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diff --git a/old/50350-0.txt b/old/50350-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 327602d..0000000 --- a/old/50350-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,17801 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of History, Manners, and Customs of The Indian -Nations who once Inhabited Pennsylvania and, by John Heckewelder - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: History, Manners, and Customs of The Indian Nations who once Inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighbouring States. - -Author: John Heckewelder - -Commentator: William C. Reichel - -Release Date: October 31, 2015 [EBook #50350] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIAN NATIONS *** - - - - -Produced by Shaun Pinder, Wayne hammond, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - Publications - - OF THE - - Historical Society of Pennsylvania. - - HISTORY, - - MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS - - OF THE - - INDIAN NATIONS. - - -[Illustration: John Heckewelder] - - - - - HISTORY, - - MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS - - OF - - THE INDIAN NATIONS - - WHO ONCE INHABITED PENNSYLVANIA AND - THE NEIGHBOURING STATES. - - BY THE - - REV. JOHN HECKEWELDER, - - OF BETHLEHEM, PA. - - New and Revised Edition. - - WITH AN - - _INTRODUCTION AND NOTES_ - - BY THE - REV. WILLIAM C. REICHEL, - OF BETHLEHEM, PA. - - PHILADELPHIA: - PUBLICATION FUND OF - THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA, - No. 820 SPRUCE STREET. - - 1881. - - - - -“The Trustees of the Publication Fund of the Historical Society of -Pennsylvania” have published nine volumes, viz.: - - The History of Braddock’s Expedition. - Contributions to American History. - Record of Upland, and Denny’s Journal. - Reissue of Vol. 1 of the Memoirs. - Minutes of Defence of Philadelphia, 1814-1815. - Correspondence of Penn and Logan, Vols. 1 and 2. - History of New Sweden, by Israel Acrelius. - Heckewelder’s History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations. - -The investments held by the trustees of the Fund now amount to -twenty-three thousand dollars, the interest only of which is applied to -publishing. By the payment of twenty-five dollars, any one may become -entitled to receive, during his or her life, all the publications of -the Society. Libraries so subscribing are entitled to receive books for -the term of twenty years. - -The Society desire it to be understood that they are not answerable for -any opinions or observations that may appear in their publications: the -Editors of the several works being alone responsible for the same. - - JOHN JORDAN, JR., } - AUBREY H. SMITH, } Trustees. - FAIRMAN ROGERS, } - - .................................................................... - Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by - - THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA, - - in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. - .................................................................... - - PHILADELPHIA. - LIPPINCOTT’S PRESS. - - - - - MEMOIRS - - OF THE - - HISTORICAL SOCIETY - - OF - - PENNSYLVANIA. - - VOL. XII. - - PHILADELPHIA: - - PUBLICATION FUND OF - THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA, - No. 820 SPRUCE STREET. - - 1881. - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - -BY THE EDITOR. - - -John Gottlieb Ernestus Heckewelder, the author of “An Account of the -History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations who once inhabited -Pennsylvania and the neighboring States,” was born March 12th, 1743, -at Bedford, England. His father, who was a native of Moravia, a few -years after his arrival at Herrnhut, Saxony, was summoned to England -to assist in the religious movement which his church had inaugurated -in that country in 1734. In his eleventh year, the subject of this -sketch accompanied his parents to the New World, and became a resident -of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Here he was placed at school, and next -apprenticed to a cedar-cooper. While thus employed, he was permitted to -gratify a desire he had frequently expressed of becoming an evangelist -to the Indians, when in the spring of 1762 he was called to accompany -the well-known Christian Frederic Post, who had planned a mission -among the tribes of the then far west, to the Tuscarawas branch of -the Muskingum. Here Post, in the summer of 1761, had built himself a -cabin (it stood near the site of the present town of Bolivar), and -here on the 11th day of April, 1762, the intrepid missionary and his -youthful assistant began their labors in the Gospel. But the times -were unpropitious, and the hostile attitude of the Indians indicating -a speedy resumption of hostilities with the whites, the adventurous -enterprise was abandoned before the expiration of the year. Young -Heckewelder returned to Bethlehem, and the war of Pontiac’s conspiracy -opened in the spring of 1763. - -In the interval between 1765 and 1771, Mr. Heckewelder was, on several -occasions, summoned from his cooper’s shop to do service for the -mission. Thus, in the summer of the first mentioned year, he spent -several months at Friedenshütten, on the Susquehanna (Wyalusing, -Bradford county, Pennsylvania), where the Moravian Indians had been -recently settled in a body, after a series of most trying experiences, -to which their residence on the frontiers and in the settlements of -the Province subjected them, at a time when the inroads of the savages -embittered the public mind indiscriminately against the entire race. -This post he visited subsequently on several occasions, and also the -town of Schechschiquanink (Sheshequin), some thirty miles north of -Wyalusing, the seat of a second mission on the Susquehanna. - -A new period in the life of Mr. Heckewelder opened with the autumn -of 1771, when he entered upon his actual career as an evangelist to -the Indians, sharing the various fortunes of the Moravian mission -among that people for fifteen years, than which none perhaps in its -history were more eventful. The well-known missionary David Zeisberger, -having in 1768 established a mission among a clan of Monseys on the -Allegheny, within the limits of what is now Venango county, was induced -in the spring of 1770 to migrate with his charge to the Big Beaver, -and to settle at a point within the jurisdiction of the Delawares -of Kaskaskunk. Here he built Friedensstadt, and hither the Moravian -Indians of Friedenshütten and Schechschiquanink removed in the summer -of 1772. Mr. Heckewelder was appointed Zeisberger’s assistant in -the autumn of 1771, and when in the spring of 1773 Friedensstadt -was evacuated (it stood on the Beaver, between the Shenango and the -Slippery Rock, within the limits of the present Lawrence county), -and the seat of the mission was transferred to the valley of the -Muskingum, Mr. Heckewelder became a resident of the Ohio country. -Here in succession were built Schönbrunn, Gnadenhütten, Lichtenau and -Salem, flourishing towns of Moravian Indians, and here our missionary -labored with his associates hopefully, and with the promise of a great -ingathering, when the rupture between the mother country and her -transatlantic colonies, gradually involved them and their cause in the -most perplexing complications. On the opening of the western border-war -of the Revolution in the spring of 1777, the Moravian missionaries on -the Muskingum realized the danger of their position. Strictly neutral -as they and their converts were in reference to the great question at -issue, their presence on debatable ground rendered them objects of -suspicion alternately to each of the contending parties; and when, in -1780, the major part of the Delaware nation declared openly for the -British crown, it was evident that the mission could not much longer -hold its ground. It was for the British to solve the problem; and at -their instigation, in the autumn of 1781, the missionaries and their -converts in part were removed to Upper Sandusky, as prisoners of war, -under suspicion of favoring the American cause. Thence the former were -twice summoned to Detroit, the seat of British dominion in the then -Northwest, and arraigned before the commandant of that post. Having -established their innocence, and at liberty once more to resume their -Christian work, the Moravians resolved upon establishing themselves -in the neighborhood of Detroit, with the view of collecting their -scattered converts, and gradually resuscitating the mission. The point -selected was on the Huron (now the Clinton), forty miles by water -northwest of Detroit. Here they built New Gnadenhütten, in 1782. Four -years later, New Gnadenhütten was abandoned, and a settlement effected -on the Cuyahoga, in the present county of that name in northern -Ohio. It was here that Mr. Heckewelder closed his missionary labors, -and years memorable in his life, in the course of which he was “in -journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in -perils of his countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the -wilderness, in weariness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in -fastings often, in cold and nakedness,” and yet spared, as to his life, -to a good old age, in the quiet days of which, when resting from his -labors, he drew up a narrative of this remarkable period in his own -experience, and in the history of his church. - -On severing his connection with the mission on the Cuyahoga, in the -autumn of 1786, Mr. Heckewelder settled with his wife (Sarah m. n. -Ohneberg, whom he married in 1780), and two daughters at Bethlehem. -This change, however, brought him no rest, as much of his time for -the next fifteen years was devoted to the interests of his church’s -work among the Indians, in behalf of which he made frequent and trying -journeys to the west. - -In the summer of 1792, Mr. Heckewelder was associated by Government -with General Rufus Putnam (at that gentleman’s request), to treat for -peace with the Indians of the Wabash, and journeyed on this mission as -far as Post Vincennes, where, on the 27th of September, articles of -peace were formally signed by thirty-one chiefs of the Seven Nations -represented at the meeting. This was a high testimonial of confidence -in his knowledge of Indian life and Indian affairs. In the spring of -the following year, he was a second time commissioned to assist at a -treaty which the United States purposed to ratify with the Indians -of the Miami of the Lake, through its accredited agents, General -Benjamin Lincoln, Colonel Timothy Pickering, and Beverly Randolph. -On this mission he travelled as far as Detroit. The remuneration Mr. -Heckewelder received for these services, was judiciously economized -for his old age, his immediate wants being supplied by his handicraft, -and the income accruing from a nursery which he planted on his return -from the western country. In the interval between 1797 and 1800, the -subject of this sketch visited the Ohio country four times, and in 1801 -he removed with his family to Gnadenhütten, on the Tuscarawas branch -of the Muskingum. Here he remained nine years, having been intrusted -by the Society of the United Brethren for Propagating the Gospel among -the Heathen, founded at Bethlehem, in 1788, with the superintendence -of a reservation of 12,000 acres of land on the Tuscarawas, granted by -Congress to the said Society for the benefit of the Moravian Indians, -as a consideration for the losses they incurred in the border-war of -the Revolution. During his residence in Ohio, Mr. Heckewelder was also -for a time in the civil service, being a postmaster, a justice of the -peace, and an associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas. - -In 1810 he returned to Bethlehem, built a house of his own, which is -still standing, planted the premises with trees and shrubs from their -native forest, surrounded himself with birds and wild flowers, and -through these beautiful things of nature, sought by association to -prolong fellowship with his beloved Indians in their distant woodland -homes. He was called in 1815 to mourn the departure of his wife to the -eternal world. - -At a time when there was a growing spirit of inquiry among men of -science in our country in the department of Indian archæology, it -need not surprise us that Mr. Heckewelder was sought out in his -retirement, and called upon to contribute from the treasure-house of -his experience. In this way originated his intimacy with Du Ponceau -and Wistar of the American Philosophical Society, and that career of -literary labor to which he dedicated the latter years of his life. -In addition to occasional essays, which are incorporated in the -Transactions of the Historical and Literary Committee of that society, -Mr. Heckewelder, in 1818, published under its auspices, the “Account -of the History, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations who once -inhabited Pennsylvania and the neighboring States.” His “Narrative -of the Mission of the United Brethren among the Delaware and Mohican -Indians,” appeared in 1820, and in 1822 he prepared his well-known -collection of “Names, which the Lenni Lenape, or Delaware Indians, gave -to Rivers, Streams, and Localities within the States of Pennsylvania, -New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, with their Significations.” This -was his last literary effort; another year of suffering, and on the -31st of January, 1823, the friend of the Delawares having lived to -become a hoary old man of seventy-nine winters, passed away. - -He left three daughters, Johanna Maria, born April 6, 1781, at Salem, -Tuscarawas county, Ohio--the first white female child born within the -borders of that State (she died at Bethlehem, September 19, 1868); Anna -Salome, born August 13, 1784, at New Gnadenhütten, on the River Huron -(Clinton), Michigan; she married Mr. Joseph Rice, of Bethlehem, and -died January 15, 1857; and Susanna, born at Bethlehem, December 31, -1786; she married Mr. J. Christian Luckenbach, of Bethlehem, and died -February 8, 1867. - -Mr. Heckewelder was a fair representative of the Moravian missionaries -of the last century, a class of men whose time was necessarily divided -between the discharge of spiritual and secular duties; who preached the -Gospel and administered the Sacraments in houses built by their own -hands; who wielded the axe, as well as the sword of the Spirit, and -who by lives of self-denial and patient endurance, sustained a mission -among the aborigines of this country in the face of disappointments and -obstacles, which would have discouraged any but men of their implicit -faith in the Divine power of the Christian religion. - -The subject of this notice made no pretensions to scholarship on -taking the author’s pen in hand. He was eminently an artless man, and -artlessness is his characteristic as a writer. The fascinating volume -to which this brief sketch is deemed a sufficient introduction, was -received with almost unqualified approbation on its appearance in 1818. -It was translated into German by Fr. Hesse, a clergyman of Nienburg, -and published at Göttingen in 1821. A French translation by Du Ponceau -appeared in Paris in 1822. True, there were those who subsequently took -exception to Mr. Heckewelder’s manifest predilection for the Lenape -stock of the North American Indians, and others who charged him with -credulity, because of the reception of their national traditions and -myths upon the pages of his book. Knowing, as we do, that even the -most prudent of men are liable to err in their search after truth, -it would be presumptuous to claim infallibility for our author. It -would, however, be as presumptuous to refuse his statements all -claim to respect. Hence it may not be denied that John Heckewelder’s -contributions to Indian archæology, touching their traditions, -language, manners, customs, life, and character, while supplying a -long-felt want, are worthy of the regard which is usually accorded -to the literary productions of men whose intelligence, honesty, -and acquaintance with their subject have qualified them to be its -expounders. - -In the preparation of his account, Mr. Heckewelder acknowledges his -indebtedness to Moravian authorities, contemporaries, or colleagues of -his in the work of missions among the aborigines of this country. He -refers frequently to the Rev. J. Christopher Pyrlæus, and introduces -extracts from the collection of notes and memoranda made by that -clergyman during his sojourn in America. His references to Loskiel, the -historian of the Moravian mission among the North American Indians, are -more frequent. In fact, it is evident that he availed himself largely -of the introductory chapters of that history, the material of which was -furnished to Loskiel by the veteran missionary, David Zeisberger. In -this way then, Mr. Heckewelder supplemented his personal experience, -and the knowledge he had gained by intercourse with the Indians, -touching those subjects of which he treats in his charming narrative. - -Both the text and the author’s footnotes, as found in the edition of -1818, are faithfully reproduced in the present issue; neither have been -tampered with in a single instance. Such a course was deemed the only -proper one, although it was conceded that the omission of occasionally -recurrent passages, and a reconstruction of portions of the volume -might render the matter more perspicuous, and the book more readable, -without detracting from its value as a repository of well authenticated -facts.[1] - - - - - AN ACCOUNT - - OF THE - - HISTORY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS - - OF THE - - INDIAN NATIONS, - - WHO ONCE INHABITED PENNSYLVANIA AND - THE NEIGHBOURING STATES. - - BY THE - - REV. JOHN HECKEWELDER, - - OF BETHLEHEM. - - PHILADELPHIA: - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY ABRAHAM SMALL, - NO. 112 CHESTNUT STREET. - 1819. - - - - -[Illustration: DEDICATION] - - - TO - - CASPAR WISTAR, M.D., - - PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, ETC. - - -DEAR SIR.--Having, at your particular request, undertaken the arduous -task of giving to the Historical Committee of our Society an Account -of those Indian Nations and Tribes which once inhabited Pennsylvania -and the adjoining States, including those who are known by the name of -the “Six Nations;” I have now, as far as has been in my power, complied -with your wishes, or at least I have endeavoured so to do. - -Foreseeing the difficulties I should labour under, in writing the -history of a people, of whom so many had already written, I could not -but consider the undertaking both as unpleasant and hazardous; being -aware, that it would be impossible for me in all respects to coincide -with those who have written before me; among whom there are not a -few, who, although their good intentions cannot be doubted, yet from -their too short residence in the country of the Indians, have not had -sufficient opportunities to acquire the knowledge which they undertake -to communicate. Ignorant of the language, or being but superficially -acquainted with it, they have relied on ignorant or careless -interpreters, by whom they have been most frequently led astray; in -what manner, this little work will abundantly shew. - -The sure way to obtain correct ideas, and a true knowledge of the -characters, customs, manners, &c., of the Indians, and to learn their -history, is to dwell among them for some time, and having acquired -their language, the information wished for will be obtained in the -common way; that is, by paying attention to their discourses with each -other on different subjects, and occasionally asking them questions; -always watching for the proper opportunity, when they do not suspect -your motives, and are disposed to be free and open with you. - -The political state and connexions of the two once great and rival -nations, the Mengwe, (or Six Nations) and the Lenape (or Delawares, as -we call them), being little, or but imperfectly known to many of us, -I have been at some pains in unfolding the origin and true cause of -their rivalship; and the means resorted to by the one nation, to bring -themselves into consequence with the white people, for the purpose of -subduing the other. - -How far the Six Nations have succeeded in this, we know; at least, we -know so much, that they sold the country of the Lenape, Mohicans, and -other tribes connected with them, by piecemeals to the English, so that -they were finally obliged to wander to the West, while their enemies, -during all this time, remained in full and quiet possession of their -country. - -If we ought, or wish to know the history of those nations from whom -we have obtained the country we now live in, we must also wish to be -informed of the means by which that country fell into our hands, and -what has become of its original inhabitants. To meet this object, I -have given their traditions respecting their first coming into our -country, and their own history of the causes of their emigrating from -it. - -On all the subjects which I have treated respecting the different -tribes, I have endeavoured to be impartial. Yet, if I should still -be thought to have shewn some partiality for the Delawares and their -connexions, with respect to the affairs between them and the Six -Nations, I have only to reply, that we have been attentive to all the -Six Nations told us of these people, until we got possession of their -whole country; and now, having what we wanted, we ought not to turn -them off with this story on their backs, but rather, out of gratitude -and compassion, give them also a hearing, and acquit them honourably, -if we find them deserving of it. - -What I have written, concerning their character, their customs, -manners, and usages, is from personal knowledge, and from such other -information as may be relied on; and in order to be the better -understood, I have frequently added anecdotes, remarks, and relations -of particular events. In some instances I have had reference to -authors, and manuscript notes taken down upwards of seventy years -since, by individuals well deserving of credit. - -To you, Sir, I need not apologise for my deficiency in point of -style and language, which has been known to you long since. I have -endeavoured to make amends for this defect, by being the more careful -and correct in my narrations, so as at least to make up in matter what -in manner may be deficient. - - I am, Sir, with great respect, - Your obedient humble servant, - JOHN HECKEWELDER. - - _November, 1817._ - - Since the above was written, my excellent friend DR. WISTAR has - departed this life, lamented by the whole country, of which - he was an ornament. To me he was more than I can express; - he directed and encouraged my humble labours, and to his - approbation I looked up as my best reward. He is gone, but - his name and his virtues will long be held in remembrance. By - me, at least, they shall never be forgotten. This Dedication, - therefore, will remain, as a testimony of the high respect I - bore to this great and good man while living, and as a tribute - justly due to his memory. - - J. H. - - BETHLEHEM, _March, 1818_. - - - - -[Illustration: CONTENTS] - - -PART I. - - AN ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS OF THE INDIAN - NATIONS WHO ONCE INHABITED PENNSYLVANIA AND THE NEIGHBOURING - STATES. - - - PAGE - - INTRODUCTION BY THE EDITOR vii - - DEDICATION xvii - - INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHOR xxiii - - CHAPTER - - I. HISTORICAL TRADITIONS OF THE INDIANS 47 - - II. INDIAN ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST ARRIVAL OF THE DUTCH - AT NEW YORK ISLAND 71 - - III. INDIAN RELATIONS OF THE CONDUCT OF THE EUROPEANS - TOWARDS THEM 76 - - IV. SUBSEQUENT FATE OF THE LENAPE AND THEIR KINDRED - TRIBES 83 - - V. THE IROQUOIS 95 - - VI. GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE INDIANS 100 - - VII. GOVERNMENT 107 - - VIII. EDUCATION 113 - - IX. LANGUAGES 118 - - X. SIGNS AND HIEROGLYPHICS 128 - - XI. ORATORY 132 - - XII. METAPHORICAL EXPRESSIONS 137 - - XIII. INDIAN NAMES 141 - - XIV. INTERCOURSE WITH EACH OTHER 145 - - XV. POLITICAL MANŒUVRES 150 - - XVI. MARRIAGE AND TREATMENT OF THEIR WIVES 154 - - XVII. RESPECT FOR THE AGED 163 - - XVIII. PRIDE AND GREATNESS OF MIND 170 - - XIX. WARS AND THE CAUSES WHICH LEAD TO THEM 175 - - XX. MANNER OF SURPRISING THEIR ENEMIES 177 - - XXI. PEACE MESSENGERS 181 - - XXII. TREATIES 185 - - XXIII. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE INDIANS ON THE WHITE PEOPLE 187 - - XXIV. FOOD AND COOKERY 193 - - XXV. DRESS AND ORNAMENTING OF THEIR PERSONS 202 - - XXVI. DANCES, SONGS, AND SACRIFICES 208 - - XXVII. SCALPING--WHOOPS OR YELLS--PRISONERS 215 - - XXVIII. BODILY CONSTITUTION AND DISEASES 220 - - XXIX. REMEDIES 224 - - XXX. PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS 228 - - XXXI. DOCTORS OR JUGGLERS 231 - - XXXII. SUPERSTITION 239 - - XXXIII. INITIATION OF BOYS 245 - - XXXIV. INDIAN MYTHOLOGY 249 - - XXXV. INSANITY--SUICIDE 257 - - XXXVI. DRUNKENNESS 261 - - XXXVII. FUNERALS 268 - - XXXVIII. FRIENDSHIP 277 - - XXXIX. PREACHERS AND PROPHETS 290 - - XL. SHORT NOTICE OF THE INDIAN CHIEFS TAMANEND AND TADEUSKUND 300 - - XLI. COMPUTATION OF TIME--ASTRONOMICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL - KNOWLEDGE 306 - - XLII. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND ANECDOTES 310 - - XLIII. ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS 318 - - XLIV. THE INDIANS AND THE WHITES COMPARED 328 - - CONCLUSION 346 - - - - -PART II. - -CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTING THE INDIAN LANGUAGES. - - - PAGE - INTRODUCTION 351 - - LETTER - - I. MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER, 9TH JANUARY, 1816 353 - - II. DR. C. WISTAR TO MR. HECKEWELDER (SAME DATE) 354 - - III. MR. HECKEWELDER TO DR. WISTAR, 24TH MARCH 356 - - IV. THE SAME TO THE SAME, 3D APRIL 358 - - V. MR. DUPONCEAU TO DR. WISTAR, 14TH MAY 359 - - VI. DR. WISTAR TO MR. HECKEWELDER, 21ST MAY 359 - - VII. MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU, 27TH MAY 361 - - VIII. MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER, 10TH JUNE 364 - - IX. THE SAME TO THE SAME, 13TH JUNE 369 - - X. MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU, 20TH JUNE 371 - - XI. THE SAME TO THE SAME, 24TH JUNE 375 - - XII. MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER, 13TH JULY 376 - - XIII. THE SAME TO THE SAME, 18TH JULY 379 - - XIV. MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU, 22D JULY 380 - - XV. THE SAME TO THE SAME, 24TH JULY 383 - - XVI. MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER, 31ST JULY 387 - - XVII. THE SAME TO THE SAME, 3D AUGUST 392 - - XVIII. MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU, 12TH AUGUST 395 - - XIX. THE SAME TO THE SAME, 15TH AUGUST 399 - - XX. MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER, 21ST AUGUST 403 - - XXI. MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU, 26TH AUGUST 409 - - XXII. THE SAME TO THE SAME, 27TH AUGUST 414 - - XXIII. MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER, 30TH AUGUST 416 - - XXIV. MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU, 5TH SEPTEMBER 422 - - XXV. MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER, 1ST OCTOBER 426 - - XXVI. MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU, 10TH OCTOBER 430 - - - - -PART III. - - WORDS, PHRASES, AND SHORT DIALOGUES 437 - - - - -[Illustration: INTRODUCTION] - - -The reader of the following pages, having already seen what has induced -me to come forward with an historical account of the Indians, after so -many have written on the same subject, will perhaps look for something -more extraordinary in this than in other works of the kind which he has -seen. Not wishing any one to raise his expectations too high, I shall -briefly state that I have not written to excite astonishment, but for -the information of those who are desirous of knowing the true history -of those people, who, for centuries, have been in full possession of -the country we now inhabit; but who have since emigrated to a great -distance. I can only assure them, that I have not taken the information -here communicated from the writings of others, but from the mouths of -the very people I am going to speak of, and from my own observation -of what I have witnessed while living among them. I have, however, -occasionally quoted other authors, and in some instances copied short -passages from their works, especially where I have thought it necessary -to illustrate or corroborate my own statements of facts. - -In what I have written concerning the character, customs, manners, -and usages of these people, I cannot have been deceived, since it is -the result of personal knowledge, of what I myself have seen, heard, -and witnessed, while residing among and near them, for more than -thirty years. I have however to remark, that this history, like other -histories of former times, will not in every respect comport with -the character of the Indians at the present time, since all these -nations and tribes, by their intercourse with the white people, have -lost much of the honourable and virtuous qualities which they once -possessed, and added to their vices and immorality. Of this, no one can -be a better judge than a missionary residing among them. And if,[2] -what these people told us more than half a century ago; that lying, -stealing, and other vicious acts, before the white men came among them, -were considered as crimes, we may safely conclude--and we know it to -be fact--that from that time to this, and especially within the last -forty years, they have so much degenerated, that a delineation of their -present character would bear no resemblance to what it was before.--It -is therefore the history of early times, not of the present, that I -have written; and to those times my delineations of their character -must be considered to apply; yet, to shew the contrast, I have also -delineated some of their present features. - -It may be proper to mention in this place, that I have made use of the -proper national name of the people whom we call _Delawares_, which -is: “_Lenni Lenape_.” Yet, as they, in the common way of speaking, -merely pronounce the word “_Lenape_,” I have, in most instances, when -speaking of them, used this word singly. I have also made use of the -word “_Mengwe_,” or _Mingoes_, the name by which the _Lenape_ commonly -designate the people known to us by the name of the _Iroquois_, and -_Five_ or _Six Nations_. I shall give at the end a general list of all -the names I have made use of in this communication, to which I refer -the reader for instruction. - -As the Indians, in all their public speeches and addresses, speak -in the singular number, I have sometimes been led to follow their -example, when reporting what they have said; I have also frequently, by -attending particularly to the identical words spoken by them, copied -their peculiar phrases, when I might have given their meaning in other -words. - -On the origin of the Indians, I have been silent, leaving this -speculation to abler historians than myself. To their history, and -notions with regard to their creation, I have given a place; and have -also briefly related the traditions of the Lenape on the subject of -their arrival at, and crossing the river Mississippi, their coming to -the Atlantic coast, what occurred to them while in this country, and -their retreat back again. - -As the relation of the Delawares and Mohicans, concerning the policy -adopted and pursued by the Six Nations towards them, may perhaps appear -strange to many, and it may excite some astonishment, that a matter of -such importance was not earlier set forth in the same light, I shall -here, by way of introduction, and for the better understanding of the -account which they give of this matter, examine into some facts, partly -known to us already, and partly now told us in their relation; so that -we may see how far these agree together, and know what we may rely upon. - -It is conceded on all sides that the Lenape and Iroquois carried on -long and bloody wars with each other; but while the one party assert, -that they completely conquered the other, and reduced them by force to -the condition of women, this assertion is as strongly and pointedly -denied by the other side; I have therefore thought that the real truth -of this fact was well deserving of investigation. - -The story told by the Mingoes to the white people, of their having -conquered the Lenape and made women of them, was much too implicitly -believed; for the whites always acted towards the Delawares under the -impression that it was true, refused even to hear their own account of -the matter, and “shut their ears” against them, when they attempted to -inform them of the real fact. This denial of common justice, is one of -the principal complaints of the Lenape against the English, and makes a -part of the tradition or history which they preserve for posterity. - -This complaint indeed, bears hard upon us, and should, at least, -operate as a solemn call to rectify the error, if such it is found to -be; that we, in our history, may not record and transmit erroneous -statements of those Aborigines, from whom we have received the country -we now so happily inhabit. We are bound in honour to acquit ourselves -of all charges of the kind which those people may have against us, -who, in the beginning welcomed us to their shores, in hopes that “they -and we would sit beside each other as brothers;” and it should not be -said, that now, when they have surrendered their whole country to us, -and retired to the wilds of a distant country, we turn our backs upon -them with contempt. - -We know that all Indians have the custom of transmitting to posterity, -by a regular chain of tradition, the remarkable events which have taken -place with them at any time, even often events of a trivial nature, of -which I could mention a number. Ought we then, when such a source of -information is at hand, to believe the story told by the Six Nations, -of their having conquered the Lenape, (a powerful nation with a very -large train of connexions and allies) and forcibly made them women? -Ought we not, before we believe this, to look for a tradition of the -circumstances of so important an event; for some account, at least, -of the time, place, or places, where those battles were fought, which -decided the fate of the Lenape, the Mohicans, and of a number of -tribes connected with them? Are we to be left altogether ignorant of -the numbers that were slain at the time, and the country in which this -memorable event took place; whether on the St. Lawrence, on the Lakes, -in the country of the conquerors, or of the conquered? All these I am -inclined to call _first_ considerations, while a _second_ would be: How -does this story accord with the situation the first Europeans found -these people in on their arrival in this country? Were not those who -are said to be a conquered people, thickly settled on the whole length -of the sea coast, and far inland, in and from Virginia to and beyond -the Province of Maine, and had they not yet, at that very time, a great -National Council Fire burning on the banks of the Delaware? Does not -the joint tradition of the Delawares, Mohicans and Nanticokes, inform -us, that their great National Council House[3] then extended from the -head of the tide on the (now) Hudson river, to the head of the tide -on the Potomack? All this we shall find faithfully copied or written -down from their verbal tradition, and that this Council House “was -pulled down by the white people!”[4] and of course was yet standing -when they came into the country; which alone is sufficient to prove -that the Lenape, at that time, were not a conquered people; and if they -had been conquered since, we might expect to find the fact, with its -particulars, somewhere on record. - -It is admitted, however, by the Lenape themselves, that they and their -allies were _made women_ by the Iroquois. But how did this happen? -Not surely by conquest, or the fate of battle. Strange as it may -appear, it was not produced by the effects of superior force, but by -successful intrigue. Here, if my informants were correct, and I trust -they were, rests the great mystery, for the particulars of which, I -refer the reader to the history of the Lenape and Mohicans themselves, -as related in part by Loskiel in his “History of the Mission of the -United Brethren among the North American Indians,”[5] and in this work. -In the first, he will find three material points ascertained, viz. 1st, -“that the Delawares were too strong for the Iroquois, and could not -be conquered by them by force of arms, but were subdued by insidious -means. 2d, that the making women of the Delawares was not an act of -compulsion, but the result of their own free will and consent; and 3d, -that the whites were already in the country at the time this ceremony -took place, since they were to hold one end of the great Peace Belt -in their hands.”[6] In the following History, which I have taken from -the relation of the most intelligent and creditable old Indians, both -Delawares and Mohicans, not only the same facts will be found, but -also a more minute account of this transaction; in which it will be -shewn, that the Dutch not only were present at, but were parties to -it, that it was in this manner that the Six Nations were relieved from -the critical situation they were in, at that very time, with regard -to their enemies, the Delawares, Mohicans, and their connexions, and -that the white people present coaxed and persuaded them to cause the -hatchet to be buried, declaring at the same time[7] that they “would -fall on those who should dig it up again;” which was, on the part of -the Hollanders, a declaration of war against the Delawares and their -allies, if they, or any of them, should attempt again to act hostilely -against the Six Nations. All this, according to the tradition of the -Lenape, was transacted at a place, since called “Nordman’s Kill,” a few -miles from the spot where afterwards Albany was built, and but a short -time after the Dutch had arrived at New York Island, probably between -the years 1609 and 1620. - -The Rev. Mr. Pyrlæus,[8] who had learned the Mohawk language of Conrad -Weiser, and was stationed on the river of that name, for some time -between the years 1742 and 1748, has noted down in a large manuscript -book, that his friend there, the Mohawk chief, had told him, that at -a place about four miles from Albany, now called Nordman’s Kill,[10] -the first covenant had been made between the Six Nations and the white -people; which is in confirmation of the correctness of the above -tradition of the Mohicans.[11] - -This was then, according to the best accounts we have, the time when -this pretended “conquest” took place; and the Delawares, (as the Six -Nations have since said) were by them _made women_. It was, however, a -conquest of a singular nature, effected through duplicity and intrigue, -at _a council fire_, not _in battle_. “And, (say the Delawares and -Mohicans, in their tradition,) when the English took the country from -the _Dutchemaan_, (Hollanders) they stepped into the same alliance with -the Six Nations, which their predecessors had established with them.” - -Colden, in his “History of the Five Nations,”[12] informs us, page -34, that this took place in the year 1664; and in page 36, gives us -full proof of this alliance, by the following account--He says: “The -Five Nations being now amply supplied by the English with fire-arms -and ammunition, gave full swing to their warlike genius, and soon -resolved to revenge the affronts they had at any time received from -the Indian nations that lived at a greater distance from them. The -nearest nations, as they were attacked, commonly fled to those that -were further off, and the Five Nations pursued them. This, together -with the desire they had of conquering, or ambition of making all the -nations around them their tributaries, or to make them acknowledge the -Five Nations to be so far their masters, as to be absolutely directed -by them in all affairs of peace and war with their neighbours, made -them overrun great part of North America. They carried their arms as -far south as Carolina; to the northward of New England; and as far west -as the river Mississippi; over a vast country, which extends twelve -hundred miles in length, from north to south, and about six hundred -miles in breadth; where they entirely destroyed many nations, of whom -there are now no accounts remaining among the English,” &c. - -To what a number of important questions would not the above statement -give rise? But I will confine myself to a few, and enquire first, for -what purpose the Five Nations were armed, and so “amply supplied with -ammunition?” and secondly, what use did they make of those arms? The -Delawares and Mohicans believed that the white people, first the -Dutch and then the English, did all that was in their power to make -the Mengwe a great people, so that they might rule over them and all -other nations, and “that they had done what they wanted them to do,” -&c. For an answer to the second question, we have only to believe what -Colden himself tells us, of what the same Mengwe or Iroquois did, after -having received arms and ammunition from the English, which it clearly -appears they could not have done before. Now, if we even were willing -to admit that they had only gone off, “to revenge the affronts they had -at any time received from the Indian Nations,” yet, we would be willing -to know, of what nature those affronts had been; otherwise we might -conclude, that they were no other than that those nations had refused -“to become tributary to them; would not submit to their mandates, nor -have them for their masters;” and therefore had beaten them off, when -they came into their country for the purpose of bringing them under -subjection, and perhaps also paid them a visit in return, after they -had murdered some of their people. - -If we were permitted to omit the words, “revenge the affronts they had -received from other nations,” &c., we need not one moment be at a loss -to know precisely what they went out for, as the historian himself -tells us, that they, soon after receiving fire-arms and ammunition, -“gave full swing to their warlike genius, and went off with a desire of -conquering nations--of making all those around them their tributaries, -and compelling them all to acknowledge the Five Nations to be their -masters, and to be absolutely directed by them, in all affairs of peace -and war.” We then know with certainty, what the object was for which -they took the field. - -We are here also told, of the vast tract of country over which the Six -Nations had carried their arms, subduing, and even “so destroying many -nations, that no account of them was now remaining with the English!” - -In reply to this I might bring forward some sayings and assertions -of the Delawares and Mohicans, which would not comport with the -above story, nor apply to the great name the Six Nations have given -themselves, which, as Colden tells us, is _Ongwe-honwe_, and signifies -“men surpassing all others, superior to the rest of mankind:” but my -object here is merely to discuss the fact, whether, previous to the -white people’s coming into the country, and while unsupplied with -fire-arms, hatchets, &c., those Iroquois had done such wonders among -nations as they report; or, whether all this was done since that -time, and in consequence of their being put into possession of those -destructive weapons which they had not before; for how are we to judge, -and decide on the comparative bravery of two different nations, without -knowing whether or not the combatants were placed on an equal footing -with regard to the weapons they used against each other? - -I might ask the simple question, whether the Dutch, and afterwards the -English, have favoured their “brethren,” the Delawares, Mohicans, and -other tribes connected with them, who lived between them and the Six -Nations, and on the land which they wanted to have, in the same manner -that they have favoured their enemies? - -Colden, in his Introduction to the History of the Five Nations, page -3, says: “I have been told by old men in New England, who remembered -the time when the Mohawks made war on _their_ Indians,” (meaning here -the Mohicans, or River Indians, as they often were called,) “that as -soon as a single Mohawk was discovered in the country, _their_ Indians -raised a cry, from hill to hill, _a Mohawk! a Mohawk!_ upon which they -all fled, like sheep before wolves, without attempting to make the -least resistance, whatever odds were on their side,” and that, “the -poor New England Indians immediately ran to the Christian houses, and -the Mohawks often pursued them so closely, that they entered along with -them, and knocked their brains out in the presence of the people of the -house,” &c. - -This is indeed a lamentable story! It might be asked, How could the -white people, whom those very Mohicans had hospitably welcomed, and -permitted to live with them on their land, suffer an enemy to come -into the country to destroy their benefactors, without making any -opposition? Why did these Indians suffer this? Why did they not with -spirit meet this enemy? - -The answer to this last question will be found in their traditional -history of the great meeting at Nordman’s Kill, where they were -expressly told, after they had consented to bury the hatchet, wherewith -they warred against the Six Nations, “That whatsoever nation, (meaning -the Mohicans and Delawares) should dig up the hatchet again, on them -would the white people fall and take revenge!” - -Thus, then, arms were put into the hands of the Six Nations, and with -them the Dutch, and afterwards the English, sided; but the Delawares -and Mohicans were compelled to remain unarmed, for fear of being cut up -by the white people, who had taken part with their enemies. May we not -conclude, that these poor New England Indians were placed between two -fires? - -We do not, I believe, find that in the then middle colonies, the -Mohawks, or any of the Five Nations, had ventured so far in their -hostile conduct against the Delawares, as they had done to the Mohicans -of New England, though the alliance between the Dutch and the Five -Nations, and afterwards between the English and the latter, was much -against both, and indeed more against the Delawares than the Mohicans: -yet, by turning to treaties and councils, held with these nations -between the years 1740 and 1760, in Pennsylvania,[13] we find much -insolent language, which the Iroquois were, I will say, permitted, -but which, the people concerned say, they were “bid or hired to make -against the Delawares, for the purpose of stopping their mouths, -preventing them from stating their complaints and grievances, and -asking redress from the colonial government.” - -The result of such high toned language, as that which was made use -of to the Delawares, by the Six Nations, at a council held at the -proprietors, in July, 1742, and at other times afterwards,[14] might -easily have been foretold. For although now, these defenceless people -had to submit to such gross insults, instead of seeing their grievances -redressed, yet they were not ignorant of the manner in which they one -day might take revenge, the door to the French, who were enemies -to the English, being always open to them; they had but to go “on -one side” (as they expressed themselves) to be out of the way of the -Iroquois, and they could obtain from the possessors of Canada, and -Louisiana, all that they wanted, fire-arms, hatchets, scalping-knives, -ammunition, &c. They did so, and withdrew to the Ohio country, whither -they were followed by others from time to time, and by the time the -French war broke out, they were in perfect readiness, and joining the -enemies of Britain, they murdered great numbers of the defenceless -inhabitants of Pennsylvania, laid the whole frontier waste, and spread -terror and misery far and wide by the outrages they committed; I -have been myself a witness to those scenes, and to the distresses of -hundreds of poor people, only in this one quarter. - -A work, entitled: “An Enquiry into the Causes of the Alienation of the -Delaware and Shawanese Indians from the British Interest,” written by -Charles Thompson,[15] Esq., and printed in London, in 1759, which some -time since fell into my hands, well merits to be read with attention, -on account of the correctness of the information that it contains. - -By this time, the Delawares were sensible of the imposition which had -been practised upon them. They saw that a plan had been organised for -their destruction, and that not only their independence, but their -very existence, was at stake; they therefore took measures to defend -themselves, by abandoning the system of neutrality into which they had -been insidiously drawn. - -It was not without difficulty that I obtained from them these -interesting details, for they felt ashamed of their own conduct; they -were afraid of being charged with cowardice, or at least with want of -forethought, in having acted as they did, and not having discovered -their error until it was too late. - -And yet, in my opinion, those fears were entirely groundless, and there -appears nothing in their whole conduct disparaging to the courage and -high sense of honour of that brave nation. Let us for a moment place -ourselves in the situation of the Delawares, Mohicans, and the other -tribes connected with them, at the time when the Europeans first landed -on New York Island. They were then in the height of their glory, -pursuing their successes against the Iroquois, with whom they had long -been at war. They were in possession of the whole country, from the sea -coast to the Mississippi, from the River St. Lawrence to the frontier -of Carolina, while the habitations of their enemies did not extend -far beyond the great Lakes. In this situation, they are on a sudden -checked in their career, by a phenomenon they had till then never -beheld; immense canoes arriving at their shores, filled with people -of a different colour, language, dress, and manners, from themselves! -In their astonishment they call out to one another: “Behold! the Gods -are come to visit us!”[16] They at first considered these astonishing -beings, as messengers of peace, sent from the abode of the Great -Spirit, and therefore, employed their time in preparing and making -sacrifices to that Great Being who had so highly honoured them. Lost in -amazement, fond of the enjoyment of this new spectacle, and anxious to -know the result, they were unmindful of those matters which hitherto -had taken up their minds, and had been the object of their pursuits; -they thought of nothing else but the wonders which now struck their -eyes, and their sharpest wits were constantly employed in endeavouring -to divine this great mystery! Such is the manner in which they relate -that event, the strong impression of which is not yet obliterated from -their minds. - -It was the _Delawares_ who first received and welcomed these new guests -on New York Island; the Mohicans who inhabited the whole of the North -River above, on its eastern side, were sent for to participate in the -joy which was felt on being honoured by such visitants. Their tradition -of this event is clear and explicit. None of the enemy, say they, -(meaning the Five Nations[17]) were present. - -It may possibly be asked, how the Dutch could favour the Five Nations -so much, when none of them were present at the meetings which took -place on their arrival in America? how they came to abandon their first -friends, and take part against them with strangers? and how the Dutch -became acquainted with those strangers? I shall simply, in answer, -give the traditional accounts of the Mohicans in their own words: -“The Dutch Traders (say they) penetrating into our country, high up -the Mohicanichtuck (the Hudson River), fell in with some of the Mingo -warriors, who told them that they were warring against the very people, -(the Delawares and Mohicans) who had so kindly received them; they -easily foresaw, that they could not carry on their trade with their -old friends, while this was the case; neither would the Mingoes suffer -them to trade with their enemies, unless they (the Dutch) assisted -them in bringing about a peace between them. They also made these -traders sensible, that they at that time, were at war with a people of -the same colour with theirs (meaning the French), who had, by means -of a very large river which lay to the North, come into the country; -that they (the Mengwe) were the greatest and most powerful of all the -Indian nations; that if the people they belonged to, were friends to -their enemies, and sided with them in their wars, they would turn their -whole force against them; but if, on the other hand, the Dutch would -join them in effecting a peace with them, so that their hatchet should -be buried forever, they would support and protect them in all their -undertakings;[18] that these traders being frightened, had returned -home, and having stated the matter to their chief (the Dutch Governor), -a vessel soon after went high up the river to an appointed place, where -meeting with the Maqua (Five Nations), a conference was held, at which -the Dutch promised them, that they would use their best endeavours to -persuade their enemies to give up the hatchet to be buried, which, some -time afterwards, actually took place.” - -These are (as they say) the circumstances which led to the league -which was afterwards established between the white people and the Five -Nations, which was the cause of much dissatisfaction, injustice, and -bloodshed, and which would not have taken place, if the rights and -privileges of the different nations and tribes had been respected, and -each left to act for itself, especially in selling their lands to the -Europeans. - -Having seen how the Five, afterwards Six Nations, rose to power, we -have next to state by what means they lost the ascendancy which they -had thus acquired. - -The withdrawing of the principal part of the Delawares, and the -Shawanos, from the Atlantic coast, between the years 1740 and 1760, -afforded them an opportunity of consulting with the western tribes, on -the manner of taking revenge on the Iroquois for the many provocations, -wrongs and insults they had received from them; when _ten_ nations -immediately entered into an alliance for that purpose, the French -having promised to assist them.[19] In the year 1756, they agreed to -move on in detached bodies, as though they meant to attack the English, -with whom they and the French were then at war, and then turn suddenly -on the Six Nations and make a bold stroke. Though, for various reasons, -their designs could not at that time be carried into effect, yet they -did not lose sight of the object, waiting only for a proper opportunity. - -It would, however, have been next to impossible, under existing -circumstances, and while the Six Nations were supported by such a -powerful ally as the English, for the Delawares and their allies, to -subdue, or even effectually to chastise them. These Nations, however, -at the commencement of a war between the English nation and the -Colonies, were become so far independent, that such of them as lived -remote from the British stations or garrisons, or were not immediately -under their eye, were at full liberty to side with whom they pleased; -and though the Six Nations attempted to dictate to the Western -Delawares, what side they should take, their spirited chief, Captain -White Eyes, did not hesitate to reply, in the name of his nation: -“that he should do as he pleased; that he wore no petticoats, as they -falsely pretended; he was no woman, but a man, and they should find him -to act as such.” That this brave chief was in earnest, was soon after -verified, by a party of Delawares joining the American army. - -In 1781, when almost all the Indian nations were in the British -interest, except a part of the Delawares, among whom were the Christian -Indians between 2 and 300 souls in number,[20] the British Indian agent -at Detroit applied to the great council of the Six Nations at Niagara, -to remove those Christian Indians out of the country: the Iroquois upon -this sent a war message to the Chippeways and Ottawas,[21] to this -effect: “We herewith make you a present of the Christian Indians, to -make soup of;[22]” which in the war language of the Indians, is saying: -“We deliver these people to you to be murdered!” These brave Indians -sent the message immediately back again with the reply: “We have no -cause for doing this!” - -The same message being next sent to the Wyandots, they likewise -disobeyed their orders, and did not make the least attempt to murder -those innocent people. The Iroquois, therefore, were completely at a -loss how to think and act, seeing that their orders were every where -disregarded. - -At the conclusion of the revolutionary war, they had the mortification -to see, that the trade which they had hitherto carried on, and to them -was so agreeable and profitable, that of selling to the English the -land of other nations, to which they had no possible claim, was at once -and forever put an end to by the liberal line of conduct which the -American Government adopted with the Indian Nations, leaving each at -liberty to sell its own lands, reserving, only to themselves the right -of purchase, to the exclusion of foreigners of every description. - -In addition to this, the bond of connexion which subsisted between -these Six Nations, if it was not entirely broken, yet was much -obstructed, by a separation which took place at the close of that war, -when a part, and the most active body of them, retired into Canada. No -nation then any more regarded their commands, nor even their advice, -when it did not accord with their will and inclination; all which -became evident during the whole time the Western Nations were at war -with the United States, and until the peace made with them in 1795.[23] - -At last, being sensible of their humbled situation, and probably -dreading the consequence of their former insolent conduct to the other -Indian Nations, and principally the Delawares, whom they had so long -and so much insulted, were they not to make some amends for all this -contumely? They came forward, at the critical moment, just previous -to the Treaty concluded by General Wayne, and formally declared the -Delaware nation to be no longer _Women_, but MEN. - -I hope to be believed in the solemn assertion which I now make: That in -all that I have written on the subject of the history and politics of -the Indian Nations, I have neither been influenced by partiality for -the one, or undue prejudice against the other, but having had the best -opportunities of obtaining from authentic sources, such information in -matters of fact, as has enabled me to make up my mind on the subject, -I have taken the liberty of expressing my opinion as I have honestly -formed it, leaving the reader, however, at liberty to judge and decide -for himself as he may deem most proper. - -I wish once more to observe, that in this history it is principally -meant to shew, rather what the Indians of this country were previous to -the white people’s arrival, than what they now are; for now, the two -great nations, the Iroquois and the Delawares, are no longer the same -people that they formerly were. The former, who, as their rivals would -assert, were more like beasts than human beings, and made intrigue -their only study, have, by their intercourse with the whites, become -an industrious and somewhat civilised people; at least many of them -are so, which is probably owing to their having been permitted to live -so long, (indeed, for more than a century) in the same district of -country, and while the British possessed it, under the protection of -the superintendent of Indian affairs; while the latter have always been -oppressed and persecuted, disturbed and driven from place to place, -scarcely enjoying themselves at any place for a dozen years at a time; -having constantly the lowest class of whites for their neighbours, -and having no opportunity of displaying their true character and the -talents that nature had bestowed upon them. - -My long residence among those nations in the constant habit of -unrestrained familiarity, has enabled me to know them well, and made -me intimately acquainted with the manners, customs, character and -disposition of those men of nature, when uncorrupted by European vices. -Of these, I think I could draw a highly interesting picture, if I only -possessed adequate powers of description: but the talent of writing is -not to be acquired in the wilderness, among savages. I have felt it, -however, to be a duty incumbent upon me to make the attempt, and I have -done it in the following pages, with a rude but faithful pencil. I have -spent a great part of my life among those people, and have been treated -by them with uniform kindness and hospitality. I have witnessed their -virtues and experienced their goodness. I owe them a debt of gratitude, -which I cannot acquit better than by presenting to the world this -plain unadorned picture, which I have drawn in the spirit of candour -and truth. Alas! in a few years, perhaps, they will have entirely -disappeared from the face of the earth, and all that will be remembered -of them will be that they existed and were numbered among the barbarous -tribes that once inhabited this vast continent. At least, let it not be -said, that among the whole race of white 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 original -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. - -I shall conclude with a few necessary remarks for the information of -the reader. - -_Lenni Lenape_ being the national and proper name of the people we call -“Delawares,” I have retained this name, or for brevity’s sake, called -them simply _Lenape_, as they do themselves in most instances. Their -name signifies “_original people_,” a race of human beings who are the -same that they were in the beginning, _unchanged_ and _unmixed_.[24] - -These people (the Lenni Lenape) are known and called by all the -western, northern, and some of the southern nations, by the name of -_Wapanachki_, which the Europeans have corrupted into _Apenaki_, -_Openagi_, _Abenaquis_,[25] and _Abenakis_.[26] All these names, -however differently written, and improperly understood by authors, -point to one and the same people, the Lenape, who are by this compound -word, called “people at the rising of the Sun,” or as we would say, -_Eastlanders_; and are acknowledged by near forty Indian tribes, whom -we call nations, as being their grandfathers. All these nations, -derived from the same stock, recognise each other as Wapanachki, which -among them is a generic name. - -The name “_Delawares_,” which we give to these people, is unknown in -their language, and I well remember the time when they thought the -whites had given it to them in derision; but they were reconciled to -it, on being told that it was the name of a great white chief, Lord -de la War, which had been given to them and their river. As they are -fond of being named after distinguished men, they were rather pleased, -considering it as a compliment. - -The _Mahicanni_ have been called by so many different names,[27] that I -was at a loss which to adopt, so that the reader might know what people -were meant. Loskiel calls them “Mohicans,” which is nearest to their -real name Mahicanni, which, of course, I have adopted. - -The name “_Nanticokes_” I have left as generally used, though properly -it should be _Néntico_, or after the English pronunciation _Nantico_. - -The “_Canai_,” I call by their _proper_ name. I allude here to those -people we call _Canais_, _Conois_, _Conoys_, _Canaways_, _Kanhawas_, -_Canawese_. - -With regard to the Five, or Six Nations, I have called them by -different names, such as are most common, and well understood. The -Lenape (Delawares) are never heard to say “_Six Nations_,” and it is a -rare thing to hear these people named by them otherwise than _Mengwe_; -the Mahicanni call them _Maqua_, and even most white people call them -_Mingoes_. When therefore I have said the _Five_ or _Six Nations_, I -have only used our own mode of speaking, not that of the Indians, who -never look upon them as having been so many _nations_; but _divisions_, -and _tribes_, who, as united, have become a nation. Thus, when the -Lenape (Delawares) happen to name them as one body, the word they make -use of implies “the five divisions together, or united,” as will be -seen in another place of this work. I call them also _Iroquois_, after -the French and some English writers. - -The _Wyandots_, or _Wyondots_, are the same whom the French call -_Hurons_, and sometimes _Guyandots_. Father Sagard, a French -Missionary, who lived among them in the 17th century, and has written -an account of his mission, and a kind of dictionary of their language, -says their proper name is _Ahouandâte_, from whence it is evident that -the English appellation Wyandots has been derived. - -There being so many words in the language of the Lenape and their -kindred tribes, the sound of which cannot well be represented according -to the English pronunciation, I have in general adopted for them the -German mode of spelling. The _ch_, particularly before a consonant, is -a strong guttural, and unless an Englishman has the use of the Greek χ, -he will not be able to pronounce it, as in the words _Chasquem_ (Indian -corn), _Cheltol_ (many), _Ches_ (a skin), _Chauchschisis_ (an old -woman), and a great many more. Sometimes, indeed, in the middle of a -word substitutes may be found which may do, as in the word _Nimachtak_ -(brethren), which might be written _Nemaughtok_, but this will seldom -answer. This is probably the reason that most of the English authors -have written Indian words so incorrectly, far more so than French -authors. - -The Delawares have neither of the letters R, F, nor V, in their -language, though they easily learn to pronounce them. They have a -consonant peculiar to them and other Indians, which is a sibilant, and -which we represent by W. It is produced by a soft whistling, and is -not unpleasant to the ear, although it comes before a consonant. It is -not much unlike the English sound _wh_ in _what_, but not so round or -full, and rather more whistled. _W_ before a vowel is pronounced as in -English. - - - - - PART I. - - HISTORY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS - - OF - - THE INDIAN NATIONS, - - WHO ONCE INHABITED PENNSYLVANIA AND - THE NEIGHBOURING STATES. - - -(NOTE.--In annotating this work, the editor consulted, among other -authorities, _The Life of John Heckewelder, by the Rev. Edward -Rondthaler_, _Heckewelder’s Narrative of the Mission of the United -Brethren among the Delaware and Mohegan Indians_, _History of the -Mission of the United Brethren among the Indians in North America_, -_The Life and Times of David Zeisberger_, _Memorials of the Moravian -Church_, _The Transactions of the Moravian Historical Society_, _The -Moravians in New York and Connecticut_, and _Butterfield’s Crawford’s -Campaign against Sandusky_. - -He omitted to state, in the course of the introductory biographical -sketch of the missionary, that his Account of the History, Manners, -and Customs of Indian Nations has been translated into both French -and German. The French translation was published at Paris, in 1822; -it is entitled, “_Histoire, Mœurs et Coutumes des Nations Indiennes -qui habitaient autrefois la Pennsylvanie et les Etats voisins; -par le Révérend Jean Heckewelder, Missionnaire Morave, traduit de -l’Anglais, par le Chevalier Du Ponceau_.” The German translation, -published at Göttingen in 1821, is entitled, “_Johann Heckewelder’s -evangelischen Predigers zu Bethlehem, Nachricht von der Geschichte, -den Sitten und Gebräuchen der Indianischen Völkerschaften, welche -ehemals Pennsylvanien und die benachbarten Staaten bewohnten. Aus dem -Englischen übersetzt und mit den Angaben anderer Schriftsteller über -eben dieselben Gegenstände (Carver, Loskiel, Ling, Volney), vermehrt -von Fr. Hesse, evangelischen Prediger zu Nienburg. Nebst einem die -Glaubwürdigkeit und den anthropologischen Werth der Nachrichten -Heckewelder’s betreffenden Zusatze von G. E. Schulze_.”) - - - - -HISTORY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS - -OF THE - -INDIAN NATIONS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -HISTORICAL TRADITIONS OF THE INDIANS. - - -The Lenni Lenape (according to the traditions handed down to them by -their ancestors) resided many hundred years ago, in a very distant -country in the western part of the American continent. For some reason, -which I do not find accounted for, they determined on migrating to the -eastward, and accordingly set out together in a body. After a very -long journey, and many nights’ encampments[28] by the way, they at -length arrived on the _Namæsi Sipu_,[29] where they fell in with the -Mengwe,[30] who had likewise emigrated from a distant country, and had -struck upon this river somewhat higher up. Their object was the same -with that of the Delawares; they were proceeding on to the eastward, -until they should find a country that pleased them. The spies which -the Lenape had sent forward for the purpose of reconnoitring, had -long before their arrival discovered that the country east of the -Mississippi was inhabited by a very powerful nation, who had many large -towns built on the great rivers flowing through their land. Those -people (as I was told) called themselves _Talligeu_ or _Talligewi_. -Colonel John Gibson,[31] however, a gentleman who has a thorough -knowledge of the Indians, and speaks several of their languages, is -of opinion that they were not called _Talligewi_, but _Alligewi_, and -it would seem that he is right, from the traces of their name which -still remain in the country, the Allegheny river and mountains having -indubitably been named after them. The Delawares still call the former -_Alligéwi Sipu_, the River of the Alligewi. We have adopted, I know -not for what reason, its Iroquois name, Ohio, which the French had -literally translated into _La Belle Riviere_, The Beautiful River.[32] -A branch of it, however, still retains the ancient name Allegheny. - -Many wonderful things are told of this famous people. They are said -to have been remarkably tall and stout, and there is a tradition -that there were giants among them, people of a much larger size than -the tallest of the Lenape. It is related that they had built to -themselves regular fortifications or entrenchments, from whence they -would sally out, but were generally repulsed. I have seen many of the -fortifications said to have been built by them, two of which, in -particular, were remarkable. One of them was near the mouth of the -river Huron, which empties itself into the Lake St. Clair, on the north -side of that lake, at the distance of about 20 miles N. E. of Detroit. -This spot of ground was, in the year 1786, owned and occupied by a Mr. -Tucker. The other works, properly entrenchments, being walls or banks -of earth regularly thrown up, with a deep ditch on the outside, were on -the Huron river, east of the Sandusky, about six or eight miles from -Lake Erie. Outside of the gateways of each of these two entrenchments, -which lay within a mile of each other, were a number of large flat -mounds, in which, the Indian pilot said, were buried hundreds of the -slain Talligewi, whom I shall hereafter with Colonel Gibson call -_Alligewi_. Of these entrenchments, Mr. Abraham Steiner, who was with -me at the time when I saw them, gave a very accurate description, which -was published at Philadelphia, in 1789 or 1790, in some periodical work -the name of which I cannot at present remember.[33] - -When the Lenape arrived on the banks of the Mississippi, they sent a -message to the Alligewi to request permission to settle themselves -in their neighbourhood. This was refused them, but they obtained -leave to pass through the country and seek a settlement farther to -the eastward. They accordingly began to cross the Namæsi Sipu, when -the Alligewi, seeing that their numbers were so very great, and in -fact they consisted of many thousands, made a furious attack on those -who had crossed, threatening them all with destruction, if they -dared to persist in coming over to their side of the river. Fired at -the treachery of these people, and the great loss of men they had -sustained, and besides, not being prepared for a conflict, the Lenape -consulted on what was to be done; whether to retreat in the best manner -they could, or try their strength, and let the enemy see that they were -not cowards, but men, and too high-minded to suffer themselves to be -driven off before they had made a trial of their strength, and were -convinced that the enemy was too powerful for them. The Mengwe, who had -hitherto been satisfied with being spectators from a distance, offered -to join them, on condition that, after conquering the country, they -should be entitled to share it with them; their proposal was accepted, -and the resolution was taken by the two nations, to conquer or die. - -Having thus united their forces, the Lenape and Mengwe declared war -against the Alligewi, and great battles were fought, in which many -warriors fell on both sides. The enemy fortified their large towns -and erected fortifications, especially on large rivers, and near -lakes, where they were successively attacked and sometimes stormed -by the allies. An engagement took place in which hundreds fell, who -were afterwards buried in holes or laid together in heaps and covered -over with earth. No quarter was given, so that the Alligewi, at last, -finding that their destruction was inevitable if they persisted in -their obstinacy, abandoned the country to the conquerors, and fled down -the Mississippi river, from whence they never returned. The war which -was carried on with this nation, lasted many years, during which the -Lenape lost a great number of their warriors, while the Mengwe would -always hang back in the rear, leaving them to face the enemy. In the -end, the conquerors divided the country between themselves; the Mengwe -made choice of the lands in the vicinity of the great lakes, and on -their tributary streams, and the Lenape took possession of the country -to the south. For a long period of time, some say many hundred years, -the two nations resided peaceably in this country, and increased very -fast; some of their most enterprising huntsmen and warriors crossed -the great swamps,[34] and falling on streams running to the eastward, -followed them down to the great Bay River,[35] thence into the Bay -itself, which we call Chesapeak. As they pursued their travels, partly -by land and partly by water, sometimes near and at other times on -the great Saltwater Lake, as they call the Sea, they discovered the -great River, which we call the Delaware; and thence exploring still -eastward, the _Scheyichbi_ country, now named New Jersey, they arrived -at another great stream, that which we call the Hudson or North River. -Satisfied with what they had seen, they, (or some of them) after a -long absence, returned to their nation and reported the discoveries -they had made; they described the country they had discovered, as -abounding in game and various kinds of fruits; and the rivers and bays, -with fish, tortoises, &c., together with abundance of water-fowl, and -no enemy to be dreaded. They considered the event as a fortunate one -for them, and concluding this to be the country destined for them by -the Great Spirit, they began to emigrate thither, as yet but in small -bodies, so as not to be straitened for want of provisions by the -way, some even laying by for a whole year; at last they settled on -the four great rivers (which we call Delaware, Hudson, Susquehannah, -and Potomack) making the Delaware, to which they gave the name of -“_Lenapewihittuck_,”[36] (the river or stream of the Lenape) the centre -of their possessions. - -They say, however, that the whole of their nation did not reach this -country; that many remained behind in order to aid and assist that -great body of their people, which had not crossed the Namæsi Sipu, but -had retreated into the interior of the country on the other side, on -being informed of the reception which those who had crossed had met -with, and probably thinking that they had all been killed by the enemy. - -Their nation finally became divided into three separate bodies; the -larger body, which they suppose to have been one half of the whole, was -settled on the Atlantic, and the other half was again divided into two -parts, one of which, the strongest as they suppose, remained beyond the -Mississippi, and the remainder where they left them, on this side of -that river. - -Those of the Delawares who fixed their abode on the shores of -the Atlantic divided themselves into three tribes. Two of them, -distinguished by the names of the _Turtle_ and the _Turkey_, the former -calling themselves _Unâmis_ and the other _Unalâchtgo_, chose those -grounds to settle on, which lay nearest to the sea, between the coast -and the high mountains. As they multiplied, their settlements extended -from the _Mohicannittuck_ (river of the Mohicans, which we call the -North or Hudson river) to beyond the Potomack. Many families with their -connexions choosing to live by themselves, were scattered not only -on the larger, but also on the small streams throughout the country, -having towns and villages, where they lived together in separate -bodies, in each of which a chief resided; those chiefs, however, were -subordinate (by their own free will, the only kind of subordination -which the Indians know) to the head chiefs or great council of the -nation, whom they officially informed of all events or occurrences -affecting the general interest which came to their knowledge. The -third tribe, the _Wolf_, commonly called the _Minsi_, which we have -corrupted into _Monseys_, had chosen to live back of the two other -tribes, and formed a kind of bulwark for their protection, watching -the motions of the Mengwe, and being at hand to afford their aid in -case of a rupture with them. The Minsi were considered the most warlike -and active branch of the Lenape. They extended their settlements, from -the _Minisink_, a place named after them, where they had their council -seat and fire, quite up to the Hudson on the east; and to the west or -south west far beyond the Susquehannah: their northern boundaries were -supposed originally to be the heads of the great rivers Susquehannah -and Delaware, and their southern boundaries that ridge of hills known -in New Jersey by the name of _Muskanecun_, and in Pennsylvania, -by those of _Lehigh_, _Coghnewago_, &c. Within this boundary were -their principal settlements; and even as late as the year 1742, they -had a town, with a large peach orchard, on the tract of land where -_Nazareth_, in Pennsylvania, has since been built;[37] another on -_Lehigh_ (the west branch of the Delaware), and others beyond the blue -ridge, besides small family settlements here and there scattered. - -From the above _three_ tribes, the _Unâmis_, _Unalâchtgo_, and -the _Minsi_, comprising together the body of those people we call -_Delawares_, had in the course of time, sprung many others, who, -having for their own conveniency, chosen distant spots to settle on, -and increasing in numbers, gave themselves names or received them from -others. Those names, generally given after some simple natural objects, -or after something striking or extraordinary, they continued to bear -even after they ceased to be applicable, when they removed to other -places, where the object after which they were named was not to be -found; thus they formed separate and distinct tribes, yet did not deny -their origin, but retained their affection for the parent tribe, of -which they were even proud to be called the grandchildren. - -This was the case with the _Mahicanni_ or Mohicans, in the east, a -people who by intermarriages had become a detached body, mixing two -languages together, and forming out of the two a dialect of their own: -choosing to live by themselves, they had crossed the Hudson River, -naming it Mahicannituck River after their assumed name, and spread -themselves over all that country which now composes the eastern states. -New tribes again sprung from them who assumed distinct names; still -however not breaking off from the parent stock, but acknowledging -the Lenni Lenape to be their grandfather: the Delawares, at last, -thought proper to enlarge their council house for their Mahicanni -grandchildren, that they might come to their fire, that is to say, be -benefited by their advice, and also in order to keep alive their family -connexions and remain in league with each other. - -Much the same thing happened with a body of the Lenape, called -_Nanticokes_, who had, together with their offspring, proceeded far to -the south, in Maryland and Virginia; the council house was by their -grandfather (the Delawares), extended to the Potomack, in the same -manner and for the same motives as had been done with the _Mahicanni_. - -Meanwhile the Mengwe, who had first settled on the great Lakes -between them, had always kept a number of canoes in readiness to save -themselves, in case the Alligewi should return, and their number also -increasing, they had in time proceeded farther, and settled below the -Lakes along the River St. Lawrence, so that they were now become, on -the north side, neighbours of the Lenape tribes. - -These Mengwe now began to look upon their southern neighbours with -a jealous eye, became afraid of their growing power, and of being -dispossessed by them of the lands they occupied. To meet this evil -in time, they first sought to raise quarrels and disturbances, which -in the end might lead to wars between distant tribes and the Lenape, -for which purpose, they clandestinely murdered people on one or the -other side, seeking to induce the injured party to believe, that -some particular nation or tribe had been the aggressor; and having -actually succeeded to their wishes, they now stole into the country of -the Lenape and their associates, frequently surprising them at their -hunting camps, occasionally committing murders, and making off with -the plunder. Foreseeing, however, that they could not go on in this -way without being detected, they had recourse to other artful means, -by which they actually succeeded in setting tribe against tribe, -and nation against nation. As each nation or tribe has a particular -mark on their war clubs, different from that of the others; and as -on seeing one of these near the dead body of a murdered person, it -is immediately known what nation or tribe has been the aggressor; so -the Mengwe having left a war club, such as the Lenape made use of, in -the Cherokee country, where they had purposely committed a murder, of -course the Cherokees naturally concluding that it had been committed by -the Lenape, fell suddenly upon them, which produced a most bloody war -between the two nations. The treachery of the Mengwe, however, having -been at length discovered, the Lenape determined on taking an exemplary -revenge, and, indeed, nothing short of a total extirpation[38] of -that deceitful race was resolved on; they were, besides, known to eat -human flesh,[39] to kill men for the purpose of devouring them; and -therefore were not considered by the Lenape as a pure race, or as -rational beings; but as a mixture of the human and brutal kinds. - -War being now openly declared against the Mengwe, it was carried on -with vigour; until, at last, finding that they were no match for so -powerful an enemy as the Lenape, who had such a train of connexions, -ready to join them if necessity required, they fell upon the plan of -entering into a confederacy with each other, by which they would be -bound to make a common cause, and meet the common enemy with their -united force, and not, as the present prospect was, be destroyed by -tribes, which threatened in the end the destruction of the whole. -Until this time, each tribe of the Mengwe had acted independent of the -others, and they were not inclined to come under any supreme authority, -which might counteract their base designs; for now, a single tribe, or -even individuals of a tribe, by the commission of wanton hostilities, -would draw the more peaceable among them into wars and bloodshed, as -particularly had been the case with the Senecas, who were the most -restless of the whole; and though the Lenape had directed their force -principally against the aggressors, yet the body of the nation became -thereby weaker; so that they saw the necessity of coming under some -better regulations and government.