
the walls of this drery and cold prison whilst I hope
you and yours injoy the blessing and at your liberties
which is the grentist blessing that mortals can injoy
in this vain and delusive world but alas that bounty
1 have violated that fatal deed which my heart bleeds
when [ reflect but I am ditermined if ever 1 can again
be r jstored to my former injoyments that I will put a
double restrain on my conduct and never again vio-
late the laws of my country. Mr. Sargent 1 hope
you will be so good as to see my friends and will in-
deaver with them to assist me this ounce to my liber-
ty for .which favour I shall ever conceder myself
under the greatist obligations — consider me sir as a
mortal liable to the frowns of fortune for we are
none of us exempt I hope you will not leave me to
linger out my few remaining years in this wreatched
abode 1 once more intreat yon to have compassion
o» me as you expect mercy of your creator for each
of us as mortals have kneed of mercy from that
'tivinc trci.ig*— 1 wish sir you woultl sic^e my father

INDIAN ANECD0TI9.

167

and see what lias been the cause of my never rece-
ving any word from him as I never have receved
any word from him i.ince I was first arested ask
him sir if he considers me dead because I have
once done wrong tell him his erring son is yet alive
and nirnistly solisits your pardon and a pardon from
the government against which he has offended I hope
he with your assistence will soon restore me to my
liberty and my futer good conduct shall apologise
for the past do not neglect me sir for 1 am heartyly
sorry for my fault

Mr. Sargent I hope you will send me an answer
as soon as you receve this give my love to my cou-
sin Jacob Chicks and his family with all inquiring
friends

This from your unhappy but sincere friend

JosiAH W. Andrew.

To the Rev. John Sargent f
V^ernon, Coxnty Oneidat

jy. York, (mth speed.) ,

Attachment to the Memory op deceased

Friends.

A distinguished Oneida Chief named Skenandou,
having yielded to the teaching of his minister, (the
Rev. Mr. Kirkland,) and lived a reformed man for
fifty years, said, in his l20th year, just before he
died, " I am an aged hemlock. The winds of one
hundred years have whistled through my branches.
1 am dead at the top." (He was blind.) " Why I
yet live, the great good Spirit only knows. Pray to
my Jesus 4hat I may wait with patience my appoint-
ed time to die ; and when I die, lay me by the side
of my minister and father, that 1 may go up with him
at t.he great resurrection."

158

INDIAN AN£CD0TC8.

','

Method of Writing.

The Indian writing consists of figures or liierogly-^
phics; and the following anecdote will show that
sometimes it is very much to the purpose : A white
man in the Indian country, met a Shawanos riding a
horse which he affected to recognise for his own,
and claimed it from him as his property. The Indiaa
calmly answered, '' Friend ! after a little while, I
will call on you at your house, when we shall talk of
this matter." A few days afterwards, the Indian
came to the white man's house, who insisting on ha-
ving his horse restored, the other then told him :
*' Friend ! the horse which you claim belonged to my
uncle who lately died ; according to the Indian cus-
tom, I have become heir to all his property." The
white man not being satisfied, and renewing his de-
mand, the Indian immediately took a coal from the
fire-place, a: d made two striking figures on the door
of the house, the one representing the white man ta-
king the horse, and the other, himself, in the act of
scalping him ; then he coolly asked the trembling
claimant '* whether he could read this Indian wri-
ting .^" The matter thus was settled at once, and the
Indian rode off. — Heckewelder.

Constancy of an Indian Girl.

In passing thro' Lake Pepin our interpreter point-
ed out to us a high precipice, on the east shore of
the lake, from which an Indian girl, of the Sioux
nation, had, many years ago, precipitated herself in
a fit of disappointed love. She had given her heart,
it appears, to a young chief of her own tribe, who
was very mi:ch attached to her, but the alliance was
opposed by her parents, who wished her to marry
an old chief, renowned for his wisdom and influence
in the nation. As the union was insisted upon, and
uo other way appearing to avoid it, she determined

,/ .

INnfAN ANGCnOTE9.

15(>

to sncriHce licr life in preference to ft violation of her
former vow ; und while the preparations for the mar-
riage feast wer3 going forward, left her father's ca-
bin, without exciting suspicion, and before she could
be overtaken threw herself from an awful precipice,
and was instantly dashed to a thousand pieces.
Such an instance cf sentiment is rarely to be met
with among barbarians, and should redeem the name
of this noble-minded girl from oblivion. It wa^
Oo-Ia-i-ta. — Schoolcrajl^s Journal.

Belief in the Undebstandinc* of Beasts.

I have often reflected on the curious connexion
which appears to subsist in the mind of an Indian be-
tween man and the brute creation ; and found much
matter in it for curious observation. Although they
consider themselves superior to all other animals
and are very proud of that superiority; althougii
they believe that the beasts of the forest, the birds of
the air, and the fishes of the waters, were created by
the Almighty Being for the use of man ; yet it seems
as if they ascribe the difference between themselves
and the brute kind, and the dominion wh*ch thev
haveover them, more to their superior bodily strength
and dexterity than to their immortal souls. All be-
ings endowed by the Creator with the power of voli-
tion and self-motion, they view in a manner as a
great society of which they are the head, whom they
are appointed, indeed, to govern, but between whom
and themselves intimate ties of connexion and rela-
tionship may exist, or at least, did exist in the be-
ginning of time. They are, in fact, according to
their opinions, only the first among equals, the legiti-
mate hereditary sovereigns of the whole animated
race, of which they are themselves a constituent part.
Hence, in their languages, those inflections of their
nouns which we call genders, are not, as with us,
descriptive of the masculine Vindfemenine species, but

T I

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il/

160

INDIAN ANBCDOTfiS.

i '

but of the animate and inanimate k'inds. Indeed,
they go so far as to include trees and plants within
the first of these descriptions. All animated nature,
in whatever degree, is in their eyes a great whole,
from which they have not yet ventured to separate
themselves. They do not exclude other animals
from their world of spirits, the place to which they
expect to go after death.

I find it difficult to express myself clearly on this
abstruse subject, which, perhaps, the Indians them-
selves do not very well understand, as they have no
metaphysicians among them to ai'.alyze their vague
notions, and perhaps confuse them still more. But
I can illustrate what I have said by some character-
istic anecdotes.

The Indian includes all savage beasts within the
number of his enemies. This is bv no means a meta-

ft/

phorical or figurative expression, but is used in a
literal sense, as will appiiur from what 1 am going to
relate.

A Delaware ifnnter once shot a huge bear and
broke its back bone. The animal fell and set up a
most plaintive cry, something like that of the panther
when he is hungry. Tiie hunter, instead of giving
him another shot, stood up close to him, and ad'
dressed hini in these words: "Hark ye! bear;
you are p coward, and no warrior as you pretend to
be. Were you a warrior, you would show it by
your firmness, and not cry and whimper like an old
woman. You know, bear, that our tribes are at war
with each other, and that yours was the aggressor.*
You have found the Indians too powerful for you.
and you have gone sneaking about in the woods,
stealing their hogs; perhaps at this time you have

* Probably allnlinf? to a tradition which the Indians have of a
very feronioiis kind ol bear, called the naked bear, which they say
ouce existed, but was toiully destroyed by their ancestors. The
last was killrl .n ilie Now York state, at a place they called Hoc-
"ink, which moan? the Basin, or nioro pi-operly the Keltle.

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

161

hog's flesh in your belly. Had you conquered me,
I would have borne it with courage and died like a
brave warrior; but you, bear, sit here and cry, and
disgrace your tribe by your cowardly conduct." I
was present at the delivery of this curious invective ;
when the hunter had despatched the bear, I asked
him bow he thought the poor animal could under-
stand what he said to it ? " Oh !" said he in answer,
'' the bear understood me very well ; did yon not
observe how ashamed he looked while I was upbraid-
ing him f"

Another time I witnessed a similar scene between
the falls of the Ohio and the river Wabash. A young
white man, named William Welhf* who had been
when a boy taken prisoner by a tribe of the Wabash
Indians, by whom he was brought up, and had im-
bibed all their notions, had so wounded a large bear
that he could not move from the spot, and the ani-
mal cried piteously like the one I have just mention-
ed. The young man went up to him, and with seem-
ingly great earnestness, addressed him in the Wabash
language, now and then giving him a slight stroke
on the nose with his ram-rod. I asked him, when
he had done, what he had been saying to this bear f
''I have," said he, *' upbraided him for acting the
part of a coward ; I told him that he knew the for-
tune of war, that one or the other of us must have
fallen; that it was his fate to be conquered, and he
ought to die like a man, like a hero, and not like an
old woman ; that if the case had been reversed, and
I had fallen uio the power of my enemy , I would not
i)av6 disgraced my nation as he did, but would have
died with firmness and courage, as becomes a true
warrior." — H^ckcwelder.

* The same whom Mr. de Volney speaks of in his excellent
View of the Soil and Climate of United Stales." Fupplement.

No. VI. page 356. Philadelphia Edition, 1804.

VOL. I.

.'•if-*'*'

. -\

If!

i'(

1N1>IAN ANECDOTES.

Suicide.

Suicide is not considered by the Indians either a.^
an act of herosim or of cowardice, nor is it with
them a subject of praise or blame. They view this
desperate act as the consequence of mental derange-
ment, and the person who destsoys himself ts to
them an object ofpity. Such cases do not frequently
occur. Between the years 1771 and 1780, four
Indians of my acquaintance took the root of the
may-apple, which is commonly used on such occa-
sions, in order tr^ poison themselves, in which the}'
all succeeded, e icept one. Two of them were young
men, who had been disappointed in love, the girls
on whom they had fixed their choice, and to whom
they were engaged, having changed their tninds and
married other lovers. They both put a;i end to
their existence. The two others were married men.
Their stories, as pictures of Indian manners, will not,
perhaps, be thought uninteresting.

One of these unfortunate men \\ as a person of an
excellent character, respected and esteemed by all
who knew him. He had a wife whom he was very
fond of and two children, and they lived very happily
together at the distance of about a half a mile from the
placf; where I resided. He often came to visit me,
and as he was of a most amiable disposition, 1 was
pleased with his visits, and always gave him n hearty
welcome. When I thought he was too long without
coming, I went myself to the delightful spot which
he had judiciously selected for his dwelling. Here)
always found the family cheerful, sociable and happy,
until some time before the fatal catastrophe happened,
when 1 observed that my friend's countenance bore
the marks of deep melancholy, of which I afterwards
learned the cause. His wife had received the visits
of another man ; he foresaw that he would soon be
obliged to separate from her, and he shuddered when
iie thought that he must also part fi om bis two lovely

tfc

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

1 63

ns either a?

is it with
ey view this
:al derange-
mself is to
)t frequently

1780, four
root of the
I such occa-

which they

were young
ve, the girls
nd to whom
ir minds and
It Bii end to
narried men.
lers, will not,

person of an
eemed by all
he was very
very* happily
mile from the

to visit me,
ssilion, 1 was
him n hearty
long without
1 spot which
ling. Here 1
)\e and happy,
)he happened,
Uenance bore