[40] - -This confederation took place some time between the 15th and 16th -century;[41] the most bloody wars were afterwards carried on for a -great length of time, between the confederated Iroquois, and the -Delawares and their connexions, in which the Lenape say that they -generally came off victorious. While these wars were carrying on with -vigour, the French landed in Canada, and it was not long before they -and the now combined Five Nations, or tribes, were at war with each -other, the latter not being willing to permit that the French should -establish themselves in that country. At last the Iroquois, finding -themselves between two fires, and without any prospect of conquering -the Lenape by arms, and seeing the necessity of withdrawing with their -families, from the shores of the St. Lawrence, to the interior of the -country, where the French could not easily reach them, fell upon a -stratagem, which they flattered themselves would, if successful, secure -to them not only a peace with the Lenape, but also with all the other -tribes connected with them; so that they would then have but one enemy -(the French) to contend with. - -This plan was very deeply laid, and was calculated to deprive the -Lenape and their allies, not only of their power but of their military -fame, which had exalted them above all the other Indian nations. They -were to be persuaded to abstain from the use of arms, and assume the -station of mediators and umpires among their warlike neighbours. In -the language of the Indians, they were to be made _women_.[42] It -must be understood that among these nations wars are never brought to -an end but by the interference of the weaker sex. The men, however -tired of fighting, are afraid of being considered as cowards if they -should intimate a desire for peace. It is not becoming, say they, for a -warrior, with the bloody weapon in his hand, to hold pacific language -to his enemy. He must shew to the end a determined courage, and appear -as ready and willing to fight as at the beginning of the contest. -Neither, say they, is it proper, to threaten and to sue in the same -breath, to hold the peace belt in one hand, and the tomahawk in the -other; men’s words, as well as their actions, should be of a piece, -all good or all bad; for it is a fixed maxim of theirs, which they -apply on all occasions, that good can never dwell with evil. They also -think that a treaty produced by threats or by force, cannot be binding. -With these dispositions, war would never have ceased among Indians, -until the extermination of one or the other party, if the tender and -compassionate sex had not come forward, and by their moving speeches -persuaded the enraged combatants to bury their hatchets, and make peace -with each other. On these occasions they were very eloquent, they would -lament with great feeling the losses suffered on both sides, when there -was not a warrior, perhaps, who had not lost a son, a brother, or a -friend. They would describe the sorrows of widowed wives, and, above -all, of bereaved mothers. The pains of child-birth, the anxieties -attending the progress of their sons from infancy to manhood, they had -willingly and even cheerfully suffered; but after all these trials, -how cruel was it for them to see those promising youths whom they had -reared with so much care, fall victims to the rage of war, and a prey -to a relentless enemy; to see them slaughtered on the field of battle, -or put to death, as prisoners, by a protracted torture, in the midst -of the most exquisite torments. The thought of such scenes made them -curse their own existence, and shudder at the idea of bearing children. -Then they would conjure the warriors by every thing that was dear -to them, to take pity on the sufferings of their wives and helpless -infants, to turn their faces once more towards their homes, families, -and friends, to forgive the wrongs suffered from each other, to lay -aside their deadly weapons, and smoke together the pipe of amity and -peace. They had given on both sides sufficient proofs of their courage; -the contending nations were alike high-minded and brave, and they -must now embrace as friends those whom they had learned to respect as -enemies. Speeches like these seldom failed of their intended effect, -and the women by this honorable function of peace-makers, were placed -in a situation by no means undignified. It would not be a disgrace, -therefore; on the contrary, it would be an honour to a powerful nation, -who could not be suspected of wanting either strength or courage, to -assume that station by which they would be the means, and the only -means, of preserving the general peace and saving the Indian race from -utter extirpation. - -Such were the arguments which the artful Mengwe urged to the Lenape to -make them fall into the snare which they had prepared for them. They -had reflected, they said, deeply reflected on their critical situation; -there remained no resource for them, but that some magnanimous nation -should assume the part and situation of the _woman_. It could not be -given to a weak or contemptible tribe, such would not be listened to; -but the Lenape and their allies would at once possess influence and -command respect. As men they had been dreaded; as women they would be -respected and honored, none would be so daring or so base as to attack -or insult them; as women they would have a right to interfere in all -the quarrels of other nations, and to stop or prevent the effusion of -Indian blood. They entreated them, therefore, to become _the woman_ -in name and, in fact, to lay down their arms and all the insignia -of warriors, to devote themselves to agriculture and other pacific -employments, and thus become the means of preserving peace and harmony -among the nations. - -The Lenape, unfortunately for themselves, listened to the voice of -their enemies. They knew it was too true, that the Indian nations, -excited by their own unbridled passions, and not a little by their -European neighbours, were in the way of total extirpation by each -other’s hands. They believed that the Mengwe were sincere, and that -their proposal had no object in view but the preservation of the Indian -race. In a luckless hour they gave their consent, and agreed to become -_women_. This consent was received with great joy. A feast was prepared -for the purpose of confirming and proclaiming the new order of things. -With appropriate ceremonies, of which Loskiel has given a particular -description,[43] the Delawares were installed in their new functions, -eloquent speeches were delivered, accompanied, as usual, with belts -of wampum. The great peace belt and the chain of friendship (in the -figurative language of the Indians) was laid across the shoulders of -the new mediator, one end of which, it was said, was to be taken hold -of by all the Indian nations, and the other by the Europeans.[44] The -Lenape say that the Dutch were present at that ceremony, and had no -inconsiderable share in the intrigue.[45] - -The old and intelligent Mahicanni, whose forefathers inhabited the -country on the east side of the North river, gave many years since -the following account of the above transaction. They said that their -grandfather (the Lenni Lenape), and the nations or tribes connected -with them, were so united, that whatsoever nation attacked the one, -it was the same as attacking the whole; all in such cases would unite -and make a common cause. That the long house (council house) of all -those who were of the same blood, and united under this kind of tacit -alliance, reached from the head of the tide, at some distance above -where Gaaschtinick (Albany) now stands, to the head of the tide water -on the Potomack. That at each end of this house there was a door for -the tribes to enter at. That the Mengwe were in no way connected with -those who had access to this house; but were looked upon as strangers. -That the Lenape, with the Mohicans and all the other tribes in their -connexion, were on the point of extirpating the Five Nations, when -they applied to the _Dutchemaan_, who were now making a settlement at -or near Gaaschtinick, to assist them in bringing about a peace with -the Lenape. That accordingly these new comers invited the Lenape and -Mohicans to a grand council, at a place situated at some distance from -where Albany now stands, which the white people have since called by -the name of _Nordman’s Kill_. That when at length, by their united -supplications and fair speeches, they had got the hatchet out of the -hands of the Lenape, they buried that weapon at Gaaschtinick, and -said that they would build a church over the spot, so that the weapon -could never any more be got at, otherwise than by lifting up the whole -church, and whatever nation should dare to do this, on them the -Dutchemaan would take revenge. That now, having succeeded in getting -the weapon out of the hands of the Lenape, the ceremony of placing them -in the situation of “the woman,” for the purpose of being mediators, -took place, when the Mengwe declared them henceforth to be their -cousins, and the Mahicanni, they said, they would call their nephews. - -The Mahicanni further say, that it was fear which induced the -Dutchemaan to aid the Five Nations in bringing about this peace, -because at the place where they were at that time making their -settlement, great bodies of warriors would pass and repass, so that -they could not avoid being interrupted in their undertakings, and -probably molested, if not destroyed, by one or the other of the war -parties, as their wars, at that time, were carried on with great rage, -and no quarter was given. That in producing this peace, the white -people had effected for the Mengwe, what no other nation could have -done, and had laid the foundation of the future greatness of their -Iroquois friends, as the same policy was pursued by the English, after -they came into possession of this country.--So far the tradition of the -Mahicanni. - -The Rev. Mr. Pyrlæus, in his notes, after fixing as near as he could -the time when the Five Nations confederated with each other, proceeds -in these words: “According to my informant, Sganarady, a creditable -aged Indian, his grandfather had been one of the deputies sent for the -purpose of entering into a covenant with the white Europeans; they met -at a place since called Nordman’s Kill, about four miles below where -afterwards Albany was built, where this covenant of friendship was -first established, and the Mohawks were the active body in effecting -this work.” - -From these three separate accounts of the Lenape, of the Mahicanni, -and of the Mohawks, as related by Mr. Pyrlæus, it appears to be -conclusively proved, that the Europeans were already in this country, -when the Lenape were persuaded to assume the station of _the woman_, -and that the Dutch were assisting in the plot, and were at least the -instigators, if not the authors of it. It was the _Dutch_ who summoned -the great council near Albany; the tomahawk was buried deep in the -ground, and the vengeance of the _Dutch_ was threatened if it should -ever be taken up again; the peace belt was laid across the shoulders of -the unfortunate Delawares, supported at one end by the Five Nations, -and at the other by the _Europeans_; all these circumstances point -so clearly to European intrigue, that it is impossible to resist the -conclusion that the whites adopted this means to neutralize the power -of the Delawares and their friends, whom they dreaded, and strengthen -the hands of the Iroquois, who were in their alliance. - -The Iroquois have denied that these machinations ever took place, and -say that they conquered the Delawares in fair battle, and compelled -them by force to become women, or in other words that they obliged -them to submit to the greatest humiliation to which a warlike spirited -people can ever be reduced; not a momentary humiliation, as when the -Romans were compelled by the Samnites to pass under the Caudine forks, -but a permanent disgrace, which was to last as long as their national -existence. If this were true, the Lenape and their allies, who, like -all other Indian nations, never considered a treaty binding when -entered into under any kind of compulsion, would not have submitted -to this any longer than until they could again have rallied their -forces and fallen upon their enemy; they would have done long before -the year 1755, what they did at last at that time, joined the French -in their wars against the Iroquois and English, and would not have -patiently waited more than a century before they took their revenge -for so flagrant an outrage. Their numbers, acknowledged to have been -far superior to that of their Indian enemies, and the vast extent of -territory which they possessed, furnished them with ample means to have -acted hostilely, if they had thought proper. On the contrary, they -lived at peace with the Iroquois, and their European allies, until that -decisive war, by which the French lost at once all their extensive -possessions on the continent of America. - -In addition to these positive proofs, negative evidence of the -strongest kind may be adduced. The Iroquois say, indeed, that they -conquered the Delawares and their allies, and compelled them to become -women. But there is no tradition among them of the particulars of this -important event. Neither Mr. Pyrlæus, nor Mr. Zeisberger,[46] who -both lived long among the Five Nations, and spoke and understood their -language well, could obtain from them any details relative to this -supposed conquest; they ought, certainly, to have been able to say -how it was effected; whether by one decisive fight or by successive -engagements, or at least, when the last battle took place; who were the -nations or tribes engaged in it; who the chiefs or commanders; what -numbers fell on each side; and a variety of other facts, by which the -truth of their assertion might have been proved: the total absence of -such details appears to me to militate against them in the strongest -manner, and to corroborate the statement of their adversaries. - -The Delawares are of opinion, that this scheme of the Five Nations, -however deeply laid, and meant essentially to injure them, would not, -however, have operated against them, but on the contrary, have greatly -subserved their national interest, if the Europeans had not afterwards -come into the country in such great numbers, and multiplied so rapidly -as they did. For their neutral position would greatly have favoured -their increase, while the numbers of the other Indian nations would -have been reduced by the wars in which they were continually engaged. -But unfortunately for them, it happened that the Europeans successively -invaded the country which they occupied, and now forms what are called -the middle states, and as they advanced from the Atlantic into the -interior, drove before them the Lenape and their allies, and obtained -possession of their lands; while the Iroquois, who happened to be -placed in the neighbourhood of Canada, between the French and English, -who were frequently at war with each other, had an enemy, it is true, -in the French nation, but had strong protectors in the English, who -considered them as a check upon their enemies, and, being the most -numerous people, were best able to afford them protection; thus they -were suffered to increase and become powerful, while the Lenape, -having no friend near them, the French being then at too great a -distance, were entirely at the mercy of their English neighbours, who, -advancing fast on their lands, gradually dispersed them, and other -causes concurring, produced at last their almost entire destruction. -Among those causes the treacherous conduct of the Five Nations may be -considered as the principal one. - -Before that strange metamorphosis took place, of a great and powerful -nation being transformed into a band of defenceless women, the Iroquois -had never been permitted to visit the Lenape, even when they were at -peace with each other. Whenever a Mengwe appeared in their country, he -was hunted down as a beast of prey, and it was lawful for every one -to destroy him. But now, _the woman_ could not, consistently with her -new station and her engagements, make use of destructive weapons, and -she was bound to abstain from all violence against the human species. -Her late enemies, therefore, found no difficulty in travelling, under -various pretences, through her country, and those of her allies, and -leaving here and there a few of their people to remain among them as -long as they pleased, for the purpose, as they said, of keeping up -a good understanding, and assisting them in the preservation of the -general peace. But while they were amusing the Lenape with flattering -language, they were concerting measures to disturb their quiet by -involving them in difficulties with the neighbouring nations. I shall -relate one among many instances of a similar conduct. They once sent -their men into the Cherokee country, who were instructed secretly -to kill one of that nation, and to leave a war club near the person -murdered, which had been purposely made after the manner and in -the shape of those of the Delawares. Now leaving a war club in an -Indian country, is considered by those nations as a formal challenge -or declaration of war. The Cherokees, deceived by appearances, and -believing that their grandfather the Lenape had committed the murder, -collected a large party to go into their country and take their -revenge. Meanwhile, the Iroquois sent a messenger to the Lenape, to -inform them of the approach of an enemy, who, they had learned from -their hunters, was coming towards their settlement, and to advise them -to send a number of their men immediately to a certain place, where -they would be met by a large body of the Five Nations, who would take -the lead, march in front, and fight their battles, so that they would -have little else to do than to look on and see how well their friends -fought for them. The Lenape, being in no wise prepared to meet a -powerful foe, assembled in haste a few of their men, and repaired to -the place of rendezvous, where they were disappointed by not meeting -any of their pretended protectors. The enemy, however, was close upon -them; the Lenape fought with great courage, but were overpowered by an -immense superiority of numbers, and defeated with considerable loss. -Now the Iroquois made their appearance, and instead of attacking or -pursuing the Cherokees, loaded the Delawares with reproaches, for -their temerity, as they called it, in having dared, being _women_, to -take the lead in attacking _men_. They told them that the Five Nations -being their superiors, they ought to have waited for them before -they attacked the Cherokees, that then their protectors would have -fought and defeated them, but that as they had thought proper to act -by themselves, they had received the punishment justly due to their -presumption. - -It was thus that the Five Nations rewarded the confidence that the -Delawares had placed in them. Their treachery was not, however, -suspected for a long time; but it was at last discovered; it was even -found out that in this last engagement, a number of the Iroquois had -joined in fight against them with their enemies. The Lenape then -determined to unite their forces, and by one great effort to destroy -entirely that perfidious nation. This, they say, they might easily -have done, as they were then yet as numerous as the grasshoppers at -particular seasons, and as destructive to their enemies as these -insects are to the fruits of the earth; while they described the Mengwe -as a number of croaking frogs in a pond, which make a great noise when -all is quiet, but at the first approach of danger, nay, at the very -rustling of a leaf, immediately plunge into the water and are silent. - -But their attention was now diverted by other scenes. The whites were -again landing in great numbers on their coast, in the east and south, -and this spectacle once more engaged all the capacity of their minds. -They were lost in admiration at what they saw, and were consulting and -deliberating together on what they should do. The Five Nations, who -lived out of the reach of all danger, nevertheless also came; but bent -on their own interest, while they were instigating the other nations -to fall upon the new comers, or drive them off from their shores, by -which they caused useless hostilities, in which they did not appear to -participate, they were insinuating themselves into the favour of the -powerful strangers, professing great friendship for them, persuading -them that they were superior to the other Indian nations, that they had -controul over them all, and would chastise those who should disturb -their peace. - -William Penn came, with his train of pacific followers. Never will the -Delawares forget their elder brother _Miquon_, as they affectionately -and respectfully call him. From his first arrival in their country, a -friendship was formed between them which was to last as long as the sun -should shine, and the rivers flow with water. That friendship would -undoubtedly have continued to the end of time, had their good brother -always remained among them, but in his absence, mischievous people, -say they, got into power, who, not content with the land which had -been given to them, contrived to get all that they wanted; and when -the Lenape looked round for the friends of their brother Miquon, to -hear their just complaints, and redress their wrongs, they could not -discover them, and had the misfortune to see their greatest enemies, -the Mengwe, brought on for the purpose of shutting their mouths, and -compelling them to submit to the injustice done them. - -They cannot conceive how the English could turn from the people by -whom they had been so kindly received and welcomed with open arms; -from those who had permitted them to sit down upon their lands in -peace, and without fear of being molested by them; who had taken -delight in supplying all their wants,[47] and who were happy in smoking -the pipe of friendship with them at one and the same fire; how they -could not only see them degraded and injured by a base and perfidious -nation, but join with that nation in sinking them still lower. For -to the countenance of the English, they say, is entirely owing the -great preponderance which the Iroquois at last attained: they complain -that the English did support that enemy against them, that they even -sanctioned their insolence, by telling them to make use of their -authority as men, and bring these women (the Lenape) to their senses. -That they were even insulted and treated in a degrading manner, in -treaties to which the English were parties, and particularly in that -which took place at Easton,[48] in Pennsylvania, in July, 1742,[49] -when the Six Nations were publicly called on to compel the Delawares to -give up the land taken from them by the long day’s walk. But for these -repeated outrages, they would not have taken part with the French in -the memorable war of 1755.[50] Nor, perhaps, would they have done so, -had not they been seduced into the measure by the perfidious Iroquois. -At the commencement of that war, they brought the war belt, with a -piece of tobacco, to the Delawares, and told them: “Remember that the -English have unjustly deprived you of much of your land, which they -took from you by force. Your cause is just; therefore smoke of this -tobacco, and arise; join with us our fathers, the French, and take -your revenge. You are women, it is true, but we will shorten your -petticoats, and though you may appear by your dress to be women, yet by -your conduct and language you will convince your enemies that you are -determined not tamely to suffer the wrongs and injuries inflicted upon -you.” - -Yielding to these solicitations, the Delawares and their connexions -took up arms against the English in favor of the French, and committed -many hostilities, in which the Iroquois appeared to take no part. Sir -William Johnson requested them to use their ascendancy and to persuade -the hostile Indians to lay down the hatchet, instead of which, instead -of conforming to the ancient custom of Indian nations, which was simply -to take the war-hatchet back from those to whom they had given it, they -fell on a sudden on the unsuspecting Lenape, killed their cattle, and -destroyed their town on the Susquehannah, and having taken a number of -them prisoners, carried them to Sir William Johnson, who confined and -put them in irons. This cruel act of treachery, the Delawares say, they -will never forget nor forgive. - -Thus the Lenape, whose principal settlements were then on the frontier -of Pennsylvania, took part with the French, and acted hostilely against -the English during the whole of the war of 1755. The animosity which -mutual hostilities produced between them and the settlers concurred, -no doubt, with other causes, in producing the murder of the Conestogo -Indians, which took place at the close of that war, in December, 1763, -and is feelingly related by Loskiel, part I., ch. 14 and 15.[51] - -The revolutionary war put an end to the exorbitant power of the -Iroquois. They were, indeed, still supported by the British government, -but the Americans were now the strongest party, and of course against -them. They endeavored to persuade the other Indian nations to join -them, but their expectations were deceived. At a meeting which took -place at Pittsburg in 1775, for the express purpose of deliberating -on the part which it became Indians to take in the disturbances which -had arisen between the King of Great Britain and his subjects, Capt. -White Eyes, a sensible and very spirited warrior of the Lenape,[52] -boldly declared to a select body of the Senecas, that his Indians would -never join any nation or power, for the purpose of destroying a people -who were born on the same soil with them. That the Americans were his -friends and brothers, and that no nation should dictate to him what -part he should take in the existing war. Anticipating the measure -which the American Congress took in the succeeding year, he declared -_himself_,[53] in behalf of his nation, free and independent of the -Iroquois; they had pretended that they had conquered him, they had -made a woman of him and dressed him in woman’s apparel, but now he was -again a man, he stood before them as a man, and with the weapons of a -man he would assert his claim to all yonder country, pointing to the -land on the west side of the Allegheny river; for to him it belonged, -and not to the Six Nations, who falsely asserted that they had acquired -it by conquest. In the year 1778 or 1779, the Lenape bravely asserted -their national independence by joining Col. Brodhead’s troops in an -expedition against the Senecas.[54] If they did not do as much in -that war as might have been expected of them, and took only a partial -revenge, it was owing to the death of their brave chief, White Eyes, -who died of the small pox at Pittsburg, I think, in the year 1780. -He was a Christian in his heart, but did not live to make a public -profession of our religion, though it is well known that he persuaded -many Indians to embrace it.[55] - -Although the Lenape acted independently in the war of 1755, and made -a formal declaration of their independence at the beginning of the -revolutionary war, yet the Six Nations persevered in their pretensions, -and still affected to consider them as women. Finding, however, that -this obsolete claim was no longer acknowledged, and that it was useless -to insist upon it any longer, they came forward of their own accord, -about the time of Wayne’s treaty, and formally declared that the Lenape -and their allies were no longer women, but MEN. - -The Delawares and Mohicans agree in saying, that from the time of the -fatal treaty in which they were persuaded to assimilate themselves -to women, and, indeed, ever since the Europeans first came into the -country, the conduct of the Iroquois was treacherous and perfidious -in the extreme. That it was their constant practice to sally out -secretly and commit depredations on the neighbouring nations, with -intent to involve them in wars with each other. That they would also -commit murders on the frontier settlers, from Virginia to New England, -and charge the tribes who were settled in the neighbourhood with the -commission of those crimes. That they would then turn negotiators, -and effect a peace, always at the expense of the nation whom they had -injured. They would sell the lands of other nations to the English -and receive the money, pretending to a paramount right to the whole -territory, and this, say the Lenape, was their manner of CONQUERING -NATIONS! - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -INDIAN ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST ARRIVAL OF THE DUTCH AT NEW YORK ISLAND. - - -The Lenni Lenape claim the honour of having received and welcomed the -Europeans on their first arrival in the country, situated between New -England and Virginia. It is probable, however, that the Mahicanni or -Mohicans, who then inhabited the banks of the Hudson, concurred in the -hospitable act. The relation I am going to make was taken down many -years since from the mouth of an intelligent Delaware Indian, and may -be considered as a correct account of the tradition existing among them -of this momentous event. I give it as much as possible in their own -language. - -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, apprised their -countrymen of what they had observed, and pressed them to go out with -them and discover what it might be. They hurried out together, and saw -with astonishment the phenomenon which now appeared to their sight, but -could 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 the spectators concluded that -this wonderful object was 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 warriors, -with a message that they should come on immediately. These arriving -in numbers, and having themselves viewed the strange appearance, and -observing that it was actually moving towards the entrance of the -river or bay; concluded it to be a remarkably large house in which the -Mannitto (the Great or Supreme Being) himself was present, and that he -probably was coming to visit them.[56] By this time the chiefs were -assembled at York island, and deliberating in what manner in which[57] -they should receive their Mannitto on his arrival. Every measure was -taken to be well provided with plenty of meat for a sacrifice. The -women were desired to prepare the best victuals. All the idols or -images were examined and put in order, and a grand dance was supposed -not only to be an agreeable entertainment for the Great Being, but -it was believed 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 advice and protection. Distracted between hope and fear, they were -at a loss what to do; a dance, however, commenced in great confusion. -While in this situation, fresh runners arrive declaring it to be a -large house of various colours, and crowded with living creatures. It -appears now to be certain, that it is the great Mannitto, bringing them -some kind of game, such as he had not given them before, but other -runners soon after arriving 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 language they do not understand, yet they -shout or yell in 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 offence to their visitor, who -might find them out and destroy them. The house, some say, large canoe, -at last stops, and a canoe of a smaller size comes on shore with the -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 man in red clothes approaches with two -others. He salutes them with a friendly countenance, and they return -the salute after their manner. They are lost in admiration; the dress, -the manners, the whole appearance of the unknown strangers is to them -a subject of wonder; 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_[58] -is brought by one of his servants, from which an unknown substance -is poured out into a small cup or glass, and handed to the supposed -Mannitto. He drinks--has the glass filled again, and hands it to the -chief standing next to him. The chief receives it, but only smells -the contents and passes it on to the next chief, who does the same. -The glass or cup thus passes through the circle, without the liquor -being tasted by any one, and is upon the point of being returned to -the red clothed Mannitto, when one of the Indians, a brave man and a -great warrior, suddenly jumps up and harangues the assembly on the -impropriety of returning the cup with its contents. It was handed to -them, says he, by the Mannitto, that they should drink out of it, as -he himself 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 it for the -good of the nation that the contents offered them should be drunk, -and as no one else would do it, he would drink it himself, let the -consequence be what it might; it was better for one man to die, than -that a whole nation should be destroyed. He then took the glass, and -bidding the assembly a solemn farewell, at once drank up its whole -contents. Every eye was fixed on the resolute chief, to see what effect -the unknown liquor would produce. He soon began to stagger, and at -last fell prostrate on the ground. His companions now bemoan his fate, -he falls into a sound sleep, and they think he has expired. He wakes -again, jumps up and declares, that he has enjoyed the most delicious -sensations, and that he never before felt himself so happy as after he -had drunk the cup. He asks for more, his wish is granted; the whole -assembly then imitate him, and all become intoxicated. - -After this general intoxication had ceased, for they say that while -it lasted the whites had confined themselves to their vessel, the man -with the red clothes returned again, and distributed presents among -them, consisting 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 Dutch made them understand that they would -not stay here, that they would return home 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 sow seeds, in order to raise -herbs and vegetables to put into their broth. They went away as they -had said, and returned in the following season, when both parties were -much rejoiced to see each other; but the whites laughed at the Indians, -seeing that they knew not the use 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 for them, and cut trees down -before their eyes, hoed up the ground, and put the stockings on their -legs. Here, they say, a general laughter ensued among the Indians, that -they had remained ignorant of the use of such valuable implements, -and had borne the weight of such heavy metal hanging to their necks, -for such a length of time. They took every white man they saw for an -inferior Mannitto attendant upon the supreme Deity who shone superior -in the red and laced clothes. As the whites became daily more familiar -with the Indians, they at last proposed to stay with them, and asked -only for so much ground for 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 this apparently reasonable request; but -the whites then took a knife, and beginning at one end of the hide, -cut it up to a long rope, not thicker than a child’s finger, so that -by the time the whole was cut up, it made a great heap; they then took -the rope at one end, and drew it gently along, carefully avoiding its -breaking. It was drawn out into a circular form, and being closed -at its ends, encompassed a large piece of ground. The Indians were -surprised at the superior wit of the whites,[59] but did not wish -to contend with them about a little land, as they had still enough -themselves. The white and red men lived contentedly together for a long -time, though the former from time to time asked for more land, which -was readily obtained, and thus they gradually proceeded higher up the -Mahicannittuck, until the Indians began to believe that they would soon -want all their country, which in the end proved true. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -INDIAN RELATIONS OF THE CONDUCT OF THE EUROPEANS TOWARDS THEM. - - -Long and dismal are the complaints which the Indians make of European -ingratitude and injustice. They love to repeat them, and always do it -with the eloquence of nature, aided by an energetic and comprehensive -language, which our polished idioms cannot imitate. Often I have -listened to these descriptions of their hard sufferings, until I felt -ashamed of being a _white man_. - -They are, in general, very minute in these recitals, and proceed with a -great degree of order and regularity. They begin with the Virginians, -whom they call the _long knives_, and who were the first European -settlers in this part of the American continent. “It was we,” say the -Lenape, Mohicans, and their kindred tribes, “who so kindly received -them on their first arrival into our country. We took them by the hand, -and bid them welcome to sit down by our side, and live with us as -brothers; but how did they requite our kindness? They at first asked -only for a little land on which to raise bread for themselves and their -families, and pasture for their cattle, which we freely gave them. They -soon wanted more, which we also gave them. They saw the game in the -woods, which the Great Spirit 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 which pleased them; that land they also -wanted, and because we were loth 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 our ancient homes.” - -“By and by the _Dutchemaan_[60] arrived at _Manahachtánienk_,”[61] -(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 his soup, just as much as a bullock’s hide -would 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 -wicked arts to lay down our arms, and at last drove us entirely out of -the country.” Here, of course, is related at full length, the story -which we have told in the first chapter. Then the Delawares[62] proceed. - -“When the _Yengeese_[63] arrived at _Machtitschwanne_,[64] they looked -about everywhere for good spots of land, and when they found one, they -immediately and without ceremony possessed themselves of it; we were -astonished, but still we let them go on, not thinking it worth while to -contend for a little land. But when at last they came 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 quietly beside each other; but these white men -encroached so fast upon us, that we saw at once we should lose all, if -we did not resist them. The wars that we carried on against each other -were long and cruel. We were enraged when we saw the white 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 -them as slaves, in the country from which they came, we knew not, but -certain it is that none of them have ever returned or even been heard -of. At last they got possession of the whole of the country which the -Great Spirit had given us. One of our tribes was forced to wander far -beyond Quebec; others dispersed in small bodies, and sought places of -refuge where they could; some came to Pennsylvania; others went far to -the westward and mingled with other tribes. - -“To many of those, Pennsylvania was a last, delightful asylum. But -here, again, the Europeans disturbed them, and forced them to emigrate, -although they had been most kindly and hospitably received. On which -ever side of the _Lenapewihittuck_[65] the white people landed, they -were welcomed as brothers by our ancestors, who gave them lands to live -on, and even hunted for them, and furnished them with meat out of the -woods. Such was our conduct to the white men[66] who inhabited this -country, until our elder brother, the great and good MIQUON,[67] came -and brought us words of peace and good will. We believed his words, -and his memory is still held in veneration among us. But it was not -long before our joy was turned into sorrow: our brother Miquon died, -and those of his good counsellors who were of his mind, and knew what -had passed between him and our ancestors, were no longer listened to; -the strangers[68] who had taken their places, no longer spoke to us 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 us, -and was to last to the end of time; they now only strove 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 _Læhauwake_,[69] 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 made us such; -that we had no right to any land, because it was all theirs; that we -must be gone; and that as a great favour they permitted us to go and -settle further into the country, at the place which they themselves -pointed out at Wyoming.”[70] - -Thus these 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, but 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[71] extended far to -the north and far to the south. In the middle of it we would meet from -all parts to smoke the pipe of peace together. 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 they began to pull our council house down,[72] first -at one end and then at the other, and at last meeting each other at -the centre, where the council fire was yet burning bright, they put it -out,[73] and extinguished it with our own blood![74] with the blood -of those[75] 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;[76] we were compelled to withdraw ourselves beyond the great -swamp,[77] and to fly to our good uncle, the _Delamattenos_,[78] -who kindly gave us a tract of land to live on. How 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 the face of the earth.” - -I have given here only a brief specimen of the charges which they -exhibit against the white people. There are men among them, who have -by heart the whole history of what took place between the whites and -the Indians, since the former 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. I, -at one time, in April, 1787,[79] was astonished when I heard one of -their orators, a great chief of the Delaware nation,[80] go over this -ground, recapitulating the most extraordinary events which had before -happened, and concluding in these words: “I admit that there are good -white men, but they bear no proportion to the bad; the bad must be -the strongest, for they rule. They do what they please. They enslave -those who are not of their colour, although created by the same Great -Spirit who created us.[81] 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 Indians, who are only enemies, -while at war, and are friends in peace. They will say to an Indian, ‘my -friend! my brother!’ They will take him by the hand, and at the same -moment destroy 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. I know the -_long knives_; they are not to be trusted.” - -Eleven months after this speech was delivered by this prophetic chief, -ninety-six of the same Christian Indians, about sixty of them women and -children, were murdered at the place where these very words had been -spoken, by the same men he had alluded to, and in the same manner that -he had described. See Loskiel’s History, part III., ch. 10.[82] - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -SUBSEQUENT FATE OF THE LENAPE AND THEIR KINDRED TRIBES. - - -After the murder of the Conestogo Indians, the Lenni Lenape thought -proper, for their safety, to withdraw altogether from the interior of -the white settlements, into the wilds of the Susquehannah country; and -Government, conscious that they could no longer protect any Indians, -or body of Indians, whether Christians or not, in the settled parts -of the province, advised the Christian Indians, whom, during the last -troubles, they had with difficulty prevented from sharing the fate -of the Conestogos, to retire into the back country. They did so, and -settled at Wyalusing,[83] which then became the nearest settlement of -Indians to the white inhabitants, being upwards of 150 miles north of -Philadelphia, and about 100 miles from the frontier settlers beyond -the blue mountains; all the other Indians of that nation, together -with the Nanticokes, lived then higher up the Susquehannah. For about -five years, the Indians on this river enjoyed peace, and the Christian -Indians lived quietly here and at another settlement they had made -thirty miles higher, built good houses for themselves, together with -a spacious church, planted fruit trees, and put large bodies of land -under cultivation. But, while they were flattering themselves with -the most favourable prospect, they were informed that the Six Nations -had sold the whole country, including the land they lived on, to the -English. They soon saw the object of this clandestine proceeding, -of which they had not received the least notice, and foreseeing what -kind of neighbours they should have, if they should stay where they -were, they determined to move off in a body to the Ohio, where they -had received an invitation to settle from the grand council of their -nation. Accordingly, two hundred and forty-one souls set off directly -for the Muskingum river, where a large tract of land was given them, -out of that which the Wyandots had formerly granted and confirmed -to their people; the other Indians of the same nation residing on -the Susquehannah soon followed, some settling at one place, some -at another; the Mouseys,[84] however, joined their own tribe, who -long since had emigrated and were settled on the head waters of the -Allegheny river; and so the whole country east of the Allegheny -mountains was cleared of its original inhabitants. - -The Delawares thus became at once released from their troublesome -neighbours the Iroquois, who had calculated on their settling near -them, at a place they had already fixed upon; but they were mistaken, -for with all their fair speeches they could not persuade the Lenape, -who gave them plainly to understand that they were no longer inclined -to listen to a people who had so long and so often deceived them. - -This happened in the year 1768,[85] about six years before the -beginning of the revolutionary war. During which short period of -tranquillity, the numbers of the Christian Indians on the Ohio rapidly -increased, and never was there such a fair prospect of their being -fixed in a state of prosperous civilisation. But the revolution put an -end to these hopes, and this opportunity was lost, perhaps, never to -return again. It was not the fault of the American government, who were -truly desirous of seeing the Indians adopt a neutral line of conduct, -and repeatedly advised them not to interfere in the quarrel between -the colonies and the mother country; happy would it have been if the -British government had acted in the same manner; but they pursued a -different plan. These poor deluded people were dragged into a war in -which they had no concern, by which not only their population was -gradually reduced, but they lost the desire of becoming a civilised -people; for the Americans, at last, become exasperated against them, -and considering all Indians as their enemies, they sent parties out -from time to time to destroy them. The murder of the Christian Indians -on the Muskingum in 1782, completed their alienation. Those who yet -remained were driven to despair, and finally dispersed. - -It is not in my power to ascertain the whole number of the Lenni -Lenape, or Delaware Indians, still existing at the present time. As -far as I am informed, they are very much scattered, a number of them, -chiefly of the Monsey tribe, living in Upper Canada, others are in the -state of Ohio, and some on the waters of the Wabash in the Indiana -territory. A considerable number of them has crossed the Mississippi. -Their first emigrations to that country had already begun between the -years 1780 and 1790. What the numbers of this nation were when the -Europeans first came into this country is difficult to tell; all I can -say is, that so early as 1760, their oldest men would say that they -were not then as many hundreds as they had been thousands. They have -considerably decreased since that period. I saw them myself between the -years 1754 and 1760, by hundreds at a time, and Loskiel in his history -gives an account of upwards of 800 having been fed at Bethlehem in one -year. In the year 1762, while I lived at Tuscorawas on the Muskingum, -they were settled on that river and its branches, and also on the -Cayahoga river, which empties into Lake Erie, in the neighbourhood of -which they had since a small Christian settlement called _Pilgerruh_ -(Pilgrim’s rest.)[86],[87] - - -THE SHAWANOS OR SAWANOS.[88] - -The history of these people is here given, principally from the -relations of old Indians of the Mohican[90] tribe, who say that they -formerly inhabited the Southern country, Savannah in Georgia, and the -Floridas. They were a restless people, delighting in wars, in which -they were constantly engaged with some of the neighbouring nations. -At last their neighbours, tired of being continually harassed by -them, formed a league for their destruction. The Shawanos finding -themselves thus dangerously situated, asked to be permitted to leave -the country, which was granted to them, and they fled immediately -to the Ohio. Here their main body settled, and sent messengers to -their elder brother[91] the Mohicans, requesting them to intercede -for them with their grandfather the Lenni Lenape, that he might take -them under his protection. This the Mohicans willingly did, and even -sent a body of their own people to conduct their _younger brother_ -into the country of the Delawares. The Shawanos finding themselves -safe under the protection of their grandfather, did not all choose to -proceed farther to the eastward, but many of them remained on the Ohio, -some of whom settled even as high up that river as the long island, -above which the French afterwards built Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburg. -Those who proceeded farther, were accompanied by their chief, named -Gachgawatschiqua, and settled principally at and about the forks of -Delaware, some few between that and the confluence of Delaware and -Schuylkill, and some even on the spot where Philadelphia now stands; -others were conducted by the Mohicans into their own country, where -they intermarried with them and became one people. When those settled -near the Delaware had multiplied, they returned to Wyoming on the -Susquehannah, where they resided for a great number of years. - -In the mean while, those who had remained on the Ohio increased in -numbers, and in process of time began again to be troublesome to their -neighbours. At last, they crossed the Allegheny mountains, and falling -upon the camps of the Lenape on Juniata river, they committed several -murders and went off with their plunder. It was soon discovered who -were the aggressors; but the Lenape had now assumed the station of -“the woman,” and could not engage in wars. They could only apply -for protection to the Five Nations, which they did, expecting that -they would immediately pursue the offenders and inflict an exemplary -punishment upon them, but the Five Nations found means to evade their -demand for the present. They told the Delawares that the season was -too far advanced to commence a war; that it was better to put off -their intended expedition until the ensuing spring; that in the mean -time, both nations should put themselves in readiness, and keep their -preparations secret, and that as soon as the season should open, they -would march off separately and meet together at an appointed time and -place on the Allegheny, then push on together for the Shawano towns -below the confluence of that river and the Monongahela, where they -could fall together unawares on the aggressors and punish them. The -Iroquois promised, as usual, that they would place themselves in the -front of the battle, so that the Delawares would have nothing to do but -to look on and see how bravely their protectors would fight for them, -and if they were not satisfied with that, they might take their revenge -themselves. - -Agreeably to this plan, the Lenape remained quiet till the spring, -when, with a body of their most valiant men, they marched to the -appointed spot; but how great was their surprise when their pretended -champions did not make their appearance? They suspected treachery, -and were not mistaken; for having immediately marched forward to the -Shawano towns, bent on taking an exemplary revenge, they had the -disappointment to see on their arrival their enemies pushing off as -fast as they could down the Ohio river in their canoes. Some of them -were flying by land, as probably they had not a sufficient number of -canoes to convey their whole number; these they pursued and attacked, -beat them severely, and took several prisoners. Here they had a -striking instance of the treachery of the Mengwe, who had warned the -Shawanos of their approach. Some time after this, the Shawanos who -resided on the north branch of the Susquehannah, began to draw off by -degrees, first to the west branch of that river and the Juniata, and -then to the Ohio; so that at the commencement of the French war in -1755, they had all, except a few families, with whom was their chief -Paxnos, retired to the Ohio, where they joined their countrymen in a -war against the English.[92] - -Peace was made in 1763 between Great Britain and France; but the -restless spirit of the Shawanos did not permit them to remain quiet; -they commenced war[93] against their southern neighbours, the -Cherokees, who, while in pursuit of the aggressors, would sometimes -through mistake fall upon the Lenape, who resided in the same country -with the Shawanos, through whom they also became involved in a war with -that nation, which lasted some time. The Mengwe being then also at war -with the Cherokees, and frequently returning with their prisoners and -scalps through their country, the warlike spirit was kept alive among -all, until at length, in 1768, the Cherokees sought a renewal of the -friendship formerly existing between them and their grandfather, the -Lenape, which being effected, they, by their mediation, also brought -about a peace between them and the Five Nations. - -The Shawanos not being disposed to continue the war with the Cherokees -by themselves, and having been reprimanded by their grandfather for -being the instigators of all those troubles, willingly submitted to the -dictates of the Lenape, and from that time remained at peace with all -the nations until the year 1774, when they were involved in a war with -the people of Virginia, occasioned by some murders which were committed -on Logan’s family connexions and others by white people. In this -instance it cannot, I think, be said that they were the aggressors, yet -their thirst for revenge was so great, and the injured Mengwe at their -side called out so loudly for revenge, that they with great spirit -engaged into a war with the Virginians, which, however, was of but -short duration, as they were opposed with an equal degree of courage, -and after a severe battle between the two rivals, at or near the mouth -of the Great Kanhawa, and the destruction of many of their towns by -the Virginians, the Shawanos were brought to make peace once more;[94] -which did not last long, as they joined the British against the -American people, some time after the commencement of the Revolution, -and remained our enemies after that time, never establishing a firm -peace with us, until the memorable treaty which took place in 1795, -after the decisive defeat of the nations by the late General Wayne. - -The Shawanos lost many of their men during these contests; but they -were in a manner replaced by individuals of other nations joining -them. Thus, during the Revolutionary war, about one hundred turbulent -Cherokees, who could not be brought by their own nation to be at peace -with the American people, and were on that account driven out of their -country, came over to the Shawanos, while others from the Five Nations -joined them or became their neighbours. - -The Shawanos are considered to be good warriors and hunters. They are -courageous, high spirited and manly, and more careful in providing a -supply of ammunition to keep in reserve for an emergency, than any -other nation that I have heard of. Their language is more easily -learned than that of the Lenape, and has a great affinity to the -Mohican, Chippeway and other kindred languages. They generally place -the accent on the last syllable. - - -THE NANTICOKES. - -The Delawares say that this nation has sprung from the same stock -with them, and the fact was acknowledged by White,[95] one of their -chiefs, whom I have personally known. They call the Delawares their -grandfathers. I shall relate the history of the Shawanos,[96] as I had -it from the mouth of White himself. - -Every Indian being at liberty to pursue what occupation he pleases, -White’s ancestors, after the Lenape came into their country, preferred -seeking a livelihood by fishing and trapping along the rivers and -bays, to pursuing wild game in the forest; they therefore detached -themselves, and sought the most convenient places for their purpose. In -process of time, they became very numerous, partly by natural increase, -and partly in consequence of being joined by a number of the Lenape, -and spread themselves over a large tract of country. Thus they became -divided into separate bodies, distinguished by different names; the -Canai, they say, sprung from them, and settled at a distance on the -shores of the Potomack and Susquehannah, where they lived when the -white people first arrived in Virginia; but they removed farther on -their account, and settled higher up the Susquehannah, not far from -where John Harris afterwards established a ferry.[97] The main branch, -or the Nanticokes proper, were then living in what is now called the -Eastern shore of Maryland. At length, the white people crowded so much -upon them, that they were also obliged to seek another abode, and as -their grandfather was himself retreating back in consequence of the -great influx of the whites, they took the advice of the Mengwe, and -bent their course at once to the large flats at Wyoming, where they -settled by themselves, in sight of the Shawanos town, while others -settled higher up the river, even as high as Chemenk[98] (Shenango) and -Shummunk, to which places they all emigrated at the beginning of the -French war. White’s tribe resided there until the Revolutionary war, -when they went off to a place nearer to the British, whose part they -had taken, and whose standard they joined. White himself had joined the -Christian Indians at Schschequon,[99] several years previous to the -war, and remained with them. - -Nothing, said White, had equalled the decline of his tribe since the -white people had come into the country. They were destroyed in part by -disorders which they brought with them, by the small pox, the venereal -disease, and by the free use of spirituous liquors, to which great -numbers fell victims. - -The emigration of the Nanticokes from Maryland was well known to -the Society of the United Brethren. At the time when these people -were beginning their settlement in the forks of Delaware, the Rev. -Christian[100] Pyrlæus noted down in his memorandum book, “that on -the 21st day of May, 1748, a number of the Nanticokes from Maryland, -passed by Shamokin in ten canoes, on their way to Wyoming.” Others, -travelling by land, would frequently pass through Bethlehem, and -from thence through the Water Gap to Nescopeck or Susquehannah, and -while they resided at Wyoming, they, together with the Shawanese, -became the emissaries of the Five Nations, and in conjunction with -them afterwards, endeavoured to remove the Christian Indians from -Gnadenhütten, in Northampton county, to Wyoming; their private object -being to have a full opportunity to murder the white inhabitants, in -the war which they already knew would soon break out between the French -and English. - -These Nanticokes had the singular custom of removing the bones of their -deceased friends from the burial place to a place of deposit in the -country they dwell in. In earlier times, they were known to go from -Wyoming and Chemenk, to fetch the bones of their dead from the Eastern -shore of Maryland, even when the bodies were in a putrid state, so that -they had to take off the flesh and scrape the bones clean, before they -could carry them along. I well remember having seen them between the -years 1750 and 1760, loaded with such bones, which, being fresh, caused -a disagreeable stench, as they passed through the town of Bethlehem. - -They are also said to have been the inventors of a poisonous substance, -by which they could destroy a whole settlement of people, and they -are accused of being skilled in the arts of witchcraft; it is certain -that they are very much dreaded on this account. I have known Indians -who firmly believed that they had people among them who could, if -they pleased, destroy a whole army, by merely blowing their breath -towards them. Those of the Lenape[101] and other tribes, who pretend -to witchcraft, say that they learned the science from the Nanticokes; -they are not unwilling to be taxed with being wizards, as it makes them -feared by their neighbours. - -Their national name, according to the report of their chief, White, -is _Nentégo_. The Delawares call them _Unéchtgo_, and the Iroquois -_Sganiateratieh-rohne_. These three names have the same meaning, -and signify _tide water people_, or the _sea shore settlers_. They -have besides other names, by-names, as it were, given them with -reference to their occupation. The Mohicans, for instance, call them -_Otayáchgo_, and the Delawares _Tawachguáno_,[102] both which words in -their respective languages, signify a “bridge,” a “dry passage over a -stream;” which alludes to their being noted for felling great numbers -of trees across streams, to set their traps on. They are also often -called the _Trappers_. - -In the year 1785, this tribe had so dwindled away, that their whole -body, who came together to see their old chief, White, then residing -with the Christian Indians on the Huron river,[103] north of Detroit, -did not amount to 50 men. They were then going through Canada, to the -Miami country, to settle beside the Shawanos, in consequence of an -invitation they had received from them. - - -THE MAHICANNI, OR MOHICANS. - -This once great and renowned nation has also almost entirely -disappeared, as well as the numerous tribes who had descended from -them; they have been destroyed by wars, and carried off by the small -pox and other disorders, and great numbers have died in consequence of -the introduction of spirituous liquors among them. The remainder have -fled and removed in separate bodies to different parts, where they now -are dispersed or mingled with other nations. So early as the year 1762, -a number of them had emigrated to the Ohio, where I became acquainted -with their chief who was called by the whites “Mohican John.” Others -have fled to the shores of the St. Lawrence, where numbers of them -incorporated themselves with the Iroquois, and where their descendants -live at the present time, a mixed race, known by the name of the -_Cochnewago_ Indians. Upwards of one hundred of them, who lived in the -colonies of Connecticut and New York, having through the labours of -the United Brethren embraced Christianity, emigrated to Pennsylvania, -some time between 1742 and 1760, where they afterwards became -incorporated with the Delawares.[104] A considerable number migrated -from Hudson’s river about the year 1734, and settled at Stockbridge, -in Massachusetts; between the year 1785 and 1787, they removed to -Oneida, in the country of the Six Nations, and gave to their settlement -the name of New Stockbridge. Before their removal their numbers had -gradually diminished. In 1791, they were reduced to 191 persons.[105] -They were once very numerous in Connecticut, and in the year 1799, -there still were 84 individuals of them, in the county of New -London,[106] the remains of a once large and flourishing settlement. It -is probable that by this time they are nearly if not entirely extinct. - -It is believed that the Mahicanni are the same nation who are so -celebrated in the History of New England, under the name of _Pequods_ -or _Pequots_.[107] The Rev. Jonathan Edwards, late President of Union -College at Schenectady, in the State of New York, published in the year -1788 in a pamphlet form, some observations on their language, which -were republished at New York in 1801. This small tract, as well as the -translation of the Bible into the Natick, by the venerable Eliot, and -his grammar of that language, put it beyond a doubt that the idiom of -the Mohicans and those of the other New England Indians proceeded from -the same source with that of the Lenni Lenape. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE IROQUOIS. - - -The most intelligent and credible Indians of the Lenape stock, -including the Mohicans, have ever asserted, that in the whole country -bounded on the north by the river St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes -(including what is now Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), on the west by -the Mississippi, on the east by the Great Salt-water Lake,[108] and on -the south by the country of the Creeks, Cherokees, and other Florida -Indians, there were but two nations, the Mengwe, and themselves. Theirs -was by far the most numerous and the most extensively settled, for -their tribes extended even beyond the Mississippi. On the other side of -the St. Lawrence, the Algonquins, the Killistenos or Knisteneaux, and -others, speaking dialects of their language, prove their origin from -the same stock. The Mengwe, on the contrary, were comparatively few, -and occupied a much less portion of territory, being almost confined -to the vicinity of the great lakes. But few tribes are known to be -connected with them by descent and language; the principal ones are the -Wyandots, otherwise called Hurons, and the Naudowessies. Almost every -other nation within the boundaries described, is of the Lenape family. - -Each of these two great nations, say the Delawares, had an ancient -national name, and a tradition of their respective origin, handed down -to them by their ancestors, and diffused among all the kindred tribes. -By whatsoever names those tribes might be called, and whatever their -numbers were, still they considered themselves, and were considered -by others, as the offspring of the same original stock. All the tribes -who had sprung from the Lenape called the mother nation _grandfather_, -and received, in return, the appellation of _grandchildren_. They were -all united by the strongest ties of friendship and alliance; in their -own expressive language, they made but _one house, one fire, and one -canoe_, that is to say, that they constituted together, one people, one -family. The same thing took place between the Mengwe and the tribes -descended from them. They and the Lenape had no relationship with each -other, though they came over the Mississippi together at the same time. -They considered each other as nations entirely distinct. - -The Mengwe or Iroquois were always considered by the Lenape as only one -nation, consisting of several confederated tribes. The name of Five and -afterwards Six Nations, was given to them by the English, whose allies -they were, probably to raise their consequence, and magnify the idea of -their strength; but the Indian nations never did flatter them with that -high sounding appellation, and considered them merely as confederated -_tribes_. - -The late Rev. Mr. Pyrlæus, in a large volume of MS. notes which he -wrote between the years 1740 and 1760 (upwards of 70 years ago), -has taken down on this subject the account given by the Iroquois -themselves, as he had it from the mouth of an intelligent Mohawk -chief,[109] whose veracity might be depended upon. After giving some -details respecting the origin of their confederation, the time about -which it took place, the names of the delegates from each of the -confederated tribes, &c., he proceeds thus: “They then gave themselves -the name _Aquanoshioni_, which means _one house_, _one family_, and -consisted of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagoes, Cayugas, and Senecas. -This alliance having been first proposed by a Mohawk chief, the Mohawks -rank in the _family_ as the _eldest brother_, the Oneidas, as the -_eldest son_; the Senecas, who were the last who at that time had -consented to the alliance, were called the _youngest son_; but the -Tuscaroras, who joined the confederacy probably one hundred years -afterwards, assumed that name, and the Senecas ranked in precedence -before them, as being the _next youngest son_, or as we would say, the -youngest son but one.” - -The Rev. David Zeisberger also says: “That the Iroquois call themselves -_Aquanoschioni_, which means _united people_, having united for the -purpose of always reminding each other that their safety and power -consist in a mutual and strict adherence to their alliance.”[110] He -adds, that Onondago is the chief town of the Iroquois. - -Thus, in the different translations of the name which these people -gave themselves, we find nothing that conveys the ideas of _nations_, -it implies no more than a _family_, an _united people_, a _family -compact_. The different sections take ranks in this family, of which -the _Onondagoes_ are the head, while the others are brothers and sons; -all which tends clearly to prove, that they were originally but tribes, -detached bodies of the same people, who, when brought together in close -union, formed a complete family and became entitled to the name of a -NATION. - -We also see that self-preservation was the cause of their uniting, and -that they were compelled by necessity to this measure, on which their -existence depended. And though we have a right to suppose that that -tribe which always takes the lead in the government of an Indian nation -(the _Turtle_ tribe), existed among them, yet it is evident that its -authority at that time was either wholly disregarded, or at least, was -too weak to give complete efficacy to its measures. - -If, then, we believe the information given us by both Pyrlæus and -Zeisberger to be correct, we must be fully convinced that the Iroquois -confederacy did not consist of Five or Six Nations, but of as many -tribes or sections of the same people, forming together one nation. -These two Missionaries are known to have been men of the strictest -veracity; they were both, I may say, critically acquainted[111] with -the Mengwe idiom, and they had their information from the most -respectable and intelligent men among that nation, the former from -the Mohawk, the latter from the Onondaga tribe. There is no reason, -therefore, why the truth of their statements should be doubted. - -The Lenape and their kindred tribes never have called the Iroquois -“the Five or Six Nations.” In conversation, they call them the Mengwe, -and never make use of any other but this generic name when speaking of -them. In their councils, however, they occasionally distinguished them -by the name _Palenach endchiesktajeet_.[113] These two words, literally -translated mean “the five divisions, sections or parts together,” and -does not in any manner imply the idea of _nations_. Had they meant -to say “the Five Nations,” they would have expressed it by the words -_Palenach ekhokewit_; those which they used, on the contrary, expressly -imply _sectional divisions_, and leave no doubt about their meaning. - -The Iroquois themselves, as we have already seen, had adopted a name, -_Aquanoschioni_, merely indicative of their close union. After, -however, they came to be informed of the meaning of the name which the -English had given them, they were willing to let it pass as correct. -The Indians are very fond of high sounding names; I have known myself -chiefs who delighted to be called _Kings_, after they had learned from -us that the rulers of the English and French nations were distinguished -by that title. - -Thus the proper name of those six united tribes is in their own -language _Aquanoschioni_. By other nations they are called _Mengwe_, -_Maquas_, _Mingoes_, and _Iroquois_. The Lenape call them by the first, -the Mohicans and Dutch by the second, the English and Americans by the -third, and the French by the fourth. I employ these different names -indiscriminately in the course of this work. - -As detached bodies or tribes, their names with the Lenape are the -following: - -1. _Sankhícani_, the Mohawks, from _Sankhican_, a gunlock, this people -being the first who were furnished with muskets by the Europeans, the -locks of which, with their effect in striking fire, was a subject of -great astonishment to them; and thus they were named, as it were, _the -fire-striking people_. - -2. _W’Tássone_, the Oneidas. This name means the _stone-pipe makers_, -and was given to them on account of their ingenuity in making tobacco -pipes of stone. - -3. _Onondágoes_, the Onondagoes. This name signifies in their own -language _on the top of the hill_, their town being so situated. - -4. _Queúgue_, Cayugas, thus called after a lake of the same name. - -5. _Mæchachtínni_, the Senecas. This name means _Mountaineers_, and was -given them because they inhabited the hilly parts of the country. - -6. The _Tuscaroras_, the sixth and last tribe in the league, they call -by the same name, yet I have never heard the Lenape speak of the _six -divisions or tribes_; when they describe them in that manner, it is -always by the number _Five_. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE INDIANS. - - -The Indian considers himself as a being created by an all-powerful, -wise, and benevolent Mannitto;[114] all that he possesses, all that -he enjoys, he looks upon as given to him or allotted for his use by -the Great Spirit who gave him life: he therefore believes it to be his -duty to adore and worship his Creator and benefactor; to acknowledge -with gratitude his past favours, thank him for present blessings, and -solicit the continuation of his good will.[115] - -As beings who have control over all beasts and living creatures, -they feel their importance; before they saw white people or men of a -different colour from their own, they considered themselves as God’s -favourites, and believed that if the Great Mannitto could reside on -earth he would associate with them and be their great chief. - -The Indian also believes, that he is highly favoured by his Maker, not -only in having been created different in shape and in mental and bodily -powers from other animals, but in being enabled to controul and master -them all, even those of an enormous size and of the most ferocious -kinds; and therefore, when he worships his Creator in his way, he does -not omit in his supplications to pray that he may be endowed with -courage to fight and conquer his enemies, among whom he includes all -savage beasts; and when he has performed some heroic act, he will -not forget to acknowledge it as a mark of divine favour, by making a -sacrifice to the great and good Mannitto, or by publicly announcing -that his success was entirely owing to the courage given him by the -all-powerful Spirit. Thus, habitual devotion to the great First Cause, -and a strong feeling of gratitude for the benefits which he confers, -is one of the prominent traits which characterise the mind of the -untutored Indian. - -Not satisfied with paying this first of duties to the Lord of all, in -the best manner they are able, the Indians also endeavour to fulfil -the views which they suppose he had in creating the world. They think -that he made the earth and all that it contains for the common good -of mankind; when he stocked the country that he gave them with plenty -of game, it was not for the benefit of a few, but of all. Every thing -was given in common to the sons of men. Whatever liveth on the land, -whatsoever groweth out of the earth, and all that is in the rivers and -waters flowing through the same, was given jointly to all, and every -one is entitled to his share. From this principle, hospitality flows -as from its source. With them it is not a virtue but a strict duty. -Hence they are never in search of excuses to avoid giving, but freely -supply their neighbour’s wants from the stock prepared for their own -use. They give and are hospitable to all, without exception, and will -always share with each other and often with the stranger, even to their -last morsel. They rather would lie down themselves on an empty stomach, -than have it laid to their charge that they had neglected their duty, -by not satisfying the wants of the stranger, the sick or the needy. The -stranger has a claim to their hospitality, partly on account of his -being at a distance from his family and friends, and partly because he -has honoured them by his visit, and ought to leave them with a good -impression upon his mind; the sick and the poor because they have -a right to be helped out of the common stock: for if the meat they -have been served with, was taken from the woods, it was common to all -before the hunter took it; if corn or vegetables, it had grown out of -the common ground, yet not by the power of man, but by that of the -Great Spirit. Besides, on the principle, that all are descended from -one parent, they look upon themselves as but one great family, who -therefore ought at all times and on all occasions, to be serviceable -and kind to each other, and by that means make themselves acceptable to -the head of the universal family, the great and good Mannitto. Let me -be permitted to illustrate this by an example. - -Some travelling Indians having in the year 1777, put their horses -over night to pasture in my little meadow, at Gnadenhütten on the -Muskingum, I called on them in the morning to learn why they had done -so. I endeavoured to make them sensible of the injury they had done -me, especially as I intended to mow the meadow in a day or two. Having -finished my complaint, one of them replied: “My friend, it seems you -lay claim to the grass my horses have eaten, because you had enclosed -it with a fence: now tell me, who caused the grass to grow? Can _you_ -make the grass grow? I think not, and no body can except the great -Mannitto. He it is who causes it to grow both for my horses and for -yours! See, friend! the grass which grows out of the earth is common -to all; the game in the woods is common to all. Say, did you never -eat venison and bear’s meat?