I afterwards
ived the visits
ouM soon be
uddered when
his two lovely

children ; for it is tlie custom of the Indians, that
when a divorce takes place between husband and
wife, the children remain with their mother, until
they are of a proper age to choose for themselves.
One hope, however, still remained. The sugar-
making season was at hand, and they were shortly
to remove to their sugar camp, where he flattered
iiimself his wife would not be followed by the dis-
turber of his peace, whose residence was about ten
miles from thence. But this hope was of short du-
I'ation. They had hardly been a fortnight in their
new habitation, when, as he returned one day from a
morning's hunt, he found the unwelcome visiter at
his home, in close conversation with his faithless
wife. This last stroke was more than he could bear;
without saying a single word, he took off a large
cake of his sugar, and with it came to my house,
which was at the distance of eight miles from his
temporary residence. It was on a Sunday, at about
ten o'clock in the forenoon, that he entered niy door,
with sorrow strongly depicted on his manly counte-
nance. As he came in he presented me with his
cake of sugar, saying, •' My friend ! you have many
a time served me with a good pipe of tobacco, and
1 have not yet done any thing to please you. Take
this as a reward for your goodness, nnd as an ac-
knowledgement from me as your friend " He said
no more, but giving me with both his hands, a warn^
farewell squeeze, he departed and returned to the camp
Xi about two o'clock in the afternoon a runner fron^
thence passing through the town to notify his deati*
at the village two miles fartber, informed us of th(?
shocking event. He had immediately on his return^
remained a short time in his house, indulging in th^
last caresses to his dear innocent children; then ref
tiring to some distance, had eaten the fatal root, an(l
before relief could be administered by some person^
who had observed him staggering from the otheijf

■ ■— j-'-^'s;

164

INDIAN ANrXDOTCS.

side of the river, he was on tJie point of expiring, and
all succours were vain.

The last whom I have lo mention, was also a
married man, but had n'j children, llz had lived
happ.v with his wife, until one da^^ that she fell into a
passion and made use to him of such abusive lan-
guage as he could not endure. Too high-minded to
quarrel with a woman, he resolved to punish her by
putting an end to his existence. Fortunately he was
seen in the first rtage of his fits, and was brought
into a house, where a strong emetic diluted in luke-
warm water, was forcibly poured down his throat.
He recovered after some time, but never was a^^ain
the strong healthy man he had been before ; his wife
however, took warning from this desperate act, and
behaved better ever after. — Heckewelder.

Drunkenness.

An Indian who had been born and brought up at
Miiiisink, near the Delaware Water Gap, and to
whom the German inhabitants of that neighbour-
hood had given the name of Cornelius Rosenbaum,
told me near fifty years ago, that he had once, when
under the influence of strong liquor, killed the best
Indian friend he had, fancying him to be his worst
avowed^ enemy. He said that the deception was
complete, and that while intoxicated, the iace of his
friend presented to his eyes ?i\\ the features of the
man with wiioni he was in a state of hostility. It is
impossible to express the horror with which he was
struck when he awoke from that delusion ; he was
so shocked, that he from that moment resolved
never more to taste of the maddening poison, of
which he was convinced that the devil was the in-
ventor ; for It could only be the evil spirit who nriadr
him see his enemy when his friend was before him,
and produced so strong a delusion on his bewildered
senses, that he actually killed him. From that tim^

(

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

1C6

1.^.

until bis death, which happened thirty years after-
wards, he nerer drank a drop of ardent spirits,
which he always called " the Devil's blood," arid
was firmly persuaded that the Devil, or some of his
inferior spirits, had a hand in preparing it.

Once in my travels, I fell in with an Indian and his
son ; the former, though not addicted to drinking,
bad this time drunk some liquor with one of his ac-
quaintances, of which he now feh the effects. As
he was walking before nie, along the path, he at once
flew back and aside, calling out " O ! what a mon-
strous snake!" On my asking him where the snake
lay, he pointed to something and said, " Why, there,
across the path !" " A snake!" said I, " it is nothing
but a black-burnt sapling, which has fallen on the
ground." He, however, would not be persuaded;
he insisted that it was a snake, and could be notliing
else; therefore, to avoid it, he went round the path,
and entered it again at some distance farther. Af-
ter we had travelled together for about two hours,
during whieh time he spoke but little, we encamped
for the night. Awaking about midnight, 1 saw him
sitting up smoking his pipe, and appearing to be in
deep thought. I asked him why he did not lay
down and sleep .^ To which he replied, ** O my
friend ! many things have crowded on my mind ; I
am quite lost in thought !" .

Heckew. — "And what are you thinking about f"

Indian, — "Did you say it was not a snake of which
I was afraid, and which lay across the p ith f"

Heckew, — " I did say so ; and, indeed, it was
nothing else bat a sapling burnt black by the firing
of the woods."

Indian, — " Arc you sure it was that ?"

Heckew, — " Yes ; and I called to you at the time
to look, howl was standing on it; and if you have
yet a doubt, ask your son, and the two Indians with
me, and they will tell you the same."

Indian^ — " O strange ! and 1 took it for an un-

14*

rf«'>

16G

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

h '

commoniy large snake, moving as if it intended (u
bite nic ! — I cannot .get over my surprise, that the
liquor I drank, and, indeed, that was not much,
should have so deceived me ! but I think I have now
discovered ibow it happens that Indians so oflen kill
one another when drunk, almost without knowing
what they are doing ; and when afterwards they are
told what they have done, they ascribe it to the liquor
which was in them at the time, and say the liquor
did it. I have thought that as I saw this time a living
snake in a dead piece of ivood, so 1 might, at another
time, take a human being, perhaps one of my own
family, for a bear or some other fierocious beast and
k'll him. Can you, my friend, tell me what is in
the heson* that confuses one so, and transforms things
in that manner f Is it an invisible spirit ? It must
be something alive ; or have the white people sorce-
rers among them, who put something in the liquor to
deceive those who drink it ^ Do the white people
drink of the same liquor that they give to the Indians ."*
Do they i^lso, when drunk, kill people, and bite
noses offf as the Indians do .'* Who taught the white
people to make so pernicious a beson ?"

I answered all these questions, and several others
that he put to me, in the best manner that I could,
to which he replied, and our conversation continued
as follows :

Indian^ — ** Well, if, as you say, the bad spirit can-
not be the inventor of this liquor ; if, in some cases it
is moderately used among you as a medicine, and if
your doctors can prepare from it, cr with the help of
a little of it, some salutary besons, stiW, I must believo
that when it operates as you have seen, the bad spirit
must have some Kand in it, either by putting some
bad thing into it, unknown to thoise who prepare h,
or you have conjurers who understand how to be-
witch it. — Perliaps they only do so to that which is

* This wor«l meaos liquor^ and is alao used in the vcuse of a mi>-
dicinal draught, op otlior compound potion.

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

167

I tended lu
)j that the
not much,
I have now
) often kill
t knowing
Is they are
) the liqucv
the liquor
me a living
, at another
of my own
i beast and
what is in
orms things
f* It must
ople sorce-
lie liquor to
hite people
he Indians f
;, and bite
the white

^eral others

at I could,

continued

spirit can-
tme cases it

ne, and if
I the helpot
nust believr
e bad spirit
utting some

prepare :t,
how to be-
lat which is

liCiise of • w**-

lor the Indians; for the devil is not the Indians'/riend,
because they will not worship him, as they do the
good Spirit, and therefore I believe he puts something
into the besorit for the purpose of destroying them."

Ueckew. — "What the devil may do with the liquor
I cannot tell ; but I believe that he has a hand in
every thing that is bad. When the Indians kill one
another, bite off each other's noses, or commit such
wicked acts, he is undoubtedly well satisfied ; for, as
God himself has said, he is a destroyer and a mur>
derer."

Indian^ — " Well, now, we think alike, and hence-
forth he shall never again deceive me, or entice mc
to drink his heson^

In the year 1769, an Indian iVom Susquehannah
having come to Bethlehem with his sons to dispose
of his peltry, was accosted by a trader from a neigh-
bouring town; who addressed him thus : " Well !
Thomas, I really believe you have turned Moravian."
'* Moravian !" answered the Indian, " what makes
you think «o ?" — ** Because," replied the other, " you
used to come to us to sell j'our skins and peltry, and
now you trade them away to the Moravians." " So !"
rejoined the Indian, " now I understand you well, and
I know what you mean to say. Now hear me. —
See, my friend ! when I come to this place with my
skins and peltry to trade, the people are kind, they
give me plenty of good victuals to eat, and pay me
in money or whatever I want, and no one says a word
to me about drinking rum — neither do I ask for it !
When I come to your place with my peltry, all call
to me : * Come, Thomas ! here's rum, drink heartilj',
drink ! it will not hurt you.' All this is done for the
purpose of cheating roe. When you have obtained
from me all you want, you call me a drunken dog.
and kick me out of the room. — See ! this is the man-
ner in which you cheat the Indians when thejTcome
to .trade with you. So now you know when you
sec me coming to your town again, you may say te

til

V !l

■.z.^--.

>' I

ijf.'

168

iNJttlAN ANECDOTES.

one ai^other : ' Ali ! there is Thomas coining again !
he is DO longer a Moravian, for he is coming to us to
be made drunk — to he cheated — to be kicked out of
the house, and h« called a drunken dog /' " — Hecke-

WELDER.

Friendship.

In the }ear 1779, the noted Girty with his mur-
dering party of Mingoes, nine in number, fell in with
the Missio "y ^ sberger, on the path leading from
Goschackii Tnadenhiitten ; their design was to

take that wt> >liy tv «n prisoner, and if the could not
seize him alive, to n ^ Her him and take his scalp to
Detroit. They were on the point of laying hold of
him, when two young spirited Delawares providen-
tially entered the pp.th at that critical moment, and
in an instant presented themselves to defend the good
Missionary a^ the risk of their lives. Their deter-
mined conduct had the desired success, and his life
was saved. His deliverers afterwards declaied that
they had no other motive for thus exposing them-
selves for his sake, than that he was a friend to their
nation and was considered by them as a good man.

In the year 1777, while the revolutionary war was
raging, and several Indian tribes had enlisted on the
British side, and were spreading murder and devas-
tation along our unprotected frontier, 1 rather rashly
determined to take a journey into the country on a
visit to my friends. Captain White Eyes, an Indian
chief, resided at that time at the distance of seventeen
n)iles from the place where 1 lived. Hearing of my
determination, he immediately hurried up to me, with
his friend Captain Wingenund, (whom I shall pre-
sently have occasion farther to mention) and some of
his young men, fcr the purpose of escorting me to
Pittsburg, saying, " that he would not suffer me to
go, while the Sandusky warriors were out on war
eicursioiis, without a proper escort and himself at my

INDIAN ANECPOTES.