--‘Yes, very often.’--Well, and did you -ever hear me or any other Indian complain about that? No; then be not -disturbed at my horses having eaten only once, of what you call _your_ -grass, though the grass my horses did eat, in like manner as the meat -you did eat, was given to the Indians by the Great Spirit. Besides, if -you will but consider, you will find that my horses did not eat _all_ -your grass. For friendship’s sake, however, I shall never put my horses -in your meadow again.” - -The Indians are not only just, they are also in many respects a -generous people, and cannot see the sick and the aged suffer for -want of clothing. To such they will give a blanket, a shirt, a pair -of leggings, mocksens, &c. Otherwise, when they make presents, it is -done with a view to receive an equivalent in return, and the receiver -is given to understand what that ought to be. In making presents to -strangers, they are content with some trifle in token of remembrance; -but when they give any thing to a trader, they at least expect double -the value in return, saying that he can afford to do it, since he had -cheated them so often. - -They treat each other with civility, and shew much affection on -meeting after an absence. When they meet in the forenoon, they will -compliment one another with saying, “a good morning to you!” and in -the afternoon, “a good evening.” In the act of shaking hands with each -other, they strictly attend to the distinguishing names of relations, -which they utter at the time; as for instance, “a good morning, father, -grandfather, uncle, aunt, cousin,” and so down to a small grandchild. -They are also in the habit of saluting old people no ways related to -them, by the names of grandfather and grandmother, not in a tone of -condescending superiority or disguised contempt, but as a genuine mark -of the respect which they feel for age. The common way of saluting -where no relationship exists, is that of “friend;” when, however, the -young people meet, they make use of words suitable to their years or -stage in life; they will say “a good morning, comrade, favourite, -beloved, &c.” Even the children salute each other affectionately. “I -am glad to see you,” is the common way in which the Indians express -themselves to one another after a short absence; but on meeting after -a long absence, on the return of a messenger or a warrior from a -critical or dangerous expedition, they have more to say; the former is -saluted in the most cordial manner with some such expression: “I thank -the Great Spirit, that he has preserved our lives to this time of our -happily meeting again. I am, indeed, very glad to see you.” To which -the other will reply: “you speak the truth; it is through the favour of -the great and good Spirit that we are permitted to meet. I am equally -glad to see you.” To the latter will be said: “I am glad that the Great -Spirit has preserved your life and granted you a safe return to your -family.” - -They are not quarrelsome, and are always on their guard, so as not to -offend each other. When one supposes himself hurt or aggrieved by a -word which has inadvertently fallen from the mouth of another, he will -say to him: “Friend, you have caused me to become jealous of you,” -(meaning that he begins to doubt the sincerity of his friendship,) when -the other explaining and saying that he had no bad intention, all is -done away again. - -They do not fight with each other; they say that fighting is only for -dogs and beasts. They are, however, fond of play, and passing a joke, -yet very careful that they do not offend. - -They are ingenious in making satirical observations, which though they -create laughter, do not, or but seldom give offence. For instance, -seeing a bad hunter going out into the woods with his gun, they will -ask him if he is going out for meat? or say to one another: “now we -shall have meat, for such a one is gone a hunting,” (not believing any -such thing.) If they see a coward joining a war party, they will ask -him ironically at what time he intends to come back again? (knowing -that he will return before he has met the enemy,) or they will say to -one another: “will he return this way with his scalps?” - -Genuine wit, which one would hardly expect to find in a savage people, -is not unfrequent among them. I have heard them, for instance, compare -the English and American nations to a pair of scissors, an instrument -composed of two sharp edged knives exactly alike, working against each -other for the same purpose, that of _cutting_. By the construction of -this instrument, they said, it would appear as if in shutting, these -two sharp knives would strike together and destroy each other’s edges; -but no such thing: they only cut _what comes between them_. And thus -the English and Americans do when they go to war against one another. -It is not each other that they want to destroy, but us, poor Indians, -that are between them. By this means they get our land, and, when that -is obtained, the scissors are closed again, and laid by for further use. - -They are remarkable for the particular respect which they pay to old -age. In all their meetings, whether public or private, they pay the -greatest attention to the observations and advice of the aged; no one -will attempt to contradict them, nor to interfere in any manner or even -to speak, unless he is specially called upon. “The aged,” they say, -“have lived through the whole period of our lives, and long before -we were born; they have not only all the knowledge we possess, but a -great deal more. We, therefore, must submit our limited views to their -experience.” - -In travelling, one of the oldest will always take the lead, unless -another is specially appointed for that purpose. If such a one stops -to hunt, or in order to stay and encamp at the place for some time, -all halt together, all are pleased with the spot and declare it to be -judiciously chosen. - -I shall expatiate further on this interesting part of the Indian -character, in the sequel of this work. - -They 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 few, perhaps, will designate by the epithet _barbarous_; a vague -indefinite word, which if it means anything, might, perhaps, be best -explained by _something not like ourselves_. However that may be, this -feeling certainly exists among the Indians, and as I cannot describe -it better than by its effects, I shall content myself with relating -on this subject a characteristic anecdote which happened in the year -1793, at an Indian village called _La Chine_, situated nine miles above -Montreal, and was told me in the same year by Mr. La Ramée, a French -Canadian inhabitant of that place, whom I believe to be a person of -strict veracity. I was then on my return from Detroit, in company -with General Lincoln and several other 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 now 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. These two meeting together one -day in the street, (a third being present,) the former in a high tone -made use of some insulting language to the other, which he could not -well put up with: he called him a coward, said he was his inferior -in every respect, and so provoked his anger, that unable any longer -to contain himself, the latter instantly replied: “You have grossly -insulted me; but I will prevent you from doing the like again!” and at -the same moment stabbed him through the body with his knife, so that -he dropped down dead by his side. The alarm being immediately spread -through the village, a crowd of Indians assembled, and the murderer -having seated himself on the ground by the side of the dead body, -coolly awaited his fate, which he could 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 head in a proper -posture to receive the stroke of 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 forfeited, and anxious to be relieved from a state of -suspense, he took the resolution to go to the mother of the 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 thee. I, therefore, now surrender myself up -to thy will. Direct as thou 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 supporter 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 be of no service to -thee, but rather a trouble and charge; but here am I, truly capable of -supporting and maintaining thee: if thou wilt receive me as thy son, -nothing shall be wanting on my part to make thee comfortable while thou -livest.” The woman approving of the proposal, forthwith adopted him as -her son, and took the whole family to her house. - -But we must now look to the other side of the picture. It cannot but -be acknowledged that the Indians are in general revengeful and cruel -to their enemies. That even after the battle is over, they wreak their -deliberate revenge on their defenceless prisoners; that in their -wars they are indifferent about the means which they pursue for the -annoyance and destruction of their adversaries, and that surprise -and stratagem are as often employed by them as open force. This is -all true. Deprived of the light of the only true Christian Religion, -unchecked by the precepts and unswayed by the example of the God -of peace, they indulge too much, sometimes, the violence of their -passions, and commit actions which force the tear from the eye of -humanity. But, upon the whole, are we better than they are? I reserve -this question for a separate chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -GOVERNMENT. - - -Although the Indians have no code of laws for their government, their -chiefs find little or no difficulty in governing them. They are -supported by able experienced counsellors; men who study the welfare -of the nation, and are equally interested with themselves in its -prosperity. On them the people rely entirely, believing that what they -do, or determine upon, must be right and for the public good. - -Proud of seeing such able men conduct the affairs of their nation, the -Indians are little troubled about what they are doing, knowing that -the result of their deliberations will be made public in due time, -and sure that it will receive their approbation. This result is made -known to them by the chief through the orator, for which purpose they -are called together and assemble at the council-house; and if it be -found necessary to require a contribution of _wampum_, for carrying the -decision of the chiefs into effect, it is cheerfully complied with by -the whole assembly. - -The chiefs are very careful in preserving for their own information, -and that of future generations, all important deliberations and -treaties made at any time between them and other nations. Thus, between -the years 1770 and 1780, they could relate very minutely what had -passed between William Penn and their forefathers, at their first -meeting and afterwards, and also the transactions which took place with -the governors who succeeded him. For the purpose of refreshing their -own memories, and of instructing one or more of their most capable and -promising young men in these matters, they assemble once or twice -a year. On these occasions they always meet at a chosen spot in the -woods, at a small distance from the town, where a fire is kindled, -and at the proper time provisions are brought out to them; there, on -a large piece of bark or on a blanket, all the documents are laid -out in such order, that they can at once distinguish each particular -speech, the same as we know the principal contents of an instrument of -writing by the endorsement on it. If any paper or parchment writings -are connected with the belts, or strings of wampum, they apply to some -trusty white man (if such can be had,) to read the contents to them. -Their speaker then, who is always chosen from among those who are -endowed with superior talents, and has already been trained up to the -business, rises, and in an audible voice delivers, with the gravity -that the subject requires, the contents, sentence after sentence, -until he has finished the whole on one subject. On the manner in -which the belts or strings of wampum are handled by the speaker, much -depends; the _turning_[116] of the belt which takes place when he has -finished one half of his speech, is a material point, though this is -not common in _all_ speeches with belts; but when it is the case, and -is done properly, it may be as well known by it how far the speaker -has advanced in his speech, as with us on taking a glance at the pages -of a book or pamphlet while reading; and a good speaker will be able -to point out the exact place on a belt which is to answer to each -particular sentence, the same as we can point out a passage in a book. -Belts and strings, when done with by the speaker, are again handed to -the chief, who puts them up carefully in the speech-bag or pouch. - -A message of importance is generally sent on to the place of its -destination, by an inferior chief, by a counsellor, or by the speaker, -especially when an immediate answer is expected. In other cases, where -for instance only an answer to a speech is to be sent, two capable -young men are selected for the purpose, the one to deliver the message -or answer, and the other to pay attention while his companion is -delivering it, that no part be forgotten or omitted. If the message -be of a private nature, they are charged to draw or take it _under -ground_, that is, not to make it known to any person whatsoever, except -to him to whom it is directed. If they are told to enter _into the -earth_ with the message or speech, and rise again at the place where -they are to deliver it, it is to desire them to be careful not to be -seen by the way by any person, and for that purpose to avoid all paths, -and travel through the woods. - -No chief pays any attention to _reports_, though they may carry with -them the marks of truth. Until he is _officially_ and in due form -apprised of the matter, he will, if questioned on the subject, reply -that he had _not heard it_. It will, until then, be considered by -him as the _song of a bird which had flown by_; but as soon as he is -officially informed, through a string of wampum from some distant chief -or leading man of the nation, whose situation entitles him to receive -credit, he then will say: “I _have_ heard it;” and acts accordingly. - -The Indians generally, but their chiefs more particularly, have -many figurative expressions in use, to understand which requires -instruction. When a nation, by message or otherwise, speaks to another -nation in this way, it is well understood; but when they speak to -white people after this manner, who have not been accustomed to such -language, explanations are necessary. - -Their belts of wampum are of different dimensions, both as to the -length and breadth. White and black wampum are the kinds they use; -the former denoting that which is _good_, as peace, friendship, good -will, &c., the latter the reverse; yet occasionally the black also is -made use of on peace errands, when the white cannot be procured; but -previous to its being produced for such purpose, it must be daubed all -over with chalk, white clay, or any thing which changes the colour from -black to white. The pipe of peace, being either made of a black or red -stone, must also be whitened before it is produced and smoked out of on -such occasions. - -Roads from one friendly nation to another, are generally marked on the -belt, by one or two rows of white wampum interwoven in the black, and -running through the middle, and from end to end. It means that they are -on good terms, and keep up a friendly intercourse with each other. - -A black belt with the mark of a hatchet made on it with red paint, -is a war belt, which, when sent to a nation together with a twist or -roll of tobacco, is an invitation to join in a war. If the nation so -invited smoke of this tobacco, and say it smokes well, they have given -their consent, and are from that moment allies. If however they decline -smoking, all further persuasion would be of no effect; yet it once[117] -happened, that war messengers endeavoured to persuade and compel a -nation to accept the belt, by laying it on the shoulders or thigh of -the chief, who, however, after shaking it off without touching it with -his hands, afterwards, with a stick, threw it after them, as if he -threw a snake or toad out of his way. - -Although at their councils they do not seat themselves after the -manner of the white people, yet the attitude they place themselves in -is not chargeable to them as a want of respect. Faithful to the trust -committed to them, they are careless of ceremonies, from which the -nation cannot derive any benefit. They seat themselves promiscuously -around a council fire, some leaning one way, some another, so that -a stranger on viewing them, might be led to conclude they were -inattentive to what was said, or had become tired of attending. Not -so! even sitting in this posture gives them the opportunity of being -intent on what is said, and attentive to the subject under their -consideration. They have no object to look at, which might draw off -their attention. They are all ears, though they do not stare at the -speaker! The fact is, that nothing can draw their attention from the -subject they are deliberating on, unless the house they are sitting in -should take fire or be attacked by an enemy. - -To prove the correctness of the above assertion, I shall relate the -following fact, which happened at Detroit in the winter of 1785 and -1786. - -When two most audacious murderers of the Chippeway nation, who, for -many months, had put the town and whole country in fear, by the threats -and the daring murders they had committed in the settlement, were -taken, and brought before the commandant (their chiefs having been -previously sent for, and being now assembled in the council house), -heard him pronounce the words: “that according to the laws of their -Father (the English) they should[118] be punished with death,” the -younger of the two, who was the son of the other, sprang from his seat, -and having forced his way to[119] the door, endeavoured with a knife -or dagger he had hidden under his blanket, to work his way through -the strong guard placed outside of the door and[120] in the street to -prevent their escape; in this attempt, however, he was stabbed and -fell; all which occasioned much noise and commotion without, and not a -little fear and uneasiness within, among the spectators and officers of -government; yet, not one of the chiefs, who were many in number, either -moved from his seat, nor looked around, or even at one another; but -they all remained sitting in the same posture as before, smoking their -pipes as if nothing had happened. - -Though there are sometimes individuals in a nation, who disregard the -counsel and good advice given by the chiefs, yet they do not meet -with support so as to be able to oppose the measures of government. -They are generally looked upon as depraved beings, who not daring to -associate with the others, lurk about by themselves, generally bent on -mischief of a minor kind, such as pilfering small articles of goods -and provisions. As soon, however, as they go a step further, and -become known thieves and murderers, they are considered a disgrace to -the nation, and being in a manner disowned by it, they are no longer -entitled to their protection. - -In the year 1785, an Indian of this description, murdered a Mr. Evans -at Pittsburg; when, after a confinement of several months, his trial -was to be brought on, the chiefs of his (the Delaware nation,) were -invited to come to be present at the proceedings and see how the trial -would be conducted, and, also, if they chose, to speak in behalf of -the accused. These chiefs, however, instead of coming, as wished for, -sent to the civil officers of that place the following laconic answer: -“Brethren! You inform us that N. N. who murdered one of your men at -Pittsburg, is shortly to be tried by the laws of your country, at which -trial you request that some of us may be present! Brethren! knowing N. -N. to have been always a very bad man, we do not wish to see him! We, -therefore, advise you to try him by your laws, and to hang him, so that -he may never return to us again.” - -I shall conclude this subject with another anecdote. When in the winter -of 1788 and 1789, the Indian nations were assembling at Fort Harmer, at -the mouth of the Muskingum, where a treaty was to be held, an Indian of -the Seneca nation was one morning found dead on the bank of the river. -The Cornplanter, chief of this nation, observing some uneasiness among -the officers and people of the place, and fearing the murder at this -time and place, might perhaps create much disturbance, waited in the -morning on the Governor, whom he desired “not to be uneasy about what -had happened the preceding night, for the man who had been killed was -of no consequence.” This meant in other words, that he was disowned for -his bad conduct by his countrymen, and that his death would not be a -loss to his nation. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -EDUCATION. - - -It may justly be a subject of wonder, how a nation without a written -code of laws or system of jurisprudence, without any form or -constitution of government, and without even a single elective or -hereditary magistrate, can subsist together in peace and harmony, and -in the exercise of the moral virtues; how a people can be well and -effectually 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 universal submission to the aristocracy -of experience, talents and virtue! Such, nevertheless, is the spectacle -which an Indian nation exhibits to the eye of a stranger. I have been -a witness to it for a long series of years, and after much observation -and reflection to discover the cause of this phenomenon, 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 instill 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 unknown to these sons of nature, who, by -following alone her simple dictates, have at once discovered and follow -without effort that plain obvious path which the philosophers of Europe -have been so long in search of. - -The first step that parents take towards the education of their -children, is to prepare them for future 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 extensive country well stocked with game of every kind -for their subsistence, and that by one of his inferior spirits he has -also sent down to them from above corn, pumpkins, squashes, beans and -other vegetables for their nourishment; all which blessings their -ancestors have enjoyed for a great number of 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 bestowed, -and therefore that it is their duty to show their thankfulness by -worshipping him, and doing that which is pleasing in his sight. - -This is in substance the first lesson taught, 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, must 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 of 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 elders, 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 creatures, 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 instill 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 to 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 _Wisemen_, an honourable title, to which no Indian is -indifferent. They are finally told that if they respect the aged and -infirm, and are 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 sufficiently -impressed upon children’s minds, the parents next proceed to make them -sensible of the distinction between good and evil; they tell them that -there are good actions and bad actions, both equally open to them to -do or commit; that 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 him -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 lesson of an hour nor of a -day, it is rather a long course more of practical than of theoretical -instruction, a lesson, which is not repeated at stated seasons or -times, but which is shewn, 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 interested in the -direction to be given to the rising generation. - -When this instruction is given in the form of precepts, 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 compulsive means; no -whips, no punishments, no threats are even used to enforce commands or -compel obedience. 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 presence 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 _good_ child that will do it!” This word _good_ operates, -as it were, by magic, and the children immediately vie with each other -to comply with the wishes of their parent. If a father sees an old -decrepid man or woman pass by, led 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 parents, 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 person, all in -the house will join in calling him a _good_ child. They will ask whose -child he is, and on being told, will exclaim: what! has the _Tortoise_, -or the _little Bear_ (as the father’s name may be) got such a _good_ -child? If a child is seen passing through the streets leading an old -decrepid 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 to look on and see what a _good_ child that must -be. And so, in most instances, this method is resorted to, for the -purpose of instructing children in things that are good, proper, or -honourable 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 to depress the mind, and by that means to make -determined hunters and fearless warriors. - -Thus, when a lad has killed his first game, such as a deer or a bear, -parents who have boys growing up will not fail to say to some person -in the presence of their own children: “That boy must have listened -attentively to the aged hunters, for, though young, he has already -given a proof that he will become a good hunter himself.” If, on the -other hand, a young man should fail of giving such a proof, it will be -said of him “that he did not pay attention to the discourses of the -aged.” - -In this indirect manner is instruction on all subjects 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, in his turn, relating how 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 increased by -the reflection that the same respect 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 believe, common to most -Indian nations; it is so, at least, amongst all those that I have -become acquainted with, and lays the foundation for that voluntary -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 established habits and customs, no code -of jurisprudence, but the experience of former times, no magistrates, -but advisers, to whom the people, nevertheless, pay a willing and -implicit obedience, in which age confers rank, wisdom gives power, and -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 attachment to ancient customs, respect for age, and the -love of virtue are indelibly impressed upon the minds of youth, so that -these impressions acquire strength as time pursues its course, and as -they pass through successive generations. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -LANGUAGES. - - -In all the North American territories bounded to the north and east by -the Atlantic ocean, and to the south and west by the river Mississippi, -and the possessions of the English Hudson’s Bay company, there appears -to be but four principal languages, branching out, it is true, into -various dialects, but all derived from one or the other of the four -mother tongues, some of which extend even beyond the Mississippi, and -perhaps, as far as the Rocky Mountains. These four languages are: - - -I. THE KARALIT. - -This language is spoken by the inhabitants of Greenland and on the -Continent by the Eskimaux Indians of the coast of Labrador. Its forms -and principles are sufficiently known by means of the Grammar and -Dictionary of the venerable Egede,[121] and the works of Bartholinus, -Wœldike, Thornhallesen,[122] Cranz[123] and others. It is much -cultivated by the Missionaries of the Society of the United Brethren, -by whom we may expect to see its principles still further elucidated. -It is in Greenland that begin those comprehensive grammatical forms -which are said to characterise the languages of the vast American -continent, as far as they are known, and are the more remarkable when -contrasted with the simplicity of construction of the idioms spoken on -the opposite European shores, in Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and other -countries. It appears evident from this single circumstance, that -America did not receive its original population from Europe. - - -II. THE IROQUOIS. - -This language in various dialects is spoken by the Mengwe or Six -Nations, the Wyandots or Hurons, the Naudowessies, the Assinipoetuk, -called by the French Assiniboils, Assinipoils, or Sioux, and by -other tribes, particularly beyond the St. Lawrence. Father La Hontan -distinguishes this class of languages by the name of the _Huron_, -probably because that nation was better known to the French, whose -allies they were, than the Iroquois, who were in alliance with the -English.[124] All these languages, however they may be called in -a general sense, are dialects of the same mother tongue, and have -considerable affinity with each other. Mr. Carver is mistaken when he -describes the _Naudowessie_ as belonging to a class different from the -Iroquois.[125] It is sufficient to compare the vocabularies that we -have of these two idioms, to see the great similitude that subsists -between them. We do not, unfortunately, possess a single grammar of any -of these dialects; we have nothing, in fact, besides the fragment of -Zeisberger’s Dictionary, which I have already mentioned, but a large -vocabulary of the Huron,[126] composed by Father Sagard, a good and -pious French Missionary, but of very limited abilities, and who also -resided too short a time among that nation to be able to give a correct -account of their language. He represents it in his preface, as poor, -imperfect, anomalous, and inadequate to the clear expression of ideas, -in which he is contradicted by others whom we have reason to believe -better informed. Zeisberger considered the Iroquois (of which the Huron -is a dialect,) as a rich and comprehensive idiom. It is to be regretted -that a grammar which he had composed of it, and the best part of his -Dictionary, are irretrievably lost. Sir William Johnson speaks highly -of the powers of this language;[127] Colden,[128] though he did not -know it himself, speaks in the same manner from the information of -others. Indeed, Father Sagard’s Dictionary itself, when attentively -read by a person acquainted with the forms of Indian languages, affords -sufficient intrinsic evidence of the mistakes of the good father who -composed it. - - -III. THE LENAPE. - -This is the most widely extended language of any of those that are -spoken on this side of the Mississippi. It prevails in the extensive -regions of Canada, from the coast of Labrador to the mouth of Albany -river which falls into the southernmost part of Hudson’s bay, and -from thence to the Lake of the Woods, which forms the north-western -boundary of the United States. It appears to be the language of all the -Indians of that extensive country, except those of the Iroquois stock, -which are by far the least numerous. Farther to the north-west, in the -territories of the Hudson’s Bay Company, other Indian nations have -been discovered, such as the Blackfoot Indians, Sussee Indians, Snake -Indians, and others, whose languages are said to be different from the -Iroquois and the Lenape, but we are not able to form a very correct -judgment respecting those idioms from the scanty vocabularies which -have been given us by Mackenzie, Umfreville and other travellers. We -must wait for further light before we decide. - -Out of the limits of Canada few Iroquois are found, except the remnants -of those who were once settled in the vicinity of the great Lakes, in -the northern parts of the now State of New York. There are yet some -Wyandots in the vicinity of Detroit. All the rest of the Indians who -now inhabit this country to the Mississippi, are of the Lenape stock, -and speak dialects of that language. It is certain that at the time of -the arrival of the Europeans, they were in possession of all the coast -from the northernmost point of Nova Scotia to the Roanoke. Hence they -were called _Wapanachki_, or _Abenakis_, men of the East. La Hontan -gives us a list of the Indian nations of ancient Acadia, all speaking -dialects of the Abenaki, or as he calls it, of the Algonquin. They -were the Abenakis, Micmacs, Canibas, Mahingans (Mohicans), Openangos, -Soccokis, and Etchemins, from whom all Nova Scotia, (excepting the -peninsula,) and a part of the now district of Maine, were once called -by the French the _country of the Etchemins_. He does not speak of the -Souriquois, who are also known to have inhabited Acadia, and likewise -spoke a dialect of the Lenape. - -In the interior of the country we find every where the Lenape and -their kindred tribes. The Miamis, or Twightwees, the Potowatomies, -the Messissaugees, the Kickapoos, all those Indian nations who once -inhabited, and parts of whom still inhabit the interior of our -country on this side of the Mississippi and the great Lakes, are -unquestionably, from their dialects, of Lenape origin. The Shawanos, it -is said, formerly dwelt upon the river Savannah, in Georgia, and a part -of them remaining in that country, associated with the Creeks, still -retain their language.[129] As far as we are able to judge from the -little knowledge that has been transmitted to us of the language of -the Indians who once inhabited Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, -they all appear to have belonged to the same stock, the Nanticokes have -been shewn to have been intimately connected with the Lenape, and among -those who called them _grandfather_. Two pretty copious vocabularies -of their language, in the possession of the Historical Committee of -the American Philosophical Society, one of them communicated by Mr. -Jefferson and the other by myself, prove it beyond a doubt to have been -a dialect of the Lenape.[130] The Canai or Kanhawas, who have given -their name to a river in Virginia which empties itself into the Ohio, -are known to have been of the same stock. The Indian names of rivers, -mountains, and towns, through that vast extent of country, appear -generally derived from the Lenape language. - -The Baron de La Hontan, is one of the first writers, I believe, who -have spoken of the universality of this idiom; but it is extraordinary -that he has not said a word of the Lenni Lenape, that great and -powerful nation. He calls this language the _Algonquin_ tongue, -although he describes that people as “an erratic sort of savages, who, -like the Arabs, had no settled abode,”[131] and admits, that at the -time when he wrote, their number did not exceed 200. What he says on -this subject, however, is so much to my purpose, that I hope I shall be -permitted to make a small extract from it. - -“There are,” says the Baron, “but two mother tongues in the whole -extent of Canada, which I confine within the limits of the Mississippi; -they are the _Huron_ and the _Algonquin_. The first is understood -by the Iroquois, for the difference between these two is no greater -than that between the Norman and the French. The second, namely the -_Algonquin_, is as much esteemed among the savages as the Greek and -Latin are in Europe; though it would seem that the aborigines, to whom -it owes its original, disgrace it by the thinness of their nation, _for -their whole number does not amount to two hundred_.”[133] - -What the Baron says here of this language is very correct; but why does -he call it the Algonquin, and ascribe its origin to that miserable -wandering tribe? He had the Abenakis at hand, whom in another place he -puts at the head of the tribes inhabiting Nova Scotia, and who still -preserved the generic name of the whole nation, _Wapanachki_, which -the French have softened to suit the analogy of their own tongue, by -which name the different nations and tribes of the Lenape stock still -recognise each other to this day. It is probable that he did not -sufficiently understand their language,[134] to have much conversation -with them, otherwise they would have informed him that they derived -their origin from a great and powerful nation residing in the interior -of the country, whom they revered as their _grandfather_, at whose door -the great national council fire was kept constantly burning, whose -badge was the _Turtle_, and whose supremacy was acknowledged by all the -kindred tribes. - -Father Charlevoix, who also speaks of the universality of this -language, commits the same error in ascribing its origin to the -Algonquins. “In the southern part of Hudson’s Bay,” says he, “the -trade is carried on with the Matassins, the Monsonies, the Christinaux -(Knisteneaux), and the Assinipoils, the three first of which speak -the _Algonquin_ language.”[135] In a later publication, (I think by a -Mr. Winterbotham,) of which, during my travels, some years ago, I had -merely a glance, I found by some words he had put down in the language -of those people, that they were _Minsi_ or _Monseys_, a branch of the -wolf tribe of the Lenape. So indeed, one of their names, _Monsonies_, -seems of itself to indicate. The name of the Matassins, means in their -language a tobacco pipe, and so it does in the Monsey to this day. -And they all speak the Algonquin, a language, say both Charlevoix and -La Hontan, universally known for a thousand leagues round. The last -mentioned author subjoins a vocabulary of what he calls the Algonquin -tongue, which bears a greater affinity to the language of the Unamis -or Turtle[136] tribe of the Lenape than that does to the idiom of -the Monsey or Wolf tribe of the same nation. I find many words in -the Algonquin (as given by La Hontan), which are exactly the same as -in the Unami, while others bear more resemblance to the Chippeway, -also a dialect of the Lenape, spoken by a tribe in connexion with the -Delawares, and who call them _grandfather_. - -There can be no doubt, therefore, that this universal language, so -much admired and so generally spoken by the Indian nations, is that -of the Lenni Lenape, and is improperly named the Chippeway by Carver, -and the Algonquin by La Hontan. The celebrated Professor Vater, in -his excellent continuation of Adelung’s Mithridates, calls the class -of languages derived from this source, “the Chippewayo-Delawarian, -or Algonkino-Mohican stock.”[137] It is, perhaps, indifferent for -philological purposes, whether a language be called the Delaware or -the Chippeway, the Algonquin or the Mohican; but every body must be -sensible of the inconvenience of those long compound names, which -leave no fixed or determinate idea upon the mind. For the purpose of -general description it seems better to designate the languages of -those connected tribes by the name of their common grandfather, the -Lenni Lenape, or by the generic denomination universally adopted among -them, Wapanachki, or Abenaki. I have preferred the former as a mark of -respect to an ancient and once powerful nation, and in the hope that -her name may be preserved, at least, in the records of philological -science. - -This beautiful language, and those which are derived from it, though -more has been written upon them than on any of the other languages of -these parts of the North American continent, are as yet but little -known. The grammar of the Natick dialect published by Eliot, at -Cambridge in Massachusetts, in the year 1666, has long been out of -print, and is to be found only in very few libraries in the United -States; Dr. Edwards’s little tract on the Mohican language, although -printed twice, does not appear to have had much circulation, and is -not alone sufficient to give an idea of the forms and construction of -these Indian dialects. Zeisberger’s Delaware spelling book is but a -collection of words, and does not contain any grammatical explanations. -The learned Vater has taken immense pains, from the scanty helps within -his reach, to discover the grounds and principles of these idioms, -and what he has written on the subject is a proof of what talents -and industry can effect with little means. But still the matter is -not sufficiently understood. There is in the library of the society -of the United Brethren in this town, an excellent MS. grammar of the -Lenni Lenape, written in German by Zeisberger. I understand that the -Historical Committee of the American Philosophical Society are going to -publish an English translation of this valuable work. I rejoice in the -prospect of this publication, which will give a clear and satisfactory -view of the true genius and character of the languages of the Indian -nations. At the request of the same Committee, I have endeavoured to -give some further development of the principles which that grammar -contains, in a series of letters to their Secretary, which, I am -informed, are also to be printed. This supersedes the necessity of my -entering here into more details on this interesting subject. I hope -the result of these publications will be to satisfy the world that -the languages of the Indians are not so poor, so devoid of variety of -expression, so inadequate to the communication even of abstract ideas, -or in a word so _barbarous_, as has been generally imagined. - - -IV. THE FLORIDIAN. - -I call by this generic name, the languages spoken by those Indian -nations who inhabit the southern frontier of the United States and -the Spanish Province of Florida. They are the Creeks or Muskohgees, -Chickesaws, Choctaws, Pascagoulas, Cherokees or Cheerakees, and several -others. It is said that there once existed among them a powerful -nation called the Natchez, whose language was the mother tongue -of all those southern dialects. We are told also of an Apalachian -nation, who it is said lived in the western parts of Louisiana, and -were a part of the great nation of the Apalachians, who resided in -the mountains which bear their name, and whose branches were settled -under different denominations, in the vast extent of country situated -between Louisiana, Canada and New England.[138] In this great -_Apalachian_ nation we cannot help recognising our friends the Lenape, -or _Wapanachki_, whose name the French in the south have as easily -corrupted into _Apalaches_, as those in the north into _Abenakis_. -It was they who gave their name to the Apalachian mountains, once -so called, but which of late have resumed their former appellation -of Alligewi, or Allegheny. Mr. Vater thinks that the remains of -those Apalachians are still to be found in the Catawbas,[139] who -are sometimes named Chaktawas[140] and probably are the same who by -contraction are now called Choktaws. - -Other writers speak to us of the Mobilians,[141] as the nation from -which the neighbouring tribes derived their origin, and whose language -was their mother tongue. The fact is, that we know very little about -these southern Indians, and on the subject of their languages we have -nothing to guide our enquiries, but a few words given us by Adair, -and some that have been collected from various sources by the late -Dr. Barton. We are not, however, without the means of obtaining full -and accurate information on this interesting subject, and I hope the -historical committee will be successful in the measures which they -are about to take to procure it. Mr. Meigs, the United States agent -with the Cherokees, Mr. Mitchell, agent to the Creeks, and the Rev. -John Gambold, who has long lived as a Missionary of the Society of -the United Brethren with the former of these nations, are well able -to satisfy their enquiries, and I have no doubt will be happy to give -their aid to the advancement of the literature of their country. - -It is a fact worthy of remark, and much to be regretted, that the -French and English, who have been so long in possession of the immense -country extending from Labrador to the Mississippi, have written so -little respecting the Indian languages of this part of the American -continent. Among the English, Eliot alone, and among the French, Father -Sagard, can be said to have published anything on this subject that is -worth notice. Zeisberger was a German, and Mr. Edwards an American. -On the contrary, the Spaniards[142] have published a great number of -grammars and dictionaries of the Indian languages spoken within the -limits of their American possessions, and deserve much credit for -these exertions. It is not yet too late for the independent Americans -to retrieve the neglect of their forefathers; but no time should be -lost, as the Indian nations are fast disappearing from the face of our -country, and our posterity may have to regret hereafter that greater -pains were not taken to preserve the memory of their traditions, -customs, manners, and LANGUAGES. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -SIGNS AND HIEROGLYPHICS. - - -It has been asserted by many persons that the languages of the -Indians are deficient in words, and that, in order to make themselves -understood, they are obliged to resort to motions and signs with -their hands. This is entirely a mistake. I do not know a nation of -whom foreigners do not say the same thing. The fact is, that in every -country, signs and motions with the hands more or less accompany -discourse, particularly when delivered with a certain degree of -earnestness and warmth. Foreigners, who are not very conversant with -a language, pay in general as much and sometimes more attention to -these motions than to the words of the speaker, in order the better to -be able to understand what falls from him. Hence, almost every nation -charges the others with too much gesticulation in speaking. For a -similar reason, a foreign language is generally thought to be spoken -quicker than our own, while the truth is, that it is our ear which is -slow in distinguishing the words, not the voice which speaks that is -too quick in uttering them. - -The Indians do not gesticulate more when they speak than other nations -do. In their public speeches they will, like our preachers and lawyers, -enforce what they say by gestures and motions of the body and hands, in -order to give greater weight to their observations, or to represent the -subject they speak of in a more lively manner than can be done by words -alone; but in common conversation they make few of those motions, and -not more, I believe, than we do ourselves; even the women, who every -where speak more than the men, never want words to express themselves, -but rather seem to have too many, and they do not oftener employ -gestures in aid of their conversation than the vivacity of their sex -induces them to do every where else. - -It is true that the Indians have a language of signs, by which they -communicate with each other on occasions when speaking is not prudent -or proper, as, for instance, when they are about to meet an enemy, and -by speaking they would run the risk of being discovered. By this means -they also make themselves understood to those nations of Indians whose -languages they are not acquainted with, for all the Indian nations -understand each other in this way. It is also, in many cases, a saving -of words, which the Indians are much intent on, believing that too much -talking disgraces a man. When, therefore, they will relate something -extraordinary in a few words, they make use of corresponding signs, -which is very entertaining to those who listen and attend to them, and -who are acquainted both with the language and the signs, being very -much as if somebody were to explain a picture set before them. But they -never make use of signs to supply any deficiency of language, as they -have words and phrases sufficient to express every thing. - -I have frequently questioned Indians who had been educated at our -schools, and could understand, read, write, and speak both English and -German, whether they could express their ideas better in either of -those languages than in their own, and they have always and uniformly -answered that they could express themselves with far the greatest ease -in their own Indian, and that they never were at a loss for words or -phrases in which to clothe every idea that occurred to them, without -being in any case obliged to gesticulate or make motions with their -hands or otherwise. From the knowledge which I have acquired of their -language, I have reason to be satisfied that it is so. Indeed, how can -it be doubted, when we have the whole of the Bible and New Testament -translated into one of their dialects, and when we see our ministers, -when once familiar with the language of the nation with which they -reside, preach to them without the least difficulty on the most -abstruse subjects of the Christian faith? It is true, that ideas are -not always expressed in those languages in the same words, or under -the same grammatical forms as in our own; where we would use one part -of speech, we are obliged to employ another, and one single word with -them will not seldom serve a purpose for which we would have to employ -several; but still, the ideas are communicated, and pass with clearness -and precision from mind to mind. Thus the end of oral language is -completely obtained, and more, I think, cannot be required. - -The Indians do not possess our art of writing, they have no alphabets, -or[143] any mode of representing to the eye the sounds of words spoken, -yet they have certain hieroglyphics, by which they describe facts in -so plain a manner, that those who are conversant with those marks can -understand them with the greatest ease, as easily, indeed, as we can -understand a piece of writing. For instance, on a piece of bark, or on -a large tree with the bark taken off for the purpose, by the side of -a path, they can and do give every necessary information to those who -come by the same way; they will in that manner let them know, that they -were a war party of so many men, from such a place, of such a nation -and such a tribe; how many of each tribe were in the party; to which -tribe the chief or captain belonged; in what direction they proceeded -to meet the enemy; how many days they were out and how many returning; -what number of the enemy they had killed, how many prisoners they had -brought; how many scalps they had taken; whether they had lost any of -their party, and how many; what enemies they had met with, and how -many they consisted of; of what nation or tribe their captain was, -&c.; all which, at a single glance, is perfectly well understood by -them. In the same manner they describe a chase: all Indian nations can -do this, although they have not all the same marks; yet I have seen -the Delawares read with ease the drawings of the Chippeways, Mingoes, -Shawanos, and Wyandots, on similar subjects. - -While Indians are travelling to the place of their destination, -whether it be on a journey to their distant hunting grounds or on a -war excursion, some of the young men are sent out to hunt by the way, -who, when they have killed a deer, bear, or other animal, bring it to -the path, ready to be taken away by those who are coming along, (often -with horses) to the place of encampment, when they all meet at night. -Having hung up the meat by the side of the path, these young men make a -kind of sun-dial, in order to inform those who are coming of the time -of day it was at the time of their arrival and departure. A clear place -in the path is sought for, and if not readily found, one is made by the -side of it, and a circle or ring being drawn on the sand or earth, a -stick of about two or three feet in length is fixed in the centre, with -its upper end bent towards that spot in the horizon where the sun stood -at the time of their arrival or departure. If both are to be noted -down, two separate sticks are set; but generally one is sufficient, -namely, for the time of departure. - -Hunters have particular marks, which they make on the trees, where -they strike off from the path to their hunting grounds or place of -encampment, which is often at the distance of many miles; yet the -women, who come from their towns to fetch meat from these camps, will -as readily find them as if they were conducted to the spot. - -I shall conclude this chapter with an anecdote, which will at once -shew how expressive and energetic is this hieroglyphic writing of the -Indians. A white man in the Indian country, met[144] a Shawanos riding -a horse which he recognised for his own, and claimed it from him as his -property. The Indian 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[145] afterwards, the Indian came to the white man’s house, -who insisting on having 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 custom, I have become heir to all his -property.” The white man not being satisfied, and renewing his demand, -the Indian immediately took a coal from the fire-place, and made two -striking figures on the door of the house, the one representing the -white man taking 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 writing?” The matter thus was settled at once, -and the Indian rode off. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -ORATORY. - - -The eloquence of the Indians is natural and simple; they speak what -their feelings dictate without art and without rule; their speeches -are forcible and impressive, their arguments few and pointed, and when -they mean to persuade as well as convince, they take the shortest way -to reach the heart. I know that their oratorical powers have been -strongly controverted, and this is not astonishing, when we consider -the prejudice that exists against their languages, which are in general -believed to be poor, and inadequate to the expression of any but the -most common ideas. Hence all the specimens that have been given to the -world of their oratory have been viewed with a suspicious eye; the -celebrated speech of Logan, authenticated as it is by the respectable -authority of Col. John Gibson, has been denied to be genuine even -in this country. For my part, I am convinced that it was delivered -precisely as it is related to us, with this only difference, that it -possessed a force and expression in the Indian language which it is -impossible to transmit into our own. - -I hope the exertions and researches of the Historical Committee will -make the character and genius of the Indian languages better known than -they have hitherto been. The world will then be better able to judge of -their extent and powers, and to decide whether or not they are adequate -to the purposes of oratory. In the meantime, I shall content myself -with presenting another specimen of Indian eloquence; one which I did -not receive at second hand, but at the delivery of which I was present -in person. The translation which I offer will give but a faint idea -of the strength and spirit of the original; I vouch, however, for its -being as correct as it has been in my power to make it. - -This speech was spoken at Detroit,[146] on the frontier of Canada, on -the 9th of December,[147] 1801, by Captain Pipe,[148] a chief of the -Delaware nation, and was addressed to the commanding officer of that -post, then in possession of the British. The Delawares, it will be -recollected, had been the steadfast friends of the French, in the war -of 1756. The peace which was concluded in 1763, between the two great -nations who then contended for the supremacy of this continent, was not -for several years regarded by the Indians, and they continued their -hostilities against the subjects and government of Great Britain. They -were obliged, however, to submit to superior force; not without hopes -that their father, the king of France, would soon send over a powerful -army to retake Canada. They were in this situation when the war of the -revolution broke out. It is well known that it was a part of the system -of the British administration to employ the savages to subdue those -whom they called their revolted subjects. The Delawares, in general, as -I have before related, having in vain endeavoured to remain neutral, -took part with the Americans. Captain Pipe, however, with a party of -the Wolf tribe, joined the English in the beginning of the war, and -soon after repented it. But it was too late. He was now reluctantly -compelled to go out against the Americans with the men under his -command. On his return from one of those expeditions, he went to make -his report to the British commandant at Detroit,[149] by whom he was -received in state at the council house, in the presence of a great -number of Indians, British officers and others. There were several -Missionaries present, among which I was. The chief was seated in front -of his Indians, facing the commandant. He held in his left hand an -human scalp tied to a short stick. After a pause of some minutes he -rose, and addressing the governor, delivered the following speech: - -“FATHER!” (Here the orator stopped, and turning round to the audience, -with a face full of meaning, and a sarcastic look, which I should in -vain attempt to describe, he went on in a lower tone of voice, as -addressing himself to them;)--“I have said _father_, although, indeed, -I do not know why I am to call _him_ so, having never known any other -father than the French, and considering the English only as _brothers_. -But as this name is also _imposed_ upon us, I shall make use of it and -say: (Here he fixed his eyes on the commandant.) - -“FATHER! Some time ago you put a war hatchet into my hands, saying: -Take this weapon and try it on the heads of my enemies the _long -knives_, and let me afterwards know if it was sharp and good. - -“FATHER! At the time when you gave me this weapon, I had neither cause -nor inclination to go to war against a people who had done me no -injury; yet in obedience to you, who say you are my father and call -me your child, I received the hatchet; well knowing that if I did not -obey, you would withhold from me[150] the necessaries of life, without -which I could not subsist, and which are not elsewhere to be procured -but at the house of my father. - -“FATHER! You may, perhaps, think me a fool, for risking my life at -your bidding, in a cause, too, by which I have no prospect of gaining -anything; for it is _your_ cause and not mine. It is _your_ concern -to fight the _long knives_; _you_ have raised a quarrel amongst -yourselves, and _you_ ought yourselves to fight it out. You should not -compel your children, the Indians, to expose themselves to danger for -_your sakes_. - -“FATHER! Many lives have already been lost on _your_ account!--Nations -have suffered and been weakened!--Children have lost parents, brothers -and relatives!--Wives have lost husbands!--It is not known how many -more may perish before YOUR war will be at an end! - -“FATHER! I have said that you may, perhaps, think me a fool, for thus -thoughtlessly rushing on _your_ enemy!--Do not believe this, Father! -Think not that I want sense to convince me, that although you _now_ -pretend to keep up a perpetual enmity to the long knives, you may, -before long, conclude a peace with them. - -“FATHER! You say you love your children, the Indians.--This you have -often told them; and indeed it is your interest to say so to them, that -you may have them at your service. - -“But, FATHER! who of us can believe that you can love a people of a -different colour from your own, better than those who have a _white_ -skin, like yourselves? - -“FATHER! Pay attention to what I am going to say. While you, Father, -are setting me[151] on your enemy, much in the same manner as a hunter -sets his dog on the game; while I am in the act of rushing on that -enemy of yours, with the bloody destructive weapon you gave me, I may, -perchance, happen to look back to the place from whence you started -me, and what shall I see? Perhaps, I may see my father shaking hands -with the _long knives_; yes, with those very people he now calls his -enemies. I may, then, see him laugh at my folly for having obeyed his -orders; and yet I am now risking my life at his command! Father! keep -what I have said in remembrance. - -“Now, FATHER! here is what has been done with the hatchet you gave me.” -(Handing the stick with the scalp on it.) “I have done with the hatchet -what you ordered me to do, and found it sharp. Nevertheless, I did not -do _all_ that I _might_ have done. No, I did not. My heart failed -within me. I felt compassion for _your_ enemy. _Innocence_[152] had no -part in your quarrels; therefore I distinguished--I spared. I took some -_live flesh_,[153] which, while I was bringing to you, I spied one of -your large canoes, on which I put it for you. In a few days you will -receive this _flesh_, and _find that the skin is of the same colour -with your own_. - -“FATHER! I hope you will not destroy _what_[154] I have saved. You, -Father! have the means of preserving that which with me would perish -for want. The warrior is poor and his cabin is always empty; but your -house, father! is always full.” - -Here we see boldness, frankness, dignity, and humanity happily blended -together and most eloquently displayed. I am much mistaken if the -component parts of this discourse are not put together much according -to the rules of oratory which are taught in the schools, and which -were certainly unknown to this savage. The peroration at the end is -short, but truly pathetic, and I would even say, sublime; and then the -admirable way in which it is prepared! I wish I 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. - -It is but justice here to say, that Capt. Pipe was well acquainted with -the noble and generous character of the British officer to whom this -speech was addressed. He is still living in his own country, an honour -to the British name. He obeyed the orders of his superiors in employing -the Indians to fight against us, but he did it with reluctance and -softened as much as was in his power the horrors of that abominable -warfare. He esteemed Captain Pipe, and I have no doubt, was well -pleased with the humane conduct of this Indian chief, whose sagacity -in this instance is no less deserving of praise than his eloquence. It -is thus that great minds understand each other, and even in the most -difficult and trying situations, find the means of making the cause of -humanity triumph. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -METAPHORICAL EXPRESSIONS. - - -The Indians are fond of metaphors. They are to their discourse what -feathers and beads are to their persons, a gaudy but tasteless -ornament. Yet we must not judge them too severely on that account. -There are other nations besides the American Indians who admire this -mode of expression. Even in enlightened Europe, many centuries have not -elapsed since the best and most celebrated writers employed this figure -in a profuse manner, and thought it a great embellishment to their -poetical and prose compositions; the immortal Shakspeare, himself, did -not disdain it. - -The following examples will be sufficient to give an idea of the -metaphorical language of the Indians. - -1. “_The sky is overcast with dark blustering clouds._”--We shall have -troublesome times; we shall have war. - -2. “_A black cloud has arisen yonder._”--War is threatened from that -quarter, or from that nation. - -3. “_Two black clouds are drawing towards each other._”--Two powerful -enemies are in march against each other! - -4. “_The path is already shut up!_”--Hostilities have commenced. The -war is begun. - -5. “_The rivers run with blood!_”--War rages in the country. - -6. “_To bury the hatchet._”--To make, or conclude a peace. - -7. “_To lay down the hatchet, or to slip the hatchet under the -bedstead._”--To cease fighting for a while, during a truce; or, to -place the hatchet at hand, so that it may be taken up again at a -moment’s warning. - -8. “_The hatchet you gave me to strike your enemies, proved to be very -dull, or not to be sharp; my arm was wearied to little purpose!_”--You -supplied me so scantily with the articles I stood in need of, that I -wanted strength to execute your orders. The presents you gave me were -not sufficient for the task you imposed upon me, therefore I did little! - -9. “_The hatchet you gave me was very sharp!_”--As you have satisfied -me, I have done the same for you; I have killed many of your enemies. - -10. “_You did not make me strong!_”--You gave me nothing, or but little. - -11. “_Make me very strong!_”--Give me much, pay me well! - -12. “_The stronger you make me, the more you will see!_”--The more you -give me, the more I will do for you! - -13. “_I did as you bid me, but_ SEE _nothing_!”--I have performed my -part, but you have not rewarded me; or, I did my part for you, but you -have not kept your word! - -14. “_You have spoken with your lips only, not from the heart!_”--You -endeavour to deceive me; you do not intend to do as you say! - -15. “_You now speak from the heart!_”--Now you mean what you say! - -16. “_You keep me in the dark!_”--You wish to deceive me; you conceal -your intentions from me; you keep me in ignorance! - -17. “_You stopped my ears!_”--You kept the thing a secret from me; you -did not wish me to know it! - -18. “_Now I believe you!_”--Done! agreed! It shall be so! - -19. “_Your words have penetrated into my heart!_”--I consent! am -pleased with what you say! - -20. “_You have spoken good words!_”--I am pleased, delighted with what -you have said! - -21. “_You have spoken the truth!_”--I am satisfied with what you have -said! - -22. “_Singing birds!_”--Tale bearers--story tellers--liars. - -23. “_Don’t listen to the singing of the birds which fly by!_”--Don’t -believe what stragglers tell you! - -24. “_What bird was it that sung that song?_”--Who was it that told -that story, that lie? - -25. (To a chief,) “_Have you heard the news?_”--Have you been -_officially_ informed? - -26. “_I have not heard anything!_”--I have no _official_ information. - -27. “_To kindle a council fire at such a place._”--To appoint a place -where the national business is to be transacted; to establish the seat -of government there. - -28. “_To remove the council fire to another place._”--To establish -another place for the seat of government. - -29. “_The council fire has been extinguished._”--Blood has been shed -by an enemy at the seat of government, which has put the fire out; the -place has been _polluted_. - -30. “_Don’t look the other way!_”--Don’t lean to _that_ side; don’t -join with those! - -31. “_Look this way!_”--Join us, join our party. - -32. “_I have not room to spread my blanket!_”--I am too much crowded on. - -33. “_Not to have room enough for an encampment._”--To be too much -confined to a small district; not to have sufficient range for the -cattle to feed on, or sufficient hunting ground. - -34. “_I will place you under my wings!_”--(meaning under my arm pits) -I will protect you at all hazards! You shall be perfectly safe, nobody -shall molest you! - -35. “_Suffer no grass to grow on the war path!_”--Carry on the war with -vigor! - -36. “_Never suffer grass to grow on this war path!_”--Be at perpetual -war with the nation this path leads to; never conclude a peace with -them. - -37. “_To open a path from one nation to another, by removing the logs, -brush and briars out of the way._”--To invite the nation to which the -path leads, to a friendly intercourse; to prepare the way to live on -friendly terms with them. - -38. “_The path to that nation is again open!_”--We are again on -friendly terms; the path may again be travelled with safety. - -39. “_I hear sighing and sobbing in yonder direction!_”--I think that a -chief of a neighbouring nation has died. - -40. “_I draw the thorns out of your feet and legs, grease your -stiffened joints with oil, and wipe the sweat off your body!_”--I make -you feel comfortable after your fatiguing journey, that you may enjoy -yourself while with us. - -41. “_I wipe the tears from your eyes, cleanse your ears, and place -your aching heart, which bears you down to one side, in its proper -position!_”--I condole with you; dispel all sorrow! prepare yourself -for business! (N. B. This is said when condoling with a nation on the -death of a chief.) - -42. “_I have discovered the cause of your grief!_”--I have seen the -grave (where the chief was buried.) - -43. “_I have covered yon spot with[155] fresh earth; I have raked -leaves, and planted trees thereon!_”--means literally, I have hidden -the grave from your eyes; and figuratively, “you must now be cheerful -again!” - -44. “_I lift you up from this place, and set you down again at my -dwelling place!_”--I invite you to arise from hence, and come and live -where I live. - -45. “_I am much too heavy to rise at this present time!_”--I have too -much property! (corn, vegetables, &c.) - -46. “_I will pass one night yet at this place._”--I will stay one year -yet at this place. - -47. “_We have concluded a peace, which is to last as long as the sun -shall shine, and the rivers flow with water!_”--The peace we have made -is to continue as long as the world stands, or to the end of time. - -48. “_To bury the hatchet beneath the root of a tree!_”--To put it -quite out of sight. - -49. “_To bury deep in the earth_,” (an injury done)--To consign it to -oblivion. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -INDIAN NAMES. - - -The proper names of Indians are in general given to them after animals -of various kinds, and even fishes and reptiles. Thus they are called -the _Beaver_, _Otter_, _Sun-fish_, _Black-fish_, _Rattle-snake_, -_Black-snake_, &c. They have also other descriptive names, from their -personal qualities or appearances, and sometimes from fancy or caprice; -but many of those are given them by the whites, such as _Pipe_, -_White-eyes_, _Kill-buck_, &c., which are not real Indian names. They -do not always preserve the names first given to them, but often assume -a new one after they have come to man’s estate. - -Indians, who have particularly distinguished themselves by their -conduct, or by some meritorious act, or who have been the subjects of -some remarkable occurrence, have names given to them in allusion to -those circumstances. Thus, I have known a man whose name would signify -in our language _the beloved lover_, and one who was named _Met by -love_. Another, a great warrior, who had been impatiently waiting for -day-light to engage the enemy, was afterwards called _Cause day-light_, -or _Make day-light appear_. So, one who had come in with a heavy load -of turkies on his back, was called _The Carrier of Turkies_, and -another whose shoes were generally torn or patched, was called _Bad -Shoes_. All those names are generally expressed in one single word, in -compounding which the Indians are very ingenious. Thus, the name they -had for the place where Philadelphia now stands, and which they have -preserved notwithstanding the great change which has taken place, is -_Kúequenáku_,[156] which means, _The grove of the long pine trees_. - -They have proper names, not only for all towns, villages, mountains, -valleys, rivers, and streams, but for all remarkable spots, as -for instance, those which are particularly infested with gnats or -musquitoes, where snakes have their dens, &c. Those names always -contain an allusion to such particular circumstance, so that -foreigners, even though acquainted with their language, will often be -at a loss to understand their discourse. - -To strangers, white men for instance, they will give names derived from -some remarkable quality which they have observed in them, or from some -circumstance which remarkably strikes them. When they were told the -meaning of the name of William Penn, they translated it into their own -language by _Miquon_, which means a feather or quill. The Iroquois call -him _Onas_, which in their idiom means the same thing. - -The first name given by the Indians to the Europeans who landed in -Virginia was _Wapsid Lenape_ (white people;) when, however, afterwards -they began to commit murders on the red men, whom they pierced with -swords, they gave to the Virginians the name _Mechanschican_, (long -knives,) to distinguish them from others of the same colour. - -In New England, they at first endeavoured to imitate the sound of the -national name of the _English_, which they pronounced _Yengees_. They -also called them _Chauquaquock_, (men of knives) for having imported -those instruments into the country, which they gave in presents to -the natives.[157] They thought them better men than the Virginians; -but when they were afterwards cruelly treated by them, and their -men shipped off to sea, the Mohicans of that country called them -_Tschachgoos_; and when next the people of the middle colonies began to -murder them, and called on the Iroquois to insult them and assist in -depriving them of their lands, they then dropped that name, and called -the whites by way of derision, _Schwannack_, which signifies _salt -beings_, or _bitter beings_; for in their language the word _Schwan_, -is in general applied to things that have a salt, sharp, bitter, or -sour taste. The object of this name, as well as of that which the -Mohicans gave to the eastern people, was to express contempt as well as -hatred or dislike, and to hold out the white inhabitants of the country -as hateful and despicable beings. I have, however, in many instances -observed that the Indians are careful not to apply this opprobrious -name to any white person whom they know to be amicably disposed towards -them, and whom they are sure to be a good, honest, well-meaning man. I -have heard them charge their children not to call a particular white -man _Schwannack_, but _Friend_. This name was first introduced about -the year 1730. They never apply it to the _Quakers_, whom they greatly -love and respect since the first arrival of William Penn into the -country. They call them _Quœkels_, not having in their language the -sound expressed by our letter R. They say they have always found them -good, honest, affable and peaceable men, and never have had reason to -complain of them. - -These were the names which the Indians gave to the whites, until -the middle of the Revolutionary war, when they were reduced to the -following three: - -1. _Mechanschican_ or _Chanschican_ (long knives). This they no longer -applied to the Virginians exclusively, but also to those of the people -of the middle states, whom they considered as hostilely inclined -towards them, particularly those who wore swords, dirks, or knives at -their sides. - -2. _Yengees._ This name they now exclusively applied to the people -of New England, who, indeed, appeared to have adopted it, and were, -as they still are, generally through the country called _Yankees_, -which is evidently the same name with a trifling alteration. They say -they know the _Yengees_, and can distinguish them by their dress and -personal appearance, and that they were considered as less cruel than -the Virginians or _long knives_. The proper English they[158] call -_Saggenash_. - -3. _Quœkels._ They do not now apply this name exclusively to the -members of the Society of Friends, but to all the white people whom -they love or respect, and whom they believe to have good intentions -towards them. - -Not only the Delawares, but all the nations round them, make use of -these names, and with the same relative application. I have myself, in -1782, while at Detroit, witnessed the Chippeways, who on meeting an -American prisoner, who was walking about, called out _Messamochkemaan_ -(long knife), though he had no knife, sword, or dirk at his side. I -was one day about the same time hailed in that manner as I was walking -up the river, and apprehending that I might be seized as a runaway -prisoner, I immediately answered: _Kau! Saggenash_; No! an Englishman; -and they passed on. I might with great propriety make this answer, as I -was born in England. - -In the year 1808, while I was riding with a number of gentlemen through -Greentown[159] (an Indian town in the State of Ohio), I heard an Indian -in his house, who through a crevice saw us passing, say in his language -to his family: “See! what a number of people are coming along!--What! -and among all these not one _long knife_! _All Yengees!_” Then, -probably observing me, he said correcting himself, “No! one _Quækel_.” - -Such are the observations which the Indians make on the white people, -and the names which they give to them. They may sometimes be in the -wrong; but, as they make it their particular study to become acquainted -with the actions, motions, deportment, and dress of the different -nations, they seldom commit mistakes, and in general, they apply their -different names precisely to those whom they are meant to designate or -describe. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -INTERCOURSE WITH EACH OTHER. - - -It is a striking fact, that the Indians, in their uncivilised state, -should so behave towards each other as though they were a civilised -people! I have in numerous instances witnessed their meeting together, -their doing business and conversing with each other for hours, their -labouring together, and their hunting and fishing in bodies or parties; -I have seen them divide their game, venison, bear’s meat, fish, &c., -among themselves, when they sometimes had many shares to make, and -cannot recollect a single instance of their falling into a dispute or -finding fault with the distribution, as being unequal, or otherwise -objectionable. On the contrary, on such occasions they even receive -what is allotted to them with thanks; they say “_anischi_” I am -thankful! as if it was a present given to them. - -They certainly (I am here speaking of the men) show a reverence for -each other, which is visible on all occasions; they often meet for -the purpose of conversation, and their sociability appears to be -a recreation to them, a renewal of good fellowship. Their general -principle, that good and bad cannot mingle or dwell together in one -heart, and therefore must not come into contact, seems to be their -guide on all occasions. So, likewise, when travelling, whether they -are few, or many, they are cheerful, and resigned to the accidents -which may befal them; never impatient, quarrelsome, or charging any -one, or one another, with being in fault, or the occasion of what -had happened; even though one should lose his all by the neglect or -carelessness of the other, yet they will not fly into a passion, but -patiently bear with the loss, thinking within themselves that such a -one feels sorry enough already, and therefore it would be unreasonable -to add to his pain. They judge with calmness on all occasions, and -decide with precision, or endeavour so to do, between an accident and a -wilful act;--the _first_ (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 design, ought on the -contrary to receive due punishment. - -To illustrate this subject, I 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 abed, 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[160] 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 a condition that by a touch it went off. A cry was heard -from all sides in the house: O! the _accident_! for such it was always -considered to have been, and was treated as such. - -A hunter went out to kill a bear, some of those animals having been -seen in the neighbourhood. In an obscure part 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 I would accept a horse from you, though you had one to give, -after you have satisfied me that you killed mine _by accident_? No, -indeed! for the same misfortune might also happen to me. - -An aged Indian who had gone out to shoot a turkey, mistook a black hog -in the bushes for one of those birds, and shot him; finding out by -enquiry 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 unfortunate man, -as well on account of his disappointment, in not feasting on turkey -as he expected soon to do when he shot the hog, as for his honesty in -informing 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 accosted 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 freely 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 question being put and fully -discussed, whether those men with the canoe, who had taken charge of -the property of the others, and by this neglect lost the whole, 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 they might have avoided the danger and the loss, by -unloading the canoe at the head of the fall, and carrying the cargo by -land below it, (which was but a short distance,) as was customary, 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 run safely through, and could not -have intentionally or designedly brought on themselves and others the -misfortune which had happened, and therefore the circumstance must be -ascribed entirely to _accident_. - -Such is the disposition of the Indians with regard to those who -inadvertently meet with a disaster, whereby others are injured. -They are ready to overlook a fault, and more disposed in such cases -to commiserate, than to punish; but with those who wilfully and -intentionally commit aggressions and injure others, they think and act -quite differently; a malicious person is generally despised, and if he -intrudes himself into good company, they will, without saying a word, -steal off one by one, and leave him alone to suffer the mortification -which it is intended he should feel. For murderers and thieves they -have no compassion, and punish them according to the nature of their -crimes, if not publicly, still privately, for they are considered as -a nuisance, and a disgrace to the nation, and so much so were persons -of this description considered and despised in former times among the -Delawares, before the white people came, that it was a rare thing to -hear of any such being among them. This I have repeatedly been told, -between the years 1770 and 1780, by Indians of that nation; one of -whom, when a boy, resided on the spot where Philadelphia now stands, -when the first house was building there, and assisted in furnishing -the workmen with fish, and caught rabbits for them; the other, who was -still older, lived with his parents on the spot where afterwards was -built Perth Amboy in New Jersey: both were respectable men, highly -esteemed by all who knew them. - -I do not believe that there exists a people more attentive to paying -common civilities to each other than the Indians are; but this, from -a want of understanding their language, as well as their customs and -manners, generally escapes the notice of travellers, although some of -them, better observers than the rest, have touched upon this subject. -In more than one hundred instances, I have with astonishment and -delight witnessed the attention paid to a person entering the house of -another, where, in the first instance, he is desired to seat himself, -with the words, “sit down, my friend!” if he is a stranger, or no -relation; but if a relation, the proper title is added. A person is -never left standing, there are seats for all; and if a dozen should -follow each other in succession, all are provided with seats, and the -stranger, if a white person, with the best. The tobacco pouch next is -handed round; it is the first treat, as with us a glass of wine or -brandy. Without a single word passing between the man and his wife, -she will go about preparing some victuals for the company, and having -served the visiters, will retire to a neighbour’s house, to inform the -family of the visit with which her husband is honoured, never grumbling -on account of their eating up the provisions, even if it were what she -had cooked for her own family, considering the friendly visit well -worth this small trouble and expense. - -It is true, that among themselves, they expect the same attention and -hospitality paid to them in return; yet that is not their main object, -for I have seen a number of instances in which a return was out of the -question, where poverty would not admit of it, or distance of abode -put it out of the power of the visiter to return the same civilities -to his host: when white people are treated in this way, with the best -entertainment the house affords, they may be sure it is nothing else -than a mark of respect paid to them, and that the attentions they -receive do not proceed from any interested view. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -POLITICAL MANŒUVRES. - - -In the management of their national affairs, the Indians display as -much skill and dexterity, perhaps, as any people upon earth. When a -political message is sent to them from a neighbouring nation,[161] -they generally contrive to send an answer so ambiguously worded, that -it is difficult to come at their real meaning; they conceive this to -be the best way of getting rid of a proposal which they do not like, -because those who sent them the message are for some time, at least, at -a loss to comprehend the meaning, and not knowing whether the answer is -favourable or unfavourable, their proceedings are necessarily suspended -until they can discover its true sense; in this manner have operations -been sometimes entirely prevented, and matters have remained in the -same situation that they were in before. - -It may be supposed, perhaps, that such an artful manner of treating -each other might be thought provoking, and cause jealousies and -disputes among the different parties; such is not, however, the case, -as nothing insulting is ever contained in those messages; and as -offence is not meant, it is not taken. The Indians consider it on all -sides as a kind of diplomatic proceeding, an exercise which tends -to invigorate the mind, of which they are very fond. It gives them -opportunities to reflect and think deeply on matters of importance, and -of displaying their genius, when they have found or discovered the -secret of an answer sent to them, or hit upon the true meaning of an -ambiguous message. - -At the time of the Revolutionary war I witnessed a curious scene of -diplomatic manœuvres between two great men of the Delaware nation, both -of whom had in their time signalised themselves as brave and courageous -men, and had acquired the character of two great war chiefs. The war -that I speak of, which had but lately begun, had made it necessary for -the Indians to consult their present and future safety. Captain White -Eyes, of the Turtle tribe, who was placed at the head of his nation, -had its welfare much at heart. He was in favour of their following -the advice given them by the American Congress, which was to remain -neutral, and not to meddle in the quarrel between the Americans and -the parent country. He advised his people, therefore, to remain in -friendship with both sides, and not to take up arms against either, as -it might bring them into trouble, and perhaps, in the end, effect their -ruin. - -On the other hand, Captain Pipe, of the Wolf tribe, who resided at -the distance of fifteen miles, where he had his council fire, was of -a different opinion, and leaned on the side of the British. He was an -artful, ambitious man, yet not deficient in greatness of mind, as I -have shewn in a preceding chapter. But his head at that time was full -of the wrongs which the Indians had suffered from the Americans, from -their first coming into the country; his soul panted for revenge, and -he was glad to seize the opportunity that now offered. He professed -his readiness to join in proper measures to save the nation, but not -such measures as his antagonist proposed; what his real object was -he did not openly declare, but privately endeavoured to counteract -all that was done and proposed by the other. White Eyes, however, was -a sensible upright man, and never was deficient in means to support -his own measures, and extricate himself from the snares with which he -was on all sides surrounded by Captain Pipe. Thus they went on for -upwards of two years, Pipe working clandestinely, and keeping his spies -continually on the watch upon the other, while White Eyes acted openly -and publicly, as though he knew nothing of what was machinating against -him. - -At last, a circumstance took place which apparently justified Captain -Pipe in the measures he wished to pursue. In March 1778, a number of -white people, of those whom we called _Tories_, among whom were M’Kee, -Eliott, Girty,[162] and several others, having escaped from Pittsburg, -told the Indians wherever they came, “that they must arm and be off -immediately, and kill all the Americans wherever they found them, for -they had determined to destroy all the Indians, and possess themselves -of their country.” White Eyes, not believing what these men said, -advised his people to remain quiet, for this report could not be true. -Pipe, on the contrary, called his men together, and in a speech which -he addressed to them, pronounced every man an enemy to his country who -endeavoured to dissuade them from going out against the Americans, and -said that all such ought to be put to death. Captain White Eyes was -not disconcerted; he immediately assembled his warriors, and told them -“that if they meant in earnest to go out, as he observed some of them -were preparing to do, they should not go without him. He had taken -peace measures in order to save the nation from utter destruction. But -if they believed that he was in the wrong, and gave more credit to -vagabond fugitives, whom he knew to be such, than to himself, who was -best acquainted with the real state of things; if they had determined -to follow their advice, and go out against the Americans, he would -go out with them; he would lead them on, place himself in the front, -and be the first who should fall. They only had to determine on what -they meant to do; for his own mind was fully made up not to survive -his nation, and he would not spend the remainder of a miserable life -in bewailing the total destruction of a brave people, who deserved a -better fate.” - -This spirited, and at the same time pathetic, speech of Captain White -Eyes, made such an impression on the minds of the audience, that they -unanimously declared that they would obey his orders, and listen to -no person but himself, either white or of their own colour. Indeed, -there was too much force, too much majesty in this address to be -resisted; when this was reported to Pipe by his emissaries, he was -absolutely confounded, and knew not what to do. A few days afterwards, -the council of the Delaware nation received the most friendly and -flattering messages from the commandant and Indian agent at Pittsburg, -cautioning them, “not to listen to those worthless men who had ran off -from them in the night, and to be assured of the steady friendship of -the Government of the United States.” Pipe was so put to the blush, -and took this matter so much to heart, that he soon after threw off -the mask, permitted his men to go out and murder the Americans, and -afterwards went off with them to Sandusky, under the protection of the -British Government. We have seen in a former chapter that he afterwards -saw how impolitic his conduct had been, and probably wished to retrace -his steps, but it was too late. He had suffered himself to be misled -by his passions, excited by the remembrance of former wrongs, and thus -was betrayed into his injudicious conduct. Perhaps also his jealousy of -Captain White Eyes, whose superiority his proud mind could not bear, -did not in a small degree contribute to it. Pipe was certainly a great -man, but White Eyes was, in my opinion, the greatest of the two. I was -present when he made the speech which I have related, and never shall -forget the impression it made upon me. - -Thus Indian politicians work and manage matters against each other -without newspaper wrangles, abuse of character, personal quarrels, or -open insults. Their ingenuity, when joined to a good cause, generally -makes them come off victorious. In a bad cause, on the contrary, they -sure[163] to meet with detection and defeat, as Captain Pipe, for his -misfortune, sadly experienced. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -MARRIAGE AND TREATMENT OF THEIR WIVES. - - -There are many persons who believe, from the labour that they see the -Indian women perform, that they are in a manner treated as slaves. -These labours, indeed, are hard, compared with the tasks that are -imposed upon females in civilised society; but they are no more than -their fair share, under every consideration and due allowance, of -the hardships attendant on savage life. Therefore they are not only -voluntarily, but cheerfully submitted to; and as women are not obliged -to live with their husbands any longer than suits their pleasure or -convenience, it cannot be supposed that they would submit to be loaded -with unjust or unequal burdens. - -Marriages among the Indians are not, as with us, contracted for -life; it is understood on both sides that the parties are not to -live together any longer than they shall be pleased with each other. -The husband may put away his wife whenever he pleases, and the woman -may in like manner abandon her husband. Therefore the connexion is -not attended with any vows, promises, or ceremonies of any kind. An -Indian takes a wife as it were on trial, determined, however, in his -own mind not to forsake her if she behaves well, and particularly if -he has children by her. The woman, sensible of this, does on her part -every thing in her power to please her husband, particularly if he is -a good hunter or trapper, capable of maintaining her by his skill and -industry, and protecting her by his strength and courage. - -When a marriage takes place, the duties and labours incumbent on each -party are well known to both. It is understood that the husband is to -build a house for them to dwell in, to find the necessary implements -of husbandry, as axes, hoes, &c., to provide a canoe, and also dishes, -bowls, and other necessary vessels for house-keeping. The woman -generally has a kettle or two, and some other articles of kitchen -furniture, which she brings with her. The husband, as master of the -family, considers himself bound to support it by his bodily exertions, -as hunting, trapping, &c.; the woman, as his _help-mate_, takes upon -herself the labours of the field, and is far from considering them as -more important than those to which her husband is subjected, being -well satisfied that with his gun and traps he can maintain a family in -any place where game is to be found; nor do they think it any hardship -imposed upon them; for they themselves say, that while their field -labour employs them at most six weeks in the year, that of the men -continues the whole year round. - -When a couple is newly married, the husband (without saying a single -word upon the subject) takes considerable pains to please his wife, and -by repeated proofs of his skill and abilities in the art of hunting, -to make her sensible that she can be happy with him, and that she will -never want while they live together. At break of day he will be off -with his gun, and often by breakfast time return home with a deer, -turkey, or some other game. He endeavours to make it appear that it -is in his power to bring provisions home whenever he pleases, and his -wife, proud of having such a good hunter for her husband, does her -utmost to serve and make herself agreeable to him. - -The work of the women is not hard or difficult. They are both able and -willing to do it, and always perform it with cheerfulness. Mothers -teach their daughters those duties which common sense would otherwise -point out to them when grown up. Within doors, their labour is very -trifling; there is seldom more than one pot or kettle to attend to. -There is no scrubbing of the house, and but little to wash, and that -not often. Their principal occupations are to cut and fetch in the -fire wood, till the ground, sow and reap the grain, and pound the corn -in mortars for their pottage, and to make bread which they bake in -the ashes. When going on a journey, or to hunting camps with their -husbands, if they have no horses, they carry a pack on their backs -which often appears heavier than it really is; it generally consists of -a blanket, a dressed deer skin for mocksens, a few articles of kitchen -furniture, as a kettle, bowl, or dish, with spoons, and some bread, -corn, salt, &c., for their nourishment. I have never known an Indian -woman complain of the hardship of carrying this burden, which serves -for their own comfort and support as well as of their husbands. - -The tilling of the ground at home, getting of the fire wood, and -pounding of corn in mortars, is frequently done by female parties, -much in the manner of those husking, quilting, and other _frolics_ -(as they are called), which are so common in some parts of the United -States, particularly to the eastward. The labour is thus quickly and -easily performed; when it is over, and sometimes in intervals, they sit -down to enjoy themselves by feasting on some good victuals, prepared -for them by the person or family for whom they work, and which the -man has taken care to provide before hand from the woods; for this is -considered a principal part of the business, as there are generally -more or less of the females assembled who have not, perhaps for a -long time, tasted a morsel of meat, being either widows, or orphans, -or otherwise in straitened circumstances. Even the chat which passes -during their joint labours is highly diverting to them, and so they -seek to be employed in this way as long as they can, by going round to -all those in the village who have ground to till. - -When the harvest is in, which generally happens by the end of -September, the women have little else to do than to prepare the daily -victuals, and get fire wood, until the latter end of February or -beginning of March, as the season is more or less backward, when they -go to their sugar camps, where they extract sugar from the maple tree. -The men having built or repaired their temporary cabin, and made all -the troughs of various sizes, the women commence making sugar, while -the men are looking out for meat, at this time generally fat bears, -which are still in their winter quarters. When at home, they will -occasionally assist their wives in gathering the sap, and watch the -kettles in their absence, that the syrup may not boil over. - -A man who wishes his wife to be with him while he is out hunting in the -woods, needs only tell her, that on such a day they will go to such a -place, where he will hunt for a length of time, and she will be sure -to have provisions and every thing else that is necessary in complete -readiness, and well packed up to carry to the spot; for the man, as -soon as he enters the woods, has to be looking out and about for game, -and therefore cannot be encumbered with any burden; after wounding -a deer, he may have to pursue it for several miles, often running -it fairly down. The woman, therefore, takes charge of the baggage, -brings it to the place of encampment, and there, immediately enters -on the duties of housekeeping, as if they were at home; she moreover -takes pains to dry as much meat as she can, that none may be lost; she -carefully puts the tallow up, assists in drying the skins, gathers -as much wild hemp as possible for the purpose of making strings, -carrying-bands, bags and other necessary articles, collects roots for -dyeing; in short, does every thing in her power to leave no care to her -husband but the important one of providing meat for the family. - -After all, the fatigue of the women is by no means to be compared to -that of the men. Their hard and difficult employments are periodical -and of short duration, while their husband’s labours are constant and -severe in the extreme. Were a man to take upon himself a part of his -wife’s duty, in addition to his own, he must necessarily sink under the -load, and of course his family must suffer with him. On his exertions -as a hunter, their existence depends; in order to be able to follow -that rough employment with success, he must keep his limbs as supple -as he can, he must avoid hard labour as much as possible, that his -joints may not become stiffened, and that he may preserve the necessary -strength and agility of body to enable him to pursue the chase, and -bear the unavoidable hardships attendant on it; for the fatigues of -hunting wear out the body and constitution far more than manual labour. -Neither creeks nor rivers, whether shallow or deep, frozen or free from -ice, must be an obstacle to the hunter, when in pursuit of a wounded -deer, bear, or other animal, as is often the case. Nor has he then -leisure to think on the state of his body, and to consider whether his -blood is not too much heated to plunge without danger into the cold -stream, since the game he is in pursuit of is running off from him with -full speed. Many dangerous accidents often befal him, both as a hunter -and a warrior (for he is both), and are seldom unattended with painful -consequences, such as rheumatism, or consumption of the lungs, for -which the sweat-house, on which they so much depend, and to which they -often resort for relief, especially after a fatiguing hunt or warlike -excursion, is not always a sure preservative or an effectual remedy. - -The husband generally leaves the skins and peltry which he has procured -by hunting to the care of his wife, who sells or barters them away to -the best advantage for such necessaries as are wanted in the family; -not forgetting to supply her husband with what he stands in need of, -who, when he receives it from her hands never fails to return her -thanks in the kindest manner. If debts had been previously contracted, -either by the woman, or by her and her husband jointly, or if a horse -should be wanted, as much is laid aside as will be sufficient to pay -the debts or purchase the horse. - -When a woman has got in her harvest of corn, it is considered as -belonging to her husband, who, if he has suffering friends, may give -them as much of it as he pleases, without consulting his wife, or being -afraid of her being displeased; for she is in the firm belief that he -is able to procure that article whenever it is wanted. The sugar which -she makes out of the maple tree is also considered as belonging to her -husband. - -There is nothing in an Indian’s house or family without its particular -owner. Every individual knows what belongs to him, from the horse or -cow down to the dog, cat, kitten and little chicken. Parents make -presents to their children, and they in return to their parents. A -father will sometimes ask his wife or one of his children for the loan -of his horse to go out a hunting. For a litter of kittens or brood -of chickens, there are often as many different owners as there are -individual animals. In purchasing a hen with her brood, one frequently -has to deal for it with several children. Thus, while the principle of -community of goods prevails in the state, the rights of property are -acknowledged among the members of a family. This is attended with a -very good effect; for by this means every living creature is properly -taken care of. It also promotes liberality among the children, which -becomes a habit with them by the time they are grown up. - -An Indian loves to see his wife well clothed, which is a proof that -he is fond of her; at least, it is so considered. While his wife is -bartering the skins and peltry he has taken in his hunt, he will seat -himself at some distance, to observe her choice, and how she and the -traders agree together. When she finds an article which she thinks will -suit or please her husband, she never fails to purchase it for him; she -tells him that it is _her_ choice, and he is never dissatisfied. - -The more a man does for his wife the more he is esteemed, particularly -by the women, who will say: “This man surely loves his wife.” Some men -at their leisure hours make bowls and ladles, which, when finished, are -at their wives’ disposal. - -If a sick or pregnant woman longs for any article of food, be it what -it may, and however difficult to be procured, the husband immediately -sets out to endeavour to get it. I have known a man to go forty or -fifty miles for a mess of cranberries to satisfy his wife’s longing. In -the year 1762 I was witness to a remarkable instance of the disposition -of Indians to indulge their wives. There was a famine in the land, and -a sick Indian woman expressed a great desire for a mess of Indian corn. -Her husband having heard that a trader at Lower Sandusky had a little, -set off on horseback for that place, one hundred miles distant, and -returned with as much corn as filled the crown of his hat, for which he -gave his horse in exchange, and came home on foot, bringing his saddle -back with him. Squirrels, ducks, and other like delicacies, when most -difficult to be obtained, are what women in the first stage of their -pregnancy generally long for. The husband in every such case will go -out and spare no pains nor trouble until he has procured what is wanted. - -In other cases, the men and their wives do not in general trouble -themselves with each other’s business; but the wife, knowing that the -father is very fond of his children, is always prepared to tell him -some diverting anecdote of one or the other of them, especially if he -has been absent for some time. - -It very seldom happens that a man condescends to quarrel with his wife, -or abuse her, though she has given him just cause. In such a case the -man, without replying, or saying a single word, will take his gun and -go into the woods, and remain there a week or perhaps a fortnight, -living on the meat he has killed, before he returns home again; well -knowing that he cannot inflict a greater punishment on his wife for -her conduct to him than by absenting himself for a while; for she is -not only kept in suspense, uncertain whether he will return again, -but is soon reported as a bad and quarrelsome woman; for, as on those -occasions, the man does not tell his wife on what day or at what time -he will be back again, which he otherwise, when they are on good terms, -never neglects to do, she is at once put to shame by her neighbours, -who soon suspecting something, do not fail to put such questions to -her, as she either cannot, or is ashamed to answer. When he at length -does return, she endeavours to let him see by her attentions, that she -has repented, though neither speak to each other a single word on the -subject of what has passed. And as his children, if he has any, will on -his return hang about him and soothe him with their caresses, he is, on -their account, ready to forgive, or at least to say nothing unpleasant -to their mother. She has, however, received by this a solemn warning, -and must take care how she behaves in future, lest the next time her -husband should stay away altogether and take another wife. It is very -probable, that if at this time they had had no children, he would have -left her, but then he would have taken his property with him at the -same time. - -On the return of an Indian from a journey, or long absence, he will, -on entering the house, say, “I am returned!” to which his wife will -reply,[164] “I rejoice!” and having cast his eyes around, he will -enquire, whether all the children are well, when being answered in the -affirmative, he replies, “I am glad!” which for the present is all the -conversation that passes between them; nor does he relate anything at -this present time that occurred on his journey, but holds himself in -readiness to partake of the nourishment which his wife is preparing for -him. After a while, when the men of the village have assembled at his -house, his wife, with the rest, hears his story at full length. - -_Marriages_ are proposed and concluded in different ways. The parents -on both sides, having observed an attachment between two young persons, -negotiate for them. This generally commences from the house where -the bridegroom lives, whose mother is the negotiatrix for him, and -begins her duties by taking a good leg of venison, or bear’s meat, or -something else of the same kind, to the house where the bride dwells, -not forgetting to mention, that her son has killed it: in return for -this the mother of the bride, if she otherwise approves of the match, -which she well understands by the presents to be intended, will prepare -a good dish of victuals, the produce of the labour of _woman_, such as -beans, Indian corn, or the like, and then taking it to the house where -the bridegroom lives, will say, “This is the produce of my daughter’s -field; and she also prepared it.” If afterwards the mothers of the -parties are enabled to tell the good news to each other, that the -young people have pronounced that which was sent them _very good_, the -bargain is struck. It is as much as if the young man had said to the -girl, “I am able to provide you at all times with meat to eat!” and -she had replied, “and such good victuals from the field, you shall -have from me!” From this time not only presents of this kind are -continued on both sides, but articles of clothing are presented to the -parents by each party, by way of return for what they have received, -of which the young people always have a share. The friendship between -the two families daily increasing, they do their domestic and field -work jointly, and when the young people have agreed to live together, -the parents supply them with necessaries, such as a kettle, dishes or -bowls, and also what is required for the kitchen, and with axes, hoes, -&c. to work in the field. - -The men who have no parents to negotiate for them, or otherwise choose -to manage the matter for themselves, have two simple ways of attaining -their object. The first is: by stepping up to the woman whom they wish -to marry, saying: “If you are willing I will take you as wife!” when -if she answer in the affirmative, she either goes with him immediately, -or meets him at an appointed time and place. - -The other mode of celebrating marriage will appear from the following -anecdote. - -An aged Indian, who for many years had spent much of his time among -the white people, both in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, one day about -the year 1770 observed, that the Indians had not only 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 year 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 until sleep!--all one; he must -keep _him_![165] White people have law forbidding throwing away wife, -be _he_ ever so cross! must keep _him_ always! Well! how does Indian -do?--Indian when he see industrious Squaw, which he like, he go to -_him_, 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_ say, _Yes_! so he take _him_ home--no danger _he_ be cross! 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 husband! he do the same to please Squaw! live -happy!” - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -RESPECT FOR THE AGED. - - -There is no nation in the world who pay greater respect to old age than -the American Indians. From their infancy they are taught to be kind and -attentive to aged persons, and never to let them suffer for want of -necessaries or comforts. The parents spare no pains to impress upon the -minds of their children the conviction that they would draw down upon -themselves the anger of the Great Spirit, were they to neglect those -whom, in his goodness, he had permitted to attain such an advanced age, -whom he had protected with his almighty power through all the perils -and dangers of life, while so many had perished by wars, accidents, and -sickness in various forms, by the incantations of the wizard, or the -stroke of the murderer, and not a few by the consequences of their own -imprudent conduct. - -It is a sacred principle among the Indians, and one of those moral -and religious truths which they have always before their eyes, that -the Great Spirit who created them, and provided them so abundantly -with the means of subsistence, made it the duty of parents to maintain -and take care of their children until they should be able to provide -for themselves, and that having while weak and helpless received the -benefits of maintenance, education, and protection, they are bound -to repay them by a similar care of those who are labouring under the -infirmities of old age, and are no longer able to supply their own -wants. - -Thus, a strong feeling of gratitude towards their elders, inculcated -and cherished from their earliest infancy, is the solid foundation -on which rests that respect for old age for which Indians are so -remarkable, and it is further supported by the well-founded hope -of receiving the like succours and attentions in their turn, when -the heavy hand of time shall have reduced them to the same helpless -situation which they now commiserate in others, and seek by every -means in their power to render more tolerable. Hence, they do not -confine themselves to acts of absolute necessity; it is not enough for -them that the old are not suffered to starve with hunger, or perish -with cold, but they must be made as much as possible to share in the -pleasures and comforts of life. It is, indeed, a moving spectacle to -see the tender and delicate attentions which, on every occasion, they -lavish upon aged and decrepid persons. When going out a hunting, they -will put them on a horse or in a canoe, and take them into the woods to -their hunting ground, in order to revive their spirits by making them -enjoy the sight of a sport in which they can no longer participate. -They place them in particular situations, where they are sure that the -game they are in pursuit of will pass by, taking proper measures at the -same time to prevent its escape, so that their aged parents and friends -may, at least, as our sportsmen call it, _be in at the death_. Nor is -this all; the hoary veterans must also enjoy the honours of the chase; -when the animal, thus surrounded, is come within reach of their guns, -when every possibility of escape is precluded, by the woods all around -being set on fire, they all, young and old, fire together, so that it -is difficult to decide[166] whose ball it was that brought the animal -to the ground. But they never are at a loss to decide, and always give -it in favour of the oldest man[167] in the party. So, when the young -people have discovered a place where the bears have their haunts, or -have resorted to for the winter, they frequently take with them to the -spot, such of the old men as are yet able to walk or ride, where they -not only have an opportunity of witnessing the sport, but receive their -full share of the meat and oil. - -At home the old are as well treated and taken care of as if they were -favourite children. They are cherished and even caressed; indulged -in health and nursed in sickness; and all their wishes and wants are -anticipated. Their company is sought by the young, to whom their -conversation is considered an honour. Their advice is asked on all -occasions, their words are listened to as oracles, and their occasional -garrulity, nay, even the second childhood often attendant on extreme -old age, is never with Indians a subject of ridicule, or laughter. -Respect, gratitude, and love are too predominant in their minds to -permit any degrading idea to mix itself with these truly honourable and -generous feelings. - -On every occasion, and in every situation through life, age takes the -lead among the Indians. Even little boys, when going on parties of -pleasure, were it only to catch butterflies, strictly adhere to this -rule, and submit to the direction of the oldest in their company, who -is their chief, leader and spokesman; if they are accosted on the way -by any person, and asked whither they are going, or any other question, -no one will presume to answer but their _speaker_. The same rule is -observed when they are grown up, and in no case whatever will one of a -party, club or meeting, attempt to assume authority over the leader, -or even to set him right if he should mistake the road or take a wrong -course; much less will any one contradict what he says, unless his -opinion should be particularly asked, in which case, and no other, he -will give his advice, but with great modesty and diffidence. - -And yet there have been travellers who have ventured to assert that old -people among the Indians are not only neglected and suffered to perish -for want, but that they are even, when no longer able to take care of -themselves, _put out of the way of all trouble_. I am free to declare, -that among all the Indian nations that I have become acquainted with, -if any one should kill an old man or woman for no other cause than -that of having become useless or burdensome to society, it would be -considered as an unpardonable crime, the general indignation would be -excited, and the murderer instantly put to death. I cannot conceive any -act that would produce such an universal horror and detestation, such -is the veneration which is everywhere felt for old age. - -Indeed, I have had sufficient reason to be convinced that this -principle, excellent as it is in itself, is[168] even carried too far -by the Indians, and that not a little inconvenience is occasioned -by it. A few instances will make this better understood than any -explanations that I could give. - -In the year 1765, the great body of Christian Indians, after having -remained sixteen months at and near Philadelphia, were permitted -to return to their own country, peace having been concluded with -the Indian nations, who still continued at war, notwithstanding the -pacification between the European powers. They resolved to open a path -through the wilderness from the frontier settlements beyond the Blue -Mountains, directly to Wyoming on the Susquehannah. This path they laid -off and cut as they proceeded, two, three or four miles at a time, -according to the nature of the ground and the convenience of water, -bringing up their baggage by making two or more trips, as they had -no horses to carry it. Having arrived at the great Pine Swamp, then -supposed to be about fourteen miles wide, it was found very difficult -to cut a passage on account of the thickets and of the great number -of fallen trees which incumbered it; they were, besides, unacquainted -with that part of the country. An old Indian,[169] however, took the -lead, and undertook to be their guide. After a tedious march of near -two weeks, attended with much labour, he brought them across the -Swamp, to the large creek which borders upon it on the opposite side. -There they found a very steep mountain, through which no passage could -be found either above or below. Discouraged at the prospect before -them, they now saw no alternative but to return the same way they had -come, and take the route by Fort Allen[170] to Nescopeck, and so up -the Susquehannah to Wyoming, a distance of nearly one hundred miles -round. In this difficulty, it fortunately struck their Missionary, -Mr. Zeisberger, that a certain Indian named David, who was one of -their party and had followed them all the way, was acquainted with -that part of the country, and might, perhaps, be able to point out -to them some better and shorter road. He soon found that he was not -mistaken. David was perfectly acquainted with the country, and knew a -good road, through which the party might easily pass, but not having -been questioned on the subject, had hitherto kept silence, and followed -with the rest, though he knew all the while they were going wrong. A -dialogue then took place between him and the Missionary. - -ZEISB.--David! You are, I believe, acquainted with this country; -perhaps you know a better road[171] and a shorter one than that which -we are going to take. - -DAVID.--Yes, I do; there is such a road,[171] which we may easily get -through, and have a much shorter distance to travel than by that which -is proposed; I am sure of it. - -ZEISB.--What; David! we were all going wrong, and yet you are with us? - -DAVID.--Yes, ’tis so. - -ZEISB.--And yet you said nothing, and followed with the rest as if all -had been right! - -DAVID.--Yes; the guides are somewhat older than myself; they took the -lead, and never asked me whether I had any knowledge of the country. If -they had enquired, I would have told them. - -ZEISB.--Will you _now_ tell them? - -DAVID.--No, indeed; unless they ask me. It does not become an Indian to -instruct his elders. - -The question was then asked him at the instigation of Mr. Zeisberger, -when he immediately told them that they must all return to a certain -spot, six miles back, and then direct their course more to the -north-east, which would bring them to a gap in the mountain, where they -could pass through with great ease. They did so, and he followed them, -and being now desired to take the lead, he did it, and brought them to -the very spot he had described, and from thence led them all the way to -Wyoming. This difficult part of the road, in the swamp, has been since -called _David’s path_, and the state road now passes through it.[172] - -This anecdote was told me by Mr. Zeisberger himself, whom I have never -known to say anything that was not strictly true. I therefore give -it full credit; the more so, as I have myself witnessed two similar -instances, with the relation of which I shall conclude this chapter. - -The first happened in the year 1791. I had parted by accident from the -company I was with, and lost my way in the woods. I had with me an -Indian lad about twelve or thirteen years of age, and wished him to -take the lead, to which, however, he would not consent. We were at last -found by our party, who had gone in search of us. I complained to them -of the boy, for not doing what I had bidden him; but they answered, -“that he had done right, and that it did not become a _boy_ to walk -before a _man_ and be his leader.” - -The second occurrence of the like kind, took place in the year 1798. -I was on a journey with two young Indians, from Upper Canada to the -Muskingum, round the head of Lake Erie.[173] Neither of these Indians -having ever been in the country we were going to, they received their -instructions from others before their departure. The leader, however, -whose name was Leonhard, having once mistaken a path, we travelled -several miles in a wrong direction, until, at last, I discovered the -mistake, by our having the Owl creek to our left, when we ought to have -had it to our right. I observed this to Christian, the young Indian -in the rear, who coinciding with me in opinion, I desired him to run -forward to Leonhard, who was far ahead of us, and to bring him back; -but the lad answered that he _could not do it_. I asked him the reason. -“It is,” said he, “because I am younger than he is.” “Will you then,” -replied I, “take _my_ message to him, and tell him that _I_ desire him -to return to this place, where I will wait for him?” The young man -immediately consented, went forward to Leonhard, and brought him back, -on which we took an eastward course through the wood to the Owl creek, -and, after crossing it, fell into our right path. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -PRIDE AND GREATNESS OF MIND. - - -The Indians are proud but not vain; they consider vanity as degrading -and unworthy the character of a man. The hunter never boasts of his -skill or strength, nor the warrior of his prowess. It is not right, -they say, that one should value himself too much for an action which -another may perform as well as himself, and when a man extols his own -deeds, it seems as if he doubted his own capability to do the like -again when he pleased. Therefore, they prefer in all cases to let their -actions speak for themselves. The skins and peltry which the hunter -brings home, the deer’s horns on the roof of his cabin, the horses, -furniture and other property that he possesses, his apparel and that of -his family, the visits with which he is honored by the first and best -men among his nation; all these things show what he is and what he has -done, and with this he rests satisfied. - -So with the warrior; it is enough for him that he is known to be a man -of spirit and courage by the scalps and prisoners that he brings home; -he never is seen going about boasting of his warlike exploits, and when -questioned on the subject, he makes his answer as short as possible. -Even when he is entering a town with his prisoners and scalps, he does -not stare about to see whether the people are looking at him, but walks -his usual steady pace and marches straight forward without appearing to -see any body. When at some of their particular festivals, every warrior -is called upon to relate his feats of arms, they make it a point to be -as brief as possible, leaving it to those who have done but little, -to swell their actions into importance, and give themselves credit for -what they have done. I cannot illustrate this subject better than by a -few anecdotes. - -In the year 1779, two war chiefs, the one a young man of the Shawano -tribe, and the other an old warrior of the Wyandots, living near -Detroit, much celebrated for his great actions, but who during the -whole of the Revolutionary war, could not be persuaded to take the -field against the Americans, met accidentally at my house on Muskingum, -where they had separately come to pay me a friendly visit. The Shawano -(whose nation, by the bye, are noted for much talk,) entered upon -the subject of war, and with much earnestness in words and gestures, -related the actions he had been engaged in, showing at the same time on -his arm the mark of a bullet wound. During all this time, the Wyandot, -smoking his pipe, listened with great attention and apparent surprise; -and having afterwards to answer, according to custom, by relating -what he had done, he laid down his pipe, and deliberately drawing off -his clothes, except the breech-cloth, rose up and said: “I have been -in upwards of twenty engagements with the enemy and fought with the -French against the English; I have warred against the southern nations, -and my body shows that I have been struck and wounded by nine balls. -These two wounds I received at the same moment, from two Cherokees, -who, seeing me fall, rested their guns against a tree, and ran up -with their tomahawks to dispatch me, and take off my scalp. With the -aid of the Great Spirit I jumped up, just at the moment when they -were about to give me the stroke. I struck them and they both fell -at my feet. I took their scalps and returned home.” Thus this grave -and respectable veteran gave a lesson to the young Shawano, which, -if he well understood, he, no doubt, ever after remembered; for in a -few words, and in less than five minutes, he showed him at once the -contrast between great actions briefly and modestly told, and every -day occurrences related and dwelt on with pompous minuteness. This -contrast, indeed, was particularly striking, the more so as the modest -warrior did not seem to enjoy his triumph, nor to be even conscious -of the accession to his fame which must result from the publicity of -the account which he had given. As both parties spoke the Shawano -language, I well understood every thing they said, and I paid the -most particular attention to their discourse, which was of itself -sufficiently interesting. - -This passion of the Indians, which I have called _pride_, but which -might, perhaps, be better denominated _high-mindedness_, is generally -combined with a great sense of honour, and not seldom produces actions -of the most heroic kind. I am now going to relate an instance of this -honourable pride, which I have also witnessed. An Indian of the Lenape -nation, who was considered as a very dangerous person, and was much -dreaded on that account, had publicly declared that as soon as another -Indian, who was then gone to Sandusky, should return from thence, he -would certainly kill him. This dangerous Indian 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 threatened to kill, and who at that moment had just arrived, also -entered the house. I was much frightened, as I feared the bad Indian -would take that opportunity 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 astonishment 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 are together. Am I to take it for -granted that you are in earnest, and that you are really determined -to take my life as you have declared? 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 embrue my hands in your -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, and then, uncle, it will be seen which of -us shall fall!” The murderer was thunderstruck, and without replying a -word, slunk off and left the house. - -The anecdote with which I am going to conclude this chapter, 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 Wyandots of Lower Sandusky sent a white prisoner -(a young man whom he had taken at Fort M’Intosh) as a present to -another chief, who was called the _Half-king_ of Upper Sandusky,[174] -for the purpose of being 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 prisoner arrived, and was presented to the -Half-king’s wife, but she refused to receive him, which, according to -the Indian rule, was, in fact, 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, Messrs. _Arundel_ and _Robbins_ (I delight in -making this honourable 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 exertions to endeavour to -save the prisoner’s life by offering a ransom to the war chief, which -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 irrevocably 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, however, -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 answer 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 you say?” said at once the Indian, looking them -full in the face. “Indeed, we do.” Then, without saying another word, -he blackened himself, and taking his 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?” and at once -cutting the cords with which he was tied, took him to his house which -was near Mr. Arundel’s, whence he was forthwith secured and carried off -by safe hands to Detroit, where[175] the commandant, 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. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -WARS AND THE CAUSES WHICH LEAD TO THEM. - - -It is a fixed principle with the Indians, that evil cannot come out -of good, that no friend will injure a friend, and, therefore, that -whoever wrongs or does harm to another, is his ENEMY. As it is with -individuals, so it is with nations, tribes, and other independent -associations of men. If they commit murder on another people, encroach -on their lands, by making it a practice to come within their bounds and -take the game from them, if they rob or steal from their hunting camps, -or, in short, are guilty of any act of unjust aggression, they cannot -be considered otherwise than as ENEMIES; they are declared to be such, -and the aggrieved nation think themselves justifiable in punishing -them. If murder has been perpetrated, revenge is taken in the same way. -If a lesser injury has been done, a message is sent to the chief of -the nation to which the wrong-doers belong, to enquire whether the act -complained of was authorised, if not to give them warning not to permit -the like thing to be done again. If theft or some other like offence -has been committed, restitution is at the same time demanded, or such -reparation as the case admits of, and the chiefs are desired to forbid -their “young people” to do so any more, or that they will have to abide -by the consequence. - -There are tribes among the Indians, who claim the exclusive right of -hunting within certain bounds, and will not suffer others to intrude -and take _their_ game from them, as they call it; and there have -been instances, when such intruders, being found trespassing after a -fair warning, have had their ears and noses cut off, and have been -sent home to tell their chiefs that the next time they came again, -they should be sent home _without their scalps_. While the Christian -Indians of the Lenape nation were settled for a few years on the -land of the Chippeways beyond Detroit, where they had taken refuge -and were permitted to remain for their safety; though the Chippeways -professed reverence for them, and called them _Grandfather_, yet they -were continually complaining of their killing their game. They had no -objection to their tilling the ground, but every deer, raccoon, or -other animal which they killed or took, was a cause of displeasure to -their hosts; and in consequence of that, they pressed them so often to -remove from their lands, that they at last went off. - -When the Indians have determined to take revenge for a murder committed -by another nation, they generally endeavour to make at once a bold -stroke, so as to strike their enemies with terror; for which purpose, -they penetrate into the hostile country as far as they can without -being discovered, and when they have made their stroke, they leave a -war club near the body of the person murdered, and make off as quick -as possible. This war club is purposely left that the enemy may know -to what nation the act is to be ascribed, and that they may not wreak -their vengeance on an innocent tribe. It is meant also to let them know -that unless they take measures to discover and punish the author of the -original aggression, this instrument will be the means of revenging the -injury, or, in other words, war will be forthwith declared against them. - -If the supposed enemy is peaceably inclined, he will in such case send -a deputation to the aggrieved nation, with a suitable apology. In -general the chief sends word, that the act complained of was committed -without his knowledge, by some of “his foolish young men;” that it was -altogether unauthorised and unwarranted; that it was highly reprobated -by himself and his council, and that he would be sorry that on that -account a breach should be made between the two nations, but, on the -contrary, wishes for peace; that he is willing to make reparation for -the offence by condoling with the relations of the person slain and -otherwise satisfying them. Such an offer is generally accepted, and in -this manner all differences are adjusted between the parties, and they -are friends again as they were before. But should the offending nation -refuse to apologise and sue for peace, war is then immediately declared -and is carried on with the greatest vigour. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -MANNER OF SURPRISING THEIR ENEMIES. - - -Courage, art, and circumspection are the essential and indispensable -qualifications of an Indian warrior. When war is once begun, each -one strives to excel in displaying them, by stealing upon his enemy -unawares, and deceiving and surprising him in various ways. On drawing -near to an enemy’s country, they endeavour as much as possible to -conceal their tracks; sometimes they scatter themselves, marching at -proper distances from each other for a whole day and more, meeting, -however, again at night, when they keep a watch; at other times they -march in what is called _Indian file_, one man behind the other, -treading carefully in each other’s steps, so that their number may not -be ascertained by the prints of their feet. The nearer they suppose -themselves to be to the enemy, the more attentive they are to choosing -hard, stony, and rocky ground, on which human footsteps leave no -impression; soft, marshy and grassy soils are particularly avoided, as -in the former the prints of the feet would be easily discovered, and in -the latter the appearance of the grass having been trodden upon might -lead to detection; for if the grass or weeds are only bent, and have -the least mark of having been walked upon, it will be almost certainly -perceived, in which the sharpness and quickness of the Indians’ sight -is truly astonishing. - -In some instances they deceive their enemies by imitating the cries -or calls of some animal, such as the fawn, or turkey. They do this so -admirably well, that they even draw the dam of the one and the mate -of the other to the spot to which they want to come. In this manner -they often succeed in decoying the enemies to the place where they -are lying in ambush, or get an opportunity of surrounding them. Such -stratagems, however, cannot be resorted to in all seasons; with the -turkey, it only answers in the spring, and with the fawn’s dam until -about midsummer. In the same manner, when scattered about in the woods, -they easily find each other by imitating the song of some birds, such -as the quail and the rook, and at evening and morning, and particularly -in the night, the cry of the owl. By this means they all join each -other, though not at the same time, as they are not, perhaps, all -within hearing; but the cry of the owl is repeated from time to time -until they are all assembled. - -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 nations of 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 unexpectedly committed by a party of Indians, -on fourteen white settlers within five miles of Shamokin.[176] The -surviving whites, in their rage, determined to take their revenge by -murdering a Delaware Indian who happened to be in those parts and was -far from thinking himself in any danger. He was a great friend to the -whites, was loved and esteemed by them, and in testimony of their -regard, had received from them the name of _Duke Holland_,[177] by -which he was generally known. This Indian, satisfied that his nation -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 wicked Mingoes or Iroquois, whose 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 belonged -to the Six Nations. His proposal was accepted, 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 between the rocks, and in -some instances to crawl over them. Now they began to believe that the -Indian had led them across those rugged mountains in order to give -the enemy time to escape, and threatened him with instant death the -moment they should be fully convinced of the fraud. The Indian, true -to his promise, would take pains to make them perceive that an enemy -had passed along the places through which he was leading them; here -he would shew them that the moss on the rock had been trodden down by -the weight of an human foot, there that it had been torn and dragged -forward from its place: further 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 that in a particular place, an Indian’s blanket had -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 could perceive as he walked along, without even stopping. At -last arriving at the foot of the mountain on soft ground, where the -tracks were deep, he found out that the enemy were eight in number, -and from the freshness of the footprints, 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 -Indians were seen encamped, some having already laid down to sleep, -while others were drawing off their _leggings_[178] 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 way, which he did, and when they arrived at home late at night, -they reported the number of the Iroquois to have been so great, that -they durst not venture to attack them. - -This account is faithfully given as I received it from _Duke Holland_ -himself, 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 I gave full credit -to what he told me, and as yet have had no reason to disbelieve or even -to doubt it. I once employed him to save the life of a respectable -gentleman, now residing at Pittsburg, who 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 went in search of it, and having -discovered the tracks of the man to whom it had been entrusted, he -pursued them until he found the lost article, which he delivered to me. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -PEACE MESSENGERS. - - -While the American Indians remained in the free and undisturbed -possession of the land which God gave to them, and even for a long time -after the Europeans had settled themselves in their territory, there -was no people upon earth who paid a more religious respect than they -did to the sacred character of the ambassadors, or (as they call them) -_Messengers of peace_. It is too well known that since about the middle -of the last century a great change has taken place, the cause of which, -I am sorry to say, the Indians lay entirely to our charge. - -The inviolability of the person of an ambassador is one of those -sacred fundamental principles of the law of nature which the Almighty -Creator has imprinted upon the heart of every living man. History -teaches us that the most barbarous and savage nations have at all times -admitted and carried it into practice. It is a lamentable truth that -all the violations of it that stand upon record, are to be ascribed to -civilised man or to his contagious example. - -It is certain that among our Indians the person of an ambassador was -formerly held most sacred and inviolable. All the nations and tribes -were agreed upon this point, that a messenger, though sent by the most -hostile people, was entitled not only to respect but to protection. To -have, I will not say murdered, but knowingly ill treated a person of -this description, was with them an unpardonable crime. War parties were -always instructed, if they should find a messenger on his way from one -nation to another, not only to give him protection but hospitality, -and see him safely conducted to the people to whom he was sent. - -In the same manner, when a messenger was sent to them by a nation with -whom they were at war or at variance, though they might be ever so much -exasperated against them, and even though they had firmly determined -_not to listen_, that is to say, not to consent to their propositions, -whatever they might be, still they would grant their protection to the -man of peace, and tell him in their expressive language “that they had -taken him under their wings, or placed him under their arm pits, where -he was perfectly safe.” It was with them a point of religious belief, -that pacific messengers were under the special protection of the Great -Spirit, that it was unlawful to molest them, and that the nation which -should be guilty of so enormous a crime would surely be punished by -being unsuccessful in war, and perhaps, by suffering a total defeat. -Therefore, frequent instances happened of such messengers being -sent back with the most threatening messages, such as, that it was -determined to wage a war of blood and destruction, and that no quarter -would be given, yet the ambassadors themselves did not meet with the -least insult or disrespect; they were protected during all the time -that they remained in the hostile country, and were safely conducted -to their own nation, or at least, so far on their way as to be out of -danger from the enemy’s warriors, leaving them a sufficient time to -reach their houses, before a fresh stroke was made, to give notice -that the truce was at an end or that the war was begun. I have heard -of messengers being sent back with a message to this effect: “I return -to your bosom, safe and unmolested, the messengers you sent me. The -answer to the speech they brought me from you, you will learn from my -young warriors, who are gone to _see_ you.” The nature of the _visit_ -thus announced may be easily guessed at. The message was in fact a -declaration of war, with a fair notice that an invasion of the enemy’s -country was immediately to take place. - -Such were the principles, such was the manly conduct of the Indians -in former times. How different it is at present I need not say. We -yet remember the unhappy fate of Messrs. _Trueman_, _Freeman_, and -_Hardin_. These three respectable American gentlemen, were in the year -1792, sent to the Indians with flags of truce and peace proposals, and -were all wantonly murdered.[179] To whom is this horrid state of things -to be attributed? I will not pretend to judge, but let us hear what the -Indians say. - -The principal reasons which they assign as having brought about this -great change, are comprised under the following general heads. - -I. That the white people have intermeddled with their national -concerns, by dictating to one nation how they should treat another, and -even how they should speak and what they should say to them, and by -this means have entirely destroyed their national independence. That -they have even encouraged and supported one Indian nation in not only -affecting but actually exercising dominion and supremacy over all the -others. - -II. That the whites have treated the Indians as a contemptible race and -paid no regard themselves to the sacred character of messengers, but -murdered them as well as their chiefs in numerous instances without -distinction. That they even polluted what among them is esteemed most -holy and inviolable, their _council fires_, extinguishing them (as they -express themselves) with streams of the best blood of their nation, in -violation of their professions and most solemn promises! That their -whole conduct in short has appeared as if they would say to them: “We -do not care for you; we despise you--all we want is your lands, and -those we will have.” - -Nor are they at a loss when called upon to specify the particular -injuries of which they complain. Amidst a long list of similar -grievances, I shall select a few of the most prominent. - -1. The protection given against them to the Iroquois, encouraging that -nation to insult them, to treat them as women made such by conquest, -and to exercise a tyrannical superiority over them. - -2. The murder of the Conestogo Indians, at the very place where a -_council fire_ was burning at the time; where treaties had been held -with them in early times, and where even a treaty had been concluded -in 1762, the year preceding the murder; and that too in the country of -their brother _Miquon_, in the _Quaker_ country, in Pennsylvania. - -3. The horrid murder committed between the years 1776 and 1779, on the -great and much valued Shawano chief _Cornstalk_, at Kanhawa, where it -was known that he was on a friendly and interesting errand.[180] - -4. The firing upon and severely wounding a noted Shawano in the year -1774, while on his return from Pittsburgh, to which place he had, -out of friendship and humanity, conducted several white traders and -protected them against an enraged body of Indians, on whose relations -the white people had committed most horrid murders. - -5. The attacking the peaceable encampment of the Delaware chiefs on the -island at Pittsburgh, where one _Messenger_ and several others were -murdered. - -6. The murder of the Christian Indians on Muskingum, by Williamson’s -party, together with the chief from _Achsinning_, (the standing stone,) -although the persons thus murdered were known to be friends to the -whites. - -The Indians relate many more outrages committed on _messengers_, -_visiters_, and other _friendly_ Indians, of which I shall spare the -painful recital to my readers. From this series of unjust and cruel -acts, the Indian nations, have at last come to the conclusion that the -Americans are in their hearts inimical to them, and that when they send -them messengers of peace, they only mean to lull them into a fancied -security, that they may the easier fall upon and destroy them. It was -in consequence of this conviction that the three respectable gentlemen -whom I have already mentioned, met with their unhappy fate. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -TREATIES. - - -In early times, when Indian nations, after long and bloody wars, met -together, for the purpose of adjusting their differences, or concluding -a peace with each other, it was their laudable custom, as a token of -their sincerity, to remove out of the place where the peacemakers -were sitting, all warlike weapons and instruments of destruction, of -whatever form or shape. “For,” said they, “when we are engaged in a -good work, nothing that is bad must be visible. We are met together to -forgive and forget, to _bury_ the destructive weapon, and put it quite -out of sight; we cast away from us the fatal instrument that has caused -so much grief to our wives and children, and has been the source of -so many tears. It is our earnest hope and wish that it may never be -dug up again.” So particular were they on this point, that if a single -weapon had been in sight, while a treaty was negotiating, it would -have disturbed their minds by recalling the memory of past events, and -instead, (as they say) of gladdening their hearts, by the prospect of a -speedy peace, would, on the contrary, have filled them with sorrow. - -Nor would they even permit any warlike weapons to remain within the -limits of their _council fire_, when assembled together about the -ordinary business of government. It might, they said, have a bad -effect, and defeat the object for which they had met. It might be a -check on some of the persons assembled, and perhaps, prevent those who -had a just complaint or representation 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 remembrance) they -frequently assembled together in the woods, in some shady spot as -nearly as possible similar to those where they used to meet their -brother _Miquon_, 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 successively over the whole. This practice (which -I have repeatedly witnessed) continued until the year 1780, when the -disturbances which then took place put an end to it, probably for ever. - -These pleasing remembrances, these sacred usages are no more. “When we -treat with the white people,” 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 concord 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 brothers ought to do!” - -How then, say they, can there be any sincerity in such councils? how -can a treaty of this kind be binding on men thus forced to agree to -what is dictated to them in a strong prison and at the cannon’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 -considerations, which they urge and constantly dwell upon, the treaties -which they make with the white men have lost all their force, and they -think themselves 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. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -GENERAL OBSERVATIONS OF THE INDIANS ON THE WHITE PEOPLE. - - -The Indians believe that the Whites were made by the same Great Spirit -who created them, and that he assigned to each different race of men -a particular employment in this world, but not the same to all. To -the whites the great Mannitto gave it in charge to till the ground -and raise by cultivation the fruits of the earth; to the Indians he -assigned the nobler employment of hunting, and the supreme dominion -over all the rest of the animal creation. - -They will not admit that the whites are superior beings. They say -that the hair of their heads, their features, the various colours of -their eyes, evince that they are not like themselves _Lenni Lenape_, -an ORIGINAL PEOPLE, a race of men that has existed unchanged from -the 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,[181] and taught them how to read it, that they might know -and observe what he wished them to do and to abstain 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 -sufficient 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 them 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 for some -great and important purpose. They therefore, welcomed them, hoping to -be made happier by their company. It was not long, however, before they -discovered their mistake, having found them an ungrateful, insatiable -people, who, though the Indians had given them as much land as was -necessary to raise provisions for themselves and their families, and -pasture for their cattle, wanted still to have more, and at last would -not be contented with less than the _whole country_. “And yet,” say -those injured people, “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 -things, which they said were written in the good Book, and wanted us -to believe it all. We would probably have done so, if we had seen them -practise what they pretended to believe, and act according to the _good -words_ which they told us. But no! while they held their big Book in -one hand, in the other they had murderous weapons, guns and swords, -wherewith to kill us, poor Indians! Ah! and they did so too, they -killed those who believed in their Book, as well as those who did not. -They made no distinction!” - -They, nevertheless, are sensible that they have many friends among the -white people, and only regret that from their being scattered and at -a distance, they cannot be useful to them and to each other. Of those -whom they know to be their friends, they always speak with warmth and -affection. They also speak of the _Gentellemaan_ (gentlemen) as a -particular class among the whites which deserves to be distinguished; -but they never apply that descriptive title to a person whom they know -to be their enemy, or believe to be ill disposed towards them. - -The Indians have a keen eye; by looking at a person, they think that -they can judge of his friendly or unfriendly disposition to their race; -and, indeed, it has been allowed by many whites who have lived among -them, that they are, in general, pretty good physiognomists. They are -very quick among themselves in giving a name to a stranger or person -of note that comes to them, and that name is always significant or -descriptive of something remarkable which they have observed about his -person, which serves them to remember him as a friend or otherwise, -as the case may be; when they believe a person to be their friend, -they will do everything in their power to oblige him, it being their -principle that “good ought always to be rewarded with good.” They -prefer a plain man, simple in his manners and who treats them with -frankness and familiarity. Such a man, they say, loves them. From a -proud haughty man they do not expect friendship; whatever may be his -professions, they think him incapable of loving anybody but himself, or -perhaps, at most, his equal, and that, they think, an Indian can, in -his opinion, never be. - -They sometimes amuse themselves by passing in review those customs of -the white people which appear to them most striking. They observe, -amongst other things, that when the whites meet together, many of them, -and sometimes all, speak at the same time, and they wonder how they -can thus hear and understand each other. “Among us,” they say “only -one person speaks at a time, and the others listen to him until he has -done, after which, and not before, another begins to speak.” They say -also that the whites speak too much, and that much talk disgraces a -man and is fit only for women. On this subject they shrewdly observe, -that it is well for the whites that they have the art of writing, and -can write down their words and speeches; for had they, like themselves, -to transmit them to posterity by means of strings and belts of wampum, -they would want for their own use all the wampum that could be made, -and none would be left for the Indians. - -They wonder that the white people are striving so much to get rich, and -to heap up treasures in this world which they cannot carry with them to -the next. They ascribe this to pride and to the desire of being called -rich and great. They say that there is enough in this world to live -upon, without laying anything by, and as to the next world, it contains -plenty of everything, and they will find all their wants satisfied -when they arrive there. They, therefore, do not lay up any stores, but -merely take with them when they die as much as is necessary for their -journey to the world of spirits. - -They believe, or, at least, pretend to believe, that the white people -have weak eyes, or are near-sighted. “For,” say they, “when we Indians -come among them, they crowd quite close up to us, stare at us, and -almost tread upon our heels to get nearer. We, on the contrary, though, -perhaps, not less curious than they are, to see a new people or a -new object, keep at a reasonable distance, and yet see what we wish -to see.” They also remark, that when the white people meet together, -they speak very loud, although near to each other, from whence they -conclude that they must be hard of hearing. “As to us,” they say, “we -never speak loud when we come together, and yet we understand each -other distinctly; we only speak in a high tone of voice before a public -audience, in council, at the head of our warriors, or when we are met -together for some important purpose.” - -The Indians also observe, that the white people must have a great many -thieves among them, since they put locks to their doors, which shews -great apprehension that their property otherwise would not be safe: -“As to us,” say they, “we entertain no such fears; thieves are very -rare among us, and we have no instance of any person breaking into a -house. Our Indian lock is, when we go out, to set the corn pounder or a -billet of wood against the door, so that it may be seen that no body is -within, and there is no danger that any Indian would presume to enter -a house thus secured.” Let me be permitted to illustrate this by an -anecdote. - -In the year 1771, while I was residing on the Big Beaver, I passed -by the door of an Indian, who was a trader, and had consequently -a quantity of goods in his house. He was going with his wife to -Pittsburg, and they were shutting up the house, as no person remained -in it during their absence. This shutting up was nothing else than -putting a large hominy pounding-block, with a few sticks of wood -outside against the door, so as to keep it closed. As I was looking -at this man with attention while he was so employed, he addressed -me in these words: “See my friend, this is an Indian lock that I am -putting to my door.” I answered, “Well enough; but I see you leave much -property in the house, are you not afraid that those articles will be -stolen while you are gone?”--“Stolen! by whom?”--“Why, by Indians, to -be sure.”--“No, no,” replied he, “no Indian would do such a thing, and -unless a white man or white people should happen to come this way, I -shall find all safe on my return.” - -The Indians say, that when the white people encamp in the woods they -are sure to lose something; that when they are gone, something or -another is always found which they have lost, such as a knife, flints, -bullets, and sometimes even money. They also observe that the whites -are not so attentive as they are to choosing an open dry spot for their -encampment; that they will at once set themselves down in any dirty -and wet place, provided they are under large trees; that they never -look about to see which way the wind blows, so as to be able to lay the -wood for their fires in such a position that the smoke may not blow -on them; neither do they look up the trees to see whether there are -not dead limbs that may fall on them while they are asleep; that any -wood will do for them to lay on their fires, whether it be dry or wet, -and half rotten, so that they are involved during the whole night in -a cloud of smoke; or they take such wood as young green oak, walnut, -cherry, chestnut, &c, which throws sparks out to a great distance, so -that their blankets and clothes get holes burned in them, and sometimes -their whole camp takes fire. They also remark that the whites hang -their kettles and pots over a fire just kindled, and before the great -body of smoke has passed away. - -They, however, acknowledge that the whites are ingenious, that they -make axes, guns, knives, hoes, shovels, pots and kettles, blankets, -shirts, and other very convenient articles, to which they have now -become accustomed, and which they can no longer do without. “Yet,” -say they, “our forefathers did without all these things, and we have -never heard, nor has any tradition informed us that they were at a loss -for the want of them; therefore we must conclude that they also were -ingenious; and, indeed, we know that they were; for they made axes of -stone to cut with, and bows and arrows to kill the game: they made -knives and arrows’ points with sharp flint stones and bones, hoes and -shovels from the shoulder blade of the elk and buffaloe; they made -pots of clay, garments of skins, and ornaments with the feathers of -the turkey, goose and other birds. They were not in want of anything, -the game was plenty and tame, the dart shot from our arrows did not -frighten them as the report of the gun now does; we had therefore -everything that we could reasonably require; we lived happy!” - -Finally, they think, that the white people have learned much of them in -the art of war; for when they first began to fight the Indians, they -stood all together in a cluster, and suffered themselves to be shot -down like turkies. They also make a distinction between a _warrior_ and -a _murderer_, which, as they explain it, is not much to our advantage. -“It is not,” say they, “the number of scalps alone which a man brings -with him that prove him to be a brave warrior. Cowards have been known -to return, and bring scalps home, which they had taken where they knew -there was no danger, where no attack was expected and no opposition -made. Such was the case with those who killed the Conestogoes at and -near Lancaster, the Christian Indians on the Muskingum, the friendly -Indians near Pittsburg, and a great number of scattered, peaceable men -of our nation, who were all murdered by _cowards_. It was not thus that -the _Black Snake_,[182] the great General Wayne acted; he was a true -warrior and a brave man; he was equal to any of the chiefs that we -have, equal to any that we ever had.” - -Thus, the Indians, while they deeply resent the wrongs and injuries -which they have suffered, yet pay due homage to worth, bravery, and -military skill, even in an enemy. Strong as their feelings are, they do -not extinguish their sense of justice, and they are still generously -disposed to allow that there are great and good individuals among a -race of men, who, they believe, have doomed them to utter destruction. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -FOOD AND COOKERY. - - -The principal food of the Indians consists of the game which they -take or kill in the woods, the fish out of the waters, and the -maize, potatoes, beans, pumpkins, squashes, cucumbers, melons, and -occasionally cabbages and turnips, which they raise in their fields; -they make use also of various roots of plants, fruits, nuts, and -berries out of the woods, by way of relish or as a seasoning to their -victuals, sometimes also from necessity. - -They commonly make two meals every day, which, they say, is enough. -If any one should feel hungry between meal-times, there is generally -something in the house ready for him. - -The hunter prefers going out with his gun on an empty stomach; he says, -that hunger stimulates him to exertion by reminding him continually -of his wants, whereas a full stomach makes a hunter easy, careless, -and lazy, ever thinking of his home and losing his time to no purpose. -With all their industry, nevertheless, and notwithstanding this strong -stimulant, many a day passes over their heads that they have not met -with any kind of game, nor consequently tasted a morsel of victuals; -still they go on with their chase, in hopes of being able to carry some -provisions home, and do not give up the pursuit until it is so dark -that they can see no longer. - -The morning and evening, they say, are the precious hours for the -hunter. They lose nothing by sleeping in the middle of the day, that is -to say, between ten o’clock in the morning and four in the afternoon, -except in dark, cloudy, and rainy weather, when the whole day is nearly -equally good for hunting. Therefore the hunter, who happens to have no -meat in the house, will be off and in the woods before daylight, and -strive to be in again for breakfast with a deer, turkey, goose, bear, -or raccoon, or some other game then in season. Meanwhile, his wife -has pounded her corn, now boiling on the fire, and baked her bread, -which gives them a good breakfast. If, however, the husband is not -returned by ten o’clock in the forenoon, the family take their meal by -themselves, and his share is put aside for him when he comes home. - -The Indians have a number of manners of preparing their corn. They -make an excellent pottage of it, by boiling it with fresh or dried -meat (the latter pounded), dried pumpkins, dry beans, and chestnuts. -They sometimes sweeten it with sugar or molasses from the sugar-maple -tree. Another very good dish is prepared by boiling with their corn or -maize, the washed kernels of the shell-bark or hickory nut. They pound -the nuts in a block or mortar, pouring a little warm water on them, -and gradually a little more as they become dry, until, at last, there -is a sufficient quantity of water, so that by stirring up the pounded -nuts the broken shells separate from the liquor, which from the pounded -kernels assumes the appearance of milk. This being put into the kettle -and mixed with the pottage gives it a rich and agreeable flavour. If -the broken shells do not all freely separate by swimming on the top or -sinking to the bottom, the liquor is strained through a clean cloth, -before it is put into the kettle. - -They also prepare a variety of dishes from the pumpkin, the squash, and -the green French or kidney beans; they are very particular in their -choice of pumpkins and squashes, and in their manner of cooking them. -The women say that the less water is put to them, the better dish they -make, and that it would be still better if they were stewed without any -water, merely in the steam of the sap which they contain. They cover up -the pots in which they cook them with large leaves of the pumpkin vine, -cabbages, or other leaves of the larger kind. They make an excellent -preserve from the cranberry and crab-apple, to which, after it has been -well stewed, they add a proper quantity of sugar or molasses. - -Their bread is of two kinds; one made up of green corn while in the -milk, and another of the same grain when fully ripe and quite dry. -This last is pounded as fine as possible, then sifted and kneaded into -dough, and afterwards made up into cakes of six inches in diameter and -about an inch in thickness, rounded off on the edge. In baking these -cakes, they are extremely particular; the ashes must be clean and hot, -and if possible come out of good dry oak barks, which they say gives -a brisk and durable heat. In the dough of this kind of bread, they -frequently mix boiled pumpkins, green or dried, dry beans, or well -pared chestnuts, boiled in the same manner, dried venison well pounded, -whortleberries, green or dry, but not boiled, sugar and other palatable -ingredients. For the other kind of bread, the green corn is either -pounded or mashed, is put in broad green corn blades, generally filled -in with a ladle, well wrapped up, and baked in the ashes, like the -other. They consider this as a very delicate morsel, but to me it is -too sweet. - -Their _Psindamócan_ or _Tassmanánc_, as they call it, is the most -nourishing and durable food made out of the Indian corn. The blue -sweetish kind is the grain which they prefer for that purpose. They -parch it in clean hot ashes, until it bursts, it is then sifted and -cleaned, and pounded in a mortar into a kind of flour, and when they -wish to make it very good, they mix some sugar with it. When wanted for -use, they take about a table spoonful of this flour in their mouths, -then stooping to the river or brook, drink water to it. If, however, -they have a cup or other small vessel at hand, they put the flour in -it and mix it with water, in the proportion of one table spoonful to a -pint. At their camps they will put a small quantity in a kettle with -water and let it boil down, and they will have a thick pottage. With -this food, the traveller and warrior will set out on long journeys and -expeditions, and as a little of it will serve them for a day, they have -not a heavy load of provisions to carry. Persons who are unacquainted -with this diet ought to be careful not to take too much at a time, and -not to suffer themselves to be tempted too far by its flavour; more -than one or two spoonfuls at most at any one time or at one meal is -dangerous; for it is apt to swell in the stomach or bowels, as when -heated over a fire. - -Their meat they either boil, roast, or broil. Their roasting is done by -running a wooden spit through the meat, sharpened at each end, which -they place near the fire, and occasionally turn. They broil on clean -coals, drawn off from the fire for that purpose. They often laugh at -the white hunters, for baking their bread in dirty ashes, and being -alike careless of cleanliness when they broil their meat. They are fond -of dried venison, pounded in a mortar and dipped in bear’s oil. The -Delawares, Mohicans, and Shawanos are very particular in their choice -of meats, and nothing short of the most pressing hunger can induce them -to eat of certain animals, such as the horse, dog, wild cat, panther, -fox, muskrat, wolf, &c., all which I have several times seen the -Chippeways feast upon with a seemingly good appetite. The Iroquois are -said to have been formerly very dirty in their eating. They dried the -entrails of animals without cleaning, or even emptying them of their -contents; then cut them into pieces and put them into their pottage, -by way of seasoning.[183] The late Mr. Zeisberger has often related to -me how he once mistook for black pepper or some other kind of spice, a -certain unpleasant ingredient which he found floating in small grains -on the surface of their broth. - -Far different in this respect are the Lenape and their kindred tribes, -particularly the three which I have named above. They are not only -cleanly in their eating, but even delicate, and they will sometimes -resist the pressing calls of hunger rather than eat the flesh of those -animals which they consider as not being proper food for man. Of this I -shall give an instance in the following anecdote. - -I was travelling in the spring of 1773, from Muskingum to the Big -Beaver, with more than twenty Indians, five of whom were old men -and the rest women and children, all (except our guide) strangers -to the country, having come but the year before from Wyalusing on -the Susquehannah. Having been at one time confined two days by the -overflowing of two large creeks, between which we were, we found our -provisions at an end. Every man who had a gun was called upon to turn -out into the woods, and try to kill something. Their endeavours, -however, were to no purpose; the day passed away, and they all, except -the well-known _Popunhank_[184] who had lost himself, returned to camp -at night without bringing any thing of the meat kind but a wild cat, -which our guide had shot. The Indians never despair, not even in the -worst of times and under the severest trials; when placed in difficult -situations they never use discouraging language, but always endeavour -to raise their spirits and prevent them from sinking, under the -hardships or dangers to which they are exposed. True to this national -character, one of our old Indians immediately pronounced this wild cat -to be “good, very good eating,” and it was immediately ordered to be -put on the spit and roasted for our supper. While this was performing, -the old Indian endeavoured to divert the company by extolling in a -jocular manner the country they had now got into, and where such good -things were to be had; to which some one or other of the old men would -reply; “all very true.” At length, about nine o’clock at night, the -call was given by the old cook (for so I now call him) that the meat -was done and we might come in to eat. I, who had heard so much in -praise of this repast, being greatly pinched with hunger, had kept -myself in readiness for this expected call; but seeing nobody rise, -and observing much merriment through the camp, I began to suspect that -something was the matter, and therefore kept my seat. The night was -spent without any body attempting to eat of the wild cat, and in the -morning a different call was given by one of the old men, signifying -that a large kettle of tea had been made by some of the good women, -who invited all to come and take their share of it. Every one obeyed -this call, and I went with the rest, the jovial old cook taking the -roasted wild cat with him to the mess. The scene was not only very -diverting, but brought on an interesting discussion between the men on -the propriety or impropriety of eating the flesh of all animals without -restriction, some contending that they were all by the will of the -great Creator ordained for some use, and therefore put in the power of -man; and how were we to know which were intended for our nourishment -and which not? The old cook had himself taken that position, adding -that the hog and the bear fed on dirty things, and yet we ate their -meat with a good appetite. The cat, however, notwithstanding all the -arguments in its favour, remained untouched, and was taken back by the -old hunter and cook to its former place at his fire. - -But now, Popunhank, whom we believed to be lost, and our guide, who -once more had gone out, and exerted himself in vain to kill a deer, -came in together. The guide had been desired as he pursued his hunt to -look for our lost companion, and had the good luck to find him at the -distance of five or six miles, with a fine deer that he had killed. He -lost no time in bringing him back to our camp. - -The sight of these two men dragging a large deer along was truly -joyful to us, as well on account of the recovery of our lost friend, -as of the meat that he brought. All felt the cravings of hunger, all -were delighted with the certain prospect of immediate relief, yet no -boisterous or extraordinary rejoicing took place, but all called out -with one voice: _Anischi! Anischi!_ we are thankful. The wild cat, -which yet remained untouched, was thrown out of the camp, and dismissed -by the old cook with these words: “Go, cat, we do not want you this -time!” - -The woods and waters, at certain times and seasons, furnish to the -Indians an abundant supply of wholesome nourishing food, which, if -carefully gathered, cured and stored up, would serve them for the -whole year, so that none need perish or even suffer from hunger; but -they are not accustomed to laying in stores of provisions, except -some Indian corn, dry beans and a few other articles. Hence they -are sometimes reduced to great straits, and not seldom in absolute -want of the necessaries of life, especially in the time of war. Yet, -notwithstanding the numerous famines they have been visited with, they -have among their traditions but one instance on record in which an -human life was taken for the support of others, although they relate -many cases in which numbers of them were actually starved to death. The -case I allude to was so singular a circumstance, that it seems the -cruel act to which it gave rise was almost unavoidable. I shall relate -it here as I have received it from the most unquestionable authority. - -In the winter of 1739-40, ever since remembered as the hard winter, -when the ground was covered with a very deep snow, a woman with three -children, was coming from beyond the Allegheny mountains on a visit -to her friends or relations residing at the great island on the west -branch of the Susquehannah. After she had reached that river somewhere -about _Achtschingi Clammui_, which the whites have corrupted into -_Chingleclamoose_,[185] the snow fell in earlier than had been before -known, to such a depth, that she could not proceed any farther. She -began with putting herself and her children on short allowance, in -hopes that the weather might become more moderate, or the snow so hard -that they could walk over it. She strove to make her little store -of provisions last as long as she could, by using the grass which -grew on the river’s edge, and certain barks as substitutes, which -she boiled to make them digestible; but more snow falling, until at -last it rose to the height of a fathom or six feet, she was deprived -even of that wretched food, and the wolves hovering about day and -night, often attempting to rush into her little encampment, her whole -time was taken up with procuring wood and making fires to prevent -herself and her children from being frozen to death, and keeping those -voracious animals at a distance by throwing out fire-brands to them. -Her situation, at last, became intolerable. Having no alternative but -that of sacrificing one of her children, she resolved on destroying the -youngest, in order to preserve the others and herself from the most -dreadful death. After much hesitation, she turned away her eyes and -with a trembling hand gave the fatal stroke, filling at the same time -the air with her loud lamentations.--She now thought she had obtained -a temporary relief, and that she might be able to support herself and -her surviving children until a change in the weather should take place, -so that they could be able to proceed on their journey; but the wolves -getting the scent of the slaughtered child, became more furious than -before, her danger every moment became more imminent. She now filled -the air with her cries and supplications to the Great Spirit that he -would look down with compassion on their awful condition, and save them -by his almighty power.--But still the danger increased, the horrid food -was almost exhausted, and no relief came. Already she contemplated -sacrificing another child; she looked at each of them again and -again with a mother’s eye, now resolving on killing the one, then -changing her mind, and endeavouring to determine on the destruction -of the other; she hesitated, wept, despaired, and the children, well -understanding what she meant, prayed that they might all die together. -While in this situation, her hand already lifted to strike the fatal -stroke, the yell of two approaching Indians strikes her ear, and the -murderous weapon falls from her hand. The men with rackets to their -feet now appear and the dreadful scene is at once closed. They had -provisions with them. They made a pair of rackets for the woman to walk -on, and brought her and her children along in safety to the Big Island, -where my informants resided at the time. I cannot remember whether they -told me that they had gone to that spot in consequence of a dream, or -of some strong presentiment that they should find human creatures in -distress; certain I am, however, that it was owing to one or other of -these causes. - -The place where this awful event took place was since called _Enda -Mohátink_, which means “where human flesh was eaten.” This name has -been very familiar to the Indians who resided in that part of the -country. - -There is a spot of land at the edge of the great Pine or Beech Swamp, -precisely where it is crossed by the road leading to Wyoming, which -is called _the Hermit’s Field_, and of which the following account is -given. A short time before the white people came into Pennsylvania, -a woman from some cause or other had separated herself from society, -and with her young son, had taken her abode in this swamp, where she -remained undiscovered until the boy grew up to manhood, procuring a -livelihood by the use of the bow and arrow, in killing deer, turkeys -and other animals, planting corn and vegetables, and gathering and -curing nuts and berries of various kinds. When after her long seclusion -she again saw Indians, she was much astonished to find them dressed -in European apparel. She had become so attached to her place of -abode, that she again[186] returned thither and remained there for -several years. I was shewn by the Indians in the year 1765, and often -afterwards, the corn hills that she had made; the ground, being a stiff -clay, was not wasted or worn down, but was covered with bushes, and the -traces of the labour of the female hermit were plainly discoverable. - -Thus the Indians will support themselves in the midst of the greatest -difficulties, never despairing of their fate, but trusting to their -exertions, and to the protection of the Almighty Being who created -them. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -DRESS, AND ORNAMENTING OF THEIR PERSONS. - - -In ancient times, the dress of the Indians was made of the skins of -animals and feathers. This clothing, they say, was not only warmer, but -lasted much longer than any woollen goods they have since purchased of -the white people. They can dress any skin, even that of the buffaloe, -so that it becomes quite soft and supple, and a good buffaloe or bear -skin blanket will serve them many years without wearing out. Beaver -and raccoon skin blankets are also pliant, warm and durable; they sew -together as many of those skins as is necessary, carefully setting -the hair or fur all the same way, so that the blanket or covering be -smooth, and the rain do not penetrate, but run off. In wearing these -fur blankets they are regulated by the weather; if it is cold and dry -the fur is placed next the body, but in warm and wet weather, they -have it outside. Some made themselves long frocks of fine fur, and -the women’s petticoats in the winter season were also made of them, -otherwise of dressed deer skins, the same as their shirts, leggings and -shoes. They say that shoes made of dressed bear skins, with the hair on -and turned inside, are very warm, and in dry weather, durable. With the -large rib bones of the elk and buffaloe they shaved the hair off the -skins they dressed, and even now, they say that they can clean a skin -as well with a well prepared rib-bone as with a knife. - -The blankets made from feathers were also warm and durable. They were -the work of the women, particularly of the old, who delight in such -work, and indeed, in any work which shews that they are able to do -their parts and be useful to society. It requires great patience, being -the most tedious kind of work I have ever seen them perform, yet they -do it in a most ingenious manner. The feathers, generally those of the -turkey and goose, are so curiously arranged and interwoven together -with thread or twine, which they prepare from the rind or bark of -the wild hemp and nettle, that ingenuity and skill cannot be denied -them. They show the same talent and much forethought in making their -_Happis_, the bands with which they carry their bags and other burdens; -they make these very strong and lasting. - -The present dress of the Indians is well known to consist in blankets, -plain or ruffled shirts and leggings for the men, and petticoats for -the women, made of cloth, generally red, blue, or black. The wealthy -adorn themselves besides with ribands or gartering of various colours, -beads and silver broaches. These ornaments are arranged by the women, -who, as well as the men, know how to dress themselves in style. Those -of the men principally consist in the painting of themselves, their -head and face principally, shaving or good clean garments, silver arm -spangles and breast plates, and a belt or two of wampum hanging to -their necks. The women, at the expense of their husbands or lovers, -line their petticoat and blue or scarlet cloth blanket or covering with -choice ribands of various colours, or with gartering, on which they fix -a number of silver broaches, or small round buckles. They adorn their -leggings in the same manner; their mocksens, (properly _Maxen_, or -according to the English pronunciation _Moxen_), are embroidered in the -neatest manner, with coloured porcupine quills, and are besides, almost -entirely covered with various trinkets; they have, moreover, a number -of little bells and brass thimbles fixed round their ancles, which, -when they 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 admire 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 husbands; there is a mode -of painting which is left entirely to loose women and prostitutes. - -As I 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 acquaintance and friend of mine. I found him engaged in plucking -out his beard, preparatory to painting himself for a dance which was to -take place the ensuing 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 he came _to be seen_. To my utter astonishment, -I saw three different paintings or figures on one and the same face. -He had, by his great ingenuity and judgment in laying on and shading -the different colours, made his nose appear, when we stood directly in -front of him, as if it were very long and narrow, with a round knob -at the end, much like the upper part of a pair of tongs. On one cheek -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 we viewed him in -profile on one side, his nose represented the beak of an eagle, with -the bill rounded and brought to a point, precisely as those birds have -it, though the mouth was somewhat open. The eye was astonishingly well -done, and the head, upon the whole, appeared tolerably well, shewing -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 his -execution, and having his looking-glass with him, he contemplated his -work, seemingly with great pride and exultation. He asked me how I -liked it? I answered that if he had done the work on a piece of board, -bark, or anything else, I should like it very well and often look at -it. But, asked he, why not so as it is? Because I cannot see the face -that is hidden under these colours, so as to know who it is. Well, he -replied, I must go now, and as you cannot know me to-day, I will call -to-morrow morning before you leave this place. He did so, and when he -came back he was washed clean again. - -Thus, for a single night’s _frolic_, a whole day is spent in what they -call dressing, in which each strives to outdo the other. - -When the men paint their thighs, legs and breast, they, generally, -after laying on a thin shading coat of a darkish colour, and sometimes -of a whitish clay, dip their fingers’ ends in black or red paint, and -drawing it on with their outspread fingers, bring the streaks to a -serpentine form. The garments of some of their principal actors are -singular, and decorated with such a number of gewgaws and trinkets, -that it is impossible to give a precise description of them. Neither -are they all alike in taste, every one dressing himself according to -his fancy, or the custom of the tribe to which he belongs. While the -women, as I have already said, have thimbles and little bells rattling -at their ancles, the men have deers’ claws fixed to their braced -garters or knee bands, and also to their shoes, for the same purpose; -for they consider jingling and rattling as indispensably necessary to -their performances in the way of dancing. - -The notion formerly entertained that the Indians are beardless by -nature and have no hair on their bodies, appears now to be exploded -and entirely laid aside. I cannot conceive how it is possible for any -person to pass three weeks only among those people, without seeing -them pluck out their beards, with tweezers made expressly for that -purpose. Before the Europeans came into the country, their apparatus -for performing this work, consisted of a pair of muscle shells, -sharpened on a gritty stone, which answered very well, being somewhat -like pincers; but since they can obtain wire, of which that of brass is -preferred, they make themselves tweezers, which they always carry with -them in their tobacco-pouch, wherever they go, and when at leisure, -they pluck out their beards or the hair above their foreheads. This -they do in a very quick manner, much like the plucking of a fowl, and -the oftener they pluck out their hair, the finer it grows afterwards, -so that at last there appears hardly any, the whole having been rooted -out. The principal reasons which they give for thus plucking out their -beards and the hair next to their foreheads, 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_ themselves, a custom formerly -much in use among them, especially with those who had distinguished -themselves by their valour, and acquired celebrity. They say that -either painting or tattooing on a hairy face or body would have a -disgusting appearance. - -As late as the year 1762, when I resided at Tuscorawas on the -Muskingum, tattooing was still practised by some Indians; a valiant -chief of that village, named _Wawundochwalend_, desirous of having -another name given him, had the figure of a water-lizard engraved -or tattooed on his face, above the chin, when he received the name -_Twakachshawsu_, the water-lizard. The process of tattooing, which I -once saw performed, 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 tattooed are marked or designed on the skin; -the operator with a small stick, rather larger than a common 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 this powder is -laid and left on to dry. Before the whites came into this country, -they scarified themselves for this purpose with sharp flint stones, or -pricked themselves with the sharp teeth of a fish. - -In the year 1742, a veteran warrior of the Lenape nation and Monsey -tribe, renowned among his own people for his bravery and prowess, and -equally dreaded by their enemies, joined the Christian Indians who -then resided at this place.[187] This man, who was then at an advanced -age, had a most striking appearance, and could not be viewed without -astonishment. Besides that his body was full of scars, where he had -been struck and pierced by the arrows of the enemy, there was not a -spot to be seen, on that part of it which was exposed to view, but what -was tattooed over with some drawing relative to his achievements, so -that the whole together struck the beholder with amazement and terror. -On his whole face, neck, shoulders, arms, thighs and legs, as well as -on his breast and back, were represented scenes of the various actions -and engagements he had been in; in short, the whole of his history -was there deposited, which was well known to those of his nation, and -was such that all who heard it thought it could never be surpassed by -man.[188] Far from, murdering those who were defenceless or unarmed, -his generosity, as well as his courage and skill in the art of war, -was acknowledged by all. When, after his conversion, he was questioned -about his warlike feats, he frankly and modestly answered, “That being -now taken captive by _Jesus Christ_, it did not become him to relate -the deeds he had done while in the service of the evil spirit; but -that he was willing to give an account in the manner in which he had -been _conquered_.” At his baptism, on the 23d of December 1742, he -received the name of _Michael_, which he preserved until his death, -which happened on the 23rd of July 1756. He led the life of a true -Christian, and was always ready and willing to relate the history of -his conversion, which I heard myself from his own mouth. His age, when -he died, was supposed to be about eighty years. - -The cutting of the ears, which formerly was practised among the -Indians, is now no longer so common with them. Their reasons for laying -this custom aside, are that the operation is painful, not only when -performed, but until the ears are perfectly healed, which takes a -long time, and that they often lose that part of their ears which is -separated from the solid part, by its being torn off by the bushes, or -falling off when frost-bitten. I once heard of a gay Indian setting -off on a severe cold morning for a neighbouring village not more than -three miles distant, whose ears had been touched by the frost, and -dropped off before he arrived at the place to which he was going. He -had not even felt that he had lost them, and when told of it, he was -so chagrined that he was going to destroy himself. I have seen a great -many Indians with torn ears; but now the custom of cutting them is -nearly if not entirely disused. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -DANCES, SONGS, AND SACRIFICES. - - -The dances of the Indians vary according to the purposes for which -they are intended. We have seen, in the second chapter of this work, -that when the Dutch first landed on New York island, the inhabitants -who believed them to be celestial beings, began a solemn dance, in -order to propitiate them. It is not uncommon for men who are deprived -of the light of revealed religion, to believe that the divinity will -be pleased with the same things from which they themselves receive -pleasure. - -It is a pleasing spectacle to see the Indian dances, when intended -merely for social diversion and innocent amusement. I acknowledge I -would prefer being present at them for a full hour, than a few minutes -only at such dances as I have witnessed in our country taverns among -the white people. Their songs are by no means unharmonious. They sing -in chorus; first the men and then the women. At times the women join -in the general song, or repeat the strain which the men have just -finished. It seems like two parties singing in questions and answers, -and is upon the whole very agreeable and enlivening. After thus -singing for about a quarter of an hour, they conclude each song with -a loud yell, which I must confess is not in concord with the rest of -the music; it is not unlike the cat-bird which closes its pretty song -with mewing like a cat. I do not admire this _finale_. The singing -always begins by one person only, but others soon fall in successively -until the general chorus begins, the drum beating all the while to -mark the time. The voices of the women are clear and full, and their -intonations generally correct. - -Their war dances have nothing engaging; their object, on the contrary, -is to strike terror in the beholders. They are dressed and painted, or -rather bedaubed with paint, in a manner suitable to the occasion. They -hold the murderous weapon in their hand, and imitate in their dance -all the warlike attitudes, motions and actions which are usual in an -engagement with the enemy, and strive to excel each other by their -terrific looks and gestures. They generally perform round a painted -post set up for that purpose, in a large room or place enclosed or -surrounded with posts, and roofed with the bark of trees; sometimes -also this dance is executed in the open air. There every man presents -himself in warrior’s array, contemptuously looking upon the painted -post, as if it was the enemy whom he was about to engage; as he passes -by it he strikes, stabs, grasps, pretends to scalp, to cut, to run -through; in short, endeavours to shew what he would do to a real enemy, -if he had him in his power. - -It was an ancient custom among the Indians to perform this dance round -a prisoner, and as they danced, to make him undergo every kind of -torture, previous to putting him to death. The prisoner appeared to -partake in the merriment, contemptuously scoffing at his executioner, -as being unskilled in the art of inflicting torments: strange as this -conduct may appear, it was not without a sufficient motive. The object -of the unfortunate sufferer was to rouse his relentless tormentors to -such a pitch of fury, that some of them might, at an unguarded moment, -give him the finishing stroke and put him out of his pain. - -Previous to going out on a warlike campaign, the war-dance is always -performed round the painted post. It is the Indian mode of recruiting. -Whoever joins in the dance is considered as having enlisted for the -campaign, and is obliged to go out with the party. - -After returning from a successful expedition, a dance of _thanksgiving_ -is always performed, which partakes of the character of a religious -ceremony. It is accompanied with singing and choruses, in which the -women join. But they take no part in the rest of the performance. At -the end of every song, the _scalp-yell_ is shouted as many times as -there have been scalps taken from the enemy. - -The Indians also meet occasionally for the purpose of recounting -their warlike exploits, which is done in a kind of half-singing or -_recitative_. The oldest warrior recites first, then they go on in -rotation and in order of seniority, the drum beating all the time, as -it were to give to the relation the greater appearance of reality. -After each has made a short recital in his turn, they begin again -in the same order, and so continue going the rounds, in a kind of -alternate chanting, until every one has concluded. On these occasions, -great care must be taken not to give offence by affecting superiority -over the others, for every warrior feels his own consequence, and is -ready, if insulted, to shew by his actions, what he has performed in -war and is still able to do. I well remember an instance of the kind, -when an insulted warrior stepped out of the circle in which he was -dancing, and struck dead the impudent boaster who had offended him. - -Their songs are in general of the warlike or of the tender and pathetic -kind. They are sung in short sentences, not without some kind of -measure, harmonious to an Indian ear. The music is well adapted to the -words, and to me is not unpleasing. I would not attempt to give an idea -of it by means of our musical notes, as has been done by other writers, -lest I should be as unsuccessful as those who have tried in the same -manner to describe the melodies of the ancient Greeks. It would be well -if I could describe at one and the same time the whole combination of -effects which acted upon my ear, but it is vain to endeavour to do it -partially. It is, indeed, much the same with their poetry; yet I cannot -resist the temptation of translating as well as I can, the words of -the Lenape’s song, when they go out to war. They sing it, as I give -it here, in short lines or sentences, not always the whole at one -time, but most generally in detached parts, as time permits and as the -occasion or their feelings prompt them. Their accent is very pathetic, -and the whole, in their language, produces considerable effect. - - -THE SONG OF THE LENAPE WARRIORS GOING AGAINST THE ENEMY. - - “O poor me! - Whom am going out to fight the enemy, - And know not whether I shall return again, - To enjoy the embraces of my children - And my wife. - O poor creature! - Whose life is not in his own hands, - Who has no power over his own body, - But tries to do his duty - For the welfare of his nation. - O! thou Great Spirit above! - Take pity on my children - And on my wife! - Prevent their mourning on my account! - Grant that I may be successful in this attempt-- - That I may slay my enemy, - And bring home the trophies of war - To my dear family and friends, - That we may rejoice together. - O! take pity on me! - Give me strength and courage to meet my enemy, - Suffer me to return again to my children, - To my wife - And to my relations! - Take pity on me and preserve my life - And I will make to thee a sacrifice.” - -The song of the Wyandot warriors, as translated to me by an Indian -trader, would read thus: “Now I am going on an errand of pleasure--O! -God, take pity on me, and throw good fortune in my way--grant that I -may be successful.” - -Thus their Almighty Creator is always before their eyes on all -important occasions. They feel and acknowledge his supreme power. They -also endeavour to propitiate him by outward worship, or _sacrifices_. - -These are religious solemnities, intended to make themselves acceptable -to the Great Spirit, to find favor in his sight, and obtain his -forgiveness for past errors or offences. It is not, as some white -persons would lead us to believe, that knowing the Great Spirit to be -good, they are under no apprehensions from his wrath, and that they -make sacrifices to the evil spirit, believing him alone to be capable -of doing them hurt. This cannot be true of a people, who, as I have -already said in another part, hold it as a fixed principle “that good -and evil cannot and must not be united,” who declare and acknowledge -the great and good Spirit to be “all powerful,” and the evil one to -be “weak and limited in power;” who rely alone on the goodness of the -author of their existence, and who, before every thing, seek by all the -means in their power to obtain his favour and protection. For, they -are convinced, that the evil spirit has no power over them, as long as -they are in favour with the good one, and to him alone, acknowledging -his continued goodness to them and their forefathers, they look for -protection against the _Devil_, and his inferior spirits. - -It is a part of their religious belief, that there are inferior -_Mannittos_, to whom the great and good Being has given the rule -and command over the elements; that being so great, he, like their -chiefs, must have his attendants to execute his supreme behests; these -subordinate spirits (something in their nature between God and man) see -and report to him what is doing upon earth; they look down particularly -upon the Indians, to see whether they are in need of assistance, and -are ready at their call to assist and protect them against danger. - -Thus I have frequently witnessed Indians, on the approach of a storm -or thunder-gust, address the Mannitto of the air, to avert all danger -from them; I have also seen the Chippeways, on the Lakes of Canada, -pray to the Mannitto of the waters, that he might prevent the swells -from rising too high, while they were passing over them. In both -these instances, they expressed their acknowledgment, or shewed their -willingness to be grateful, by throwing tobacco in the air, or strewing -it on the waters. - -There are even some animals, which though they are not considered -as invested with power over them, yet are believed to be placed as -guardians over their lives; and of course entitled to some notice and -to some tokens of gratitude. Thus, when in the night, an owl is heard -sounding its note, or calling to its mate, some person in the camp will -rise, and taking some _Glicanican_, or Indian tobacco, will strew it on -the fire, thinking that the ascending smoke will reach the bird, and -that he will see that they are not unmindful of his services, and of -his kindness to them and their ancestors. This custom originated from -the following incident, which tradition has handed down to them. - -It happened at one time, when they were engaged in a war with a distant -and powerful nation, that a body of their warriors was in the camp, -fast asleep, no kind of danger at that moment being apprehended. -Suddenly, the great “Sentinel” over mankind, the _owl_, sounded the -alarm; all the birds of the species were alert at their posts, all at -once calling out, as if saying: “Up! up! Danger! Danger!” Obedient to -their call, every man jumped up in an instant; when, to their surprise, -they found that their enemy was in the very act of surrounding them, -and they would all have been killed in their sleep, if the owl had not -given them this timely warning. - -But, amidst all these superstitious notions, the supreme Mannitto, the -creator and preserver of heaven and earth, is the great object of their -adoration. On him they rest their hopes, to him they address their -prayers and make their solemn sacrifices. These religious ceremonies -are not always performed in the same manner. I had intended to have -given some details upon this subject, but I find that it has been -almost exhausted by other writers,[189] although I will not pretend -to say that they are correct on every point. But I do not wish to -repeat things which have already been told to the world over and over. -Therefore, if on some subjects, relating to the manners and customs of -the Indians, I should be thought to have passed over too quickly, and -not to have sufficiently entered into particulars, let it be understood -that I have done so to avoid the repetition of what others have said, -although I am afraid I have been inadvertently guilty of it in more -than one instance. I would not presume to communicate my little stock -of knowledge, if I did not think that it will add something to what is -already known. - -I do not recollect that it has already been mentioned, that previous -to entering upon the solemnity of their sacrifices, the Indians -prepare themselves by vomiting, fasting, and drinking decoctions from -certain prescribed plants. This they do to expel the evil which is -within them, and that they may with a pure conscience attend to the -_sacred performance_, for such they consider it. Nor is the object -of those sacrifices always the same; there are sacrifices of prayer -and sacrifices of thanksgiving, some for all the favours received by -them and their ancestors from the great Being, others for special or -particular benefits. After a successful war, they never fail to offer -up a sacrifice to the great Being, to return him thanks for having -given them courage and strength to destroy or conquer their enemies. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -SCALPING--WHOOPS OR YELLS--PRISONERS. - - -Scalping is a practice which the Indians say has obtained with their -nations for ages. I need not describe the manner in which the operation -is performed, it has been sufficiently done by others.[190] Indian -warriors think it necessary to bring home the scalps of those they have -killed or disabled, as visible proofs of their valour; otherwise they -are afraid that their relations of the combat and the account they give -of their individual prowess might be doubted or disbelieved. Those -scalps are dried up, painted and preserved as trophies, and a warrior -is esteemed in proportion to the number of them that he can shew. - -It is a well known fact that the Indians pluck out all their hair -except one tuft on the crown of their heads, but the reason of this -exception is not, perhaps, so well understood, which is no other than -to enable themselves to take off each other’s scalps in war with -greater facility. “When we go to fight an enemy,” say they, “we meet -on equal ground; and we take off each other’s scalps, if we can. The -conqueror, whoever he may be, is entitled to have something to shew -to prove his bravery and his triumph, and it would be _ungenerous_ in -a warrior to deprive an enemy of the means of acquiring that glory -of which he himself is in pursuit. A warrior’s conduct ought to be -_manly_, else he is _no man_.” As this custom prevails among all the -Indian nations, it would seem, as far as I have known, to be the result -of a tacit agreement among them, to leave the usual trophies of -victory accessible to the contending warriors on all sides; fearing, -perhaps, that if a different custom should be adopted by one nation -from motives of personal safety, or to destroy the warlike reputation -of their rivals or enemies, it might be easily imitated on the other -side, and there would be an end to Indian valour and heroism. Indeed, -it is certain, that all the weapons which the Indians make use of in -war are intended for _offence_, they have no breast-plates, helmets, -nor any arms or accoutrements of the defensive kind, and it is not -the least remarkable trait in their warlike character, that they make -it even a point of honour to offer a hold of their persons to their -enemy, by which if he should be possessed of greater skill or courage -than themselves, he may not only the more easily destroy them, but is -enabled to carry home their bloody spoils as trophies of his victory. - -I once remarked to an Indian that if such was their reason for letting -a tuft of hair grow on the top of their heads, they might as well -suffer the whole to remain, and I could not perceive why they were -so careful in plucking it out. To this observation he answered: “My -friend! a human being has but one head, and one scalp from that head is -sufficient to shew that it has been in my power. Were we to preserve a -whole head of hair as the white people do, _several_ scalps might be -made out of it, which would be _unfair_. Besides, the coward might thus -without danger share in the trophies of the brave warrior, and dispute -with him the honour of victory.” - -When the Indians relate their victories, they do not say that they have -taken so many “_scalps_,” but so many “_heads_,” in which they include -as well those whom they have scalped, but left alive (which is very -often[191] the case), and their prisoners, as those whom they have -killed. Nor does it follow, when they reckon or number the heads of -their prisoners, that they have been or are to be put to death. - -It is an awful spectacle to see the Indian warriors return home from -a successful expedition with their prisoners and the scalps taken in -battle. It is not unlike the return of a victorious army from the -field, with the prisoners and _colours_, taken from the enemy, but -the appearance is far more frightful and terrific. The scalps are -carried in front, fixed on the end of a thin pole, about five or six -inches[192] in length; the prisoners follow, and the warriors advance -shouting the dreadful _scalp-yell_, which has been called by some the -_death-halloo_, but improperly, for the reasons which I have already -mentioned. For every _head_ taken, dead or alive, a separate shout is -given. In this yell or whoop, there is a mixture of triumph and terror; -its elements, if I may so speak, seem to be _glory_ and _fear_, so as -to express at once the feelings of the shouting warriors, and those -with which they have inspired their enemies. - -Different from this yell is the _alarm-whoop_, which is never sounded -but when danger is at hand. It is performed in quick succession, much -as with us the repeated cry of _Fire! Fire!_ when the alarm is very -great and lives are known or believed to be in danger. Both this and -the scalp-yell consist of the sounds _aw_ and _oh_, successively -uttered, the last more accented, and sounded higher than the first; -but in the _scalp-yell_, this last sound is drawn out at great -length, as long indeed as the breath will hold, and is raised about -an octave higher than the former; while in the _alarm-whoop_, it is -rapidly struck on as it were, and only a few notes above the other. -These yells or whoops are dreadful indeed, and well calculated to -strike with terror, those whom long habit has not accustomed to them. -It is difficult to describe the impression which the _scalp-yell_, -particularly, makes on a person who hears it for the first time. - -I am now come to a painful part of my subject; the manner in which -the Indians treat the prisoners whom they take in war. It must not -be expected that I shall describe here the long protracted tortures -which are inflicted on those who are doomed to the fatal pile, nor the -constancy and firmness which the sufferers display, singing their death -songs and scoffing all the while at their tormentors. Enough of other -writers have painted these scenes, with all their disgusting horrors; -nor shall I, a Christian, endeavour to excuse or palliate them. But -I may be permitted to say, that those dreadful executions are by no -means so frequent as is commonly imagined. The prisoners are generally -adopted by the families of their conquerors in the place of lost or -deceased relations or friends, where they soon become domesticated, -and are so kindly treated that they never wish themselves away again. -I have seen even white men, who, after such adoption, were given up by -the Indians in compliance with the stipulations of treaties, take the -first opportunity to escape from their own country and return with all -possible speed to their Indian homes; I have seen the Indians, while -about delivering them up, put them at night in the stocks, to prevent -their escaping and running back to them. - -It is but seldom that prisoners are put to death by burning and -torturing. It hardly ever takes place except when a nation has suffered -great losses in war, and it is thought necessary to revenge the death -of their warriors slain in battle, or when wilful and deliberate -murders have been committed by an enemy of[193] their innocent women -and children, in which case the first prisoners taken are almost sure -of being sacrificed by way of retaliation. But when a war has been -successful, or unattended with remarkable acts of treachery, or cruelty -on the part of the enemy, the prisoners receive a milder treatment, and -are incorporated with the nation of their conquerors. - -Much has been said on the subject of the preliminary 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, I 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 mind of -the prisoner. On entering the village, he is shewn a painted post at -the distance of from twenty to forty yards, and told to run to it and -catch hold of it as quickly as he can. On each side of him stand men, -women and children, with axes, sticks, and other offensive weapons, -ready to strike him as he 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 shews a determined 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 reaching the desired point, he will have the -satisfaction to hear his courage and bravery applauded. But woe to the -coward who hesitates, or shews 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 opportunity to proceed with a trader -to Detroit, I witnessed a scene of this description which fully -exemplified what I have above stated. Three American prisoners were one -day brought in by fourteen warriors from the garrison of Fort M’Intosh. -As soon as they had crossed the Sandusky river, to which the village -lay adjacent, they were told by the Captain of the party to run as hard -as they could to a painted post which was shewn to them. The youngest -of the three, without a moment’s hesitation, immediately started for -it, and reached it fortunately without receiving 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 men, women and children with weapons in -their hands, ready to strike him, kept begging the Captain to spare -his life, saying he was a mason, and he would build him a fine large -stone house, or do any work for him that he should please. “Run for -your life,” cried the chief to him, “and don’t talk now of building -houses!” But the poor fellow still insisted, begging and praying to -the Captain, who, at last finding his exhortations 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 coward, while the others were hailed as -brave men, and received tokens of universal approbation. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -BODILY CONSTITUTION AND DISEASES. - - -The Indians are in general a strong race of men. It is very common to -see a hunter come in with a whole deer on his back, fastened with a -_Happis_, a kind of band with which they carry loads; it rests against -the breast, that which the women use rests against the forehead. In -this manner they will carry a load which many a white man would not -have strength enough to raise from the ground. An Indian, named Samuel, -once took the flour which was ground out of a bushel of wheat upon his -back at sun-rise within two miles from Nazareth, and arrived with it in -the evening of the same day at his camp at Wyoming. When the Indians -build houses, they carry large logs on their shoulders from the place -where the tree is cut down to where they are building. - -Nevertheless, when put to agricultural or other manual labour, the -Indians do not appear so strong as the whites; at least, they cannot -endure it so long. Many reasons may be given for this, besides their -not being accustomed to that kind of work. It is probably in part to -be ascribed to their want of substantial food, and their intemperate -manner of living; eating, when they have it, to excess, and at other -times being days and weeks in a state of want. Those who have been -brought up to regular labour, like ourselves, become robust and strong -and enjoy good health. Such was the case with the Christian Indians in -the Moravian settlements. - -So late as about the middle of the last century, the Indians were yet -a hardy and healthy people, and many very aged men and women were seen -among them, some of whom thought they had lived about one hundred -years. They frequently told me and others that when they were young -men, their people did not marry so early as they did since, that even -at twenty they were called boys and durst not wear a breech-cloth, as -the men did at that time, but had only a small bit of a skin hanging -before them. Neither, did they say, were they subject to so many -disorders as in later times, and many of them calculated on dying of -old age. But since that time a great change has taken place in the -constitution of those Indians who live nearest to the whites. By the -introduction of ardent spirits among them, they have been led into -vices which have brought on disorders which they say were unknown -before; their blood became corrupted by a shameful complaint, which -the Europeans pretend to have received from the original inhabitants -of America, while these say they had never known or heard of it until -the Europeans came among them. Now the Indians are infected with it to -a great degree; children frequently inherit it from their parents, and -after lingering for a few years at last die victims to this poison. - -Those Indians who have not adopted the vices of the white people live -to a good age, from 70 to 90. Few arrive at the age of one hundred -years. The women, in general, live longer than the men. - -The Indians do not appear to be more or less exempt than the whites -from the common infirmities of old age. I have known old men among them -who had lost their memory, their sight, and their teeth. I have also -seen them at eighty in their second childhood and not able to help -themselves. - -The Indian women are not in general so prolific as those of the white -race. I imagine this defect is owing to the vicious and dissolute life -they lead since the introduction of spirituous liquors. Among our -Christian Indians, we have had a couple who had been converted for -thirty years and had always led a regular life, and who had thirteen -children. Others had from six to nine. In general, however, the Indians -seldom have more than four or five children. - -The Indian children, generally, continue two years at the breast, and -there are instances of their sucking during four years. Mothers are -very apt to indulge their last child; children in this respect enjoy -the same privilege alike. - -I have never heard of any nation or tribe of Indians who destroyed -their children, when distorted or deformed, whether they were so -born or came to be so afterwards. I have on the contrary seen very -particular care taken of such children. Nor have I ever been acquainted -with any Indians that made use of artificial means to compress or alter -the natural shape of the heads of their children, as some travellers -have, I believe, pretended. - -The disorders to which the Indians are most commonly subjected are -pulmonary consumptions, fluxes, fevers and severe rheumatisms, all -proceeding probably from the kind of life they lead, the hardships they -undergo, and the nature of the food that they take. Intermitting and -bilious fevers set in among them regularly in the autumn, when their -towns are situated near marshy grounds or ponds of stagnant water, and -many die in consequence of them. I have observed that these fevers -generally make their first appearance in the season of the wild plum, a -fruit that the Indians are particularly fond of. Sometimes also after -a famine or long suffering for want of food, when they generally make -too free an use of green maize, squashes and other watery vegetables. -They are also subject to a disease which they call the _yellow vomit_, -which, at times, carries off many of them. They generally die of this -disease on the second or third day after the first attack. - -Their old men are very subject to rheumatisms in the back and knees; -I have known them at the age of 50 or 60 to be laid up for weeks and -months at a time on this account, and I have seen boys 10 and 12 years -of age, who through colds or fits of sickness had become so contracted -that they never afterwards recovered the use of their limbs. - -Worms are a very common disorder among Indian children, and great -numbers of them die from that cause. They eat a great deal of green -corn when in the milk, with beans, squashes, melons, and the like; -their bellies become remarkably large, and it is probably in that -manner that the worms are generated. I rather think that Indian -children suffer less in teething than the whites. - -The gout, gravel, and scrofula or king’s evil, are not known among the -Indians. Nor have I ever known any one that had the disorder called the -_Rickets_. Consumptions are very frequent among them since they have -become fond of spirituous liquors, and their young men in great numbers -fall victims to that complaint. A person who resides among them may -easily observe the frightful decrease of their numbers from one period -of ten years to another. Our vices have destroyed them more than our -swords. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -REMEDIES. - - -The _Materia Medica_ of the Indians consists of various roots and -plants known to themselves, the properties of which they are not fond -of disclosing to strangers. They make considerable use of the barks -of trees, such as the white and black oak, the white walnut, of which -they make pills, the cherry, dogwood, maple, birch, and several others. -They prepare and compound these medicines in different ways, which they -keep a profound secret. Those preparations are frequently mixed with -superstitious practices, calculated to guard against the powers of -witchcraft, in which, unfortunately, they have a strong fixed belief. -Indeed, they are too apt to attribute the most natural deaths to the -arts and incantations of sorcerers, and their medicine is, in most -cases, as much directed against those as against the disease itself. -There are, however, practitioners among them who are free from these -prejudices, or at least do not introduce them into their practice of -the medical art. Still there is a superstitious notion, in which all -their physicians participate, which is, that when an emetic is to be -administered, the water in which the potion is mixed must be drawn up a -stream, and if for a cathartic downwards. This is, at least, innocent, -and not more whimsical perhaps, nor more calculated to excite a smile, -than some theories of grave and learned men in civilised countries. - -In fevers the Indians usually administer emetics which are made up and -compounded in various ways. I saw an emetic once given to a man who had -poisoned himself with the root of the May Apple.[194] It consisted of -a piece of raccoon skin burned with the hair on and finely powdered, -pounded dry beans and gunpowder. These three ingredients were mixed -with water and poured down the patient’s throat. This brought on a -severe vomiting, the poisonous root was entirely discharged and the man -cured. - -In other complaints, particularly in those which proceed from rheumatic -affections, bleeding and sweating are always the first remedies -applied. The sweat oven is the first thing that an Indian has recourse -to when he feels the least indisposed; it is the place to which the -wearied traveller, hunter, or warrior looks for relief from the -fatigues he has endured, the cold he has caught, or the restoration of -his lost appetite. - -This oven is made of different sizes, so as to accommodate from two -to six persons at a time, or according to the number of men in the -village, so that they may be all successively served. It is generally -built on a bank or slope, one half of it within and the other above -ground. It is well covered on the top with split plank and earth, and -has a door in front, where the ground is level to go or rather to -creep in. Here, on the outside, stones, generally of about the size -of a large turnip, are heated by one or more men appointed each day -for that purpose. While the oven is heating, decoctions from roots -or plants are prepared either by the person himself who intends to -sweat, or by one of the men of the village, who boils a large kettleful -for the general use, so that when the public cryer going his rounds, -calls out _Pimook!_ “go to sweat!” every one brings his small kettle, -which is filled for him with the potion, which at the same time serves -him as a medicine, promotes a profuse perspiration, and quenches his -thirst. As soon as a sufficient number have come to the oven, a number -of the hot stones are rolled into the middle of it, and the sweaters -go in, seating themselves or rather squatting round those stones, and -there they remain until the sweat ceases to flow; then they come out, -throwing a blanket or two about them that they may not catch cold; in -the mean while, fresh heated stones are thrown in for those who follow -them. While they are in the oven, water is now and then poured on the -hot stones to produce a steam, which they say, increases the heat, and -gives suppleness to their limbs and joints. In rheumatic complaints, -the steam is produced by a decoction of boiled roots, and the patient -during the operation is well wrapped up in blankets, to keep the cold -air from him, and promote perspiration at the same time. - -Those sweat ovens are generally at some distance from an Indian -village, where wood and water are always at hand. The best order is -preserved at those places. The women have their separate oven in a -different direction from that of the men, and subjected to the same -rules. The men generally sweat themselves once and sometimes twice a -week; the women have no fixed day for this exercise, nor do they use it -as often as the men. - -In the year 1784,[195] a gentleman whom I had been acquainted with -at Detroit, and who had been for a long time in an infirm state of -health, came from thence to the village of the Christian Indians on the -Huron river, in order to have the benefit of the sweat oven. It being -in the middle of winter, when there was a deep snow on the ground, -and the weather was excessively cold, I advised him to postpone his -sweating to a warmer season; but he persisting in his resolution, I -advised him by no means to remain in the oven longer than fifteen or -at most twenty minutes. But when he once was in it, feeling himself -comfortable, he remained a full hour, at the end of which he fainted, -and was brought by two strong Indians to my house, in very great pain -and not able to walk. He remained with me until the next day, when we -took him down in his sleigh to his family at Detroit. His situation -was truly deplorable; his physicians at that place gave up all hopes -of his recovery, and he frequently expressed his regret that he had -not followed my advice. Suddenly, however, a change took place for the -better, and he not only recovered his perfect health, but became a -stout corpulent man, so that he would often say, that his going into -the sweat oven was the best thing he had ever done in his life for the -benefit of his health. He said so to me fifteen years afterwards when I -saw him in the year 1798. He had not had the least indisposition since -that time. He died about the year 1814, at an advanced age. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS. - - -By these names I mean to distinguish the good and honest practitioners -who are in the habit of curing and healing diseases and wounds, by -the simple application of natural remedies, without any mixture of -superstition in the manner of preparing or administering them. They are -very different from the doctors or jugglers, of whom I shall speak in -the next chapter. In one point, only, they seem to participate in their -ridiculous notions, that is, in the different manner, which I have -already noticed, of drawing water up or down the current of a stream, -as it is to be respectively employed as a vehicle for an emetic or a -cathartic. This singular idea prevails generally among the Indians of -all classes. They think that as the one remedy is to work upwards and -the other downwards, care should be taken in the preparation to follow -the course of nature, so that no confusion should take place in the -stomach or bowels of the patient. - -With this only exception the Indian physicians are perhaps more free -from fanciful theories than those of any other nation upon earth. -Their science is entirely founded on observation, experience and the -well tried efficacy of remedies. There are physicians of both sexes, -who take considerable pains to acquire a correct knowledge of the -properties and medical virtues of plants, roots and barks, for the -benefit of their fellow-men. They are very careful to have at all -times a full assortment of their medicines on hand, which they gather -and collect at the proper seasons, sometimes fetching them from the -distance of several days’ journey from their homes, then they cure -or dry them properly, tie them up in small bundles, and preserve them -for use. It were to be wished that they were better skilled in the -quantity of the medicines which they administer. But they are too apt, -in general, to give excessive doses, on the mistaken principle that -“_much_ of a _good_ thing must necessarily do _much good_.” - -Nevertheless, I must say, that their practice in general succeeds -pretty well. I have myself been benefited and cured by taking their -emetics and their medicines in fevers, and by being sweated after -their manner while labouring under a stubborn rheumatism. I have also -known many, both whites and Indians, who have with the same success -resorted to Indian physicians while labouring under diseases. The wives -of Missionaries, in every instance in which they had to apply to the -female physicians, for the cure of complaints peculiar to their sex, -experienced good results from their abilities. They are also well -skilled in curing wounds and bruises. I once for two days and two -nights, suffered the most excruciating pain from a felon or whitlow on -one of my fingers, which deprived me entirely of sleep. I had recourse -to an Indian woman, who in less than half an hour relieved me entirely -by the simple application of a poultice made of the root of the common -blue violet. - -Indeed, it is in the cure of external wounds that they particularly -excel. Not only their professional men and women, but every warrior -is more or less acquainted with the healing properties of roots and -plants, which is, in a manner, indispensable to them, as they are -so often in danger of being wounded in their engagements with the -enemy. Hence this branch of knowledge is carried to a great degree of -perfection among them. I firmly believe that there is no wound, unless -it should be absolutely mortal, or beyond the skill of our own good -practitioners, which an Indian surgeon (I mean the best of them) will -not succeed in healing. I once knew a noted Shawano, who having, out of -friendship, conducted several white traders in safety to Pittsburgh, -while they were sought for by other Indians who wanted to revenge on -them the murders committed by white men of some of their people, was on -his return fired at by some white villains, who had waylaid him for -that purpose, and shot in the breast. This man, when I saw him, had -already travelled eighty miles, with a wound from which blood and a -kind of watery froth issued every time he breathed. Yet he told me he -was sure of being cured, if he could only reach _Waketemeki_, a place -fifty miles distant, where there were several eminent Indian surgeons. -To me and others who examined the wound, it appeared incurable; -nevertheless, he reached the place and was perfectly cured. I saw him -at Detroit ten years afterwards; he was in sound health and grown to -be a corpulent man. Nine years after this I dined with him at the same -place. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -DOCTORS OR JUGGLERS. - - -I call these men _Doctors_, because it is the name given them by their -countrymen who have borrowed it from our language,[196] and they -are themselves very fond of this pompous title. They are a set of -professional impostors, who, availing themselves of the superstitious -prejudices of the people, acquire the name and reputation of men of -superior knowledge, and possessed of supernatural powers. As the -Indians in general believe in witchcraft, and ascribe, as I have -already said, to the arts of sorcerers many of the disorders with which -they are afflicted in the regular course of nature, this class of men -has risen among them, who pretend to be skilled in a certain occult -science, by means of which they are able not only to cure natural -diseases, but to counteract or destroy the enchantments of wizards or -witches, and expel evil spirits. - -These men are physicians, like the others of whom I have spoken, and -like them are acquainted with the properties and virtues of plants, -barks, roots, and other remedies. They differ from them only by -their pretensions to a superior knowledge, and by the impudence with -which they impose upon the credulous. I am sorry that truth obliges -me to confess, that in their profession they rank above the honest -practitioners. They pretend that there are disorders which cannot be -cured by the ordinary remedies, and to the treatment of which the -talents of common physicians are inadequate. They say that when a -complaint has been brought on by witchcraft, more powerful remedies -must be applied, and measures must be taken to defeat the designs of -the person who bewitched the unfortunate patient. This can only be done -by removing or destroying the deleterious or deadening substance which -has been conveyed into them, or, if it is an evil spirit, to confine or -expel him, or banish him to a distant region from whence he may never -return. - -When the juggler has succeeded in persuading his patient that his -disorder is such that no common physician has it in his power to -relieve, he will next endeavour to convince him of the necessity of -making him _very strong_, which means, giving him a _large fee_, which -he will say, is justly due to a man who, like himself, is able to -perform such difficult things. If the patient who applies, is rich, the -_Doctor_ will never fail, whatever the complaint may be, to ascribe it -to the powers of witchcraft, and recommend himself as the only person -capable of giving relief in such a hard and complicated case. The poor -patient, therefore, if he will have the benefit of the great man’s -advice and assistance, must immediately give him his _honorarium_, -which is commonly either a fine horse, or a good rifle-gun, a -considerable quantity of wampum, or goods to a handsome amount. When -this fee is well secured, and not before, the Doctor prepares for the -hard task that he has undertaken, with as much apparent labour as if -he was about to remove a mountain. He casts his eyes all round him to -attract notice, puts on grave and important looks, appears wrapt in -thought and meditation and enjoys for a while the admiration of the -spectators. At last he begins his operation. Attired in a frightful -dress, he approaches his patient, with a variety of contortions and -gestures, and performs by his side and over him all the antic tricks -that his imagination can suggest. He breathes on him, blows in his -mouth, and squirts some medicines which he has prepared in his face, -mouth and nose; he rattles his gourd filled with dry beans or pebbles, -pulls out and handles about a variety of sticks and bundles in which he -appears to be seeking for the proper remedy, all which is accompanied -with the most horrid gesticulations, by which he endeavours, as he -says, to frighten the spirit or the disorder away, and continues in -this manner until he is quite exhausted and out of breath, when he -retires to wait the issue. - -The visits of the juggler are, if the patient requires it, repeated -from time to time; not, however, without his giving a fresh fee -previous to each visit. This continues until the property of the -patient is entirely exhausted, or until he resolves upon calling in -another doctor, with whom feeing must begin anew in the same manner -that it did with his predecessor. - -When at length the art of the juggling tribe has after repeated trials -proved ineffectual, the patient is declared _incurable_. The doctors -will say, that he applied to them too late, that he did not exactly -follow their prescriptions, or sometimes, that he was bewitched by one -of the greatest masters of the science, and that unless a professor can -be found possessed of superior knowledge, he is doomed to die or linger -in pain beyond the power of relief. - -Thus these jugglers carry on their deceit, and enrich themselves at the -expense of the credulous and foolish. I have known instances in which -they declared a patient perfectly cured and out of all danger, who -nevertheless died of his disorder a very few days afterwards, although -his doctors affirmed that the evil spirit or the effects of witchcraft -were entirely removed from him; on the other hand, I have seen cases -in which the patient recovered after being pronounced incurable and -condemned to die. In those cases, however, he had had the good sense to -apply to some of the honest physicians of one or the other sex, who had -relieved him by a successful application of their medicines. - -The jugglers’ dress, when in the exercise of their functions, exhibits -a most frightful sight. I had no idea of the importance of these men, -until by accident I met with one, habited in his full costume. As I -was once walking through the street of a large Indian village on the -Muskingum, with the chief _Gelelemend_,[197] whom we call _Kill-buck_, -one of those monsters suddenly came out of the house next to me, at -whose sight I was so frightened, that I flew immediately to the other -side of the chief, who observing my agitation and the quick strides -I made, asked me what was the matter, and what I thought it was that -I saw before me. “By its outward appearance,” answered I, “I would -think it a bear, or some such ferocious animal, what is _inside_ I -do not know, but rather judge it to be the _Evil Spirit_.” My friend -Kill-buck smiled, and replied, “O! no, no; don’t believe that! it is a -man you well know, it is our _Doctor_.” “A Doctor!” said I, “what! a -human being to transform himself so as to be taken for a bear walking -on his hind legs, and with horns on his head? You will not, surely, -deceive me; if it is not a bear, it must be some other ferocious animal -that I have never seen before.” The juggler within the dress hearing -what passed between us, began to act over some of his curious pranks, -probably intending to divert me, as he saw I was looking at him with -great amazement, not unmixed with fear; but the more he went on with -his performance, the more I was at a loss to decide, whether he was -a human being or a bear; for he imitated that animal in the greatest -perfection, walking upright on his hind legs as I had often seen it do. -At last I renewed my questions to the chief, and begged him seriously -to tell me what that figure was, and he assured me that although -outside it had the appearance of a bear, yet inside there was a man, -and that it was our doctor going to visit one of his patients who was -bewitched. A dialogue then ensued between us, which I shall relate, as -well as I can recollect it, in its very words: - -HECKEW. But why does he go dressed in that manner? Won’t his patient -be frightened to death on seeing him enter the house? - -KILLB. No! indeed, no; it is the disorder, the evil spirit, that will -be frightened away; as to the sick man, he well knows that unless the -doctor has recourse to the most powerful means, he cannot be relieved, -but must fall a sacrifice to the wicked will of some evil person. And, -pray, don’t your doctors in obstinate and dubious cases, also recur to -powerful means in order to relieve their patients? - -HECKEW. To my knowledge, there are no cases where witchcraft is -assigned as the cause of a disorder, of course our doctors have nothing -to do with that; and though they may sometimes have occasion to apply -powerful remedies in obstinate diseases, yet it is not done by dressing -themselves like wild beasts, to frighten, as you say, the disorder -away. Were our doctors to adopt this mode, they would soon be left -without patients and without bread; they would starve. - -KILLB. Our doctors are the richest people among us, they have -everything they want; fine horses to ride, fine clothes to wear, plenty -of strings and belts of wampum, and silver arm and breast plates in -abundance. - -HECKEW. And _our_ doctors have very fine horses and carriages, fine -houses, fine clothes, plenty of good provisions and wines, and plenty -of money besides! They are looked upon as gentlemen, and would not -suffer your doctor, dressed as he is, to come into their company. - -KILLB. You must, my friend! consider that the cases are very different. -Had the white people sorcerers among them as the Indians have, they -would find it necessary to adopt our practice and apply our remedies in -the same manner that our doctors do. They would find it necessary to -take strong measures to counteract and destroy the dreadful effects of -witchcraft. - -HECKEW. The sorcerers that you speak of exist only in your imagination; -rid yourselves of this, and you will hear no more of them. - -The dress this juggler had on, consisted of an entire garment or -outside covering, made of one or more bear skins, as black as jet, so -well fitted and sewed together, that the man was not in any place -to be perceived. The whole head of the bear, including the mouth, -nose, teeth, ears, &c., appeared the same as when the animal was -living; so did the legs with long claws; to this were added a huge -pair of horns on the head, and behind a large bushy tail, moving as he -walked, as though it were on springs; but for these accompaniments, -the man, walking on all fours, might have been taken for a bear of an -extraordinary size. Underneath, where his hands were, holes had been -cut, though not visible to the eye, being covered with the long hair, -through which he held and managed his implements, and he saw through -two holes set with glass. The whole was a great curiosity, but not to -be looked at by everybody. - -There are jugglers of another kind, in general old men and women, who -although not classed among doctors or physicians, yet get their living -by pretending to supernatural knowledge. Some pretend that they can -bring down rain in dry weather when wanted, others prepare ingredients, -which they sell to bad hunters, that they may have good luck, and -others make philters or love potions for such married persons as either -do not, or think they cannot love each other. - -When one of these jugglers is applied to to bring down rain in a dry -season, he must in the first instance receive a fee. This fee is made -up by the women, who, as cultivators of the land are supposed to be -most interested, but the men will slily slip something in their hands -in aid of their collection, which consists of wampum beads, tobacco, -silver broaches, and a dressed deer skin to make shoes of. If the -juggler does not succeed in his experiment, he never is in want of an -excuse; either the winds are in opposition to one another, the dry wind -or air is too powerful for the moist or south wind, or he has not been -made _strong enough_, (that is sufficiently paid,) to compel the north -to give way to the south from whence the rain is to come, or lastly, -he wants time to invoke the great Spirit to aid him on the important -occasion. - -In the summer of the year 1799, a most uncommon drouth happened in the -Muskingum country, so that every thing growing, even the grass and the -leaves of the trees, appeared perishing; an old man named _Chenos_, -who was born on the river Delaware, was applied to by the women to -bring down rain, and was well feed for the purpose. Having failed in -his first attempt, he was feed a second time, and it happened that one -morning, when my business obliged me to pass by the place where he -was at work, as I knew him very well, I asked him at once what he was -doing? “I am hired,” said he, “to do a very hard day’s work.” - -Q. And, pray, what work? - -A. Why, to bring down rain from the sky. - -Q. Who hired you to do that? - -A. The women of the village; don’t you see how much rain is wanted, and -that the corn and every thing else is perishing? - -Q. But can you make it rain? - -A. I can, and you shall be convinced of it this very day. - -He had, by this time, encompassed a square of about five feet each -way, with stakes and barks so that it might resemble a pig pen of -about three feet in height, and now, with his face uplifted and turned -towards the north, he muttered something, then closely shutting up -with bark the opening which had been left on the north side, he turned -in the same manner, still muttering some words, towards the south, as -if invoking some superior being, and having cut through the bark on -the southwest corner, so as to make an opening of two feet, he said: -“now we shall have rain enough!” Hearing down the river the sound of -setting poles striking against a canoe, he enquired of me what it was? -I told him it was our Indians going up the river to make a bush net for -fishing. “Send them home again!” said he, “tell them that this will not -be a fit day for fishing!” I told him to let them come on and speak to -them himself, if he pleased. He did so, and as soon as they came near -him, he told them that they must by no means think of fishing that day, -for there should come a heavy rain which would wet them all through. -“No matter, Father!” answered they in a jocular manner, “give us only -rain and we will cheerfully bear the soaking.” They then passed on, and -I proceeded to _Goschachking_, the village to which I was going.