169

side." He insisted on accompanying me, and we set
out together. One day, as we were proceeding along,
our spies discovered a suspicious track. White
Eyes, who was riding before me, inquired whether I
felt afraid f J answered that while he was with me, 1
entertained no fear. On this he immediately replied,
" You are right ; fbr until I am laid prostrate at your
feet, no one shall hurt you." " And even not then,''
added Wingenund, who was riding behind me ; " be-
fore this happens, I must be also overcome, and lay
by the side of our friend Koguethagechton."* I be-
lieved them, and I believe at this day that these great
men were sincere, and that if they had been put to
the test, they would have shown it, as did another In-
dian friend by whom my life was saved in the spring
of the year 1781. From behind a log in the bushes
where he was concealed, he espied a hostile Indian at
the very moment he was levelling his piece at mc.
Quick as lightning he jumped between us, and ex-
posed his person to the musket shot just about to be
fired, when fortunately the aggressor desisted, fron.
fear of hitting the Indian, whose body thuseflectually
protected me, at the imminent risk of his own life.
Captain White Eyes, in the year 1774, saved in the
same manner the life of David Duncan, the peace-
messenger, whom he was escorting He rushed, re-
gardless of his own life, up to an inimical Shawanese,
who was aiming at our ambassador from behind a
bush, and forced him to desist.

In the year 1782, a settlement of Christian Indians
on the Sandusky river, were cruelly murdered, by a
gang of banditti, under the command of one Wil-
liamson. Not satisfied with this horrid outrage, the
same band, not long afterwards, marched to Sandus-
ky, where it seems they had been informed that the
remainder of that unfortunate congregation bad fled,
in order to perpetrate upon them the same indiscri-

* The Indian name of Capt. ^Vhite Eyes.

•Ill
I

■':']:

■.i%-~.

^4 '

.z::r<

. 1.

'I-

i i

kft

■3

pi.'

170

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

mlnale murder. But Providence bad so ordered it
that they had before left that place, where they had
found that they could not remain in safety, their mi-
nisters having been taken from them and carried to
Detroit by order of the British ^(overnment, so that
they had butn left entirely unprotected. The mur-
derers, on their arrival, were much disappointed in
finding nothing but empty huts. They then shaped
their course towards the hostile Indian villages,
where being, contrary to their expectations, furious-
ly attacked, Williamson and his band took the ad-
vantage of a dark night and ran off, and the whole
party escaped, except one Colonel Crawford and an-
other, who being taken by the Indians, were carried
ir. triumph to their village, where the former was
condemned to death by torture, and the punishment
was inflicted with all the cruelty that rage could in-
vent. The latter was demanded by the Shawanesc
and seijt to them for punishment.

While pi «>parations were making for the execution
of this dreadTm senieiice, the unfortunate Crawford
recollected that the Delaware chief Wingenund,* of
whom I have spoken in the beginning of this chapter,
had b'len his friend in happier times ; he had several
times entertained him at his house, and showed him
those marks of attention which are so grateful to the
poor despi:ed Indians. A ray of hope darted through
his soul, and he requested that Wingenund, who lived
at some distance from the village, might be sent for.
His request was granted, and a messenger was de-
spatched for the chief, who, reluctantly, indeed, but
without hesitation, obeyed the summons, and imme-
diately came to the fatal spot.

This great and good man was not only one of the
bravest and most celebrated warriors, but one of the
most amiable men of the Delaware nation. To a

* Thia name, according to the English orthography, should br
written Winganonnd or fVingaynoond^ the second syllable accent
e>\ and long, and the last syllable short.

ordered it
the^r had
, iheir mi-
carried to
nt, so that
The mur-
ppointed in
hen shaped
n villages,
ns, furious-
»ok the ad-
rl the whole
brd and «>n-
;vere carried
former was
punishment
ge could in-
Shawanesc

he execution
lie Crawford
renund,* of
this chapter,
i had several
showed him
rateful to the
rted through
id, who lived

be sent for.
cer was de-

indeed, but
and imme-

y one of the
jt one of the
ation. To a

aphy, should be
syllable accent

INDtAN ASECUOTES.

171

fii'm undaunted mind, he joined humanit;^, kindness
and universal benevolence ; the excellciit qualities of
his heart had obtained for him tiie name of Wlngc-
ixund which in the Lenape language ^ignifips the well
beloved. He had kept away from the tragicul scene
about to be acted, to mourn in silence and solitude
over the fate of his guilty friend, which he well knew
it was not in his power to prevent. He was now call-
ed upon to act a painful as well as difficult part : the
eyes of his enraged countrymen were fixed upon
him ; he was an Indian and a Delaware ; he was a
leader of that nation, whose defenceless members
had been so cruelly murdered without distinction of
age or sex, und whose innocent blood called aloud
for the most signal revenge. Could ho take the part
of a chief of the base murderers.'* Could he forget
altogether tlie feelings of anqient fellowship and give
way exclusively to those of the Indian and the pa-
triot.^ Fully sensible that in the situation in which he
was placed the latter nmst, in appearance, at least,
predominate, he summoned to his aid the firmness
and dignity of an Indian warrior, approached Colo-
nel Crawford and waited in silence for the communi-
cations he had to make. The following dialogue now
took place between them :

Crawf. — Do you recollect me, Wingenund .''
fVingen. — I believe I do ; are you not Colonel
Crawford.^

Crawf. — 1 am. How do you do f I am glad lo
see you, Captain.

fVingen. — (embarrassed) So ! yes, indeed.
Crawf. — Do you recollect the friendship that al-
ways existed between us, and that we were always
glad to see each other.''

fyingen. — I recollect all this. 1 remember that
we have drunk many a bowl of punch together. I
remember also other acts of kindness that you have
done me.

I::*.

-1/

i» s

&:l^''ijdt^

•"..

:'*iv

172

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

Crauf. — ^Then I hope the same frieudsbip still
subsists between us.

fVingen, — It would, of course, be the same, were
you in your proper place and not here.