[198] -I mentioned the circumstance to the chief of the place, and told him -that I thought it impossible that we should have rain while the sky -was so clear as it then was and had been for near five weeks together, -without its being previously announced by some signs or change in the -atmosphere. But the chief answered: “_Chenos_ knows very well what he -is about; he can at any time predict what the weather will be; he takes -his observations morning and evening from the river or something in -it.” On my return from this place after three o’clock in the afternoon, -the sky still continued the same until about four o’clock, when all at -once the horizon became overcast, and without any thunder or wind it -began to rain, and continued so for several hours together, until the -ground became thoroughly soaked. - -I am of the opinion that this man, like others whom I have known, was -a strict observer of the weather, and that his prediction that day was -made in consequence of his having observed some signs in the sky or in -the water, which his experience had taught him to be the forerunners -of rain; yet the credulous multitude did not fail to ascribe it to his -supernatural power. - -The ingredients for a bad hunter, to make him have good luck, are -tied up in a bit of cloth, and must be worn near his skin while he is -hunting. The preparations intended to create love between man and wife, -are to be slily conveyed to the frigid party by means of his victuals -or drink. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -SUPERSTITION. - - -Great and powerful as the Indian conceives himself to be, firm and -undaunted as he really is, braving all seasons and weathers, careless -of dangers, patient of hunger, thirst and cold, and fond of displaying -the native energy of his character even in the midst of tortures, at -the very thought of which our own puny nature revolts and shudders; -this Lord of the Creation, whose life is spent in a state of constant -warfare against the wild beasts of the forest and the savages of the -wilderness, who, proud of his independent existence, strikes his breast -with exultation and exclaims “_I am a man!_”--the American Indian has -one weak side, which sinks him down to the level of the most fearful -and timid being, a childish apprehension of an occult and unknown -power, which, unless he can summon sufficient fortitude to conquer it, -changes at once the hero into a coward. It is incredible to what a -degree the Indians’ superstitious belief in witchcraft operates upon -their minds; the moment that their imagination is struck with the idea -that they are bewitched, they are no longer themselves; their fancy is -constantly at work in creating the most horrid and distressing images. -They see themselves falling a sacrifice to the wicked arts of a vile -unknown hand, of one who would not have dared to face them in fair -combat; dying a miserable, ignominious death; a death, to which they -would a thousand times prefer the stake with all its horrors. No tale, -no tradition, no memorial of their courage or heroic fortitude will -go down with it to posterity; it will be thought that they were not -deserving of a better fate. And, (O! dreadful thought to an Indian -mind!) that death is to remain forever unrevenged;--their friends, -their relations, the men of their own tribe, will seek the murderer in -vain; they will seek him while, perhaps, he is in the midst of them, -unnoticed and unknown, smiling at their impotent rage, and calmly -selecting some new victim to his infernal art. - -Of this extraordinary power of their conjurers, of the causes which -produce it, and the manner in which it is acquired, the Indians as -may well be supposed, have not a very definite idea. All they can -say is that the sorcerer makes use of a “deadening substance,” which -he discharges and conveys to the person that he means to “_strike_,” -through the air, by means of the wind or of his own breath, or throws -at him in a manner which they can neither understand nor describe. The -person thus “_stricken_,” is immediately seized with an unaccountable -terror, his spirits sink, his appetite fails, he is disturbed in his -sleep, he pines and wastes away, or a fit of sickness seizes him, -and he dies at last a miserable victim to the workings of his own -imagination. - -Such are their ideas and the melancholy effects of the dread they feel -of that supernatural power which they vainly fancy to exist among them. -That they can destroy one another by means of poisonous roots and -plants, is certainly true, but in this there is no witchcraft. This -prejudice that they labour under can be ascribed to no other cause than -their excessive ignorance and credulity. I was once acquainted with a -white man, a shrewd and correct observer, who had lived long among the -Indians, and being himself related to an Indian family, had the best -opportunities of obtaining accurate information on this subject. He -told me that he had found the means of getting into the confidence of -one of their most noted sorcerers, who had frankly confessed to him, -that his secret consisted in exciting fear and suspicion, and creating -in the multitude a strong belief in his magical powers, “For,” said he, -“such is the credulity of many, that if I only pick a little wool from -my blanket, and roll it between my fingers into a small round ball, not -larger than a bean, I am by that alone believed to be deeply skilled -in the magic art, and it is immediately supposed that I am preparing -the deadly substance with which I mean to strike some person or other, -although I hardly know myself at the time what my fingers are doing; -and if, at that moment, I happen to cast my eyes on a particular man, -or even throw a side glance at him, it is enough to make him consider -himself as the intended victim; he is from that instant effectually -_struck_, and if he is not possessed of great fortitude, so as to be -able to repel the thought, and divert his mind from it, or to persuade -himself that it is nothing but the work of a disturbed imagination, he -will sink under the terror thus created, and at last perish a victim, -not indeed, to witchcraft, but to his own credulity and folly.” - -But men of such strong minds are not often to be found; so deeply -rooted is the belief of the Indians in those fancied supernatural -powers. It is vain to endeavour to convince them by argument that -they are entirely founded in delusion and have no real existence. The -attempt has been frequently made by sensible white men, but always -without success. The following anecdote will shew how little hope there -is of ever bringing them to a more rational way of thinking. - -Sometime about the year 1776, a Quaker trader of the name of John -Anderson, who among the Indians was called _the honest Quaker trader_, -after vainly endeavouring to convince those people by argument that -there was no such thing as witchcraft, took the bold, and I might say -the rash, solution to put their sorcerers to the test, and defy the -utmost exertions of their pretended supernatural powers. He desired -that two of those magicians might be brought successively before him -on different days, who should be at liberty to try their art on his -person, and do him all the harm that they could by magical means, -in the presence of the chiefs and principal men of the village. The -Indians tried at first to dissuade him from so dangerous an experiment; -but he persisted, and at last they acceded to his demand; a conjurer -was brought to him, who professed himself fully competent to the task -for which he was called, but he could not be persuaded to make the -attempt. He declared that Anderson was so good and so honest a man, so -much his friend and the friend of all the Indians, that he could not -think of doing him an injury. He never practised his art but on bad -men and on those who had injured him; the great Mannitto forbid that he -should use it for such a wicked purpose as that for which he was now -called upon. - -The Indians found this excuse perfectly good, and retired more -convinced than ever of the abilities of their conjurer, whom they now -revered for his conscientious scruples. - -The one who was brought on the next day was of a different stamp. He -was an arch sorcerer, whose fame was extended far and wide, and was -much dreaded by the Indians, not only on account of his great powers, -but of the wicked disposition of his mind. Every effort was made to -dissuade Mr. Anderson from exposing himself to what was considered -as certain destruction; but he stood firm to his purpose, and only -stipulated that the magician should sit at the distance of about twelve -feet from him; that he should not be armed with any weapon, nor carry -any poison or any thing else of a known destructive nature, and that -he should not even rise from his seat, nor advance towards him during -the operation. All this was agreed to, the conjurer boasting that he -could effect his purpose even at the distance of one hundred miles. The -promised reward was brought and placed in full view, and both parties -now prepared for the experiment. - -The spectators being all assembled, the sorcerer took his seat, arrayed -in the most frightful manner that he could devise. Anderson stood firm -and composed before him at the stipulated distance. All were silent -and attentive while the wizard began his terrible operation. He began -with working with his fingers on his blanket, plucking now and then -a little wool and breathing on it, then rolling it together in small -rolls of the size of a bean, and went through all the antic tricks to -which the power of bewitching is generally ascribed. But all this had -no effect. Anderson remained cool and composed, now and then calling -to his antagonist not to be sparing of his exertions. The conjurer now -began to make the most horrid gesticulations, and used all the means -in his power to frighten the honest Quaker, who, aware of his purpose, -still remained unmoved. At last, while the eyes of all the spectators -were fixed on this brave man, to observe the effects of the sorcerer’s -craft upon him, this terrible conjurer, finding that all his efforts -were in vain, found himself obliged to give up the point, and alleged -for his excuse “that the Americans[199] eat too much salt provisions; -that salt had a repulsive effect, which made the powerful invisible -substance that he employed recoil upon him; that the Indians, who eat -but little salt, had often felt the effects of this substance, but that -the great quantity of it which the white men used effectually protected -them against it.” - -The imposition in this instance was perfectly clear and visible, -and nothing was so easy as to see through this sorcerer’s miserable -pretence, and be convinced that his boasted art was entirely a -deception; but it was not so with the Indians, who firmly believed -that the salt which the Americans[199] used was the only cause of his -failure in this instance, and that if it had not been for the salted -meat which Mr. Anderson fed upon, he would have fallen a victim as well -as others to the incantations of this impostor. - -I have received this story from the mouth of Mr. Anderson himself, -who was a most respectable gentleman, and also from several credible -Indians who were present at the time. After this bold and unsuccessful -experiment, it is impossible to expect that the superstitious notions -of the Indians on the subject of witchcraft can ever by any means be -rooted out of their minds.[200] - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -INITIATION OF BOYS. - - -I do not know how to give a better name to a superstitious practice -which is very common among the Indians, and, indeed, is universal among -those nations that I have become acquainted with. By certain methods -which I shall presently describe, they put the mind of a boy in a state -of perturbation, so as to excite dreams and visions; by means of which -they pretend that the boy receives instructions from certain spirits or -unknown agents as to his conduct in life, that he is informed of his -future destination and of the wonders he is to perform in his future -career through the world. - -When a boy is to be thus _initiated_, he is put under an alternate -course of physic and fasting, either taking no food whatever, or -swallowing the most powerful and nauseous medicines, and occasionally -he is made to drink decoctions of an intoxicating nature, until his -mind becomes sufficiently bewildered, so that he sees or fancies that -he sees visions, and has extraordinary dreams, for which, of course, he -has been prepared beforehand. He will fancy himself flying through the -air, walking under ground, stepping from one ridge or hill to the other -across the valley beneath, fighting and conquering giants and monsters, -and defeating whole hosts by his single arm. Then he has interviews -with the Mannitto or with spirits, who inform him of what he was before -he was born and what he will be after his death. His fate in this life -is laid entirely open before him, the spirit tells him what is to be -his future employment, whether he will be a valiant warrior, a mighty -hunter, a doctor, a conjurer, or a prophet. There are even those who -learn or pretend to learn in this way the time and manner of their -death. - -When a boy has been thus initiated, a name is given to him analogous to -the visions that he has seen, and to the destiny that is supposed to -be prepared for him. The boy, imagining all that happened to him while -under perturbation, to have been real, sets out in the world with lofty -notions of himself, and animated with courage for the most desperate -undertakings. - -The belief in the truth of those visions is universal among the -Indians. I have spoken with several of their old men, who had been -highly distinguished for their valour, and asked them whether they -ascribed their achievements to natural or supernatural causes, and they -uniformly answered, that as they knew beforehand what they could do, -they did it of course. When I carried my questions farther, and asked -them how they knew what they could do? they never failed to refer to -the dreams and visions which they had while under perturbation, in the -manner I have above mentioned. - -I always found it vain to attempt to undeceive them on this subject. -They never were at a loss for examples to shew that the dreams they -had had were not the work of a heated imagination, but that they came -to them through the agency of a mannitto. They could always cite -numerous instances of valiant men, who, in former times, in consequence -of such dreams, had boldly attacked their enemy with nothing but the -_Tamahican_[201] in their hand, had not looked about to survey the -number of their opponents, but had gone straight forward, striking all -down before them; some, they said, in the French wars, had entered -houses of the English filled with people, who, before they had time to -look about, were all killed and laid in a heap. Such was the strength, -the power and the courage conveyed to them in their supernatural -dreams, and which nothing could resist. - -If they stopped here in their relations, I might, perhaps, consider -this practice of putting boys under perturbation, as a kind of military -school or exercise, intended to create in them a more than ordinary -courage, and make them undaunted warriors. It certainly has this effect -on some, who fancying themselves under the immediate protection of -the celestial powers, despise all dangers, and really perform acts of -astonishing bravery. But it must be observed, that all that are thus -initiated are not designed for a military life, and that several learn -by their dreams that they are to be physicians, sorcerers, or that -their lives are to be devoted to some other civil employment. And it is -astonishing what a number of superstitious notions are infused into the -minds of the unsuspecting youth, by means of those dreams, which are -useless, at least, for making good warriors or hunters. There are even -some who by that means are taught to believe in the transmigration of -souls. - -I once took great pains to dissuade from these notions a very sensible -Indian, much esteemed by all who knew him, even among the whites. All -that I could say or urge was not able to convince him that at the -time of his _initiation_ (as I call it) his mind was in a state of -temporary derangement. He declared that he had a clear recollection of -the dreams and visions that had occurred to him at the time, and was -sure that they came from the agency of celestial spirits. He asserted -very strange things, of his own supernatural knowledge, which he had -obtained not only at the time of his initiation, but at other times, -even before he was born. He said he knew he had lived through two -generations; that he had died twice and was born a third time, to live -out the then present race, after which he was to die and never more -to come to this country again. He well remembered what the women had -predicted while he was yet in his mother’s womb; some had foretold -that he would be a boy, and others a girl; he had distinctly overheard -their discourses, and could repeat correctly every thing that they had -said. It would be too long to relate all the wild stories of the same -kind which this otherwise intelligent Indian said of himself, with a -tone and manner which indicated the most intimate conviction, and left -no doubt in my mind that he did not mean to deceive others, but was -himself deceived. - -I have known several other Indians who firmly believed that they knew, -by means of these visions, what was to become of them when they should -die, how their souls were to retire from their bodies and take their -abodes into those of infants yet unborn; in short, there is nothing so -wild and so extraordinary that they will not imagine and to which, when -once it has taken hold of their imagination, they will not give full -credit. In this they are not a little aided by certain superstitious -notions which form a part of their traditionary belief, and of which I -shall take notice in the next chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -INDIAN MYTHOLOGY. - - -The Indians consider the earth as their universal mother. They believe -that they were created within its bosom, where for a long time they had -their abode, before they came to live on its surface. They say that the -great, good, and all powerful Spirit, when he created them, undoubtedly -meant at a proper time to put them in the enjoyment of all the good -things which he had prepared for them upon the earth, but he wisely -ordained that their first stage of existence should be within it, as -the infant is formed and takes its first growth in the womb of its -natural mother. This fabulous account of the creation of man needs only -to be ascribed to the ancient Egyptians or to the Brahmins of India, -to be admired and extolled for the curious analogy which it observes -between the general and individual creation; but as it comes from the -American savage, I doubt whether it will even receive the humble praise -of ingenuity, to which, however, it appears to me to be justly entitled. - -The Indian Mythologists are not agreed as to the form under which -they existed while in the bowels of the earth. Some assert that they -lived there in the human shape, while others, with greater consistency -contend that their existence was in the form of certain terrestrial -animals, such as the ground-hog, the rabbit, and the tortoise. This was -their state of preparation, until they were permitted to come out and -take their station on this island[202] as the Lords of the rest of the -Creation. - -Among the Delawares, those of the _Minsi_, or Wolf tribe, say that -in the beginning, they dwelt in the earth under a lake, and were -fortunately extricated from this unpleasant abode by the discovery -which one of their men made of a hole, through which he ascended to -the surface; on which, as he was walking, he found a deer, which he -carried back with him into his subterraneous habitation; that there the -deer was killed,[203] and he and his companions found the meat so good, -that they unanimously determined to leave their dark abode, and remove -to a place where they could enjoy the light of heaven and have such -excellent game in abundance. - -The other two tribes, the _Unamis_ or Tortoise, and the _Unalachtigos_ -or Turkey, have much similar notions, but reject the story of the lake, -which seems peculiar to the Minsi tribe. - -These notions must be very far extended among the Indians of North -America generally, since we find that they prevail also among the -Iroquois, a nation so opposed to the Delawares, as has been shewn in -the former parts of this work, and whose language is so different from -theirs, that not two words, perhaps, similar or even analogous of -signification may be found alike in both. On this subject I beg leave -to present an extract from the manuscript notes of the late Reverend -Christopher Pyrlæus, whom I am always fond of quoting with respect, -as he was a man of great truth, and besides well acquainted with the -Six Nations and their idioms.[204] The account that he here gives of -the traditions of that people concerning their original existence, was -taken down by him in January 1743, from the mouth of a respectable -Mohawk chief named _Sganarady_, who resided on the Mohawk river. - - -THE EXTRACT. - -“_Traditio._--That they had dwelt in the earth where it was dark and -where no sun did shine. That though they followed hunting, they ate -mice, which they caught with their hands. That _Ganawagahha_ (one of -them) having accidentally found a hole to get out of the earth at, he -went out, and that in walking about on the earth he found a deer, which -he took back with him, and that both on account of the meat tasting -so very good, and the favourable description he had given them of the -country above and on the earth, their mother, concluded it best for -them all to come out; that accordingly they did so, and immediately set -about planting corn, &c. That, however, the _Nocharauorsul_, that is, -the _ground-hog_, would not come out, but had remained in the ground as -before.” - - * * * * * - -So far Mr. Pyrlæus. From these traditions of the Iroquois, and those -of the Delawares and Mohicans, it seems to follow that they must have -considered their numbers very small, when they dwelt in the earth; -perhaps, no more than one family of each tribe, and that the custom of -giving to their tribes the names of particular animals, must have been -very ancient. The _ground-hog_, say the Mohawks, would not come out. -But who was this hog? Might it not formerly have been the name of one -of their tribes, who was made the subject of this fable? - -However ridiculous these stories are, the belief of the Indians in them -is not to be shaken. When I was a boy between twelve and fifteen years -of age, I had often heard of white people conversant with the Indians, -who at that time would continually come to this place, (Bethlehem) in -great numbers, even by hundreds, that the Indians did not eat rabbits, -because they thought them infected with the venereal disease, and that -whoever ate of their flesh, was sure to take that disorder. Being then -myself fond of catching those animals in traps, I asked questions on -this subject of several Mohican Indians, who spoke the German language; -but though they said nothing about the disease that rabbits were -said to be infected with, yet they advised me by no means to eat of -their flesh. They gave me no reason whatever to induce me to abstain -from this food; but afterwards, in the year 1762, when I resided at -Tuscorawas on the Muskingum, I was told by some of them, that there -were some animals which Indians did not eat, and among them were the -_rabbit_ and the _ground-hog_; for, said they, they did not know but -that they might be _related_ to them! - -I found also that the Indians, for a similar reason, paid great respect -to the rattle-snake, whom they called their _grandfather_, and would -on no account destroy him. One day, as I was walking with an elderly -Indian on the banks of the Muskingum, I saw a large rattle-snake lying -across the path, which I was going to kill. The Indian immediately -forbade my doing so; “for,” said he, “the rattle-snake is grandfather -to the Indians, and is placed here on purpose to guard us, and to give -us notice of impending danger by his rattle, which is the same as if -he were to tell us ‘look about!’ Now,” added he, “if we were to kill -one of those, the others would soon know it, and the whole race would -rise upon us and bite us.” I observed to him that the white people were -not afraid of this; for they killed all the rattle-snakes that they -met with. On this he enquired whether any white man had been bitten by -these animals, and of course I answered in the affirmative. “No wonder, -then!” replied he, “you have to blame yourselves for that! you did as -much as declaring war against them, and you will find them in _your_ -country, where they will not fail to make frequent incursions. They are -a very dangerous enemy; take care you do not irritate them in _our_ -country; they and their grandchildren are on good terms, and neither -will hurt the other.” - -These ancient notions have, however in a great measure died away with -the last generation, and the Indians at present kill their grandfather -the rattle-snake without ceremony, whenever they meet with him. - -That the Indians, from the earliest times, considered themselves in a -manner connected with certain animals, is evident from various customs -still preserved among them, and from the names of those animals which -they have collectively, as well as individually, assumed. It might, -indeed, be supposed that those animals’ names which they have given -to their several tribes were mere badges of distinction, or “coats of -arms” as Pyrlæus calls them; but if we pay attention to the reasons -which they give for those denominations, the idea of a supposed family -connexion is easily discernible. The Tortoise, or as it is commonly -called, the _Turtle_ tribe, among the Lenape, claims a superiority -and ascendency over the others, because their _relation_, the great -Tortoise, a fabled monster, the Atlas of their mythology, bears -according to their traditions this great _island_ on his back, and also -because he is amphibious, and can live both on land and in the water, -which neither of the heads of the other tribes can do. The merits of -the _Turkey_, which gives its name to the second tribe, are that he is -stationary, and always remains with or about them. As to the _Wolf_, -after whom the third tribe is named, he is a rambler by nature, running -from one place to another in quest of his prey; yet they consider him -as their benefactor, as it was by his means that the Indians got out -of the interior of the earth. It was he, they believe, who by the -appointment of the Great Spirit, killed the deer whom the Monsey found -who first discovered the way to the surface of the earth, and which -allured them to come out of their damp and dark residence. For that -reason, the wolf is to be honoured, and his name preserved for ever -among them. Such are their traditions, as they were related to me by an -old man of this tribe more than fifty years ago. - -These animals’ names, it is true, they all use as national badges, in -order to distinguish their tribes from each other at home and abroad. -In this point of view Mr. Pyrlæus was right in considering them as -“coats of arms.” The Turtle warrior draws either with a coal or paint -here and there on the trees along the war path, the whole animal -carrying a gun with the muzzle projecting forward, and if he leaves a -mark at the place where he has made a stroke on his enemy, it will be -the picture of a tortoise. Those of the Turkey tribe paint only one -foot of a turkey, and the Wolf tribe, sometimes a wolf at large with -one leg and foot raised up to serve as a hand, in which the animal also -carries a gun with the muzzle forward. They, however, do not generally -use the word “wolf,” when speaking of their tribe, but call themselves -_Pauk-sit_[205] which means _round-foot_, that animal having a round -foot like a dog. - -The Indians, in their hours of leisure, paint their different marks or -badges on the doors of their respective houses, that those who pass by -may know to which tribe the inhabitants belong. Those marks also serve -them for signatures to treaties and other documents. They are as proud -of their origin from the tortoise, the turkey, and the wolf, as the -nobles of Europe are of their descent from the feudal barons of ancient -times, and when children spring from intermarriages between different -tribes, their genealogy is carefully preserved by tradition in the -family, that they may know to which tribe they belong. - -I have often reflected on the curious connexion which appears to -subsist in the mind of an Indian between 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; although 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 -which they have over them, more to their superior bodily strength and -dexterity than to their immortal souls. All beings endowed by the -Creator with the power of volition 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 relationship may exist, or at least did exist in -the beginning of time. They are, in fact, according to their opinions, -only the first among equals, the legitimate hereditary sovereigns of -the whole animated race, of which they are themselves a constituent -part. Hence, in their languages, these inflections of their nouns which -we call _genders_, are not, as with us, descriptive of the _masculine_ -and _feminine_ species, but of the _animate_ and _inanimate_ kinds. -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 themselves do not very well understand, as -they have no metaphysicians among them to analyse their vague notions, -and perhaps confuse them still more. But I can illustrate what I have -said by some characteristic anecdotes, with which I shall conclude this -chapter. - -I have already observed[206] that the Indian includes all savage beasts -within the number of his _enemies_. This is by no means a metaphorical -or figurative expression, but is used in a literal sense, as will -appear from what I am going to relate. - -A Delaware hunter 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. The hunter instead of giving him another -shot, stood up close to him, and addressed him in these words: “Hark -ye! bear; you are a coward, and no warrior as you pretend to be. Were -you a warrior, you would shew 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.[207] 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 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 how he thought that poor animal could understand -what he said to it? “Oh!” said he in answer, “the bear understood me -very well; did you not observe how _ashamed_ he looked while I was -upbraiding him?” - -Another time I witnessed a similar scene between the falls of the Ohio -and the river Wabash. A young white man, named _William Wells_,[208] -who had been when a boy taken prisoner by a tribe of the Wabash -Indians, by whom he was brought up, and had imbibed all their notions, -had so wounded a large bear that he could not move from the spot, -and the animal cried piteously like the one I have just mentioned. -The young man went up to him, and with seemingly 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? “I have,” said he, “upbraided him -for acting the part of a coward; I told him that he knew the fortune 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 -into the power of _my enemy_, I would not have disgraced my nation as -he did, but would have died with firmness and courage, as becomes a -true warrior.” - -I leave the reader to reflect upon these anecdotes, which, I think, -convey more real information than any further attempts that I could -make to explain the strange notions which gave them rise. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -INSANITY--SUICIDE. - - -Insanity is not common among the Indians; yet I have known several -who were afflicted with mental derangement. Men in this situation are -always considered as objects of pity. Every one, young and old, feels -compassion for their misfortune; to laugh or scoff at them would be -considered as a crime, much more so to insult or molest them. The -nation or colour of the unfortunate object makes no difference; the -charity of the Indians extends to all, and no discrimination is made in -such a lamentable case. - -About the commencement of the Indian war in 1763, a trading Jew, named -Chapman, who was going up the Detroit river with a batteau-load of -goods which he had brought from Albany, was taken by some Indians of -the Chippeway nation, and destined to be put to death. A Frenchman, -impelled by motives of friendship and humanity, found means to steal -the prisoner, and kept him so concealed for some time, that although -the most diligent search was made, the place of his confinement could -not be discovered. At last, however, the unfortunate man was betrayed -by some false friend, and again fell into the power of the Indians, who -took him across the river to be burned and tortured. Tied to the stake -and the fire burning by his side, his thirst, from the great heat, -became intolerable, and he begged that some drink might be given to -him. It is a custom with the Indians, previous to a prisoner being put -to death, to give him what they call his last meal; a bowl of pottage -or broth was therefore brought to him for that purpose. Eager to quench -his thirst, he put the bowl immediately to his lips, and the liquor -being very hot, he was dreadfully scalded. Being a man of a very quick -temper, the moment he felt his mouth burned, he threw the bowl with its -contents full in the face of the man who had handed it to him. “He is -mad! He is mad!” resounded from all quarters. The bystanders considered -his conduct as an act of insanity, and immediately untied the cords -with which he was bound, and let him go where he pleased. - -This fact was well known to all the inhabitants of Detroit, from whom -I first heard it, and it was afterwards confirmed to me by Mr. Chapman -himself, who was established as a merchant at that place. - -SUICIDE is not considered by the Indians either as an act of heroism -or of cowardice, nor is it with them a subject of praise or blame. -They view this desperate act as the consequence of mental derangement, -and the person who destroys himself is to them an object of pity. 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 occasions, in order to poison themselves, in -which they all succeeded, except 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 minds and -married other lovers. They both put an 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 those unfortunate men was 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 half a mile from the place where I resided. He -often came to visit me, and as he was of a most amiable disposition, -I was pleased with his visits, and always gave him a hearty welcome. -When I thought he was too long about coming, I went myself to the -delightful spot which he had judiciously selected for his dwelling. -Here I always found the family cheerful, sociable and happy, until -some time before the fatal catastrophe happened, when I 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 he thought that he must also part from his -two lovely children; for it is the 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 himself his wife would not be followed by the disturber of -his peace, whose residence was about ten miles from thence. But this -hope was of short duration. 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 visitor 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 my door, with sorrow strongly depicted on -his manly countenance. 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 I have not yet done anything to please you. Take -this as a reward for your goodness, and as an acknowledgment from me as -your friend.” He said no more, but giving me with both his hands a warm -farewell squeeze, he departed and returned to the camp. At about two -o’clock in the afternoon, a runner from thence passing through the town -to notify his death at the village two miles farther, informed us of -the shocking event. He had immediately on his return, remained a short -time in his house, indulging in the last caresses to his dear innocent -children; then retiring to some distance, had eaten the fatal root, and -before relief could be administered by some persons who had observed -him staggering from the other side of the river, he was on the point of -expiring, and all succours were vain. - -The last whom I have to mention was also a married man, but had no -children. He had lived happy with his wife, until one day that she fell -into a passion and made use to him of such abusive language as he could -not endure. Too highminded to quarrel with a woman, he resolved to -punish her by putting an end to his existence. Fortunately he was seen -in the first stage of his fits, and was brought into a house, where a -strong emetic diluted in lukewarm water, the composition of which I -have already described,[209] was forcibly poured down his throat. He -recovered after some time, but never was again the strong healthy man -he had been before; his wife however took warning from this desperate -act, and behaved better ever after. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - -DRUNKENNESS. - - -In treating of this subject, I cannot resist the impression of a -melancholy feeling, arising from the comparison which forces itself -upon my mind of what the Indians were before the Europeans came into -this country, and what they have become since, by a participation in -our vices. By their intercourse with us, they have lost much of that -original character by which they were once distinguished, and which -it is the object of this work to delineate, and the change which has -taken place is by no means for the better. I am not one of those wild -enthusiasts who would endeavour to persuade mankind that savage life -is preferable to a state of civilisation; but I leave it to every -impartial person to decide, whether the condition of the healthy -sober Indian, pursuing his game through forests and plains, is not -far superior to that of the gangrened drunken white man, rioting in -debauchery and vice? - -I have already before taken notice[210] of the assertion which our -aborigines do not hesitate to make, that before the Europeans landed -in those parts of the American continent, they were unacquainted -with that shameful disorder which attacks generation in its sources. -I am well aware that this complaint is generally believed to have -been communicated by the new world to the old. I do not know upon -what proofs this opinion rests, but I am disposed to give credit to -the uniform assertion of our northern Indians, that this contagion -was first introduced among them by emigrants from Europe. However -it may be, it is a lamentable fact that they are now very generally -infected with it, and that their population cannot long resist its -destructive operation upon their once strong and healthy constitutions, -particularly as it is associated with the abuse of strong liquors, now -so prevalent among them. - -Of the manner in which they have acquired this latter vice, I presume -there can be no doubt. They charge us in the most positive manner -with being the first who made them acquainted with ardent spirits, -and what is worse, with having exerted all the means in our power to -induce them to drink to excess. It is very certain that the processes -of distillation and fermentation are entirely unknown to the Indians, -and that they have among them no intoxicating liquors but such as they -receive from us. The Mexicans have their _Pulque_, and other indigenous -beverages of an inebriating nature, but the North American Indians, -before their intercourse with us commenced, had absolutely nothing of -the kind. The smoke of the American weed, tobacco, was the only means -that they at that time had in use to produce a temporary exhilaration -of their spirits. - -I have related in a former chapter,[211] the curious account given by -the Delawares and Mohicans of the scene which took place when they -were first made to taste spirituous liquors by the Dutch who landed on -New York Island. I have no doubt that this tradition is substantially -founded on fact. Indeed, it is strongly corroborated by the name which, -in consequence of this adventure, those people gave at the time to -that island, and which it has retained to this day. They called it -_Manahachtanienk_, which in the Delaware language, means “_the island -where we all became intoxicated_.” We have corrupted this name into -_Manhattan_, but not so as to destroy its meaning, or conceal its -origin. The last syllable which we have left out is only a termination, -implying locality, and in this word signifies as much as _where we_. -There are few Indian traditions so well supported as this. - -How far from that time the dreadful vice of intoxication has increased -among those poor Indians, is well known to many Christian people among -us. We may safely calculate on thousands who have perished by the -baneful effect of spirituous liquors. The dreadful war which took place -in 1774 between the Shawanese, some of the Mingoes, and the people -of Virginia, in which so many lives were lost, was brought on by the -consequences of drunkenness. It produced murders, which were followed -by private revenge, and ended in a most cruel and destructive war. - -The general prevalence of this vice among the Indians is in a great -degree owing to unprincipled white traders, who persuade them to become -intoxicated that they may cheat them the more easily, and obtain their -lands or[212] peltries for a mere trifle. Within the last fifty years, -some instances have even come to my knowledge of white men having -enticed Indians to drink, and when drunk, murdered them. The effects -which intoxication produces upon the Indians are dreadful. It has been -the cause of an infinite number of murders among them, besides biting -off noses and otherwise disfiguring each other, which are the least -consequences of the quarrels which inebriation produces between them. -I cannot say how many have died of colds and other disorders, which -they have caught by lying upon the cold ground, and remaining exposed -to the elements when drunk; others have lingered out their lives, in -excruciating rheumatic pains and in wasting consumptions, until death -came to relieve them from their sufferings. - -Reflecting Indians have keenly remarked, “that it was strange that -a people who professed themselves believers in a religion revealed -to them by the great Spirit himself; who say that they have in their -houses the WORD of God, and his laws and commandments textually -written, could think of making a _beson_,[213] calculated to bewitch -people and make them destroy one another.” I once asked an Indian at -Pittsburgh, whom I had not before seen, who he was? He answered in -broken English: “My name is _Black-fish_; when at home with my nation, -I am a clever fellow, and when here, a _hog_.” He meant that by means -of the liquor which the white people gave him, he was sunk down to the -level of that beast. - -An Indian who had been born and brought up at Minisink, near the -Delaware Water Gap, and to whom the German inhabitants of that -neighbourhood 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 face of his friend presented to his eyes all -the features of the man with whom 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 inventor; for it could only be the -evil spirit who made 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 time until his death, which happened -thirty years afterwards, he never drank a drop of ardent spirits, which -he always called “the Devil’s blood,” and 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, had this time drank some liquor with -one of his acquaintances, of which he now felt the effects. As he was -walking before me, along the path, he at once flew back and aside, -calling out, “O! what a monstrous 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 nothing else; therefore, to -avoid it, he went round the path, and entered it again at some distance -further. After we had travelled together for about two hours, during -which time he spoke but little, we encamped for the night. Awaking -about midnight, I 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?” - -INDIAN. “Did you say it was not a snake of which I was afraid, and -which lay across the path?” - -HECKEW. “I did say so; and, indeed, it was nothing else but a sapling -burnt black by the firing of the woods.” - -INDIAN. “Are you sure it was that?” - -HECKEW. “Yes; and I called to you at the time to look, how I 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 I took it for an uncommonly large snake, moving -as if it intended to bite me!--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 how it happens that Indians so -often kill one another when drunk, almost without knowing what they -are doing; and when afterwards they are told of what they have done, -they ascribe it to the liquor which was in them at the time, and say -the liquor did it. I thought that as I saw this time a living snake -in a dead piece of wood, so I might, at another time, take a human -being, perhaps one of my own family, for a bear or some other ferocious -beast and kill him. Can you, my friend, tell me what is in the _beson_ -that confuses one so, and transforms things in that manner? Is it an -invisible spirit? It must be something alive; or have the white people -sorcerers 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 also, when drunk, kill people, and bite -noses off, 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 cannot 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, or with the help of -a little of it, some salutary _besons_, still, I must believe that when -it operates as you have seen, the bad spirit must have some hand in it, -either by putting some bad thing into it, unknown to those who prepare -it, or you have conjurers who understand how to bewitch it.--Perhaps -they only do so to that which is for the Indians; for the devil is not -the Indians’ friend, because they will not worship him, as they do -the good spirit, and therefore I believe he puts something into the -_beson_, for the purpose of destroying them.” - -HECKEW. “What the devil may do with the liquor, I cannot tell; but I -believe that he has a hand in everything 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 murderer.” - -INDIAN. “Well, now, we think alike, and henceforth he shall never again -deceive me, or entice me to drink his _beson_!” - -It is a common saying with those white traders who find it their -interest to make the Indians drunk, in order to obtain their peltry -at a cheaper rate, that they _will_ have strong liquors, and will not -enter upon a bargain unless they are sure of getting it. I acknowledge -that I have seen some such cases; but I could also state many from my -own knowledge, where the Indians not only refused liquor, but resisted -during several days all the attempts that were made to induce them even -to taste it, being well aware, as well as those who offered it to them, -that if they once should put it to their lips, such was their weakness -on that score, that intoxication would inevitably follow. - -I can, perhaps, offer a plausible reason why the Indians are so fond of -spirituous drinks. The cause is, I believe, to be found in their living -almost entirely upon fresh meats and green vegetables, such as corn, -pumpkins, squashes, potatoes, cucumbers, melons, beans, &c., which -causes a longing in their stomachs for some seasoning, particularly -(as is often the case) when they have been a long time without salt. -They are, on those occasions, equally eager for any acid substances; -vinegar, if they can get it, they will drink in considerable -quantities, and think nothing of going thirty or forty miles in search -of cranberries whether in season or not. They also gather crab-apples, -wild-grapes, and other acid, and even bitter-tasted fruits, as -substitutes for salt, and in the spring they will peel such trees as -have a sourish sap, which they lick with great avidity. When for a long -time they have been without salt, and are fortunate enough to get some, -they will swallow at a time a table-spoonful of that mineral substance, -for which they say that they and their horses are equally hungry. - -The Indians are very sensible of the state of degradation to which they -have been brought by the abuse of strong liquors, and whenever they -speak of it, never fail to reproach the whites, for having enticed them -into that vicious habit. I could easily prove how guilty the whites -are in this respect, if I were to relate a number of anecdotes, which -I rather wish to consign to oblivion. The following will be sufficient -to confute those disingenuous traders, who would endeavour to shift the -blame from themselves, in order to fix it upon the poor deluded Indians. - -In the year 1769, an Indian from Susquehannah having come to Bethlehem -with his sons to dispose of his peltry, was accosted by a trader from -a neighbouring town, who addressed him thus: “Well! Thomas, I really -believe you have turned Moravian.” “Moravian!” answered the Indian, -“what makes you think so?” “Because,” replied the other, “you used to -come to us to sell your 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 heartily, drink! it -will not hurt you.’ All this is done for the purpose of cheating me. -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 manner in which you cheat -the Indians when they come to trade with you. So now you know when you -see me coming to your town again, you may say to one another: ‘Ah! -there is Thomas coming again! he is no longer a Moravian, for he is -coming to us to be made drunk--to be cheated--to be kicked out of the -house, and be called a _drunken dog_!’” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -FUNERALS. - - -I believe that no sufficiently detailed account has yet been given of -the manner in which the North American Indians conduct the funerals -of their dead. Captain Carver tells us that the Naudowessies, among -whom he was, kept those ceremonies a secret, and would not give him -an opportunity of witnessing them. Loskiel, although he drew his -information from the journals of our Missionaries, has treated this -subject rather superficially. I therefore run little risk of repetition -in describing what I have myself seen, and I hope that the particulars -which I am going to relate will not be thought uninteresting. - -It is well known that the Indians pay great respect to the memory -of the dead, and commit their remains to the ground with becoming -ceremonies. Those ceremonies, however, are not the same in all cases, -but vary according to circumstances, and the condition of the deceased; -for rank and wealth receive distinctions even after death, as well -among savages as among civilised nations. This, perhaps, may be easily -accounted for. When a great chief dies, his death is considered as a -national loss; of course all must join in a public demonstration of -their sorrow. The rich man, on the other hand, had many friends during -his life, who cannot decently abandon him the moment the breath is -out of his body; besides, his fortune supplies the means of a rich -entertainment at the funeral, of which many, as may well be supposed, -are anxious to partake. Thus social distinctions are found even in -the state of nature, where perfect equality, if it exists any where, -might with the greatest probability be supposed to be found. Though -the earth and its fruits are common to all the Indians, yet every -man is permitted to enjoy the earnings of his industry, and that -produces riches; and though there is no hereditary or even elective -rank in their social organization, yet as power follows courage and -talents, those who are generally acknowledged to be possessed of those -qualities, assume their station above the rest, and the distinction -of rank is thus established. Politicians and philosophers may reason -on these facts as they please; the descriptions that I give are from -nature, and I leave it to abler men than myself to draw the proper -inferences from them. - -On the death of a principal chief, the village resounds from one end -to the other with the loud lamentations of the women, among whom those -who sit by the corpse distinguish themselves by the shrillness of -their cries and the frantic expression of their sorrow. This scene of -mourning over the dead body continues by day and by night until it is -interred, the mourners being relieved from time to time by other women. - -These honours of “mourning over the corpse” are paid to all; the poor -and humble, as well as the rich, great, and powerful; the difference -consists only in the number of mourners, the undistinguished Indian -having few besides his immediate relations and friends, and sometimes -only those. Women (notwithstanding all that has been said of their -supposed inferior station and of their being reduced to the rank of -slaves) are not treated after their death with less respect than the -men, and the greatest honours are paid to the remains of the wives -of renowned warriors or veteran chiefs, particularly if they were -descended themselves of a high family, which, however strange it may -appear, is not an indifferent thing among the Indians, who love to -honour the merit of their great men in their relatives. I was present -in the year 1762, at the funeral of a woman of the highest rank and -respectability, the wife of the valiant Delaware chief _Shingask_;[214] -as all the honours were paid to her at her interment that are usual on -such occasions, I trust a particular description of the ceremony will -not be unacceptable. - -At the moment that she died, her death was announced through the -village by women specially appointed for that purpose, who went through -the streets crying, “_She is no more! she is no more!_” The place on a -sudden exhibited a scene of universal mourning; cries and lamentations -were heard from all quarters; it was truly the expression of the -general feeling for a general loss. - -The day passed in this manner amidst sorrow and desolation. The next -morning, between nine and ten o’clock, two counsellors came to announce -to Mr. Thomas Calhoon, the Indian trader, and myself, that we were -desired to attend and assist at the funeral which was soon to take -place. We, in consequence, proceeded to the house of the deceased, -where we found her corpse lying in a coffin, (which had been made -by Mr. Calhoon’s carpenter) dressed and painted in the most superb -Indian style. Her garments, all new, were set off with rows of silver -broaches,[215] one row joining the other. Over the sleeves of her new -ruffled shirt were broad silver arm-spangles from her shoulder down -to her wrist, on which were bands, forming a kind of mittens, worked -together of wampum, in the same manner as the belts which they use -when they deliver speeches. Her long plaited hair was confined by -broad bands of silver, one band joining the other, yet not of the same -size, but tapering from the head downwards and running at the lower -end to a point. On the neck were hanging five broad belts of wampum -tied together at the ends, each of a size smaller than the other, the -largest of which reached below her breast, the next largest reaching to -a few inches of it, and so on, the uppermost one being the smallest. -Her scarlet leggings were decorated with different coloured ribands -sewed on, the outer edges being finished off with small beads also of -various colours. Her mocksens were ornamented with the most striking -figures, wrought on the leather with coloured porcupine quills, on the -borders of which, round the ankles, were fastened a number of small -round silver bells, of about the size of a musket ball. All these -things, together with the vermilion paint, judiciously laid on, so as -to set her off in the highest style, decorated her person in such a -manner, that perhaps nothing of the kind could exceed it. - -The spectators having retired, a number of articles were brought out -of the house and placed in the coffin, wherever there was room to put -them in, among which were a new shirt, a dressed deer skin for shoes, -a pair of scissors, needles, thread, a knife, pewter basin and spoon, -pint-cup, and other similar things, with a number of trinkets and other -small articles which she was fond of while living. The lid was then -fastened on the coffin with three straps, and three handsome round -poles, five or six feet long, were laid across it, near each other, and -one in the middle, which were also fastened with straps cut up from a -tanned elk hide; and a small bag of vermilion paint, with some flannel -to lay it on, was then thrust into the coffin through the hole cut out -at the head of it. This hole, the Indians say, is for the spirit of the -deceased to go in and out at pleasure, until it has found the place of -its future residence. - -Everything being in order, the bearers of the corpse were desired to -take their places. Mr. Calhoon and myself were placed at the foremost -pole, two women at the middle, and two men at the pole in the rear. -Several women from a house about thirty yards off, now started off, -carrying large kettles, dishes, spoons, and dried elk meat in baskets, -for the burial place, and the signal being given for us to move with -the body, the women who acted as chief mourners made the air resound -with their shrill cries. The order of the procession was as follows; -first a leader or guide, from the spot where we were to the place of -interment. Next followed the corpse, and close to it _Shingask_, the -husband of the deceased. He was followed by the principal war-chiefs -and counsellors of the nation, after whom came men of all ranks and -descriptions. Then followed the women and children, and lastly two -stout men carrying loads of European manufactured goods upon their -backs. The chief mourners on the women’s side, not having joined the -ranks, took their own course to the right, at the distance of about -fifteen or twenty yards from us, but always opposite to the corpse. -As the corpse had to be carried by the strength of our arms to the -distance of about two hundred yards, and hung low between the bearers, -we had to rest several times by the way, and whenever we stopped, -everybody halted until we moved on again. - -Being arrived at the grave, we were told to halt, then the lid of the -coffin was again taken off, and the body exposed to view. Now the -whole train formed themselves into a kind of semi-lunar circle on the -south side of the grave, and seated themselves on the ground. Within -this circle, at the distance of about fifteen yards from the grave, a -common seat was made for Mr. Calhoon and myself to sit on, while the -disconsolate _Shingask_ retired by himself to a spot at some distance, -where he was seen weeping, with his head bowed to the ground. The -female mourners seated themselves promiscuously near to each other, -among some low bushes that were at the distance of from twelve to -fifteen yards east of the grave. - -In this situation we remained for the space of more than two hours; not -a sound was heard from any quarter, though the numbers that attended -were very great; nor did any person move from his seat to view the -body, which had been lightly covered over with a clean white sheet. All -appeared to be in profound reflection and solemn mourning. Sighs and -sobs were now and then heard from the female mourners, so uttered as -not to disturb the assembly; it seemed rather as if intended to keep -the feeling of sorrow alive in a manner becoming the occasion. Such was -the impression made on us by this long silence. - -At length, at about one o’clock in the afternoon, six men stepped -forward to put the lid upon the coffin, and let down the body into -the grave, when suddenly three of the women mourners rushed from -their seats, and forcing themselves between these men and the corpse, -loudly called out to the deceased to “arise and go with them and not -to forsake them.” They even took hold of her arms and legs; at first -it seemed as if they were caressing her, afterwards they appeared to -pull with more violence, as if they intended to run away with the -body, crying out all the while, “Arise, arise! Come with us! Don’t -leave us! Don’t abandon us!” At last they retired, plucking at their -garments, pulling their hair, and uttering loud cries and lamentations, -with all the appearance of frantic despair. After they were seated -on the ground, they continued in the same manner crying and sobbing -and pulling at the grass and shrubs, as if their minds were totally -bewildered and they did not know what they were doing. - -As soon as these women had gone through their part of the ceremony, -which took up about fifteen minutes, the six men whom they had -interrupted and who had remained at the distance of about five feet -from the corpse, again stepped forward and did their duty. They let -down the coffin into the earth, and laid two thin poles of about four -inches diameter, from which the bark had been taken off, lengthways -and close together over the grave, after which they retired. Then the -husband of the deceased advanced with a very slow pace, and when he -came to the grave, walked over it on these poles, and proceeded forward -in the same manner into an extensive adjoining prairie, which commenced -at this spot. - -When the widowed chief had advanced so far that he could not hear what -was doing at the grave, a painted post, on which were drawn various -figures, emblematic of the deceased’s situation in life and of her -having been the wife of a valiant warrior, was brought by two men and -delivered to a third, a man of note, who placed it in such a manner -that it rested on the coffin at the head of the grave, and took great -care that a certain part of the drawings should be exposed to the East, -or rising of the sun; then, while he held the post erect and properly -situated, some women filled up the grave with hoes, and having placed -dry leaves and pieces of bark over it, so that none of the fresh -ground was visible, they retired, and some men, with timbers fitted -beforehand for the purpose, enclosed the grave about breast-high, so as -to secure it from the approach of wild beasts. - -The whole work being finished, which took up about an hour’s time, Mr. -Calhoon and myself expected that we might be permitted to go home, as -we wished to do, particularly as we saw a thundergust from the west -fast approaching; but the Indians, suspecting our design, soon came -forward with poles and blankets, and in a few minutes erected a shelter -for us. - -The storm, though of short duration, was tremendous; the water produced -by the rain, flowing in streams; yet all had found means to secure -themselves during its continuance, and being on prairie ground, we were -out of all danger of trees being torn up or blown down upon us. Our -encampment now appeared like a village, or rather like a military camp, -such was the number of places of shelter that had been erected. - -Fortunately, the husband of the deceased had reached the camp in good -time, and now the gust being over, every one was served with victuals -that had been cooked at some distance from the spot. After the repast -was over, the articles of merchandise which had been brought by the two -men in the rear, having been made up in parcels, were distributed among -all present. No one, from the oldest to the youngest, was excepted, -and every one partook of the liberal donation. This difference only -was made, that those who had rendered the greatest services received -the most valuable presents, and we were much pleased to see the female -mourners well rewarded, as they had, indeed, a very hard task to -perform. Articles of little value, such as gartering, tape, needles, -beads, and the like, were given to the smaller girls; the older ones -received a pair of scissors, needles and thread, and a yard or two -of riband. The boys had a knife, jews-harp, awl-blades, or something -of similar value. Some of the grown persons received a new suit of -clothes, consisting of a blanket, shirt, breech-cloth and leggings, of -the value in the whole of about eight dollars; and the women, (I mean -those who had rendered essential services) a blanket, ruffled shirts, -stroud and leggings, the whole worth from ten to twelve dollars. Mr. -Calhoon and myself were each presented with a silk cravat and a pair -of leggings. The goods distributed on this occasion, were estimated by -Mr. Calhoon at two hundred dollars; the greatest part of them had, the -same morning, been taken out of his store. - -After we had thus remained, in a manner, under confinement, for more -than six hours, the procession ended, and Mr. Calhoon and myself -retired with the rest to our homes. At dusk a kettle of victuals was -carried to the grave and placed upon it, and the same was done every -evening for the space of three weeks, at the end of which it was -supposed that the traveller had found her place of residence. During -that time the lamentations of the women mourners were heard on the -evenings of each day, though not so loud nor so violent as before. - -I have thus described, from minutes which I took at the time, the -ceremonies which take place among the Delaware Indians on the death of -a person of high rank and consideration among them. The funerals of -persons of an inferior station are conducted with less pomp and with -less expense. When the heirs of the deceased cannot afford to hire -female mourners, the duty is performed by their own immediate relations -and friends. But “mourning over the corpse” is a ceremony that cannot -be dispensed with. - -It is always customary, when an Indian dies, of whatever rank or -condition he may be, to put a number of the articles which belonged to -the deceased in the coffin or grave, that he may have them when wanted. -I have seen a bottle of rum or whiskey placed at the coffin head, and -the reason given for it was, that the deceased was fond of liquor while -living, and he would be glad of a dram when he should feel fatigued on -his journey to the world of spirits. - -When an Indian dies at a distance from his home, great care is taken -that the grave be well fortified with posts and logs laid upon it, that -the wolves may be prevented from getting at the corpse; when time and -circumstances do not permit this, as, for instance, when the Indians -are travelling, the body is enclosed in the bark of trees and thus laid -in the grave. When a death takes place at their hunting camps, they -make a kind of coffin as well as they can, or put a cover over the -body, so that the earth may not sink on it, and then enclose the grave -with a fence of poles. - -Warriors that are slain in battle, are, if possible, drawn aside and -buried, so that the enemy may not get their scalps, and also that he -may not know the number of the slain. In such cases they will turn an -old log out of its bed, and dig a grave so deep, that the log, when -replaced, may not press too hard upon the body. If any of the fresh -earth be seen, they cover it with rotten wood, brush or leaves, that -its place may not be found. If they have not sufficient time for this, -or the number of their dead is too great, they throw the bodies on the -top of each other between large logs, and place any kind of rotten wood -or other rubbish upon them. They never, when they can help it, leave -their dead to be devoured by wild beasts. - -When the Indians have to speak of a deceased person, they never mention -him or her by name, lest they should renew the grief of the family -or friends. They say, “He who was our counsellor or chief,” “She who -was the wife of our friend;” or they will allude to some particular -circumstance, as that of the deceased having been with them at a -particular time or place, or having done some particular act or spoken -particular words which they all remember, so that every body knows who -is meant. I have often observed with emotion this remarkable delicacy, -which certainly does honour to their hearts, and shews that they are -naturally accessible to the tenderest feelings of humanity. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -FRIENDSHIP. - - -Those who believe that no faith is to be placed in the friendship of -an Indian are egregiously mistaken, and know very little of the true -character of those men of nature. They are, it is true, revengeful to -their enemies, to those who wilfully do them an injury, who insult, -abuse, or treat them with contempt. It may be said, indeed, that the -passion of revenge is so strong in them that it knows no bounds. This -does not, however, proceed from a bad or malicious disposition, but -from the violence of natural feelings unchecked by social institutions, -and unsubdued by the force of revealed religion. The tender and -generous passions operate no less powerfully on them than those of -an opposite character, and they are as warm and sincere in their -friendship, as vindictive in their enmities. Nay, I will venture to -assert that there are those among them who on an emergency would lay -down their lives for a friend: I could fill many pages with examples -of Indian friendship and fidelity, not only to each other, but to men -of other nations and of a different colour than themselves. How often, -when wars were impending between them and the whites, have they not -forewarned those among our frontier settlers whom they thought well -disposed towards them, that dangerous times were at hand, and advised -them to provide for their own safety, regardless of the jealousy which -such conduct might excite among their own people? How often did they -not even guard and escort them through the most dangerous places until -they had reached a secure spot? How often did they not find means to -keep an enemy from striking a stroke, as they call it, that is to say -from proceeding to the sudden indiscriminate murder of the frontier -whites, until their friends or those whom they considered as such were -out of all danger? - -These facts are all familiar to every one who has lived among Indians -or in their neighbourhood, and I believe it will be difficult to find -a single case in which they betrayed a real friend or abandoned him in -the hour of danger, when it was in their power to extricate or relieve -him. The word “Friend” to the ear of an Indian does not convey the -same vague and almost indefinite meaning that it does with us; it is -not a mere complimentary or social expression, but implies a resolute -determination to stand by the person so distinguished on all occasions, -and a threat to those who might attempt to molest him; the mere looking -at two persons who are known or declared friends, is sufficient to -deter any one from offering insult to either. When an Indian believes -that he has reason to suspect a man of evil designs against his friend, -he has only to say emphatically: “This is _my friend_, and if any one -tries to hurt him, I will do to him _what is in my mind_.” It is as -much as to say that he will stand in his defence at the hazard of his -own life. This language is well understood by the Indians, who know -that they would have to combat with a spirited warrior, were they to -attempt any thing against his friend. By this means much bloodshed is -prevented; for it is sufficiently known that an Indian never proffers -his friendship in vain. Many white men, and myself among others, -have experienced the benefit of their powerful as well as generous -protection. - -When in the spring of the year 1774, a war broke out between the -Virginians and the Shawanese and Mingoes, on account of murders -committed by the former on the latter people, and the exasperated -friends of those who had suffered had determined to kill every white -man in their country, the Shawano chief _Silverheels_,[216] taking -another Indian with him, undertook out of friendship to escort several -white traders from thence to Albany,[217] a distance of near two -hundred miles; well knowing at the time that he was running the risk -of his own life, from exasperated Indians and vagabond whites, if he -should meet with such on the road, as he did in fact on his return. I -have already said how he was rewarded for this noble act of friendship -and self-devotion. - -In the year 1779, the noted Girty with his murdering party of Mingoes, -nine in number, fell in with the Missionary Zeisberger, on the path -leading from Goschacking to Gnadenhütten; their design was to take that -worthy man prisoner; and if they could not seize him alive, to murder -him and take his scalp to Detroit. They were on the point of laying -hold of him, when two young spirited Delawares providentially entered -the path at that critical moment and in an instant presented themselves -to defend the good Missionary at the risk of their lives. Their -determined conduct had the desired success, and his life was saved. His -deliverers afterwards declared that they had no other motive for thus -exposing themselves for his sake than that he was a friend to their -nation, and was considered by them as a good man. - -But why should I speak of others when I have myself so often -experienced the benefits of Indian protection and friendship. Let me -be permitted to corroborate my assertions on this subject by my own -personal testimony. - -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 devastation along our unprotected frontier, I rather rashly -determined to take a journey into the country on a visit to my friends. -Captain White Eyes, the Indian hero, whose character I have already -described,[218] resided at that time at the distance of seventeen -miles from the place where I lived. Hearing of my determination, he -immediately hurried up to me, with his friend Captain Wingenund (whom -I shall presently have occasion further to mention), and some of his -young men, for the purpose of escorting me to Pittsburg, saying, -“that he would not suffer me to go, while the Sandusky warriors were -out on war excursions, without a proper escort and _himself_ at my -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, enquired whether I -felt afraid? I answered that while he was with me, I entertained no -fear. On this he immediately replied, “You are right; for until I -am laid prostrate at your feet, no one shall hurt you.” “And even -not then,” added Wingenund, who was riding behind me; “before this -happens, I must be also overcome, and lay by the side of our friend -_Koguethagechton_.”