Cratef, — And why not here, Captain ? I hope you
would not desert a friend in time of need. Now is
the time for you to exert yourself in my behalf, as I
should do for you were you in my place.

Wingen. — Colonel Crawford j you have placed
yourself ill a situation which puts it out of my power
and that of others of your fricndi to do any thing for
you.

Crauf. — How so, Captain Wingcnuftd ?
Wingen. — By joining yourself to that execrable
man, Williamson and his party ; the man, who, but
the other day murdered such a number of the Mora-
vian Indians, knowing them to be friends ; knowing
that he ran no ris*'. in murdering a people who would
not fight, and whose only business was praying.

Crauf, — Wingenund, I assure you, that had I
been with him at the time, this would not have hap-
pened ; not I alone, but all your friends and all good
men, wherever they are, reprobate acts of this kind.
Wingen. — That may be ; yet these friends, these
good men did not prevent him from going out again,
to kill the remainder of those inoffensive, yet foolish
Moravian Indians ! I say fooliahf because they be-
lieved the whites in preference to us. We had oAen
told them that they would be one day so treated by
those people who called themselves their friends !
We told them that there was no faith to be placed in
what the white men said ; that their fair promises
were only intended to allure us, that they might the
more easily Kill us, as they have done many Indians
before they killed these Moravians.

Cr ^wf. — I am sorry to hear you speak thus ; as to
Williamson's going out again, when it was known
that he was determined on it, I went out with him to
prevent him from committing fresh murders.

IMDUN ANBl'DOTCS,

17J

}Vingen. — ^Thii, Colonel, the Indians would not
believe, were even I to tell tliem so.

Cratof, — And why would they not believe it f

JVingen. — Because it would have been out of
your power to prevent his doing what he pleased.

Cratof. — Out of my po\^cr ! Have any Moravian
Indians been killed or hurt since we came out?

fVingen. — None ; but you went first to their town,
and finding it empty and deserted you turned on the
path towards us. If you had been in search of war-
riors only, you would not have gone thither. Our
spies watched you closely. They saw you while you
were embodying yourrelves on the otlier side of the
Ohio ; they saw you cross that river ; they saw where
you encamped at night ; they \w you turn off from
the path to the deserted Moravian town ; they knew
you were going out of your way ; your steps were
constantly watched, and you were suffered quietly to
proceed until you reached the spot where you were
attacked.

Crawf, — ^What do they intend to do with me f Can
you tell me f

Wingen. — I tell you with grief. Colonel. As
Williamson and his whole cowardly host ran off In
in the night, at the wliistling of our warriors' balls,
being satisfied that now he had no Moravians to deal
with, but men who could fight, and with such he did
not wish to have any thing to do ; 1 say, as he es-
caped, and they have taken you, they will take re-
venge on you in his stead.

Craw/, — And is there no possibility of preventing
this f Can you devise no way to get me ofi*? You
shall, my friend, be well rewarded if you are iustru-
mental in saving my life.

Wingen. — H ad Williamson been taken with you, I
and some friends, by making use of what you have
told me, might perhaps, have succeeded to save yav.

Vol. I. 15

!/|

■V

€

174

INDIAN ANECJIOTES.

but as the matter now stands, no man would dare
to interfere in your behalf. The king of England
himself, were he to come to this spot, with all his
wealth and treasures could not effect this purpose.
The blood of the innocent Moravians, more than
half of them women and children, cruelly and wan-
tonly murdered calls aloud for revenge. The relatives
of the slain, who are among us, cry out and stand
ready for revenge. The nation to which they be-
longed will have revenge. The Shawanese, our
grand-children, have asked for your fellow prsoner }
on him they will take revenge. All the nations con-
nected with us cry out Hevenge ! revenge ! The Mo-
ravians whom you went to destroy having fled, in-
stead of avenging their brethren, the offence is be-
come national, and the nation itself is bound to take

REVENGE !

Crauf. — Then it seems my fate is decided, and 1
must prepare to meet death in its worst form f

fVingen. — Yes, Colonel ! — I am sorry for it; but
cannot do any thing for you. Had you attended to
the Indian principle, that as good and evil cannot
dwell together in the same heart, sc a good man
ought not to go into evil company ; you would not
be in this lamentable situation. You see, now, when
it is too late, after Williamson h s deserted you,
whnt a bad man he must be ! Nothing now remains
for you but to meet your fate like a brave man.
Farewell, Colonel Crawford ! they are coming ;* 1
will retire to a solitary spot.

I have been assured by respectable Indians that
at the close of this conversation, which was related
to me by Wingenimd himself as well as by others,
both he and Crawford burst into a flood of tears ;

"* The people were at that momeot adranciiig, with shouts aiui
y«lU, to torture aad put him to death.

v£=Eri

■I

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

176

•rith ihouts aitU

they then took an afTectionate leave of each other,
and the chief immediately hid kitnselfin the bushes^
as the Indians express it, or in his own language,
retired to a solitary spot. He never, afterwards,
spoke of the fate of his unfortunate friend without
strong emotions of grief, which I have several times
witnessed. Once, it was the first time that he came
into Detroit afler Crawford's sufferings, 1 heard
him censured in his own presence by some gentle-
men who were standmg together for not having saved
the life of so valuable a man, who was also his par-
ticular friend, as he had often told them. He listened
calmly to their censure, and first turning to me, said
In his own lan^^uage : " These men talk like fools,"
then turning to them, he replied in English : *' If
king George himself, if your king had been on the
spot with all the ships laden with goods and tre;*-
sures, he could not have ransomed my friend, nor
saved his life from the rage of a jwtly exasperated
multitude."— Heckewelder.

Satirical Wit.