[219] I believed 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 shewn it, as did another Indian 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 me. Quick as lightning he jumped -between us, and exposed his person to the musket shot just about to be -fired, when fortunately the aggressor desisted, from fear of hitting -the Indian whose body thus effectually 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, regardless of his own life, up to an inimical -Shawanese, who was aiming at our ambassador from behind a bush, and -forced him to desist. - -I could enumerate many other similar acts, but I think I have shewn -enough for my purpose. Mr. Zeisberger fully agreed with me in the -opinion, that it is impossible to deny to the Indians the praise of -firm attachment and sincere friendship. It is not meant to say, that -all will carry that feeling to the same pitch of heroism; but it is -certain that there are many among them, whose strong attachments and -a manly pride will induce to risk their lives in the defence of their -friends. And, indeed, there is no Indian, who would not blush at being -reproached that after boasting that a particular person was his friend, -he had acted the coward when his friendship was put to the test, and -had shrunk from venturing his own life, when there was even a chance of -saving that of the man whom he professed to love. - -It is not true, as some have supposed, that an Indian’s friendship -must be purchased by presents, and that it lasts only so long as gifts -continue to be lavished upon them. Their attachments, on the contrary, -are perfectly disinterested. I admit that they receive with pleasure a -present from a friend’s hand. They consider presents as marks of the -giver’s good disposition towards them. They cannot, in their opinion, -proceed from an enemy, and he who befriends them, they think must love -them. Obligations to them are not burdensome, they love to acknowledge -them, and whatever may be their faults, ingratitude is not among the -number. - -Indeed, the friendship of an Indian is easily acquired, provided it is -sought in good faith. But whoever chooses to obtain it must be sure to -treat them on a footing of perfect equality. They are very jealous of -the whites, who they think affect to consider themselves as beings of a -superior nature and too often treat them with rude undeserved contempt. -This they seldom forgive, while on the other hand, they feel flattered -when a white man does not disdain to treat them as children of the same -Creator. Both reason and humanity concur in teaching us this conduct, -but I am sorry to say that reason and humanity are in such cases too -little attended to. I hope I may be permitted to expatiate a little -on this subject; perhaps it may be beneficial to some white persons -hereafter. - -The Indians are, as I have already observed before,[220] excellent -physiognomists. If they are accosted by or engaged in business with a -number of whites, though they may not understand the language that is -spoken, they will pretty accurately distinguish by the countenance, -those who despise their colour from those who are under the influence -of a more generous feeling, and in this they are seldom mistaken. -They fix their eyes on the whole party round, and read as it were in -the souls of the individuals who compose it. They mark those whom -they consider as their friends, and those whom they think to be their -enemies, and are sure to remember them ever after. But what must those -expect, if a war or some other circumstance should put them into the -power of the Indians, who, relying on their supposed ignorance of -our idiom, do not scruple even in their presence to apply to them the -epithets of _dogs_, _black d--ls_, and the like? Will not these poor -people be in some degree justifiable in considering those persons as -decidedly hostile to their race? Such cases have unfortunately too -frequently happened, and the savages have been blamed for treating as -enemies those who had so cruelly wounded their most delicate feelings! -Many white men have been thus put to death, who had brought their -fate on themselves by their own imprudence. On the other hand, the -Indians have not failed to mark those who at the time reprobated such -indecent behaviour and reproached their companions for using such -improper language. In the midst of war these benevolent Christians have -been treated as friends, when, perhaps, they had forgotten the humane -conduct to which they were indebted for this kind usage. - -Their reasoning in such cases is simple, but to them always conclusive. -They merely apply their constant maxim, which I believe I have already -noticed, that “good can never proceed from evil or evil from good, and -that good and evil, like heterogeneous substances, can never combine -or coalesce together.” How far this maxim is founded in a profound -knowledge of human nature, it is not my business to determine; what is -certain is that they adhere to it in almost every occasion. If a person -treats them ill, they ascribe it invariably to his bad heart; it is the -bad spirit within him that operates; he is, therefore, a bad man. If on -the contrary one shews them kindness, they say he is prompted so to act -by “the good spirit within him,” and that he has a _good heart_; for -if he had not, he would not do good. It is impossible to draw them out -of this circle of reasoning, and to persuade them that the friendship -shewn to them may be dissembled and proceed from motives of interest; -so convinced are they of the truth of their general principle, “that -good cannot proceed from an evil source.” - -The conduct of the Europeans towards them, particularly within the last -fifty or sixty years, has, however, sufficiently convinced them that -men may dissemble, and that kind speeches and even acts of apparent -friendship do not always proceed from friendly motives, but that the -bad spirit will sometimes lurk under the appearance of the good. -Hence, when they speak of the whites in general, they do not scruple to -designate them as a false, deceitful race; but it is nevertheless true -that with individuals, they frequently forget this general impression, -and revert to their own honest principle; and if a white man only -behaves to them with common humanity, it is still easy to get access to -their simple hearts. Such are those brutes, those savages, from whom, -according to some men, no faith is to be expected, and with whom no -faith is to be kept; such are those _barbarous_ nations, as they are -called, whom God, nevertheless, made the lawful owners and masters of -this beautiful country; but who, at no very remote time, will probably -live, partially live, only in its history. - -My object in this chapter is to prove that those men are susceptible -of the noblest and finest feelings of genuine friendship. It is not -enough that by a long residence among them, I have acquired the most -complete conviction of this truth; facts and not opinions, I know, -are expected from me. Perhaps I might rest satisfied with the proofs -that I have already given, but I have only shewn the strength and have -yet to display the _constancy_ of their attachments; and although in -the story which I am going to relate, a friend was forced to see his -friend perish miserably without having it in his power to save him from -the most terrible death that vengeance and cruelty could inflict, we -shall not be the less astonished to see him persevere in his friendly -sentiments, under circumstances of all others the most calculated, -(particularly to an Indian) not only to have entirely extinguished, but -converted those sentiments into feelings of hatred and revenge. - -I am sorry to be so often obliged to revert to the circumstance of the -cruel murder of the Christian Indians on the Sandusky[221] river[222] -in the year 1782, by a gang of banditti, under the command of one -Williamson. Not satisfied with this horrid outrage, the same band not -long afterwards marched to Sandusky,[223] where it seems they had -been informed that the remainder of that unfortunate congregation -had fled, in order to perpetrate upon them the same indiscriminate -murder. But Providence had so ordered it that they had before left -that place, where they had found that they could not remain in safety, -their ministers having been taken from them and carried to Detroit by -order of the British government, so that they had been left entirely -unprotected. The murderers, 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, furiously attacked, Williamson and his band took the -advantage of a dark night and ran off, and the whole party escaped, -except one Colonel Crawford and another, who being taken by the -Indians were carried in 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 invent. The latter was demanded by the -Shawanese and sent to them for punishment. - -While preparations were making for the execution of this dreadful -sentence, the unfortunate Crawford recollected that the Delaware chief -Wingenund,[224] of whom I have spoken in the beginning of this chapter, -had been his friend in happier times; he had several times entertained -him at his house, and shewed him those marks of attention which are so -grateful to the poor despised 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 despatched for the chief, who, reluctantly, indeed, but -without hesitation, obeyed the summons, and immediately 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 firm undaunted mind, he joined humanity, kindness and -universal benevolence; the excellent qualities of his heart had -obtained for him the name of _Wingenund_, which in the Lenape language -signifies _the well beloved_. He had kept away from the tragical 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 called 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, and whose innocent blood called aloud for the most signal -revenge. Could he take the part of a chief of the base murderers? Could -he forget altogether the feelings of ancient fellowship and give way -exclusively to those of the Indian and the patriot? Fully sensible that -in the situation in which he was placed the latter must, in appearance, -at least, predominate, he summoned to his aid the firmness and dignity -of an Indian warrior, approached Colonel Crawford and waited in silence -for the communications he had to make. The following dialogue now took -place between them. - -CRAWF. Do you recollect me, Wingenund? - -WINGEN. I believe I do; are you not Colonel Crawford? - -CRAWF. I am. How do you do? I am glad to see you, Captain. - -WINGEN. (embarrassed) So! yes, indeed. - -CRAWF. Do you recollect the friendship that always existed between us, -and that we were always glad to see each other? - -WINGEN. I recollect all this. I remember that we have drunk many a bowl -of punch together. I remember also other acts of kindness that you have -done me. - -CRAWF. Then I hope the same friendship still subsists between us. - -WINGEN. It would, of course, be the same, were you in your proper place -and not here. - -CRAWF. 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! you have placed yourself in a situation -which puts it out of my power and that of others of your friends to do -anything for you. - -CRAWF. How so, Captain Wingenund? - -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 -Moravian Indians, knowing them to be friends; knowing that he ran no -risk in murdering a people who would not fight, and whose only business -was praying. - -CRAWF. Wingenund, I assure you, that had I been with him at the time, -this would not have happened; 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 _foolish_, because they believed -the whites in preference to us. We had often 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. - -CRAWF. 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. - -WINGEN. This, Colonel, the Indians would not believe, were even I to -tell them so. - -CRAWF. And why would they not believe it? - -WINGEN. Because it would have been out of your power to prevent his -doing what he pleased. - -CRAWF. Out of my power! Have any Moravian Indians been killed or hurt -since we came out? - -WINGEN. 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 warriors only, you would not have gone thither. Our spies -watched you closely. They saw you while you were embodying yourselves -on the other side of the Ohio; they saw you cross that river; they saw -where you encamped at night; they saw 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? Can you tell me? - -WINGEN. I tell you with grief, Colonel. As Williamson and his whole -cowardly host, ran off in the night at the whistling of our warrior’s -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 anything -to do; I say, as he escaped, and they have taken you, they will take -revenge on you in his stead. - -CRAWF. And is there no possibility of preventing this? Can you devise -no way to get me off? You shall, my friend, be well rewarded if you are -instrumental in saving my life. - -WINGEN. Had Williamson been taken with you, I and some friends, by -making use of what you have told me, might perhaps, have succeeded to -save you, 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 wantonly 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 belonged will have _revenge_. The -Shawanese, our grandchildren, have asked for your fellow-prisoner; on -him they will take _revenge_. All the nations connected with us cry out -_Revenge! revenge!_ The Moravians whom you went to destroy having fled, -instead of avenging their brethren, the offence is become national, and -the nation itself is bound to take REVENGE! - -CRAWF. Then it seems my fate is decided, and I must prepare to meet -death in its worst form? - -WINGEN. Yes, Colonel!--I am sorry for it; but cannot do anything for -you. Had you attended to the Indian principle, that as good and evil -cannot dwell together in the same heart, so 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 has deserted you, what 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;[225] I -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 Wingenund himself as well as -by others, both he and Crawford burst into a flood of tears; they then -took an affectionate leave of each other, and the chief immediately -_hid himself in 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 after Crawford’s sufferings, I heard -him censured in his own presence by some gentlemen who were standing -together for not having saved the life of so valuable a man, who was -also his particular friend, as he had often told them. He listened -calmly to their censure, and first turning to me, said in his own -language: “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 his ships laden with goods and treasures, he -could not have ransomed my friend, nor saved his life from the rage -of a _justly_ exasperated multitude.” He made no further allusion to -the act that had been the cause of Crawford’s death, and it was easy -to perceive that on this melancholy subject, grief was the feeling -that predominated in his mind. He felt much hurt, however, at this -unjust accusation, from men who, perhaps, he might think, would have -acted very differently in his place. For, let us consider in what a -situation he found himself, at that trying and critical moment. He -was a Delaware Indian, and a highly distinguished character among his -nation. The offence was national, and of the most atrocious kind, as it -was wanton and altogether unprovoked. He might have been expected to -partake with all the rest of his countrymen in the strong desire which -they felt for _revenge_. He had been Crawford’s friend, it is true, -and various acts of sociability and friendship had been interchanged -between them. But, no doubt, at that time, he believed him, at least, -not to be an enemy to his nation and colour, and if he was an enemy, -he might have expected him to be, like himself, a fair, open, generous -foe. But when he finds him enlisted with those who are waging a war of -extermination against the Indian race, murdering in cold blood, and -without distinction of age or sex, even those who had united their fate -to that of the whites, and had said to the Christians: “Your people -shall be _our_ people, and your God _our_ God,”[226] was there not -enough here to make him disbelieve all the former professions of such -a man, and to turn his abused friendship into the most violent enmity -and the bitterest rage? Instead of this we see him persevering to the -last in his attachment to a person who, to say the least, had ceased to -be deserving of it; we see him in the face of his enraged countrymen -avow that friendship, careless of the jealousy that he might excite; we -see him not only abstain from participating in the national revenge, -but deserting his post, as it were, seek a solitary spot to bewail -the death of him, whom, in spite of all, he still loved, and felt not -ashamed to call his _friend_. - -It is impossible for friendship to be put to a severer test, and the -example of Wingenund proves how deep a root this sentiment can take -in the mind of an Indian, when even such circumstances as those under -which the chief found himself, fail to extinguish it. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -PREACHERS AND PROPHETS. - - -There was a time when the preachers and prophets of the Indians, -by properly exerting the unbounded influence which the popular -superstitions gave them, might have excited among those nations such -a spirit of general resistance against the encroachments of the -Europeans, as would have enabled them, at least, to make a noble -stand against their invaders, and perhaps to recover the undisturbed -possession of their country. Instead of following the obvious course -which reason and nature pointed out; instead of uniting as one nation -in defence of their natural rights, they gave ear to the artful -insinuations of their enemies, who too well understood the art of -sowing unnatural divisions among them. It was not until Canada, after -repeated struggles, was finally conquered from the French by the united -arms of Great Britain and her colonies, that they began to be sensible -of their desperate situation--this whole northern continent being now -in the possession of one great and powerful nation, against whom it -was vain to attempt resistance. Yet it was at this moment that their -prophets, impelled by ambitious motives, began to endeavour by their -eloquence to bring them back to independent feelings, and create among -them a genuine national spirit; but it was too late. The only rational -resource that remained for them to prevent their total annihilation -was to adopt the religion and manners of their conquerors, and abandon -savage life for the comforts of civilised society; but of this but a -few of them were sensible; in vain Missionaries were sent among them, -who, through the greatest hardships and dangers exerted themselves to -soften their misfortunes by the consolations of the Christian faith, -and to point out to them the way of salvation in this world and the -next; the banner of Christ was comparatively followed but by small -numbers, and these were persecuted by their friends, or, at least, -those who ought to have been such, as well as by their enemies. Among -the obstacles which the Missionaries encountered, the strong opposition -which was made to them by the prophets of the Indian nations was by no -means the least. - -I have known several of these preachers and prophets during my -residence in the Indian country, and have had sufficient opportunities -to observe the means which they took to operate on the minds of their -hearers. I shall content myself with taking notice here of a few of the -most remarkable among them. - -In the year 1762, there was a famous preacher of the Delaware nation, -who resided at _Cayahaga_, near Lake Erie, and travelled about the -country, among the Indians, endeavouring to persuade them that he had -been appointed by the great Spirit to instruct them in those things -that were agreeable to him and to point out to them the offences by -which they had drawn his displeasure on themselves, and the means by -which they might recover his favour for the future. He had drawn, as -he pretended, by the direction of the great Spirit, a kind of map on a -piece of deer skin, somewhat dressed like parchment, which he called -“the great Book or Writing.” This, he said, he had been ordered to shew -to the Indians, that they might see the situation in which the Mannitto -had originally placed them, the misery which they had brought upon -themselves by neglecting their duty, and the only way that was now left -them to regain what they had lost. This map he held before him while -preaching, frequently pointing to particular marks and spots upon it, -and giving explanations as he went along. - -The size of this map was about fifteen inches square, or, perhaps, -something more. An inside square was formed by lines drawn within it, -of about eight inches each way, two of those lines, however, were not -closed by about half an inch at the corners. Across these inside lines, -others of about an inch in length were drawn with sundry other lines -and marks, all which was intended to represent a strong inaccessible -barrier, to prevent those without from entering the space within, -otherwise than at the place appointed for that purpose. When the map -was held as he directed, the corners which were not closed lay at the -left hand side, directly opposite to each other, the one being at the -south-east by south, and the nearest at the north-east by north. In -explaining or describing the particular points on this map, with his -fingers always pointing to the place he was describing, he called the -space within the inside lines “the heavenly regions,” or the place -destined by the great Spirit for the habitation of the Indians in -future life; the space left open at the south-east corner, he called -the “avenue,” which had been intended for the Indians to enter into -this heaven, but which was now in the possession of the white people, -wherefore the great Spirit had since caused another “avenue” to be -made on the opposite side, at which, however, it was both difficult -and dangerous for them to enter, there being many impediments in their -way, besides a large ditch leading to a gulf below, over which they -had to leap; but the evil spirit kept at this very spot a continual -watch for Indians, and whoever he laid hold of, never could get away -from him again, but was carried to his regions, where there was nothing -but extreme poverty; where the ground was parched up by the heat for -want of rain, no fruit came to perfection, the game was almost starved -for want of pasture, and where the evil spirit, at his pleasure, -transformed men into horses and dogs, to be ridden by him and follow -him in his hunts and wherever he went. - -The space on the outside of this interior square, was intended to -represent the country given to the Indians to hunt, fish, and dwell -in while in this world; the east side of it was called the ocean or -“great salt water Lake.” Then the preacher drawing the attention of -his hearers particularly to the south-east avenue, would say to them: -“Look here! See what we have lost by neglect and disobedience; by being -remiss in the expression of our gratitude to the great Spirit, for -what he has bestowed upon us; by neglecting to make to him sufficient -sacrifices; by looking upon a people of a different colour from our -own, who had come across a great lake, as if they were a part of -ourselves; by suffering them to sit down by our side, and looking at -them with indifference, while they were not only taking our country -from us, but this (pointing to the spot), this, our own avenue, leading -into those beautiful regions which were destined for us. Such is the -sad condition to which we are reduced. What is now to be done, and what -remedy is to be applied? I will tell you, my friends. Hear what the -great Spirit has ordered me to tell you! You are to make sacrifices, -in the manner that I shall direct; to put off entirely from yourselves -the customs which you have adopted since the white people came among -us; you are to return to that former happy state, in which we lived -in peace and plenty, before these strangers came to disturb us, and -above all, you must abstain from drinking their deadly _beson_, which -they have forced upon us, for the sake of increasing their gains and -diminishing our numbers. Then will the great Spirit give success to our -arms; then he will give us strength to conquer our enemies, to drive -them from hence, and recover the passage to the heavenly regions which -they have taken from us.” - -Such was in general the substance of his discourses. After having -dilated more or less on the various topics which I have mentioned, he -commonly concluded in this manner: “And now, my friends, in order that -what I have told you may remain firmly impressed on your minds, and to -refresh your memories from time to time, I advise you to preserve, in -every family, at least, such a book or writing as this, which I will -finish off for you, provided you bring me the price, which is only -one buckskin or two doe-skins a piece.”[227] The price was of course -bought,[228] and the book purchased. In some of those maps, the figure -of a deer or turkey, or both, was placed in the heavenly regions, and -also in the dreary region of the evil spirit; the former, however, -appeared fat and plump, while the latter seemed to have nothing but -skin and bones. - -I was also well acquainted with another noted preacher, named -_Wangomend_, who was of the Monsey tribe. He began to preach in the -year 1766, much in the same manner as the one I have just mentioned. -When Mr. Zeisberger first came to _Goschgoschink_ town[229] on the -Allegheny river, this Indian prophet became one of his hearers, but -finding that the Missionary’s doctrine did not agree with his own, he -became his enemy. This man also pretended that his call as a preacher -was not of his own choice, but that he had been moved to it by the -great and good Spirit, in order to teach his countrymen, who were on -the way to perdition, how they could become reconciled to their God. He -would make his followers believe that he had once been taken so near -to heaven, that he could distinctly hear the crowing of the cocks, -and that at another time he had been borne by unseen hands to where -he had been permitted to take a peep into the heavens, of which there -were three, one for the Indians, one for the negroes, and another for -the white people. That of the Indians he observed to be the happiest -of the three, and that of the whites the unhappiest; for they were -under chastisement for their ill treatment of the Indians, and for -possessing themselves of the land which God had given to them. They -were also punished for making beasts of the negroes, by selling them as -the Indians do their horses and dogs, and beating them unmercifully, -although God had created them as well as the rest of mankind. - -The novelty of these visions procured him hearers for a time; he found, -however, at last, that the Indians became indifferent to his doctrines, -particularly as he frequently warned them not to drink the _poison_ -brought to them by the white people, of which his congregation were -very fond. Then he bethought himself of a more popular and interesting -subject, and began to preach against witchcraft and those who dealt -in the black art. Here he had all the passions and prejudices of the -poor Indians on his side, and he did not fail to meet with the general -approbation, when he declared to them that wizards were getting the -upper hand, and would destroy the nation, if they were not checked in -their career. He travelled in 1775, to _Goschachking_, at the forks -of the Muskingum, to lay this business before the great council of -the Delawares, and take their opinion upon it. The first report which -the Missionaries on the Muskingum heard on this subject, was that the -chiefs had at first united in having every conjurer and witch in the -nation brought to an account and punished with death, that, however, on -a more mature consideration, they had thought proper in the first place -to ascertain the number and names not only of those who were known, but -even of those who were suspected of dealing in sorcery, and Wangomend -was appointed to cause the enumeration to be made. He accordingly -hastily set off for his home; and on his arrival immediately entered -on the duties of his mission; when behold! it was discovered that the -number of offenders was much greater than had been at first imagined, -and he found himself in danger of having his own name inserted in the -black list. His zeal, in consequence, became considerably cooled, -and by the time when he returned the chiefs were no longer disposed -to meddle with this dangerous subject, justly fearing that it could -not but terminate in the ruin of their nation. Wangomend, therefore, -returned to his former mode of preaching, recommending to his hearers -to purge themselves from sin by taking certain prescribed medicines, -and making frequent sacrifices to the great Spirit. - -The last whom I shall take notice of is the Prophet-warrior _Tecumseh_, -lately so celebrated among us, and who lost his life in the last war at -the battle of the Thames, on the 30th of September, 1813, at the age, -it is said, of 43 years. The details of his military life have been -made sufficiently known through the medium of journals and newspapers, -and his famous speech to the British general Proctor delivered at -Amhertsburg, a short time before the battle which decided his fate, -is in every body’s hands.[230] But his character as a prophet and the -means that he took to raise himself to power and fame are not so well -nor so particularly understood, although it is, in general, admitted -that he was admirably skilled in the art of governing Indians through -the medium of their passions. The sketch which I am going to draw will -sufficiently prove how well this opinion is founded. - -From the best information that I was able to obtain of this man, he -was by nation a Shawanese, and began his career as a preacher much in -the manner that others had done before him. He endeavoured to impress -upon the minds of his Indian hearers, that they were a distinct people -from the whites, that they had been created and placed on this soil for -peculiar purposes, and that it had been ordered by the supreme being -that they should live unconnected with people of a different colour -from their own. He painted in vivid colours, the misery that they had -brought upon themselves by permitting the whites to reside among them, -and urged them to unite and expel those lawless intruders from their -country. But he soon discovered that these once popular topics no -longer produced any effect on the minds of the dispirited Indians, and -that it was impossible to persuade them to resort to strong measures, -to oppose the progress of the whites, much less to endeavour to drive -them beyond the great lake. He had long observed that whenever he -touched on the subject of witchcraft, his discourses were always -acceptable to his hearers, whose belief in those supernatural powers, -instead of diminishing, seemed constantly to gain ground. He knew -that his predecessor, Wangomend, had failed in his endeavour to gain -influence and power by availing himself of these popular opinions. -But his ill success did not deter him from making the same attempts. -He did not, however, like him, seek the assistance of the national -councils, but boldly determined to try what his talents and courage -could do without any other aid. There is a saying among the Indians, -“That God ordained man to live until all his teeth are worn out, his -eyesight dim and his hair grey.” Of this he artfully availed himself to -persuade those ignorant people, that the early deaths which constantly -took place could not be attributed to any natural cause, since it was -the will of God that every man should live to an advanced old age. -When he found that he had thus obtained a fast hold on the minds of -his hearers, by raising their fears of the powers of witchcraft to -the highest pitch, he thought it was time to work on their hopes, and -after gradually feeling the pulses of those he had to deal with, after -successively throwing out a great number of hints and insinuations, -the effects of which he had carefully observed, he at last did what no -preacher before him had ventured to do, by declaring that the great -Mannitto had endowed him with supernatural powers, to foretel future -events, and to discover present secrets, and that he could point out -with certainty, not only those, whether men or women, who were in the -full possession of the art of witchcraft, but those who had even a -tincture of it, however small. His bold assertions met with implicit -belief, and he obtained by that means such an unlimited command over a -credulous multitude, that at last, he had only to speak the word, or -even to nod, and the pile was quickly prepared by willing executioners -to put to death whomsoever he thought proper to devote. Here was a -wide field opened for the gratification of the worst passions. Whoever -thought himself injured, denounced his enemy as a wizard; the least -real or pretended cause of resentment, nay, even a paltry bribe, would -bring the most innocent man to the pile or tomahawk, and no one availed -himself more of this frantic delusion of the populace, than the great -prophet himself. Having his spies out in every direction, he well -knew who were his friends and who his enemies, and we to all who were -reported to him or even suspected by him to be of the latter class! The -tyrant had only to will their deaths, and his commands no one durst -contradict, but all were ready to execute. - -Among the number of his victims was the venerable Wyandot Chief -Sha-te-ya-ron-yah, called by the whites _Leather-lips_. He was one of -those who in August, 1795, signed the treaty of Greenville on behalf -of the Huron tribe. His only crime was honesty, and the honourable -character which he had acquired. In a fit of jealousy Tecumseh ordered -him to be put to death, and his commands were but too readily obeyed. -I cannot conclude this chapter better than by an account of his -death, which was transmitted to me at the time (in August, 1810) by a -respectable and philanthropic gentleman in the state of Ohio. - -The relation which I here transcribe was accompanied with the following -letter: - - “DEAR SIR--I here enclose an imperfect sketch of the execution - of an unfortunate Indian. From your benevolent exertions, for - many years, to ameliorate their condition, and the confidence - reposed in you by them, I trust you may have it in your power - successfully to oppose the wasteful influence of this prophet - over these too credulous people. It is the office of humanity - and worthy of the attention of the Society of the United - Brethren. I may be incorrect in the recital of some of the - circumstances; it was given to me from respectable sources; - sources, in my opinion, entitled to credit. - - “I am, &c.” - - -ACCOUNT OF THE DEATH OF LEATHER-LIPS. - -“This unfortunate Chief of the Seneca[231] tribe, who had attained the -sixty-third year of his age, had pitched his camp a few miles west of -the town of Worthington in the county of Franklinton. From his constant -attachment to the principles of honesty and integrity, he had obtained -a certificate from an officer of the government as a testimonial of -the propriety of his deportment. This aged Chief was suspected by the -_Prophet_, a man of a restless, turbulent spirit, who by his exceeding -address, has obtained an unbounded influence over many of the northern -and western tribes of Indians, by impressing upon their minds a belief -that he is endowed with supernatural knowledge, and can foretel events -yet to come. This is the same prophet who gathered the Indians at -Greenville a few years ago, from which meeting so much was apprehended. -In order that he should no longer have anything to apprehend from -him (this Indian) he issued orders for his immediate death. These -orders were given to _Crane_,[232] a chief of the Sandusky tribes, who -immediately sat out with four other Indians, in quest of the old chief. -About three weeks ago they found out his camp, and immediately sent -his brother to him (who was one of their party) with a piece of bark, -on which they had painted a tomahawk, as a token of his death! On the -same day, Crane and his party spoke publicly in the settlements of the -whites of their intention to kill him. When they sat out for his camp -they were accompanied by five white men, amongst whom was a _justice of -the peace_, no doubt to gratify their curiosity. Upon their arrival at -the camp, they informed him of the object of their mission, and that he -must prepare to meet his fate! In vain did he remonstrate against the -cruelty of the sentence; he told them that he was an old man, and must -soon die; that if they would spare him they might have his camp, and -that he would go far beyond the Mississippi, where he would never again -be heard of. He also alleged that he was a man of honesty, and had done -nothing to incur so hard a fate! One of the white men also made an -offer of his horse, to save the old man from the impending storm. Those -offers all proved ineffectual. All hopes of a reconciliation now gone, -he prepared to meet his fate with becoming dignity. While the Indians -were digging his grave, he dressed himself with his best clothes in the -war style, and then got his venison and refreshed himself. As soon as -the grave was finished, he went to it and knelt down and prayed most -fervently! He then took an affectionate leave of the Indians, and of -the white men present, and when he came to the one who had offered -his horse to redeem him, penetrated with gratitude, he burst into a -flood of tears, and told him that _his God would reward him_. This was -the only instance in which the least change could be perceived in his -countenance. He was then attended to the grave by Crane--they knelt -down, while Crane offered up to the great Spirit his prayers in his -behalf. The fatal period had now arrived; they arose from their knees, -and proceeded a few paces, and seated themselves on the ground. The -old chief inclined forward, resting his face upon his hand, his hand -upon his knees; while thus seated, one of the young Indians came up -and struck him twice with the tomahawk. For some time he lay senseless -on the ground. The only evidence of life that yet remained, was a -faint respiration. The Indians all stood around in solemn silence; -finding him to respire longer than they expected, they called upon the -whites to take notice how hard he died, and pronounced him a witch--no -good--they struck him again and terminated his existence. He was then -borne to the grave, where the last sad office was soon performed.” - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -SHORT NOTICE OF THE INDIAN CHIEFS, TAMANEND AND TADEUSKUND. - - -The name of TAMANEND is held in the highest veneration among the -Indians. Of all the chiefs and great men which the Lenape nation ever -had, he stands foremost on the list. But although many fabulous stories -are circulated about him among the whites, but little of his real -history is known. The misfortunes which have befallen some of the most -beloved and esteemed personages among the Indians since the Europeans -came among them, prevent the survivors from indulging in the pleasure -of recalling to mind the memory of their virtues. No white man who -regards their feelings, will introduce such subjects in conversation -with them. - -All we know, therefore, of Tamanend is, that he was an ancient Delaware -chief, who never had his equal.[233] He was in the highest degree -endowed with wisdom, virtue, prudence, charity, affability, meekness, -hospitality, in short with every good and noble qualification that a -human being may possess. He was supposed to have had an intercourse -with the great and good Spirit; for he was a stranger to everything -that is bad. - -When Colonel George Morgan, of Princeton in New Jersey, was, about -the year 1776, sent by Congress as an agent to the western Indians, -the Delawares conferred on him the name of Tamanend in honour and -remembrance of their ancient chief, and as the greatest mark of respect -which they could shew to that gentleman, who, they said, had the -same address, affability and meekness as their honoured chief, and -therefore, ought to be named after him. - -The fame of this great man extended even among the whites, who -fabricated numerous legends respecting him, which I never heard, -however, from the mouth of an Indian, and therefore believe to be -fabulous. In the Revolutionary war, his enthusiastic admirers dubbed -him a saint, and he was established under the name of _St. Tammany_, -the Patron Saint of America. His name was inserted in some calendars, -and his festival celebrated on the first day of May in every year. -On that day a numerous society of his votaries walked together in -procession through the streets of Philadelphia, their hats decorated -with bucks’ tails, and proceeded to a handsome rural place out of town -which they called the _Wigwam_, where, after a _long talk_ or Indian -speech had been delivered, and the _Calumet_ of peace and friendship -had been duly smoked, they spent the day in festivity and mirth. After -dinner, Indian dances were performed on the green in front of the -wigwam, the calumet was again smoked, and the company separated. This -association lasted until some years after the peace, when the public -spirited owner of the wigwam, who generously had lent it every year for -the honour of his favourite saint, having fallen under misfortune, his -property was sold to satisfy his creditors, and this truly American -festival ceased to be observed. Since that time, other societies have -been formed in Philadelphia, New York, and I believe in other towns -in the Union, under the name of Tammany; but the principal object of -these associations being party-politics, they have lost much of the -charm which was attached to the original society of St. Tammany, which -appeared to be established only for pleasure and innocent diversion. -These political societies, however, affect to preserve Indian forms -in their organisation and meetings. They are presided over by a Grand -Sachem, and their other officers are designated by Indian titles. They -meet at their “wigwam,” at the “going down of the sun,” in the months -of snows, plants, flowers, &c. Their distinguishing appellation is -always “The _Tammany_ Society.” - -TADEUSKUND, or _Tedeuskung_, was the last Delaware chief in these -parts east of the Allegheny mountains. His name makes a conspicuous -figure in the history of Pennsylvania previous to the revolution, and -particularly towards the commencement of the war of 1756. Before he was -raised to the station of a chief, he had signalised himself as an able -counsellor in his nation. In the year 1749, he joined the Christian -Indian congregation, and the following year, at his earnest desire, was -christened by the name of _Gideon_.[234] He had been known before under -that of _Honest John_. It was not until the year 1754, that his nation -called upon him to assume a military command. The French were then -stirring up the Indians, particularly the Delawares, to aid them in -fighting the English, telling them that if they suffered them to go on -as they before had done, they would very soon not have a foot of land -to live on. The Susquehannah and Fork Indians (Delawares) were then in -want of a leading character to advise and govern them, their great, -good, beloved and peaceable chief _Tademe_, (commonly called _Tattemi_) -having some time before been murdered in the Forks settlement by a -foolish young white man.[235] They, therefore, called upon Tadeuskund -to take upon himself the station of a chief, which, having accepted, he -repaired to Wyoming, whither many of the Fork Indians followed him. - -Whatever might have been Tadeuskund’s disposition towards the English -at that time, it is certain that it was a difficult task for him, and -would have been such for any other chief, to govern an exasperated -people, entirely devoted to the opposite interest. This may account -for his not having always succeeded in gratifying our government -to the extent of its wishes. Yet he did much towards lessening the -cruelties of the enemy, by keeping up an intercourse with the governor -of Pennsylvania, and occasionally drawing many from the theatre of war -and murder, to meet the colonial authorities at Easton or Philadelphia -for the negotiation of treaties, by which means fewer cruelties were -committed than would otherwise have been. - -His frequent visits to the governor and to the people called Quakers -(to whom he was much attached, because they were known to be friendly -to the Indians) excited much jealousy among some of his nation, -especially the Monseys, who believed that he was carrying on some -underhand work at Philadelphia detrimental to the nation at large; on -which account, and as they wished the continuation of the war, they -became his enemies. - -From the precarious situation Tadeuskund was placed in, it was easy to -foresee that he would come to an untimely end. Perhaps no Indian chief -before him ever found himself so delicately situated; mistrusted and -blamed by our government and the English people generally, because he -did not use his whole endeavours to keep his nation at peace, or compel -them to lay down the hatchet; and accused by his own people of having -taken a bribe from the English, or entered into some secret agreement -with them that would be of benefit to himself alone, as he would not -suffer them to inflict just punishment on that nation for the wrongs -they had done them, but was constantly calling upon them to make peace. -The Five Nations, on the other hand, (the enemies of the Delawares -and in alliance with England,) blamed him for doing too much for the -cause which they themselves supported, for making himself too busy, and -assuming an authority, which did not belong to him the leader of a band -of _women_, but to them, the Five Nations alone. - -To do justice to this injured chief, the true secret of his apparently -contradictory conduct must be here disclosed. It is said by those -Indians who knew him best, and who at that time had the welfare of -their own nation much at heart, that his great and sole object was to -recover for the _Lenni Lenape_ that dignity which the Iroquois had -treacherously wrested from them; thence flowed the bitterness of the -latter against him, though he seemed to be promoting the same interest -which they themselves supported. He had long hoped that by shewing -friendship and attachment to the English, he would be able to convince -them of the justice of his nation’s cause, who were yet powerful -enough to make their alliance an object to the British government; but -here he was greatly mistaken. No one would examine into the grounds -of the controversy between the Delawares and the Five Nations; the -latter, on the contrary, were supported in their unjust pretensions -as theretofore, and even called upon to aid in compelling the Lenape -to make peace. This unjust and at the same time impolitic conduct, of -which I have before taken sufficient notice,[236] irritated to the -utmost the spirited nation of the Delawares, they felt themselves -insulted and degraded, and were less disposed than ever from complying -with the wishes of a government which sported in this manner with their -national feelings, and called in question even their right to exist as -an independent people. - -Surrounded as he was with enemies, Tadeuskund could not escape the fate -that had long been intended for him. In the spring of 1763, when the -European nations had made peace, but the Indians were still at war, -he was burnt up, together with his house, as he was lying in his bed -asleep. It was supposed and believed by many who were present, that -this dreadful event was not accidental, but had been maturely resolved -on by his enemies, whoever they were, and that the liquor which was -brought to Wyoming at the time, was intended by them for the purpose -of enticing him to drink, that they might the more easily effect their -purpose. A number of Indians were witnesses to the fact that the house -was set on fire from the outside. Suspicion fell principally upon -the Mingoes, who were known to be jealous of him, and fearful of his -resentment, if he should succeed in insinuating himself into the favour -of the English and making good terms with them for his nation. It is -said that those Indians were concerned in bringing the fatal liquor -which is believed to have been instrumental to the execution of the -design. - -While Tadeuskund was at the head of his nation, he was frequently -distinguished by the title of “King of the Delawares.” While passing -and repassing to and from the enemy with messages, many people called -him the “War Trumpet.” In his person he was a portly well-looking man, -endowed with good natural sense, quick of comprehension, and very ready -in answering the questions put to him. He was rather ambitious, thought -much of his rank and abilities, liked to be considered as the king of -his country, and was fond of having a retinue with him when he went to -Philadelphia on business with the government. His greatest weakness -was a fondness for strong drinks, the temptation of which he could not -easily resist, and would sometimes drink to excess. This unfortunate -propensity is supposed to have been the cause of his cruel and untimely -death. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -COMPUTATION OF TIME--ASTRONOMICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE. - - -The Indians do not reckon as we do, by days, but by nights. They say: -“It is so many nights’ travelling to such a place;” “I shall return -home in so many nights,” &c. Sometimes pointing to the heavens they -say: “You will see me again when the sun stands there.” - -Their year is, like ours, divided into four parts: spring, summer, -autumn, and winter. It begins with the spring, which, they say, is -the youth of the year, the time when the spirits of man begin to -revive, and the plants and flowers again put forth. These seasons are -again subdivided into months or moons, each of which has a particular -name, yet not the same among all the Indian tribes or nations; these -denominations being generally suited to the climate under which they -respectively live, and the advantages or benefits which they enjoy at -the time. Thus the Lenape, while they inhabited the country bordering -on the Atlantic, called the month which we call March, “the _shad_ -moon,” because this fish at that time begins to pass from the sea into -the fresh water rivers, where they lay their spawn; but as there is -no such fish in the country into which they afterwards removed, they -changed the name of that month, and called it “the running of the -_sap_” or “the _sugar_-making month,” because it is at that time that -the sap of the maple tree, from which sugar is made, begins to run; -April, they call “the _spring_ month,” May, the _planting_ month, June, -the _fawn_ month, or the month in which the deer bring forth their -young, or, again, the month in which the hair of the deer changes to -a reddish colour. They call July the _summer_ month; August, the month -of _roasting ears_, that is to say, in which the ears of corn are fit -to be roasted and eaten. September, they call the _autumnal_ month, -October, the gathering or _harvest_ month; December, the _hunting_ -month, it being the time when the stags have all dropped their antlers -or horns. January is called the _mouse_ or _squirrel_ month, for now -those animals come out of their holes, and lastly, they call February -the _frog_ month, because on a warm day the frogs then begin to croak. - -Some nations call the month of January by a name which denotes “the -sun’s return to them,” probably because in that month the days begin to -lengthen again. As I have said before, they do not call all the months -by the same name; even the Monseys, a tribe of the Delawares, differ -among themselves in the denominations which they give to them. - -The Indians say that when the leaf of the white oak, which puts forth -in the spring, is of the size of the ear of a mouse, it is time to -plant corn; they observe that now the whippoorwill has arrived, and is -continually hovering over them, calling out his Indian name “_Wekolis_” -in order to remind them of the planting time, as if he said to them -“_Hackiheck!_ go to planting corn!” - -They calculate their ages by some remarkable event which has taken -place within their remembrance, as, for instance, an uncommonly severe -winter, a very deep snow, an extraordinary freshet, a general war, -the building of a new town or city by the white people, &c. Thus I -have heard old Indians say more than fifty years ago, that when their -brother Miquon spoke to their forefathers, they were of such an age -or size, they could catch butterflies, or hit a bird with the bow and -arrow. I have heard others say (alluding to the hard winter of 1739-40) -that they were born at that time, or that they were then so tall, could -do certain particular things, or had already some gray hair on their -heads. When they could not refer precisely to some of those remarkable -epochs, they would say “so many winters after.” - -The geographical knowledge of the Indians is really astonishing. I do -not mean the knowledge of maps, for they have nothing of the kind to -aid them; but their practical acquaintance with the country that they -inhabit. They can steer directly through the woods in cloudy weather as -well as in sunshine to the place they wish to go to, at the distance -of two hundred miles and more. When the white people express their -astonishment, or enquire how they can hit a distant point with so much -ease and exactness, they smile and answer: “How can we go wrong when -we know where we are to go to?” There are many who conjecture that -they regulate their course by certain signs or marks on the trees, as -for instance, that those that have the thickest bark are exposed to -the north, and other similar observations, but those who think so are -mistaken. The fact is, that the Indians have an accurate knowledge of -all the streams of consequence and the courses which they run; they -can tell directly while travelling along a stream, whether large or -small, into what larger stream it empties itself. They know how to take -the advantage of dividing ridges, where the smaller streams have their -heads, or from whence they take their source, and in travelling on the -mountains, they have a full view of the country round, and can perceive -the point to which their march is directed. - -Their knowledge of astronomy is very limited. They have names for a few -of the stars and take notice of their movements. The polar star points -out to them by night the course which they are to take in the morning. -They distinguish the phases of the moon by particular names; they say -the “new moon,” the “round moon” (when it is full), and when in its -decline, they say it is “half round.” - -They ascribe earthquakes to the moving of the great tortoise, which -bears the _Island_ (Continent) on its back. They say he shakes himself -or changes his position. They are at a loss how to account for a solar -or lunar eclipse; some say the sun or moon is in a swoon, others that -it is involved in a very thick cloud. - -A constant application of the mind to observing the scenes and -accidents which occur in the woods, together with an ardent desire to -acquire an intimate knowledge of the various objects which surround -them, gives them, in many respects, an advantage over the white people, -which will appear from the following anecdote. - -A white man had, at his camp in a dark night, shot an Indian dog, -mistaking it for a wolf which had the night before entered the -encampment and eaten up all the meat. The dog mortally wounded, having -returned to the Indian camp at the distance of a mile, caused much -grief and uneasiness to the owner, the more so as he suspected the act -had been committed from malice towards the Indians. He was ordered to -enquire into the matter, and the white man being brought before him, -candidly confessed that he had killed the dog, believing it to be a -wolf. The Indian asked him whether he could not discern the difference -between the “steps” or trampling of a wolf and that of a dog, let the -night be ever so dark? The white man answered in the negative, and said -he believed no man alive could do that; on which the whole company -burst out into laughter at the ignorance of the whites and their want -of skill in so plain and common a matter, and the delinquent was freely -forgiven. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND ANECDOTES. - - -I hope I shall be excused for bringing here together into one view a -few observations and anecdotes which either could not well find their -places under any of the preceding divisions of my subject, or escaped -my recollection at the proper time. These additional traits will -contribute something to forming a correct idea of the Indian character -and manners. - -I have observed a great similarity in the customs, usages, and opinions -of the different nations that I have seen, however distant from each -other, and even though their languages differ so much that no traces -of a common origin can be found in their etymology. The uniformity -which exists in the manners of the Christian nations of Europe is -attributed to their common religion, and to their having once been -connected together as parts of the Roman Empire. But no such bond of -union appears to have subsisted between the Iroquois, for instance, and -the Delawares, and yet, the language excepted, they resemble each other -considerably more than the inhabitants of some European countries. I -shall not endeavour to account for this remarkable fact, but I think it -my duty to state it. - -I have shown in a former chapter[237] that the mythological notions of -the Delaware Indians prevailed in the same manner among the Wabash; it -is not in that alone that those nations resemble each other, though -living at a great distance. It is the custom among the Delawares that -if a hunter shoots down a deer when another person is present, or -even accidentally comes by before the skin is taken off, he presents -it to him, saying, “Friend, skin your deer,” and immediately walks -off. William Wells, whom I have before spoken of, once paid me this -compliment, and when I asked him the reason, he answered that it was -the custom among the Indians on the Wabash. - -In the year 1792, I travelled with a number of Indian chiefs of various -tribes from Post Vincennes to Marietta, and I found in most instances -that their usages and customs were the same that I had observed among -the Delawares.[238] - -The Indians in general, although they understand and speak our -language, yet prefer speaking to a white man through an interpreter. -For this they give various reasons. With some it is a matter of pride; -as their chiefs deliver their public speeches through interpreters, -they think that they appear with more dignity when they do the same. -Others imagine that their words will have greater weight and effect -when expressed in proper grammatical language, while some are afraid -of committing mistakes when speaking in an idiom not their own. -Particularly when they have a joke to pass, a hint to give, or a shrewd -remark to make, they wish it to have all the advantages of a good -translation, and that their wit may not be spoiled by a foreign accent, -improper expression, or awkward delivery. - -Though the Indian is naturally serious, he does not dislike a jest on -proper occasions, and will, sometimes, even descend to a pun. Once at a -dinner given at Marietta by the late Colonel Sproat,[239] to a number -of gentlemen and Indian chiefs of various tribes, a Delaware chief, -named George Washington, asked me what the name of our good friend, -the Colonel, meant in the Lenape language? It should be observed that -Colonel Sproat was remarkably tall. I told him that _Sprout_ (for so -the name is pronounced) meant in English a shoot, or twig of a tree. -“No, no,” replied the Indian, “no shoot or twig, but the _tree_ itself.” - -I have spoken before[240] of the wit of the Indians, and the shrewd and -pointed remarks which they occasionally make, but passed rather lightly -on the subject. A few characteristic anecdotes will best supply this -deficiency. - -An Indian who spoke good English, came one day 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 time, the other told him he was still -engaged, and he must come again in half an hour. My Indian friend’s -patience was now exhausted, he turned to me and addressed me thus in -his own language: “Tell this man,” said he, “that while I have been -waiting for his convenience to give me an order for a little salt, I -have had time to think a great deal. I _thought_ that when we Indians -want any thing of one another, 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. I _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_ I, I shall -still have day light enough, I shall reach my camp before night, and -shall not be obliged to walk in the dark, at the risk of falling and -hurting myself by the way. But when I saw that the sun did not wait -for him, and I had at least to walk seven miles in an obscure night, -I _thought_ then, that it would be better if the white people were to -learn something of the Indians.” - -I 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 the -white people some time ago summoned us to a treaty, to buy land of -them?”[241]--“That is true,” replied I, “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 this season; I had to go -and get my share of the purchase money for the land we sold.”--“Well -then,” said I, “I suppose you got enough to satisfy you?” - -INDIAN. “I can shew you all that I got. I have received such and such -articles, (naming them and the quantity of each), 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, I 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 day’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 you can tell me if what I have shewn you is -enough for all the land lying between these four marks?” - -HECKEW. “If you have made your bargain so with the white people, it is -all right, and you probably 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 they 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.” - -INDIAN. “The traders sell their goods for just the 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 lands to the -white people; for when we sell, the price of land is always 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 stayed at home and minded my fall hunt. You -know I am a pretty good hunter and might have killed a great many deer, -sixty, eighty, perhaps a hundred, and besides caught many raccoons, -beavers, otters, wild cats, and other animals, while I was at this -treaty. I have often killed five, six, and seven deer in one day. Now I -have lost nine of the best hunting weeks in the season by going to get -what you see! We were told the precise time when we must meet. We came -at the very day, but the great white men did not do so, and without -them nothing could be done. When after some weeks they at last came, we -traded, we sold our lands and received goods in payment, and when that -was over, I went to my hunting grounds, but the best time, the rutting -time, being over, I killed but a few. Now, help me to count up what I -have lost by going to the treaty. Put down eighty deer; say twenty of -them were bucks, each buckskin one dollar; then sixty does and young -bucks at two skins for a dollar; thirty dollars, and twenty for the old -bucks, make fifty dollars lost to me in deer skins. Add, then, twenty -dollars more to this for raccoon, beaver, wild cat, black fox, and -otter skins, and what does the whole amount to?” - -HECKEW. “Seventy dollars.” - -INDIAN. “Well, let it be only seventy dollars, but 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 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 -summer, my family would now live most wretchedly. I have learned to be -wise by going to treaties, I shall never go there again to sell my land -and lose my time.” - -I shall conclude this desultory chapter with another anecdote which is -strongly characteristic of the good sense of the Indians and shews how -much their minds are capable of thought and reflection. - -Seating myself once upon a log, by the side of an Indian, who was -resting himself there, being at that time actively employed in fencing -in his corn-field, I observed to him that he must be very fond of -working, as I never saw him idling away his time, as is so common with -the Indians. The answer which he returned made considerable impression -on my mind; I have remembered it ever since, and I shall try to relate -it as nearly in his own words as possible. - -“My friend!” said he, “the fishes in the water and the birds in the air -and on the earth have taught me to work; by their examples I have been -convinced of the necessity of labour and industry. When I was a young -man I loitered a great deal about, doing nothing, just like the other -Indians, who say that working is only for the whites and the negroes, -and that the Indians have been ordained for other purposes, to hunt -the deer, and catch the beaver, otter, raccoon and such other animals. -But it one day so happened, that while a hunting, I came to the bank -of the Susquehannah, where I sat down near the water’s edge to rest a -little, and casting my eye on the water, I was forcibly struck when -I observed with what industry the _Meechgalingus_[242] heaped small -stones together, to make secure places for their spawn, and all this -labour they did with their mouths and bodies without hands! Astonished -as well as diverted, I lighted my pipe, sat a while smoking and looking -on, when presently a little bird not far from me raised a song which -enticed me to look that way; while I was trying to distinguish who -the songster was, and catch it with my eyes, its mate, with as much -grass as with its bill it could hold, passed close by me and flew into -a bush, where I perceived them together busy building their nest and -singing as they went along. I entirely forgot that I was a hunting, in -order to contemplate the objects I had before me. I saw the birds of -the air and the fishes in the water working diligently and cheerfully, -and all this without hands! I thought it was strange, and became lost -in contemplation! I looked at myself, I saw two long arms, provided -with hands and fingers besides, with joints that might be opened and -shut at pleasure. I could, when I pleased, take up anything with these -hands, hold it fast or let it loose, and carry it along with me as I -walked. I observed moreover that I had a strong body capable of bearing -fatigue, and supported by two stout legs, with which I could climb -to the top of the highest mountains and descend at pleasure into the -valleys. And is it possible, said I, that a being so formed as I am, -was created to live in idleness, while the birds who have no hands, and -nothing but their little bills to help them, work with cheerfulness and -without being told to do so? Has then the great Creator of man and of -all living creatures given me all these limbs for no purpose? It cannot -be; I will try to go to work. I did so, and went away from the village -to a spot of good land, built a cabin, enclosed ground, planted corn, -and raised cattle. Ever since that time I have enjoyed a good appetite -and sound sleep; while the others spend their nights in dancing and are -suffering with hunger, I live in plenty; I keep horses, cows, hogs and -fowls; I am happy. See! my friend; the birds and fishes have brought me -to reflection and taught me to work!” - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS. - - -Nothing is so common as the indiscriminate charge laid upon travellers -of relating strange and wonderful things for the mere purpose of -exciting admiration and raising themselves into consequence. I believe -for my part that this accusation is in general unjust as well as -unfair, and that travellers seldom impose upon others except when -they have been imposed upon themselves. The discredit which they have -fallen into is more owing to their errors and mistakes than to wilful -imposition and falsehood. It is therefore rendering them and the -world an essential service to point out the means of avoiding those -deceptions, which if not sufficiently guarded against, will at last -destroy all belief in the accounts given by travellers of distant -nations and of manners and customs different from our own. - -The first and most important thing for a traveller is a competent -knowledge of the language of the people among whom he is. Without -this knowledge it is impossible that he can acquire a correct notion -of their manners and customs and of the opinions which prevail among -them. There is little faith to be placed in those numerous vocabularies -of the languages of distant nations which are to be found in almost -every book of voyages or travels; they are generally full of the most -ridiculous mistakes; at least (for I must speak only of what I know) -those which relate to the Indian languages of North America. I was -some years ago shewn a vocabulary[243] of the idiom of the Indians who -inhabited the banks of the Delaware, while Pennsylvania was under the -dominion of the Swedes, which idiom was no other than the pure Unami -dialect of the Lenape, and I could hardly refrain from laughing at the -numerous errors that I observed in it; for instance, the Indian word -given for _hand_ in fact means _finger_. This is enough to shew how -carelessly those vocabularies are made, and how little their authors -are acquainted with the languages that they pretend to teach. - -The cause of these mistakes may be easily accounted for. When -pointing to a particular object you ask an Indian how it is called, -he never will give you the name of the _genus_, but always that of -the _species_. Thus, if you point to a tree, and ask for its name, -the answer will be oak, beech, chestnut, maple, &c., as the case may -be. Thus the Swedish author of the vocabulary that I have mentioned, -probably happened to point to a _finger_, when he asked what was the -Indian word for _hand_, and on receiving the answer, without further -enquiry enriched his work with this notable specimen of Indian learning. - -When I first went to reside among the Indians, I took great care to -learn by heart the words _Kœcu k’delloundamen yun?_ which means _What -do you call this?_ Whenever I found the Indians disposed to attend -to my enquiries, I would point to particular objects and repeat my -formulary, and the answers that they gave I immediately wrote down in -a book which I kept for the purpose; at last, when I had written about -half a dozen sheets, I found that I had more than a dozen names for -“_tree_” as many for “_fish_,” and so on with other things, and yet I -had not a single generic name. What was still worse, when I pointed to -something, repeating the name or one of the names by which I had been -taught to call it, I was sure to excite a laugh; and when, in order -to be set right, I put the question _Kœcu_, &c., I would receive for -answer a new word or name which I had never heard before. This began to -make me believe that everything was not as it should be, and that I was -not in the right way to learn the Indian language. - -It was not only in substantives or the proper names of things that I -found myself almost always mistaken. Those who are not acquainted with -the copiousness of the Indian languages, can hardly form an idea of -the various shades and combinations of ideas that they can express. -For instance, the infinitive _Mitzin_ signifies _to eat_, and so -does _Mohoan_. Now although the first of these words is sufficiently -expressive of the act of eating something, be it what it may, yet the -Indians are very attentive to expressing in one word what and how they -have eaten, that is to say whether they have been eating something -which needed no chewing, as pottage, mush or the like, or something -that required the use of the teeth. In the latter case the proper word -is _mohoan_, and in the former _guntammen_. If an Indian is asked -_k’dapi mitzi?_ have you eaten? he will answer _n’dapi guntammen_, or -_n’dapi mohoa_, according as what he has eaten did or did not require -the aid of chewing. If he has eaten of both kinds of provisions at his -meal, he will then use the generic word, and say, _n’dapi mitzi_, which -means generally, _I have eaten_. - -These niceties of course escaped me, and what was worse, few of the -words I had taken down were correctly written. Essential letters or -syllables, which in the rapidity of pronunciation had escaped my ear, -were almost everywhere omitted. When I tried to make use of the words -which I had so carefully collected, I found I was not understood, and I -was at a loss to discover the cause to which I might attribute my want -of success in the earnest endeavours that I was making to acquire the -Indian tongue. - -At last there came an Indian, who was conversant with the English -and German, and was much my friend. I hastened to lay before him my -learned collection of Indian words, and was very much astonished when -he advised me immediately to burn the whole, and write no more. “The -first thing,” said he, “that you are to do to learn our language is to -get an Indian _ear_; when that is obtained, no sound, no syllable will -ever escape your hearing it, and you will at the same time learn the -true pronunciation and how to accent your words properly; the rest will -come of itself.” I found he was right. By listening to the natives, -and repeating the words to myself as they spoke them, it was not many -months before I ventured to converse with them, and finally understood -every word they said. The Indians are very proud of a white man’s -endeavouring to learn their language; they help him in everything that -they can, and it is not their fault if he does not succeed. - -The language, then, is the first thing that a traveller ought to -endeavour to acquire, at least, so as to be able to make himself -understood and to understand others. Without this indispensable -requisite he may write about the soil, earth and stones, describe trees -and plants that grow on the surface of the land, the birds that fly in -the air and the fishes that swim in the waters, but he should by no -means attempt to speak of the disposition and characters of the human -beings who inhabit the country, and even of their customs and manners, -which it is impossible for him to be sufficiently acquainted with. And -indeed, even with the advantage of the language, this knowledge is not -to be acquired in a short time, so different is the impression which -new objects make upon us at first sight, and that which they produce on -a nearer view. I could speak the Delaware language very fluently, but I -was yet far from being well acquainted with the character and manners -of the Lenape. - -The Indians are very ready to answer the enquiries that are made -respecting the usages of their country. But they are very much -disgusted with the manner which they say some white people have of -asking them questions on questions, without allowing them time to give -a proper answer to any one of them. They, on the contrary, never ask a -second question until they have received a full answer to the first. -They say of those who do otherwise, that they seem as if they wished to -know a thing, yet cared not whether they knew it correctly or properly. -There are some men who before the Indians have well understood the -question put to them, begin to write down their answers; of these -they have no good opinion, thinking that they are writing something -unfavourable of them. - -There are men who will relate incredible stories of the Indians, and -think themselves sufficiently warranted because they have Indian -authority for it. But these men ought to know that all an Indian says -is not to be relied upon as truth. I do not mean to say that they are -addicted to telling falsehoods, for nothing is farther from their -character; but they are fond of the marvellous, and when they find a -white man inclined to listen to their tales of wonder, or credulous -enough to believe their superstitious notions, there are always some -among them ready to entertain him with tales of that description, as -it gives them an opportunity of diverting themselves in their leisure -hours, by relating such fabulous stories, while they laugh at the same -time at their being able to deceive a people who think themselves so -superior to them in wisdom and knowledge. They are fond of trying white -men who come among them, in order to see whether they can act upon them -in this way with success. Travellers who cannot speak their language, -and are not acquainted with their character, manners and usages, -should be more particularly careful not to ask them questions that -touch in any manner upon their superstitious notions, or, as they are -often considered even by themselves “fabulous amusements.” Nor should -a stranger ever display an anxiety to witness scenes of this kind, -but rather appear indifferent about them. In this manner he cannot -be misled by interested persons or those who have formed a malicious -design to deceive him. Whenever such a disposition appears (and it -is not difficult to be discovered), questions of this kind should be -reserved for another time, and asked in a proper manner before other -persons, or of those who would be candid and perhaps let the enquirer -into the secret. - -I have been led to consider Carver, who otherwise is deserving of -credit for the greatest part of what he has written on the character of -the Indians, to have been imposed upon in the story which he relates -of having learned by means of a conjurer (the chief priest of the -Killistenoes, as he calls him) who pretended to have had a conversation -with the great Spirit, the precise time when a canoe should come, and -certain traders who had been long expected should arrive.[244] Had -Carver resided a longer time among the Indians, so as to have acquired -a more intimate acquaintance with their customs,[245] he would have -known that they have one in particular (which I understand is universal -among all the tribes), which would have easily explained to him what he -thought so mysterious. Whenever they go out on a journey, whether far -or near, and even sometimes when they go out on hunting parties, they -always fix a day, on which they either will return, or their friends -at home shall hear from them. They are so particular and punctual in -“making their word true,” as they call it, that when they find that at -the rate they are travelling, they would probably be at home a day or -so sooner than the time appointed, they will rather lay by for that -time than that their word should not be precisely made good. I have -known instances when they might have arrived in very good time the -day preceding that which they had appointed, but they rather chose to -encamp for the night, though but a few miles distant from their home. -They urge a variety of reasons for this conduct. In the first place, -they are anxious not to occasion disappointment in any case when -they can avoid it. They consider punctuality as an essential virtue, -because, they say, much often depends upon it, particularly when they -are engaged in wars. Besides, when the day of their return is certainly -known, everything is prepared for their reception, and the family are -ready with the best that they can provide to set before them on their -arrival. If, however, unforeseen circumstances should prevent them from -coming all on the same day, one, at least, or more of them, will be -sure to arrive, from whom those at home will learn all that they wish -to know. - -On all important occasions, in which a tribe or body of Indians are -concerned or interested, whether they are looking out for the return of -an embassy sent to a distant nation, for messengers with an answer on -some matter of consequence, for runners despatched by their spies who -are watching an enemy’s motions, or for traders who at stated periods -every year are sure to meet them at certain places, they always take -proper and efficacious measures to prevent being surprised. - -The case which appears to have excited so much astonishment in Captain -Carver, I believe to have been simply this. The Indians[246] had at the -season that he speaks of failed to arrive at the trading place at the -time appointed. The Indians who had assembled there for the purpose of -meeting them could not be ignorant of the cause of their delay, as -they had, no doubt, learned it by the return of some of their runners -sent out for that purpose, who, as is their custom, probably informed -them that another set of runners would be in the next day with further -advices. The priest must have known all this, and the precise spot -where those fresh runners were to encamp the night preceding their -arrival, which is always well known and understood by means of the -regular chain of communication that is kept up. These runners say to -each other, pointing to the heavens: “When the sun stands there, I will -be here or at such a particular spot,” which they clearly designate. -The information thus given is sure to reach in time the chiefs of the -nation. - -The manner in which this priest spoke to Captain Carver of his -pretended intercourse with the great Spirit, clearly shews the -deception that he was practising upon him. “The great Spirit,” said -he, “has not indeed told me when the persons we expect will be here, -but to-morrow, soon after the sun has reached his highest point in the -heavens, a canoe will arrive, and the people in that will inform us -when the traders will come.” The question, then, which he had put to -the great Spirit, “when the traders would come?” was not answered, and -there was no need of asking the Mannitto when the _canoes_ should come, -for that must have been known already, and that the people in it would -tell them where the traders were, and when they might be expected to -arrive. - -As in or about the year 1774, I was travelling with some Christian -Indians, two Indians of the same nation, but strangers to us, fell in -with us just as we were going to encamp, and joined us for the night. -One of them was an aged grave-looking man, whom I was pleased to see -in our company, and I flattered myself with obtaining some information -from him, as, according to the Indian custom, age always takes the lead -in conversation. I soon, however, perceived, to my great mortification, -that he dwelt on subjects which I had neither a taste for nor an ear -to hear; for his topic was the supernatural performances of Indians -through the agency of an unseen Mannitto. I did not pay any attention -to what he said, nor did any of our Christian Indians shew marks of -admiration or astonishment at the stories he was telling, but sat in -silence smoking their pipes. The speaker having, after an hour’s time, -finished his relations, the oldest Indian in my company addressed -himself to me and said: “Now you have heard what some Indians can -perform. Have you ever heard the like before, and do you believe all -you have heard?” “There are,” I answered, “many things that I have -heard of the Indians, and which I believe to be true, and such things -I like to hear; but there are also things which they relate which I do -not believe, and therefore do not wish to know them. While our friend -here was just now telling us stories of this kind, which I cannot -believe, I was wishing all the time that he might soon have finished -and tell us something better.” The Indian, taking the hint in good -part, asked me then what things I should like to hear? On which I made -this reply: “As you are a man already in years, and much older than -myself, you must have seen many things that I have not seen, and heard -much that I have not heard. Now I should like to hear the history of -your life; where you was born, at what age you shot your first deer, -what things you heard of your father and your grandfather relative -to old times; where they supposed the Indians to have come from, and -what traditions they had respecting them. I should like also to know -how many children you have had; how far you have travelled in your -lifetime, and what you have seen and heard in your travels. See!” added -I, “these are the things that I should like to hear of the Indians; -anything of the kind from you will give me pleasure.” The Indian -then, highly pleased with my candour, readily complied, and having -related everything remarkable that had come within his observation and -knowledge, I thanked him, saying that I should never forget him nor -what he had now related to me, but that I would try to forget what he -had related in the beginning. The Indians who were with me, following -the thread of the conversation, continued to entertain us with rational -stories, and the evening was spent very agreeably. In the morning, -when we parted, the strange Indian whom I had thus rebuked, shook me -cordially by the hand, saying: “Friend! you shall never be forgotten by -me. Indeed I call you my _friend_.” - -I would take the liberty to recommend to those who may hereafter -travel among the Indians, in any part of America, to be particular in -their enquiries respecting the connexion of the different nations or -tribes with each other, especially when the analogy of their respective -languages leads to infer such _relationship_, as the Indians call it. -I beg leave to suggest a few questions, which, I think, ought always -to be asked. They may lead to much useful information respecting the -various migrations and the original places of residence of the Indian -nations, and perhaps produce more important discoveries. - -1. What is the name of your tribe? Is it its original name; if not, how -was it formerly called? - -2. Have you a tradition of your lineal descent as a nation or tribe? - -3. To what tribes are you related by blood, and where do they reside? - -4. What is your character or rank in the national family? - -5. Which among the tribes connected with you is that which you call -_grandfather_? - -6. Where is the great council fire of all the nations or tribes -connected with yours? - -7. How do you address the chiefs and council of such a nation or tribe? - -8. What is the badge of your tribe? - -From these and other similar questions, much valuable information will -probably result. The nation whom another tribe calls _grandfather_, is -certainly the head of the family to which they both belong. At his door -burns the “great national council fire,” or, in other words, at the -place where he resides with his counsellors, as the great or supreme -chief of the national family, the heads of the tribes in the connexion -occasionally assemble to deliberate on their common interests; any -tribe may have a council fire of its own, but cannot dictate to the -other tribes, nor compel any of them to take up the hatchet against -an enemy; neither can they conclude a peace for the whole; this power -entirely rests with the great national chief, who presides at the -council fire of their _grandfather_. - -Indian nations or tribes connected with each other are not always -connected by blood or descended from the same original stock. Some -are admitted into the connexion by adoption. Such are the Tuscaroras -among the Six Nations; such the Cherokees among the Lenni Lenape. -Thus, in the year 1779, a deputation of fourteen men came from the -Cherokee nation to the council fire of the Delawares, to condole with -their _grandfather_ on the loss of their head chief.