An Indian, who spoke good English, came one
da/ to a house where I was on business, and desired
me to ask a man who was there and who owed him
some money, to give an order in writing for him to
get a little salt at the store, which he would take in
part payment of his debt. The man, after reproving
the Indian for speaking through an interpreter when
he could speak such good English, told him that he
must call again in an hour's time, for he was then too
much engaged. The Indian went out and returned
at the appointed time, when he was put off again for
another hour, and when he came the third ti me, the
other told him he was still engaged and he must
oome again in half an hour. My Indian friend's pa-

176

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

%'^'i

I ■

I f

feyj

K»

for

^ ;

-"t

^ w.

i'lf;

■ ■^-'

sWiT

tience was not exhausted, he turned to me and ad
dressed me thus in his own language : " Tell this
man,'' said he, ** that while 1 have been waiting for
his convenience to give me an order for a Kttle salt,
I have had time to think a great deal. I thought
that when we Indians want any thing of one anotiier,
we serve each other on the spot, or if we cannot, we
say so at once, but we never say to any one * call
again ! call again ! call again ! three times call
again !* Therefore when this man put me off in this
manner, I thought that, to be sure, the white people
were very ingenious, and probably he was able to do
what no body else could. 1 thought that as it was
afternoon when I first came, and he knew I had seven
miles to walk to reach my camp, he had it in his
power to stop the sun in its course, until it suited
him to give me the order that I wanted for a little
salt. So thought 1, 1 shall still have day light enough,
I shall reach my can^p before night, and shall not be
obliged to walk in the dark at the risk of falling and
hurting my myself by the way. But when I saw that
the sun did not wait for him, and I had at least to
(^alk seven miles in an obscure night, I thought then,
that it would be better if i!je white people were to
learn something of the Indians."

1 once asked an old Indian acquaintance of mine,
who had come with his wife to pay me a visit, where
he had been, that I had not seen him for a great
while ? " Don't you know," he answered, " that thr
white people some time ago summoned us to a treaty,
to buy land of them.'"' — "That is true," replied 1.
"I had indeed forgotten it; I thought you was just
returned from your fall hunt." — ** No, no, replied
the Indian, " my fall hunt has been lost to me thi»
season ; I had to go and get my share of the pur-
chase money for the land we sold" — " Well then,'
Slid I, "I suppose you got enough to satisfy you ?'*

^ -^- <1^-'...^,

INDIAN ANECDOTESo

Indiant — " I can show you all that I got. I have
{•eceived such and such articles," (naming them and
the quantity ofeach,) '* do you think that is enough?"

Heckew. — " That I cannot know, unless you tell
me how much of the land which was sold came to
your share."

Indian^ — (after considering a little) *• Well, you,
my friend ! know who I am, you know I am a kind
of chief. I am, indeed, one, though none of the
greatest. Neither am I one of the lowest grade, but
I stand about in the middle rank. Now, as such, ]
think I was entitled to as much land in the tract we
sold as would lie within a day's walk from this spot
to a point due north, then a days's walk from that
point to another due west, from thence another day's
walk due south, then a day's walk to where we now
are. Now yon can tell me if what I have shown
you is enough for all the land lying between these
four marks ?"

Hecketv. — " If you have made your bargain so
with the white people, it is all right, and you pro-
bably have received your share."

Indian^ — "Ah! but the white people made the
bargain by themselves, without consulting; us. They
told us that they would give us so much, and no

more.

>»

Heckew. — " Well, and you consented thereto .''"

Indian, — ** What could we do, when they told us
that they must have the land, and for such a price ?
Was it not better to take something than nothing ?
for they would have the land, and so we took what
ihey gave us."

Heckew. — " Perhaps the goods they gave you
came high in price. The goods which come over
the great salt-water lake sometimes vary in their
prices."

/nrfta/i,— The traders sell their goods for just the

16*

iirr^

•tass

•W'

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

<« A-

my,,

same prices that they did before, so that I rather
think it is the land that has fallen in value. We,
Indians, do not understand selling iands w the white
people ; for, when we sell, the price of land is al-
ways low; land is then cheap, but when the white
people sell it out among themselves, it is always dear,
and they are sure to get a high price for it. I had
done much better if I had staid at home and minded
my fall hunt. You know I am u pretty good hunter
and might have killed a great many deer, sixty,
eighty, perhaps .a hundred, and besides caught many
racoons, beavers, otters, wild cats, and other ani-
mals, while I was at this treatry. I have often kil-
led five, six, and seven deer in one day. Now 1 have
lost nine of the best hunting weeks in the season by
going to get what you see ! We were told the pre-
cise time when we must meet. We came at the very
(lay, but the great white men did not do so, and
without them nothing could be done. When aftier
some weeks they at last came, we traded, we sold
our lands and received goods in payment, and when
(hat was over, I went to my hunting grounds, but the
best time, the rutting time, being over, I killed btU a
few. Now, help me to count up what I have lost l)>
going to the treaty. Put down eighty d^ei ; say
twenty of them were bucks, each buck-skin one dol-
lar ; then sixty does and vo r, - bucks at two skins
for a dollar; thirty Jollars, mul .wenty for the olii
bucks, make fiftv dollars losi to me in deer skins
Add, then, twenty dollars more to this for racoon,
beaver, wild cat, binck fox, and otter skins, and wlini
does the whole amount to .'*"

Heckeiv. — " Seventy dollars."

Indian. — "Well, let it be only seventy dollars, buj
how much might I have bought of the traders for this
money ! How well we might have lived, I and my
family in the woods during that time ! How much

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

170

meat would my wife have dried ! how much tallow
saved and sold or exchanged for salt, flour, tea
and chocolate ! All this is now lost to us ; and
had I not such a good wife (stroking her under
the chin) who planted so much corn, and so many
beans, pumpkins, squashes, and potatoes last sum>
mer, my family would now live most wretchedly. I
have learned to be wise by going to treaties, 1 shall
never go there again to sell my land and lose my
time." — Heckcwelder.

Use op the Bible by White People.

The Indians will not admit that the whites arc
superior beings. They say that the hair of their
heads, their features, the various colours of theii
eyes, evince that they are not like themselves Lcnni
Lenope, an Original People, a race of men that
has existed unchanged from tlie beginning of time ;
but they are a mixed race, and therefore a troublesome
one; wherever they may be, the Great Spirit,
knowing the wickedness of their disposition, found it
necessary to give them a great Book,^ and taught
them how to read it, that they might know and observe
what he wished them to do and to nbstuin from. But
they, the Indians, have no need of any such book
to let them know the will of their Maker; they find
it engraved on their own hearts ; they have had suffi-
cient discernment given to them to distinguish good
from evil, and by following that guide, they are sure
not to err.

It is true, they confess, that when they first saw
the whites, they took ihcnj for beings of a superior
kind. They did not know but that they had been
sent to them from the abode of the Great Spirit fc r

,«

\ I

-V A

* The niblft.

■".BP

180

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

{■>•■

I nt

some great and important purpose. They therefore,
welcomed them, hoping to be made happier by their
company. It was not long, however, before they dis-
covered their mistake, imving found them an ungrate-
ful insatiable people, who, though the Indians had gi-
ven them as much land as was necessary to raise
provisions for themselves and their families, and pas-
ture for their cattle, wanted stilt to have more, and
at last would not be contented with less than the
vt^ole country. " And yet," say those injured peo-
ple, *' these white men would always be telling us of
their great Book which God had given to them ;
they would persuade us that every man was good
who believed in what the Book said, and every man
was bad who did not believe in it. They told us a
great many Mnngs, which they said were written in
the good Book, ar^d wanted us to believe it all. We
would probably have done so, if we had seen them
practise what thiy pretended to believe, and act ac-
cordiiig to the good words which they told us. But
no ! while they held iheir big Book in one hand, in
the ot';er they had murderou: weapons, guns and
swords, Viiicrewith to kill us, poor Indians! Ah!
and they did &o too, they killed those who believed
in their Book, as well as those who did not. Vhey
made no distinction! — Heckewelder.

Theaties.

The Indians in early limes ^vould never even per-
mit any .varlike weapons to remain within the \. nits
of ♦hcir co,'«ci7^re, when assembled together about
the 01 iinary business of government. It might, they
sal [, liaTfc a i ■'d ef/ect, and defeat the object for
which .Hey ti'id «net. h might be u check on some
of the pe ' n assembled, and perhaps, prevent those
who had . just comr lint or representation to make,

INDIAN ANECDOTES.

idi

I therefore,

|r by their

they dis-

ungrate-

[ns had gi-

ry to raise

I, and pas-

more, and

s than the

jnred pco-

lling us of

: to them ;

wm good

every roan

y told us a

written in

it all. We

seen them

and act ac-

d us. But

le hand, in

guns and

! Ah!

ans

10 believed

lot. Vhey

r even per-
n the i. nits
ether about
might, they
object for
ck on some
event those
}n to make,

from speaking their minds freely. William Penn,
said they, when he treated with them, adopted this
ancient mode of their ancestors, and convened them
under a grove of shady trees, where the little birds
on their boughs were warbling their sweet notes. In
commemoration of these conferences (which are
always to Indians a subject of pleasing remem-
brance) they frequently assembled together in the
woods, in some shady spot as nearly as possible sim-
ilar to those where they used to meet their brother
MiquoUf and there lay all his *' words'*^ or speeches,
with those of his descendants, on a blanket or clean
piece of bark, and with great satisfaction go suc-
cessively over the whole. This practice (which I
have repeatedly witne«>sed) continued until the year
1780, when the disturbances which then took place
put an end to it, probably foi ever.

These pleasing remembrances, these sacred usages
are no more. " When we treat with the white peo-
ple," do the Indians now say, '* we have not the
choice of the spot where the messengers are to meet.
When we are called upon to conclude a peace, (and
what a peace ?) the meeting no longer takes place in
the shady grove, where the innocent little birds with
their cheerful songs, seem as if they wished to soothe
and enliven our minds, tune them to amity and con-
cord and take a part in the good work for which we
are met. Neither is it at the sacred council house,
that we are invited to assemble. No ! — It is at some
of those horrid places, surrounded with mounds and
ditches, where the most destructive of all weapons,
where great guns, are gaping at us with their wide
mouths, as if ready to devour us ; and thus we are
prevented from speaking our minds freely, as bro-
thers ought to do !"

How then, say they, can there be any sincerity
in such councils ? how can a treaty of this kind be

;llit^lli.Mui|iHMiM

i$2

INDIAN AKEC00TK5.

binding on men thus forced to agree to what is
dictated to them in a strong prison and at ihc can-
non's mouth ; where all the stipulations are on one
side, where all is concession on the one part and
no friendship appears on the other ! From these consi-
derations, which they urge and constantly dwell upon,
the treaties which they make with the white men have
lost all their force, and they think themi»e]ves no longer
bound by them than they are compelled by superior
power. Are they right in this or are they wrong.'
The impartial reader must decide. — Heckkweldek

[,j^

what is
it ihc can-
re on one
part and
lese consi-
well upon,
men have
no longer
y superior
»y wrong?

EWELDEK

J^iknUk.