[247] There are -tribes, on the other hand, who have wandered far from the habitations -of those connected with them by blood or relationship. It is certain -that they can no longer be benefited by the general council fire. -They, therefore, become a people by themselves, and pass with us -for a separate nation, if they only have a name; nevertheless, (if -I am rightly informed) they well know to what stock or nation they -originally belonged, and if questioned on that subject, will give -correct answers. It is therefore very important to make these enquiries -of any tribe or nation that a traveller may find himself among. The -analogy of languages is the best and most unequivocal sign of connexion -between Indian tribes; yet the absence of that indication should not -always be relied upon. - -It may not be improper also to mention in this place that the purity -or correctness with which a language is spoken, will greatly help to -discover who is the head of the national family. For no where is the -language so much cultivated as in the vicinity of the great national -council fire, where the orators have the best opportunity of displaying -their talents. Thus the purest and most elegant dialect of the Lenape -language, is that of the Unami or Turtle tribe. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -THE INDIANS AND THE WHITES COMPARED. - - -If lions had painters! This proverbial saying applies with equal force -to the American Indians. They have no historians among them, no books, -no newspapers, no convenient means of making their grievances known to -a sympathising world. Why, then, should not a white man, a Christian, -who has spent among them the greatest part of his life, and was treated -by them at all times with hospitality and kindness, plead their honest -cause, and defend them as they would defend themselves, if they had -but the means of bringing their facts and their arguments before an -impartial public? - -Those who have never taken the pains to enquire into the real character -and disposition of the American Indians, naturally suppose, that a -people who have no code of laws for their government, but where every -man is at liberty to do what he pleases, where men never forget or -forgive injuries, and take revenge in their own way, often in the most -cruel manner, and are never satisfied until they have been revenged, -must of course be _barbarians_ and _savages_; by which undefined -words is understood whatever is bad, wicked, and disgraceful to human -nature. Imagination is immediately at work to paint them as a species -of monsters, to whom cruelty is an appetite; a sort of human-shaped -tigers and panthers, strangers to the finer feelings, and who commit -acts of barbarity without any excitement but that of their depraved -inclination, and without even suspecting that there are such things in -nature as virtue on the one hand and crime on the other. - -But nothing is so false as this picture of the Indians. The worst -that can be said of them is, that the passion of revenge is so strong -in their minds, that it carries them beyond all bounds. But set this -aside, and their character is noble and great. They have no written -laws, but they have usages founded on the most strict principles of -equity and justice. Murder with them is punished with death. It is -true, that as was the case not many centuries ago among the most -civilised nations of Europe, the death of a man may be compounded for -with his surviving relations; if, however, they do not choose to accept -of the terms offered, any one of them may become the executioner of the -murderer. - -Thieves are compelled to restore what they have stolen, or to make -satisfactory amends to the injured party; in their default, their -nearest relations are obliged to make up the loss. If the thief, after -sufficient warning, continues his bad practices, he is disowned by -his nation, and any one may put him to death the next time that he is -caught in the act of stealing, or that it can be clearly proved to have -been committed by him. I have given two instances of the kind in a -former chapter,[248] and I recollect another which will put what I have -said in the strongest light. I once knew an Indian chief, who had a son -of a vicious disposition, addicted to stealing, and who would take no -advice. His father, tired and unable to satisfy all the demands which -were made upon him for the restitution of articles stolen by his son, -at last issued his orders for shooting him the next time he should be -guilty of a similar act. - -As to crimes and offences of an inferior nature to murder and theft, -they are left to the injured party to punish in such manner as he -thinks proper. Such are personal insults and threats, which among -those people are not considered as slight matters. If the will and -intention of the aggressor appear to be _bad_; if the insult offered -is considered as the forerunner of something worse; or, as the Indians -express themselves, if the “_murdering spirit_” is “_alive_” within -him who offers or threatens violence to another, they think themselves -justified in preventing the act meditated against them; in such a case, -they consider the killing the aggressor as an act of necessity and -self defence. Yet it is very rarely, indeed, that such punishments are -inflicted.[249] The Indians, in general, avoid giving offence as much -as possible. They firmly believe that bad thoughts and actions proceed -from the evil spirit, and carefully avoid every thing that is _bad_. - -Every person who is well acquainted with the true character of the -Indians will admit that they are peaceable, sociable, obliging, -charitable, and hospitable among themselves, and that those virtues -are, as it were, a part of their nature. In their ordinary intercourse, -they are studious to oblige each other. They neither wrangle nor fight; -they live, I believe, as peaceably together as any people on earth, and -treat one another with the greatest respect. That they are not devoid -of tender feelings has been sufficiently shewn in the course of this -work. I do not mean to speak of those whose manners have been corrupted -by a long intercourse with the worst class of white men; they are a -degenerate race, very different from the true genuine Indians whom I -have attempted to describe. - -If any one should be disposed to think that I have exaggerated in the -picture which I have drawn of these _original people_, as they call -themselves, I appeal to the numerous impartial writers who have given -the same testimony respecting them. What says Christopher Columbus -himself of the American Indians in his letters to his sovereign? -“There are not,” says he, “a better people in the world than these; -more affectionate, affable, or mild. _They love their neighbours as -themselves._” - -Similar encomiums were passed on them by some of the first Englishmen -who came to settle in this country. The Reverend Mr. Cushman, in a -sermon preached at Plymouth in 1620, says: “The Indians are said to be -the most cruel and treacherous people in all those parts, even like -lions; but to us they have been like lambs, so kind, so submissive and -trusty, as a man may truly say, many Christians are not so kind and -sincere.” - -The learned Dr. Elias Boudinot, of Burlington, in New Jersey (a man -well remembered as one of the most eminent leaders of the American -Revolution),[250] in a work[251] which, whatever opinion may be -entertained of the hypothesis that he contends for, well deserves -to be read, for the spirit which it breathes and the facts that it -contains, has brought together in one view, the above and many other -authorities of eminent men in favour of the American Indians, and in -proof that their character is such as I have described. I shall not -repeat after him what Las Casas, William Penn, Bryan Edwards, the Abbé -Clavigero, Father Charlevoix and others, have said on the same subject; -those numerous and weighty testimonies may be found in the work to -which I have referred.[252] But I cannot refrain from transcribing the -opinion of the venerable author himself, to which his high character, -his learning, and independence, affix a more than common degree of -authority. - -“It is a matter of fact,” says Dr. Boudinot, “proved by most historical -accounts, that the Indians, at our first acquaintance with them, -generally manifested themselves kind, hospitable and generous to the -Europeans, so long as they were treated with justice and humanity. But -when they were, from a thirst of gain, over-reached on many occasions, -their friends and relations treacherously entrapped and carried away -to be sold for slaves, themselves injuriously oppressed, deceived -and driven from their lawful and native possessions; what ought to -have been expected, but inveterate enmity, hereditary animosity, -and a spirit of perpetual revenge? To whom should be attributed the -evil passions, cruel practices and vicious habits to which they are -now changed, but to those who first set them the example, laid the -foundation and then furnished the continual means for propagating and -supporting the evil?”[253] - -Such was the original character of the Indians, stamped, as it were, -upon them by nature; but fifty or sixty years back, whole communities -of them bore the stamp of this character, difficult now to be found -within the precincts of any part of their territory bordering on the -settlements of the white people! - -What! will it be asked, can this be a true picture of the character of -the Indians; of those brutes, barbarians, savages, men without religion -or laws, who commit indiscriminate murders, without distinction of age -or sex? Have they not in numberless instances desolated our frontiers, -and butchered our people? Have they not violated treaties and deceived -the confidence that we placed in them? No, no; they are beasts of prey -in the human form; they are men with whom no faith is to be kept, and -who ought to be cut off from the face of the earth! - -Stop, my friends! hard names and broad assertions are neither reasons -nor positive facts. I am not prepared to enter into a discussion with -you on the comparative merits or demerits of the Indians and whites; -for I am unskilled in argument, and profess only to be a plain _matter -of fact_ man. To facts therefore I will appeal. I admit that the -Indians have sometimes revenged, cruelly revenged, the accumulated -wrongs which they have suffered from unprincipled white men; the -love of revenge is a strong passion which their imperfect religious -notions have not taught them to subdue. But how often have they been -the aggressors in the unequal contests which they have had to sustain -with the invaders of their country? In how many various shapes have -they not been excited and their passions roused to the utmost fury by -acts of cruelty and injustice on the part of the whites, who have made -afterwards the country ring with their complaints against the lawless -savages, who had not the means of being heard in their defence? I shall -not pursue these questions any farther, but let the facts that I am -going to relate speak for themselves. - -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 from this place.[254] The landlord not being at home, his wife -took the liberty of encouraging the people who frequented her house for -the sake of drinking to abuse those Indians, adding, “That she would -freely give a gallon of rum to any one of them that should kill one of -these black d----ls.” Other white people from the neighbourhood came in -during the night, who also drank freely, made a great deal of noise, -and increased the fears of those poor Indians, who, for the greatest -part, understanding English, could not but suspect that something bad -was intended against their persons. They were not, however, otherwise -disturbed: but in the morning, when, after a restless night, they were -preparing to set off, they found themselves robbed of some of the -most valuable articles they had purchased, and on mentioning this to -a man who appeared to be the bar-keeper, they were ordered to leave -the house. Not being willing to lose so much property, they retired -to some distance into the woods, where, some of them remaining with -what was left them, the others returned to Bethlehem and lodged their -complaint with a justice of the peace. The magistrate gave them a -letter to the landlord, pressing him without delay to restore to the -Indians the goods that had been taken from them. But behold! when they -delivered that letter to the people at the inn, they were told in -answer: “that if they set any value on their lives, they must make off -with themselves immediately.” They well understood that they had no -other alternative, and prudently departed without having received back -any of their goods.[255] Arrived at Nescopeck[256] on the Susquehannah, -they fell in with some other Delawares, who had been treated much in -the same manner, one of them having had his rifle stolen from him. Here -the two parties agreed to take revenge in their own way, for those -insults and robberies for which they could obtain no redress; and that -they determined to do as soon as war should be again declared by their -nation against the English. - -Scarcely had these Indians retired, when in another place, about -fourteen miles distant from the former, one man, two women and a child, -all quiet Indians, 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.[257] One of the -women, falling on her knees, begged in vain for the life of herself -and 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 -threshing floor with such force that her brains flew out.[258] - -Here, then, were insults, robberies and murders, all committed within -the short space of three months, unatoned for and unrevenged. There was -no prospect of obtaining redress; the survivors were therefore obliged -to seek some other means to obtain revenge. They did so; the Indians, -already exasperated against the English in consequence of repeated -outrages, and considering the nation as responsible for the injuries -which it did neither prevent nor punish, and for which it did not even -offer to make any kind of reparation, at last declared war, and then -the injured parties were at liberty to redress themselves for the -wrongs they had suffered. They immediately started against the objects -of their hatred, and finding their way, unseen and undiscovered, to -the inn which had been the scene of the first outrage, they attacked -it at daybreak, fired into it on the people within, who were lying in -their beds. Strange to relate! the murderers of the man, two women, -and child, were among them. They were mortally wounded, and died of -their wounds shortly afterwards. The Indians, after leaving this -house, murdered by accident an innocent family, having mistaken the -house that they meant to attack, after which they returned to their -homes.[259] - -Now a violent hue and cry was raised against the Indians--no language -was too bad, no crimes too black to brand them with. No faith was to -be placed in those savages; treaties with them were of no effect; they -ought to be cut off from the face of the earth! Such was the language -at that time in everybody’s mouth; the newspapers were filled with -accounts of the cruelties of the Indians, a variety of false reports -were circulated in order to rouse the people against them, while they, -the really injured party, having no printing presses among them, could -not make known the story of their grievances. - -“No faith can be placed in what the Indians promise at treaties; for -scarcely is a treaty concluded than they are again murdering us.” Such -is our complaint against these unfortunate people; but they will tell -you that it is the white men in whom no faith is to placed. They will -tell you, that there is not a single instance in which the whites have -not violated the engagements that they had made at treaties. They say -that when they had ceded lands to the white people, and boundary lines -had been established--“firmly established!” beyond which no whites -were to settle; scarcely was the treaty signed, when white intruders -again were settling and hunting on their lands! It is true that when -they preferred their complaints to the government, the government gave -them many fair promises, and assured them that men would be sent to -remove the intruders by force from the usurped lands. The men, indeed, -came, but with chain and compass in their hands, taking surveys of the -tracts of good land, which the intruders, from their knowledge of the -country, had pointed out to them! - -What was then to be done, when those intruders would not go off from -the land, but, on the contrary, increased in numbers? “Oh!” said -those people, (and I have myself frequently heard this language in -the Western country,) “a new treaty will soon give us all this land; -nothing is now wanting but a pretence to pick a quarrel with them!” -Well, but in what manner is this quarrel to be brought about? A _David -Owen_, a _Walker_, and many others might, if they were alive, easily -answer this question. A precedent, however, may be found, on perusing -Mr. Jefferson’s Appendix to his Notes on Virginia. On all occasions, -when the object is to murder Indians, strong liquor is the main article -required; for when you have them dead drunk, you may do to them as you -please, without running the risk of losing your life. And should you -find that the laws of your country may reach you where you are, you -have only to escape or conceal yourself for a while, until the storm -has blown over! I well recollect the time when thieves and murderers of -Indians fled from impending punishment across the Susquehannah, where -they considered themselves safe; on which account this river had the -name given to it of “_the rogue’s river_.” I have heard other rivers -called by similar names. - -In the year 1742, the Reverend Mr. Whitefield offered the Nazareth -Manor (as it was then called) for sale to the United Brethren.[260] He -had already begun to build upon it a spacious stone house, intended as -a school house for the education of negro 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 obtained by fraud.[261] The Brethren -declined purchasing any lands on which the Indian title had not been -properly extinguished, wishing to live in peace with all the Indians -around them. Count Zinzendorff happened at that time to arrive in the -country; he found that the agents of the proprietors would not pay to -the Indians the price which they asked for that tract of land; he paid -them out of his private 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 village, (where, by the by, they had a fine -large peach orchard,) as long as they should think proper. But among -those white men, who afterwards came and settled in the neighbourhood -of their tract, there were some who were enemies to the Indians, and -a young Irishman, without cause or provocation, murdered their good -and highly respected chief _Tademi_,[262] 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 disposed towards -them, was the cause of their leaving their settlement on this manor, -and removing to places of greater safety. - -It is true, that when flagrant cases of this description occurred, -the government, before the Revolution, issued proclamations offering -rewards for apprehending the offenders, and in later times, since the -country has become more thickly settled, those who had been guilty of -such offences were brought before the tribunals to take their trials. -But these formalities 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 uncommon saying among -many of the men of whom juries in the frontier countries were commonly -composed, that no man should be put to death for killing an Indian; for -it was the same thing as killing a wild beast! - -But what shall I say of the conduct of the British agents, or deputy -agents, or by whatsoever other name they may be called, who, at the -commencement of the American Revolution, openly excited the Indians -to kill and destroy all the rebels without distinction? “Kill all the -rebels,” they would say, “put them all to death, and spare none.” -A veteran chief of the Wyandot nation, who resided near Detroit, -observed to one of them that surely it was meant that they should kill -men only, and not women and children. “No, no,” was the answer, “kill -all, destroy all; _nits breed lice_!” The brave veteran[263] was so -disgusted with this reply, that he refused to go out at all; wishing -however to see and converse with his old brother soldiers of the -Delaware nation, with whom he had fought against the English in the -French war, he took the command of a body of ninety chosen men, and -being arrived at the seat of the government of the Delawares, on the -Muskingum, he freely communicated to his old comrades (among whom was -Glikhican, whom I shall presently have occasion further to mention) -what had taken place, and what he had resolved on; saying that he never -would be guilty of killing women and children; that this was the first -and would be the last of his going out this war; that in ten days they -should see him come back with one prisoner only, no scalp to a pole, -and no life lost. He kept his word. The sixteen chiefs under him, from -respect and principle, agreed to all his proposals and wishes. - -How different the conduct of the Indians from that of their inhuman -employers! I have already related the noble speech of Captain Pipe -to the British Commandant at Detroit, and I have done justice to the -character of that brave officer, who surely ought not to be confounded -with those Indian agents that I have spoken of. But what said Pipe -to him? “Innocence had no part in your quarrels; and therefore I -distinguished--I spared. Father! I hope you will not destroy what -I have saved!”[264] I have also told the conduct of the two young -spirited Delawares[265] who saved the life of the venerable Missionary -Zeisberger, at the risk of their own. But it is not only against their -own people that Indians have afforded their protection to white men, -but against the whites themselves. - -In the course of the Revolutionary war, in which (as in all civil -commotions) brother was seen fighting 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 destroy 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 Indians; yet as they passed -near a settlement of these converts, the white man, unmindful of the -orders he had received, attempted to shoot two of the 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, as they were in too great danger from the _white people_. - -Another white man of the same description, whom I well knew, related -with a kind of barbarous exultation, on his return to Detroit from -a war excursion with the Indians in which he had been engaged, that -the party with which he was, having taken a woman prisoner who had a -sucking babe at her breast, he tried to persuade the Indians to kill -the child, lest its cries should discover the place where they were; -the Indians were unwilling to commit the deed, on which the white man -at once jumped up, tore the child from its mother’s arms and taking it -by the legs dashed its head against a tree, so that the brains flew out -all around. The monster in relating this story said, “The little dog -all the time was making _wee!_” He added, that if he were sure that his -old father, who some time before had died in Old Virginia, would, if -he had lived longer, have turned rebel, he would go all the way into -Virginia, raise the body, and take off his scalp! - -Let us now contrast with this the conduct of the Indians. Carver tells -us in his travels with what moderation, humanity and delicacy they -treat female prisoners, and particularly pregnant women.[266] 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 one of their excursions during the -Revolutionary war, took a white female prisoner. The Indian chief, -after a march of several days, observed that she was ailing, and was -soon convinced (for she was far advanced in her pregnancy) that the -time of her delivery was near. He immediately made a halt on the bank -of a stream, where at a proper distance from the encampment, 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 substitute for a door. He then kindled a fire, placed a pile of -wood near it to feed it occasionally, and placed a kettle of water at -hand where she might easily use it. He then took her into her little -infirmary, gave her Indian medicines, with directions how to use them, -and told her to rest 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 himself 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 presented her babe. The good chief, with tears -in his eyes, rejoiced at her safe delivery; he told her not to be -uneasy, that he should lay by for a few days and would soon bring her -some nourishing food, and some medicines to take. Then going to his -encampment, he ordered all his men to go out a hunting, and remained -himself to guard the camp. - -Now for the reverse of the picture. Among the men whom this chief -had under his command, was one of those white vagabonds whom I have -before described. The captain was much afraid of him, knowing him to -be a bad man; and as he had expressed a great desire to go a hunting -with the rest, he believed him gone, and entertained no fears for the -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 her life if she 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 few -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 excursion, he never would suffer a -white man to be of his party. - -Yet I must acknowledge that I have known an Indian chief who had been -guilty of the crime of killing the child of a female prisoner. It was -Glikhican,[267] of whom I have before spoken, as one of the friends of -the brave Wyandot who expressed so much horror at the order given to -him by the Indian agents to murder women and children.[268] In the year -1770, he joined the congregation of the Christian Indians; the details -of his conversion are related at large by Loskiel in his History of the -Missions.[269] Before that time he had been conspicuous as a warrior -and a counsellor, and in oratory it is said he never was surpassed. -This man, 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 prisoners, a young woman named _Rachel -Abbott_, from the Conegocheague settlement,[270] 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 agony of grief, and her face suffused 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 several children, who are now living with the Christian Indians -in Upper Canada. - -Glikhican never forgave himself for having committed this crime, -although many times, and long before his becoming a Christian, he had -begged the woman’s pardon with tears in his eyes, and received her -free and full forgiveness. In vain she pointed out to him all the -circumstances that he could have alleged to excuse the deed; in vain -she reminded him of his unwillingness at the time, and his having been -in a manner compelled to it by his French associates; nothing that -she did say could assuage his sorrow or quiet the perturbation of his -mind; he called himself a wretch, a monster, a _coward_ (the 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 fatal act preyed like a canker worm upon his spirits. I ought -to add, that 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 shewn themselves. -There have been instances of white men flaying or taking off the 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 sometime -during the Revolutionary war. Those things are abominations in the eyes -of the Indians, who, indeed, when strongly excited, inflict torments -on their prisoners and put them to death by cruel tortures, 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, however, that among -some tribes it has never been in use; but it must be added that those -tribes gave no quarter. The Delawares accuse the Iroquois of having -been the inventors 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 are now but few instances of prisoners being put -to death in this manner. - -Rare as these barbarous executions now are, I have reason to believe -that they would be still less frequent, if proper pains were taken to -turn the Indians 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 joined in their war-feasts, and even added to the -barbarity of the scene. Can there be a more brutal act than, after -furnishing those savages, as 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 enemy!” 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!” 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 I have mentioned. - -“Is this possible?” the reader will naturally exclaim. Yes, it is -possible, and every Indian warrior will tell you that it is true. It -has come to me from so many credible sources, that I am forced to -believe it. How can the Indians now be reproached with acts of cruelty -to which they have been excited by those who pretended to be Christians -and civilised men, but who were worse savages than those whom, no -doubt, they were ready to brand with that name? - -When hostile governments give directions to employ the Indians against -their enemies, they surely do not know that such is the manner in -which their orders are to be executed; 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 effectual. The Indians are not fond of interfering -in quarrels not their own, and will not fight with spirit for the mere -sake of a livelihood which they can obtain in a more agreeable manner -by hunting and their other ordinary occupations. Their passions must -be excited, and that is not easily done when they themselves have not -received any injury from those against whom they are desired to fight. -Behold, then, the abominable course which must unavoidably be resorted -to--to induce them to do what?--to lay waste the dwelling of the -peaceable cultivator of the land, and to murder his innocent wife and -his helpless children! I cannot pursue this subject farther, although -I 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 most justly entitled to the epithets of brutes, -barbarians, and savages. It is not for me to anticipate his decision. - -But if the Indians, after all, are really those horrid monsters which -they are alleged to be, two solemn, serious questions have often -occurred to my mind, to which I wish the partisans of that doctrine -would give equally serious answers. - -1. Can civilised nations, can nations which profess Christianity, -be justified in employing people of that description to aid them -in fighting their battles against their enemies, Christians like -themselves? - -2. When such nations offer up their prayers to the throne of the most -High, supplicating the Divine Majesty to grant success to their arms, -can they, ought they to expect that those prayers will be heard? - -I have done. Let me only be permitted, in conclusion, to express -my firm belief, the result of much attentive observation and long -experience while living among the Indians, that if we would only -observe towards them the first and most important precept of our holy -religion, “to do to others as we would be done to;” if, instead of -employing them to fight our battles, we encouraged them to remain at -peace with us and with each other, they might easily be brought to a -state of civilisation, and become CHRISTIANS. - -I still indulge the hope that this work will be accomplished by a wise -and benevolent government. Thus we shall demonstrate the falsity of the -prediction of the Indian prophets, who say: “That when the whites shall -have ceased killing the red men, and got all their lands from them, the -great tortoise which bears this island upon his back, shall dive down -into the deep and drown them all, as he once did before, a great many -years ago; and that when he again rises, the Indians shall once more be -put in possession of the whole country.” - - - - -CONCLUSION. - - -I have thus finished the work which was required of me by the -Historical Committee of the American Philosophical Society. On reading -over the printed sheets which have been kindly sent to me from -Philadelphia, as they issued from the press, I have noticed several -errors, some of which may be ascribed to me, others to the transcriber -of the manuscript, and very few to the printer. I regret that there are -among them some mistakes in dates and names of places; they are all -rectified in the errata. - -I am very sensible of the many defects of this little work in point -of method, arrangement, composition and style. I am not an author -by profession; the greatest part of my life was spent among savage -nations, and I have now reached the age of seventy-five, at which -period of life little improvement can be expected. It is not, -therefore, as an author that I wish to be judged, but as a sincere -relator of facts that have fallen within my observation and knowledge. -I declare that I have said nothing but what I certainly know or verily -believe. In matters of mere opinion, I may be contradicted; but in -points of fact I have been even scrupulous, and purposely omitted -several anecdotes for which I could not sufficiently vouch. In my -descriptions of character, I may have been an unskilful painter, and -ill chosen expressions may imperfectly have sketched out the images -that are imprinted on my mind; but the fault is in the writer, not in -the man. - -It is with pleasure that I inform the reader that the parts of Mr. -Zeisberger’s Iroquois Dictionary which I have mentioned above, (pages -97, 118,) as being irretrievably lost, have most fortunately been -found since this work is in the press. The book has been neatly bound -in seven quarto volumes, and will remain a monument of the richness -and comprehensiveness of the languages of the Indian nations. Several -valuable grammatical works on the same language, by the same author and -Mr. Pyrlæus, have been recovered at the same time, by means of which, -the idiom of the Six Nations may now be scientifically studied. - -When I spoke (p. 136) of the impression made by Captain Pipe’s speech -“on all present,” I meant only on those who understood the language; -for there were many who did not, and M. Baby, the Canadian interpreter, -did not explain to the bystanders the most striking passages, but went -now and then to the Commandant and whispered in his ear. Captain Pipe, -while he spoke, was exceedingly animated, and twice advanced so near -to the Commandant, that M. Baby ordered him to fall back to his place. -All who were present must have at least suspected that his speech was -not one of the ordinary kind, and that everything was not as they might -suppose it ought to be. - -I promised in my introduction (p. xxvi.) to subjoin an explanatory list -of the Indian nations which I have mentioned in the course of this -work, but I find that I have been so full on the subject that such a -list is unnecessary. - -I have classed the Florida Indians together in respect of language, on -the supposition that they all speak dialects of the same mother tongue; -the fact, however, may be otherwise, though it will be extraordinary -that there should be several languages entirely different from each -other in the narrow strip of land between the Carolinas and the -Mississippi, when there are but two principal ones in the rest of -the United States. It is to be expected that the researches of the -Historical Committee will throw light upon this subject. - - - - -ERRATA IN PART I. - - - PAGE 26, LINE 5--Between the words “_if_” and “_what_” insert “_we - can credit_.” - 30, 15--For “_declaring at the same time_” read “_and - declared afterwards_.” - 31, 8--For “_Mohicans_” read “_Lenape_.” - 67, 14--For “_1742_” read “_and November 1756_.” - 72, 12--Dele “_in which_.” - 77, 11--For “_Delawares_” read “_Mohicans_.” - 80, 18--For “_1787_” read “_1781_.” - 81, 5--For “_us_” read “_them_.” - 84, 12--For “_Mouseys_” read “_Monseys_.” - 23--Beginning a paragraph, for “_1768, about six_” read - “_1772, a few_.” - 85, 29--Of third note, for “_Shawanachau_” read - “_Shawanachan_.” - 90, 13--For “_Shawanos_” read “_Nanticokes_.” - 91, 13--For “_schschequon_” read “_shechschequon_.” - 92, 29 and 30--For “_Tawachguáno_” read “_Tayachguáno_.” - 110, 12--For “_once_” read “_sometimes_.” - 111, 8--For “_should_” read “_deserved to_.” - 10--For “_to_” read “_out at_.” - 12--Dele “_outside of the door and_.” - 118, 15--For “_Thornhallesen_” read “_Thorhallesen_.” - 122, 10--Of the first note, for “_p. 3_” read “_p. 5_.” - 130, 8--For “_or_” read “_nor_.” - 131, 22--For “_met_” read “_saw_.” - 25--For “_days_” read “_hours_.” - 133, 5--For “_December_” read “_November_.” - 140, 10--Of No. 43, for “_with_” read “_of_.” - 143, 34--For “_they_” read “_the Chippeways and some other - nations_.” - 146, 17--For “_your_” read “_yon_.” - 150, 4--After the word “_nation_” insert “_which they do not - approve of_.” - 153, 31--For “_they sure_” read “_they are sure_.” - 160, 32--For “_reply_” read “_answer_.” - 164, 26--For “_decide_” read “_say_.” - 28--For “_man_” read “_men_.” - 166, 2--Between “_is_” and “_even_” insert “_sometimes_.” - 22--For “_an old Indian_” read “_several old men_.” - 167, 11 and 13--For “_road_” read “_course_.” - 174, 18--For “_where_” read “_whence_.” - 178, 33--For “_Duke Holland_” read “_Luke Holland_;” the same - where the name again occurs. - 201, 5--Dele “_again_.” - 216, 29--For “_very often_” read “_sometimes_.” - 217, 2--For “_inches_” read “_feet_.” - 218, 14--For “_of_” read “_on_.” - 243, 3--For “_Americans_” read “_white men_.” - 250, 9--For “_killed_” read “_eaten_.” - 253, 37--For “_Pauk-sit_” read “_P’duk-sit_.” - 263, 14--Dele “_lands or_.” - 278, 35--For “_Albany_” read “_Pittsburgh_.” - 283, 31--For “_Sandusky_” read “_Muskingum_.” - 293, 26--For “_bought_” read “_brought_.” - 313, 23--For “_them_” read “_us_.” - - - - -PART II. - -A - -CORRESPONDENCE - -BETWEEN - -_THE REV. JOHN HECKEWELDER_. - -OF BETHLEHEM, - -AND - -_PETER S. DUPONCEAU, ESQ._, - -CORRESPONDING SECRETARY OF THE HISTORICAL AND LITERARY COMMITTEE OF THE -AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, - -RESPECTING THE - -Languages of the American Indians. - - The following Correspondence between Mr. Heckewelder and Peter - S. Du Ponceau, Esq., Corresponding Secretary of the Historical - and Literary Committee of the American Philosophical Society, - and subsequently, till his death in 1844, President of that - Society, is appended as a fitting sequel to the preceding - Account. - - - - -[Illustration: INTRODUCTION] - - -The Historical and Literary Committee of the American Philosophical -Society, desirous of taking the most effectual means to promote the -objects of their institution, directed their corresponding secretary -to address letters in their name to such persons in the United States -as had turned their attention to similar objects, and solicit their -assistance. - -Among other well-informed individuals, the Reverend Mr. Heckewelder -of Bethlehem was pointed out by the late Dr. Caspar Wistar, President -of the Society, and one of the most active and useful members of the -Committee, as a gentleman whose intimate knowledge of the American -Indians, their usages, manners and languages, enabled him to afford -much important aid to their labours. In consequence of this suggestion, -the secretary wrote to Mr. Heckewelder the letter No. 1, and Dr. -Wistar seconded his application by the letter No. 2. The languages -of the Indians were not at that time particularly in the view of the -Committee; the manners and customs of those nations were the principal -subjects on which they wished and expected to receive information. But -Mr. Heckewelder having with his letter No. 4, sent them the MS. of Mr. -Zeisberger’s Grammar of the Delaware Language, that communication had -the effect of directing their attention to this interesting subject. - -This MS. being written in German, was not intelligible to the greatest -number of the members. Two of them, the Reverend Dr. Nicholas Collin, -and the corresponding secretary, were particularly anxious to be -honoured with the task of translating it; but the secretary having -claimed this labour as part of his official duty, it was adjudged -to him. While he was translating that work, he was struck with the -beauty of the grammatical forms of the Lenape idiom, which led him to -ask through Dr. Wistar some questions of Mr. Heckewelder,[271] which -occurred to him as he was pursuing his labours, and produced the -correspondence now published, which was carried on by the direction and -under the sanction of the Committee. - -The letters which passed at the beginning between Dr. Wistar and Mr. -Zeisberger,[272] and are here published in their regular order, do -not, it is true, form a necessary part of this collection; but it will -be perceived, that to the two letters of Dr. Wistar, Nos. 2 and 6, we -are indebted for the valuable Historical Account of the Indians, which -forms the first number of this volume. It is just that he should have -the credit due to his active and zealous exertions. - -It was intended that Mr. Zeisberger’s Grammar should have immediately -followed this Correspondence, which was considered as introductory to -it. But it being now evident that it would increase too much the size -of the volume, its publication is for the present postponed. - - - - -CORRESPONDENCE - -RESPECTING THE INDIAN LANGUAGES. - - - - -LETTER I. - -MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 9th January, 1816. - -SIR.--As corresponding secretary to the Historical Committee of the -American Philosophical Society, it is my duty to solicit the aid of -men of learning and information, by the help of whose knowledge light -may be thrown on the yet obscure history of the early times of the -colonization of this country, and particularly of this State. Our -much-respected President and common friend, Dr. Wistar, has often -spoken to me of the great knowledge which you possess respecting -the Indians who once inhabited these parts, and of your intimate -acquaintance with their languages, habits and history. He had promised -me, when you was last here, to do me the favour of introducing me to -you, but the bad state of his health and other circumstances prevented -it, which has been and still is to me the cause of much regret. Permit -me, sir, on the strength of his recommendation, and the assurance he -has given me that I might rely on your zeal and patriotic feelings, -to request, in the name of the Historical Committee, that you will be -so good as to aid their labours by occasional communications on the -various subjects that are familiar to you and which relate to the early -history of this country. Accounts of the various nations of Indians -which have at different times inhabited Pennsylvania, their numbers, -origin, migrations, connexions with each other, the parts which they -took in the English and French wars and in the Revolutionary war, their -manners, customs, languages, and religion, will be very acceptable, as -well as every thing which you may conceive interesting, on a subject -which at no distant period will be involved in obscurity and doubt, -for want of the proper information having been given in time by those -cotemporaries who now possess the requisite knowledge and are still -able to communicate it. I hope, sir, that you will be able to find some -moments of leisure to comply, at least in part, with this request, -which you may do in any form that you may think proper. If that of -occasional letters to Dr. Wistar or myself should be the most agreeable -or convenient to you, you may adopt it, or any other mode that you may -prefer. I beg you will favour me with an answer as soon as possible, -that I may be able to inform the Committee of what they may expect -from you. You may be assured that all your communications will be -respectfully and thankfully received. - - I am, very respectfully, Sir, - Your most obedient humble servant, - PETER S. DUPONCEAU, - Corresponding Secretary. - - - - -LETTER II. - -DR. C. WISTAR TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 9th January, 1816. - -MY DEAR SIR.--Inclosed is a letter from the corresponding secretary -of the Historical Committee of our Society, which will inform you -of our wishes to preserve from oblivion, and to make public, all -the interesting information we can procure respecting the history -of our country and its original inhabitants. I believe there is no -other person now living who knows so much respecting the Indians who -inhabited this part of America, as you do, and there is no one whose -relations will be received with more confidence. - -I hope you will approve of this method of favouring the public with -your information, and we will endeavour to give you no trouble in -publishing after you have favoured us with the communications. It will -be particularly agreeable to the society to receive from you an account -of the Lenni Lenape, as they were at the time when the settlement of -Pennsylvania commenced, and of their history and misfortunes since that -time; as these subjects are so intimately connected with the history -of our State. The history of the Shawanese, and of the Six Nations -will be very interesting to us for the same reason. But every thing -which throws light upon the nature of the Indians, their manners and -customs; their opinions upon all interesting subjects, especially -religion and government; their agriculture and modes of procuring -subsistence; their treatment of their wives and children; their social -intercourse with each other; and in short, every thing relating to them -which is interesting to you, will be very instructing to the Society. -A fair view of the mind and natural disposition of the savage, and -its difference from that of the civilised man, would be an acceptable -present to the world. - -You have long been a member of the Society; may we ask of you to -communicate to us what you know and think ought to be published, -respecting the wild animals, or the native plants of our country. The -original object of our association was to bring together gentlemen like -yourself, who have a great deal of information in which the public -take an interest, that they might publish it together; and while an -intercourse with you will give us all great pleasure, it will perhaps -be a very easy way for you to oblige the world with your knowledge, -as we will take the whole care of the publication. The information -respecting our country which has been obtained by the very respectable -Brethren of Bethlehem, and is contained in their archives, will, I -believe, be more perfectly offered to the world by you at present, -than probably it ever will afterwards by others; I therefore feel very -desirous that you should engage in it. - -The facts which Mr. Pyrlæus recorded there, relative to the -confederation of the Six Nations, are so interesting that they ought to -be made public. - -In a few days after my return to Philadelphia, last autumn, I presented -in your name to the Society the several books with which you favoured -me. They were much gratified, for they considered them as truly -valuable, and the secretary was requested to acknowledge the receipt of -them, and to thank you in the name of the Society. I have constantly -regretted the attack of influenza which deprived me of the pleasure of -seeing more of you while you were last in Philadelphia. But I hope we -shall meet again before a great while, and I shall be sincerely pleased -if I can execute any of your commissions here, or serve you in any way; -my brother joins me in assuring you of our best wishes, and of the -pleasure we derived from your society. - - With these I remain, your sincere friend, - - C. WISTAR. - - - - -LETTER III. - -MR. HECKEWELDER TO DR. WISTAR. - - - BETHLEHEM, 24th March, 1816. - -MY DEAR SIR.--Last evening I was favoured with a letter from you, -covering one from the corresponding secretary of the Historical -Committee of the American Philosophical Society, dated 9th January, -and a book, for which I return my best thanks. If an apology for not -having written to you since I left Philadelphia can be admitted, it -must be that of my having been engaged in all my leisure hours, in -completing my narrative of the Mission, a work of which, even if it -is never published, I wished for good reasons, to leave a manuscript -copy. I have now got through with the principal part, but have to copy -the whole text, and in part to write the notes, remarks, and anecdotes -which are intended for the appendix. While writing, it has sometimes -struck me, that there might probably be some interesting passages in -the work, as the speeches of Indians on various occasions; their artful -and cunning ways of doing at times business; I had almost said their -diplomatic manœuvres as politicians; their addresses on different -occasions to the Great Spirit, &c., which are here noticed in their -proper places. I think much of the true character of the Indian may be -met with in perusing this work, and I will endeavour to forward the -narrative to you and your brother for perusal, after a little while. - -Were I still in the possession of all the manuscripts which I gave to -my friend the late Dr. Barton, it would be an easy matter for me to -gratify you and the Philosophical Society in their wishes, but having -retained scarcely any, or but very few copies of what I sent him, I -am not so able to do what I otherwise would with pleasure; I shall, -however, make it my study to do what I can yet, though I am aware that -I shall in some points, differ from what others have said and written. -I never was one of those hasty believers and writers, who take the -shadow for the substance: what I wished to know, I always wished to -know correctly. - -I approve of the mode proposed by the secretary of the Historical -Committee, to make communications in the form of letters, which is for -me the easiest and quickest mode. In the same way Dr. Barton received -much interesting matter from me within the last 20 or 30 years. He -often told me that he would publish a book, and make proper use of my -communications. Had he not told me this so repeatedly, I should long -since have tried to correct many gross errors, written and published, -respecting the character and customs of the Indians. The Lenni Lenape, -improperly called the Delawares, I shall, according to their tradition, -trace across the Mississippi into this country, set forth what people -they were, what parts of the country they inhabited, and how they were -brought down to such a low state: perhaps, never did man take the pains -that I did for years, to learn the true causes of the decline of that -great and powerful nation. - -The Grammar of the language of the Lenni Lenape, written by David -Zeisberger, is still in my hands. By his will it is to be deposited in -the Brethren’s Archives in Bethlehem, but he has not prohibited taking -a copy of it. Will it be of any service to the Society that it should -be sent down for a few months for perusal, or if thought necessary, to -take a copy? If so, please to let me know, and I shall send it with -pleasure. It is, however, German and Indian, and without a translation -will be understood but by few. I may perhaps find other documents -interesting to the Society, as for example, copies of letters on Indian -business and treaties, of which many are in the possession of Joseph -Horsfield, Esq., son of the late Timothy Horsfield, through whom they -have come into his hands, and who is willing to communicate them.[273] -I am, dear friend, - - Yours sincerely, - - J. HECKEWELDER. - -_P. S._--Will you be so good as with my respects to mention to the -secretary that I have received his letter, and shall shortly answer -it--my best wishes also to your brother Richard, whom I highly esteem. - - J. H. - - - - -LETTER IV. - -FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. - - - BETHLEHEM, 3d April, 1816. - -MY DEAR FRIEND.--With Captain Mann, of your city, I send David -Zeisberger’s Grammar of the Language of the Lenni Lenape, (otherwise -called the Delaware Indians.) As the book is not mine, but left by -will, to be placed in the Library at Bethlehem, I can do no more than -send it for perusal; or, if wished for, to have a copy taken from it, -which, indeed, I myself would cheerfully have done for you, were it not -that I must spare my weak eyes as much as possible. - -I believe I have closed my last letter to you, without answering to the -question you put to me, respecting, “wild animals and the native plants -of our country.” On this head I do not know that I could be of any -service, since the animals that were in this country on the arrival of -the Europeans must be pretty generally known; and respecting the native -plants, I do not consider myself qualified to give any information, -as all I have attended to, has been to collect plants for botanists, -leaving it to them to examine and class them. But my friend Dr. Kampman -of this place, who is, I believe, one of the most attentive gentlemen -to botany, has promised me for you a copy of the botanical names of -those plants which he, and a few others of his friends, have collected, -within a great number of years, in the Forks of Delaware, with some few -from New Jersey, to the number (he thinks) of about five hundred; all -of which plants are in nature carefully laid up by him. Probably in two -or three weeks, I shall have the pleasure of transmitting to you this -promised catalogue. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER V. - -FROM MR. DUPONCEAU TO DR. WISTAR. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 14th May, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--When you write to your friend Mr. Heckewelder, I beg you -will request him to answer the following questions: - -1. What name did the French give to the Delaware nation? - -2. I find in Zeisberger’s Vocabulary, page 11, that _Gischuch_ means -the _sun_. In the Grammar, I see that the Delawares divide their year -by moons, and call them _anixi gischuch_, &c. So that _gischuch_ -signifies _moon_ as well as _sun_, how is it? - -3. I find in the Grammar that the pronoun _nekama_ or _neka_ means -_he_, but it does not appear to have any feminine. What is the proper -word for _she_ in the Delaware, and how is it declined? - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER VI. - -FROM DR. WISTAR TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, May 21st, 1816. - -MY DEAR FRIEND.--I am much obliged by your kind letters, which are -very interesting, and will, I hope, obtain from[274] us some of the -valuable information which has been left unpublished by our ingenious -colleague the late Dr. Barton. The Grammar of your venerable friend, -Zeisberger, is regarded by Mr. Duponceau as a treasure. He thinks the -inflections of the Indian verbs so remarkable that they will attract -the general attention of the literati. Inclosed is a letter from him, -by which he expects to open a correspondence with you on the subject. I -will be much obliged by your writing to him as soon as your convenience -will permit. - -We expect soon to have materials for publishing a volume of Historical -Documents, and I have proposed that we shall prefix to those which -relate to Pennsylvania, all the information we can collect respecting -the Indians who were here before our ancestors. The Committee agree -that this will be the proper method, and my dependence for authentic -information is on you; as I have never met with any person who had any -knowledge to compare with yours, respecting the poor Indians. I was -delighted to find that your enquiries have been directed to the history -of the Lenni Lenape before they settled in Pennsylvania. The removal -of the Indian tribes from our country to another is a very interesting -subject. If you can tell us where they came from and what forced them -away; who were here before them, and what induced their predecessors to -make war for them, we shall be much obliged to you. There is no book I -shall read with more pleasure than yours. - -The causes of their downfall, I believe, are well known to you, and -will of course have a place. The manner in which they were treated by -the Six Nations, after their conquest, will be an interesting article, -as it will shew the Indian policy. An account of the political rights -which were still allowed them, and, in short, of everything which is -connected with their conquest, will add to the interest of the work. As -occupants of Pennsylvania before the whites, ought not the Shawanese -and the Six Nations also to be described? - -I have been told that the Shawanese were more refined than any other -Indians in this part of America, and that the place where Chilicothe -now stands, was the seat of Indian civilisation. - -I have the pleasure of forwarding to you an instructing work by Dr. -Drake, a physician at Cincinnati, which he sends you. - -He also sends a small package and a letter to Mr. Steinhauer. - -I send them by a wagon which goes from Mr. Bolling’s, but I am not -without some expectation of paying another visit to Bethlehem very -soon, where it will be a great gratification to meet with my friend. - - Affectionately yours, - - CASPAR WISTAR. - - - - -LETTER VII. - -MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU. - - - BETHLEHEM, 27th May, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I was this morning favoured with a letter from my friend Dr. -Wistar, inclosing some questions which you wish me to answer. I lose no -time in complying with your desire. - -Your first question is, “what name the French did give to the Delaware -nation?” - -I believe the Baron de La Hontan meant them when he spoke of the -Algonkins, whom he describes as a people whose language was understood -by many nations or tribes. So is certainly that of the Delawares. - -While I was residing on the Muskingum, between the years 1773 and 1781, -I cannot precisely remember the year, there came a French gentleman -who was travelling on some business among the different Indian tribes, -and could speak more or less of several Indian languages, among which -was that of the Delawares. I had much conversation with him respecting -the Indians, and observed that he called the Delawares _les Lenopes_, -(a word evidently derived from their real name _Lenni Lenape_.) He -told me that the language of that nation had a wide range, and that -by the help of it, he had travelled more than a thousand miles among -different Indian nations, by all of whom he was understood. He added, -that the Baron La Hontan, when speaking of the Algonkins, must either -have alluded to that nation, or to some one descended from them. In -other instances, in the course of the four years that I resided in -Upper Canada, I generally heard the French Canadians call them Lénôpé, -while the English called them Delawares. Nevertheless, I do not doubt -but that they have been called by different names by the French and -other travellers, and if my memory serves me, some of the French people -called them _les Loups_, a name probably derived from one of their -tribes called the _Wolf_, if it is not a corruption of Lenape or Lenope. - -Your next question is, “whether the Delaware word _gischuch_, signifies -the sun or moon, or both together?” The Indian name “_gischuch_,” is -common to “the two great luminaries which send down light from above.” -The moon is called “_nipawi gischuch_,” as it were “the sun which -gives light in the night.” It is also called in one word “_nipahum_.” -“_Gischuch_,” singly, is often used for the moon; the Indian year -is divided into thirteen lunar months, and in this sense, the word -“_gischuch_,” is used; as for instance, “_schawanáki_[275] _gischuch_” -or, in the Minsi or Monsey dialect, “_chwani_[276] _gischuch_” the -_shad moon_, answering to the month which we call March, at which time -the fish called “shad” passes from the sea into the fresh water rivers. -The inferior “stars” have a different name; they are called in the -singular _alank_; plural, _alankewak_, and by contraction, _alanquak_. - -Lastly, you ask whether the Delawares have a word answering to the -English personal pronoun “_she_,” and what it is? I beg leave to answer -you somewhat in detail. - -In the Indian languages, those discriminating words or inflections -which we call _genders_, are not, as with us, in general, intended to -distinguish between male and female beings, but between animate and -inanimate things or substances. Trees and plants (annual plants and -grasses excepted) are included within the generic class of animated -beings. Hence the personal pronoun has only two modes, if I can so -express myself, one applicable to the animate, and the other to the -inanimate gender; “_nekama_” is the personal pronominal form which -answers to “he” and “she” in English. If you wish to distinguish -between the sexes, you must add to it the word “man” or “woman.” Thus -“_nekama lenno_,” means “_he_” or “_this man_;” “_nekama ochqueu_,” -“_she_” or “_this woman_.” This may appear strange to a person -exclusively accustomed to our forms of speech, but I assure you that -the Indians have no difficulty in understanding each other. - -Nor must you imagine that their languages are poor. See how the -Delaware idiom discriminates between the different ages of man and -woman! - - LENNO, _a man_. - Wuskilenno, _a young man_. - Pilapeu, _a lad_. - Pilawesis, or pilawétzitsch, _a boy_. - Pilawétit, _a male infant babe_. - Kigeyilenno, _an aged man_. - Mihilusis, _an old man, worn out with age_. - OCHQUEU, _a woman_. - Wusdóchqueu, _a young woman, a virgin_. - Ochquetschitsch, _a girl_. - Quetit, _a female infant babe_. - Gichtochqueu, _an aged woman_. - Chauchschìsis, _a very old woman_. - -Note “_len_” or “_lenno_” in the male, and “_que_” or “_queu_” in the -female, distinguish the sexes in compound words; sometimes the _L_ -alone denotes the male sex, as in “pi_l_apeu,” “mihi_l_usis,” &c. - -The males of quadrupeds are called “_lenno wéchum,_” and by contraction -“_lennochum_;” the females “_Ochqueu wéchum_,” and by contraction -“_ochquéchum_,” which is the same as saying _he_ or _she_ beasts. With -the winged tribe, their generic denomination “_wehelle_” is added to -the word which expresses the sex; thus, “_lenno wehelle_” for the male, -and “_ochquechelle_” (with a little contraction) for the female. There -are some animals the females of which have a particular distinguishing -name, as “_Nunschetto_” a _doe_, “_Nunscheach_” a _she bear_. This, -however, is not common. - -Thus I have endeavoured to answer your questions, and I hope, have done -it to your satisfaction. I shall always be willing and ready to give -you any further information that you or the Philosophical Society may -require; I mean, always to the best of my knowledge and abilities. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER VIII. - -MR. DUPONCEAU TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 10th June, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--Your favour of the 27th ult. has done me the greatest -pleasure. I am very thankful for the goodness you have had to answer -the questions which I took the liberty of putting to you through our -common friend Dr. Wistar. I shall not fail to avail myself of your -kind offer to answer such further questions as I may ask, as in so -doing I shall fulfil a duty which the Historical Committee of the -Philosophical Society has imposed upon me, and at the same time I am -satisfied that I shall derive a great deal of pleasure to myself. But -I must acknowledge that I am entirely ignorant of the subject on which -I have been directed to obtain information from you, so much so that I -am even at a loss what questions to ask. As I have, however, undertaken -the task, I must endeavour to go through it as well as I can, and rely -on the instruction which I shall receive from your letters, to point -out to me further enquiries. I am fortunately employed in translating -the late Mr. Zeisberger’s Grammar of the Lenni Lenape, which will lead -me a little into the right path, and I read at the same time such books -as I can find in our scanty libraries respecting the languages of the -American Indians. This study pleases me much, as I think I perceive -many beauties in those idioms, but the true enjoyment of those beauties -is, I presume, only accessible to those to whom the languages are -familiar. - -From what I have above stated, you will easily perceive that my -questions to you must necessarily be desultory, and without any regular -order or method. But you will diffuse light through this chaos, and -every thing at last will find its proper place. - -I cannot express to you how delighted I am with the grammatical forms -of the Indian languages, particularly of the Delaware, as explained -by Mr. Zeisberger. I am inclined to believe that those forms are -peculiar to this part of the world, and that they do not exist in the -languages of the old hemisphere. At least, I am confident that their -development will contribute much to the improvement of the science -of universal grammar. About fifty years ago, two eminent French -philosophers published each a short treatise on the origin of language. -One of them was the celebrated mathematician Maupertuis, and the other -M. Turgot, who afterwards was made a minister of state, and acquired -considerable reputation by his endeavours to introduce reform into the -administration of the government of his own country. M. Maupertuis, -in his Essay, took great pains to shew the necessity of studying the -languages even of the most distant and barbarous nations, “because,” -said he, “we may chance to find some that are formed on _new plans -of ideas_.” M. Turgot, instead of acknowledging the justness of this -profound remark, affected to turn it into ridicule, and said he could -not understand what was meant by “_plans of ideas_.” If he had been -acquainted with the Delaware language, he would have been at no loss to -comprehend it. - -I presume that by this expression M. Maupertuis meant the various -modes in which ideas are combined and associated together in the -form of words and sentences, and in this sense it is to me perfectly -intelligible. The associations expressed by words must be first formed -in the mind, and the words shew in what order of succession the ideas -were conceived, and in what various groups they arranged themselves -before utterance was given to them. The variety of those groups which -exist in the different languages forms what M. Maupertuis meant by -“plans of ideas,” and indeed, this variety exists even in one and the -same language. Thus when we say, “lover,” and “he who loves,” the same -group of ideas is differently combined, and of course, differently -expressed, and it may well be said that those ideas are arranged “on -different plans.” - -This difference is strongly exemplified in the Delaware language; I -shall only speak at present of what we call the “declension of nouns.” -What in our European idioms we call the “objective cases” are one or -more words expressive of two prominent ideas, that of the object spoken -of, and that of the manner in which it is affected by some other object -or action operating upon it. This is done in two ways; by inflecting -the substantive, or by affixing to it one or more of those auxiliary -words which we call “prepositions.” Thus when we say in English “_of -Peter_” and in German “_Peters_,” the same two principal ideas are -expressed in the former language by two words and in the latter by one, -and the termination or inflexion _s_ in German conveys the same meaning -as the preposition “_of_” in English. It is clear that these two ideas, -before they were uttered in the form of words, were grouped in the -minds both of the German and the Englishman; in the one, as it were -at once, and in the other successively: for it is natural to suppose -that they were conceived as they are expressed. Again, when you say in -Latin _amo Petrum_, (I love Peter,) the termination _um_ is expressive -of the action of the verb _love_, upon the object, _Peter_. In the -English and German this accessory idea is not expressed by sound, but -still it exists in the mind. In every language there are more ideas, -perhaps, understood, than are actually expressed. This might be easily -demonstrated, if it were here the place. - -Let us now consider how the same ideas are combined and expressed in -the Delaware language, according to Mr. Zeisberger. When the accessory -idea which we call “_case_” proceeds from the operation of a verb upon -a noun or word significant of an object, that idea is not affixed as -with us to the noun but to the verb, or in other words, it is not the -_noun_ but the _verb_ that is declined by inflexions or cases. Thus -when you say “_getannitowit n’quitayala_, I fear God;” the first word, -_getannitowit_, which is the substantive, is expressed, as we should -say, in the nominative case, while the termination of the verb _yala_, -expresses its application to the object. It is precisely the same as -if in Latin, instead of saying, _Petrum amo_, I love Peter, we carried -the termination _um_ to the verb, and said _Petrus amum_. Does not this -shew that many various combinations of ideas may take place in the -human mind, of which we, Europeans by birth or descent, have not yet -formed a conception? Does this not bid defiance to our rules or canons -of universal grammar, and may we not say with M. Maupertuis, that in -extending our study of the languages of man, we shall probably find -some formed upon “plans of ideas” different from our own? - -But I perceive that instead of asking you questions, as it is my duty -to do, I am losing myself in metaphysical disquisitions; I return, -then, to my principal object. A very interesting German book has lately -fallen into my hands. It is entitled “_Untersuchungen ueber Amerikas -Bevœlkerung ans dem alten Kontinente_,”[277] and it is written by -Professor Vater, of Leipzig. The author, after justly observing that -the language of the Delawares is exceedingly rich in grammatical -forms, and making the same observation on that of the Naticks, from -the venerable Eliot’s translation of the Bible into that idiom, says -that, on the contrary, that of the Chippeways is very poor in that -respect. “_Die Chippewæer_,” he says, “_haben fast keine formen._”[278] -This appears to me very strange, because on examining the various -Indian languages from Nova Scotia to Chili, I have been surprised to -find that they appear all formed on the same model, and if Professor -Vater is correct, the Chippeway dialect will form an exception. I beg, -therefore, you will inform me whether there is such a great difference -as he states between that and the Delaware. I am much inclined to think -that the learned Professor is mistaken. I must take this opportunity, -however, to express my astonishment at the great knowledge which the -literati of Germany appear to possess of America, and of the customs, -manners and languages of its original inhabitants. Strange! that we -should have to go to the German universities to become acquainted with -our own country. - -Another German Professor, of the name of Rudiger, has compiled an -interesting work, in which he gives specimens of all the languages in -the world, as far as they are known, and among them does not forget -those of the Indian nations of America. He gives the numerals of -the Delaware language, from a vocabulary of that idiom, printed at -Stockholm, in 1696, and made while the Swedes were in possession of -that part of this country which they principally inhabited. I find -a considerable difference between those numerals and these given by -Zeisberger. That you may see in what it consists, I insert them both. - - -DELAWARE NUMERALS. - - According to the Swedish Vocabulary. According to Zeisberger. - 1. Ciutte. 1. Ngutti. - 2. Nissa. 2. Nischa. - 3. Naha. 3. Nacha. - 4. Nawo. 4. Newo. - 5. Pareenach. 5. Palenach. - 6. Ciuttas. 6. Guttasch. - 7. Nissas. 7. Nischasch. - 8. Haas. 8. Chasch. - 9. Pæschun. 9. Peschkonk. - 10. Thæræn. 10. Tellen. - 20. Nissinacke. 20. Nishinachke. - 100. Ciutabpach. 100. Nguttapachki. - -Now, there can be no doubt that these two sets of numerals belong -to the same language, but I am astonished at seeing the same words -written so differently by a Swede and a German, when there is so little -difference in the powers of the alphabetical signs of their languages. -I am particularly struck with some words that are written with _R_ -by the Swede and with _L_ by the German author. In all Zeisberger’s -Grammar I have not been able to find the letter _R_ in one single -Delaware word, neither is it to be found in any of the words of his -Delaware spelling book. No doubt you can inform me of the reason of -this difference. - -A greater one is still to be found in the Algonkin numerals given by -the Baron La Hontan, and those of the Delaware proper. I place them -here again in opposition to each other. - - Algonkin numerals from La Hontan. Delaware numerals from Zeisberger. - 1. Pegik. 1. Ngutti. - 2. Ninch. 2. Nischa. - 3. Nissoue. 3. Nacha. - 4. Neou. 4. Newo. - 5. Narau. 5. Palenach. - 6. Ningoutouassou. 6. Guttasch. - 7. Ninchouassou. 7. Nischasch. - 8. Nissouassou. 8. Chasch. - 9. Changassou. 9. Peschkonk. - 10. Mitassou. 10. Tellen. - -There is certainly a family resemblance between some of these words, -while in others no kind of similarity can be traced. As you believe -that the Delawares and the Algonkins are the same people, I beg you -will be so good as to point out to me the cause of the difference which -I have observed. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER IX. - -FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 13th June, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I take the liberty of submitting to you a few questions, -which have occurred to me in perusing Mr. Zeisberger’s Grammar. I beg -you will be so good as to answer them at your leisure. - - I am, &c. - - -QUERIES. - -1. In Mr. Zeisberger’s Grammar, double consonants are frequently used, -as in _Pommauchsin_, _Lenno_, _Lenni Lenape_. - -QUÆRE: Are the two consonants fully and distinctly sounded, thus: -_pom-m-auchsin_--_Len-n-o_, as in the Italian language, or is only one -of the consonants heard, as if it were thus written: _pomauchsin_, -_leno_. In this latter case what is the reason for using two -consonants, if only one is sounded? - -2. Mr. Zeisberger frequently puts a comma or apostrophe (’) before -or after the letter N in the present of the indicative verbs, -_’npommauchsi_, and sometimes _n’pommauchsi_. Sometimes he writes the -word without: _ndappiwi_, _ndappiwitsch_; what is the reason of this -variation? Is there any necessity for the comma before or after the _N_ -in the first person, or after the _K_ and _W_, in the second and third? -Is it not best to simplify as much as possible the orthography of such -a difficult language? - -3. What is the difference in pronunciation between _ke_ and _que_; say, -_pomauchsijenke_ and _pomauchsijeque_? Is the latter sounded like _cue_ -or _kue_, or is it sounded as _ke_? - -4. The conjunctive mood is expressed in German by “_wenn_;” does it -mean in English “_if_” or “_when_”? Does “_n’pomauchsijane_,” mean -“when I live” or “if I live,” or both? I find it sometimes expressed -“_wenn_,” oder “_da_,” oder “_als_,” which inclines me to think it -signifies both “_when_” and “_if_.” - -5. I find some terminations in the tenses of the verbs, sometimes -written “_cup_,” sometimes “_kup_,” and sometimes “_gup_;” thus -_epiacup_, “where I was,” _elsijakup_, “when or if I was so situated;” -and _pommauchsijengup_, “if or when we have lived.” Are these different -sounds, or does this difference in writing arise from the Germans being -accustomed to confound the sounds of K and G hard? - -6. I find some words written sometimes with one _I_ and sometimes -with two; thus _elsia_, and _elsija_. Are the two _i_’s separately -articulated, or do they sound only as one? - -7. I find the second person of the singular in verbs sometimes written -with a _K_, sometimes with a _G_, thus _kneichgussi_, du wirst -gesehen (thou art seen); _kdaantschi_, du wirst gehen (thou wilt go); -_gemilgussi_, dir wird gegeben (it is given to thee). Why is it not -written _kemilgussi_? see query 5. I find sometimes a double _aa_--Is -it merely to express length of quantity, or are the two _a_’s sounded -distinctly? - -8. What is the difference in sound between _ch_ and _hh_, do they both -represent the same guttural sound like _ch_ in German? If so, why -express this sound in two different ways; if otherwise, what is the -real difference between the two sounds? - - -EXAMPLES. - -_Ach_pil, bleibe du (remain thou); a_ch_pi_ch_tique, wenn sie nicht da -sind (if they are not there); nda_hh_enap, wir waren gegangen (we had -gone); kda_hh_imo, ihr gehet (you go). - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER X. - -MR. HECKEWELDER TO MR. DUPONCEAU. - - - BETHLEHEM, 20th June, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--Your favors of the 10th and 13th inst. have been duly -received. I shall now endeavour to answer the first. The second shall -in a few days be attended to. - -I am glad to find that you are so much pleased with the forms of our -Indian languages. You will be still more so as you become more familiar -with the beautiful idiom of the Lenni Lenape. It is certain that many -of those forms are not to be found either in the German or English; how -it is with the other languages of Europe, Asia, and Africa, I cannot -say, not being acquainted with them, and never having made philology -my particular study. I concur with you in the opinion that there must -be in the world many different ways of connecting ideas together in -the form of words, or what we call _parts of speech_, and that much -philosophical information is to be obtained by the study of those -varieties. What you observe with regard to the verbs being inflected -in lieu of affixing a case or termination to the noun is very correct, -but the ground or principle on which it is done, is not perhaps known -to you. The verbs in the Indian languages are susceptible of a variety -of forms, which are not to be found in any other language that I know. -I do not mean to speak here of the positive, negative, causative, and -a variety of other forms, but of those which Mr. Zeisberger calls -_personal_, in which the two pronouns, governing and governed, are by -means of affixes, suffixes, terminations, and inflections, included in -the same word. Of this I shall give you an instance from the Delaware -language. I take the verb _ahoalan_, to love, belonging to the fifth -of the eight conjugations, into which Mr. Zeisberger has very properly -divided this part of speech. - - -INDICATIVE, PRESENT, POSITIVE. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - N’dahoala, _I love_, n’dahoalaneen, _we love_, - k’dahoala, _thou_-- k’dahoalohhimo, _you_-- - w’dahoala,} _he_-- ahoalewak, _they_-- - or ahoaleu} - -Now for the personal forms in the same tense. - - -FIRST PERSONAL FORM. - -I. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - K’dahoatell, _I love thee_, K’dahoalohhumo, _I love you_, - n’dahoala, _I love him or her_. n’dahoalawak,--_them_. - - -SECOND PERSONAL FORM. - -THOU. - - _Singular_. _Plural._ - - K’dahoali, _thou lovest me_, k’dahoalineen, _thou lovest us_, - k’dahoala,--_him or her_. k’dahoalawak,--_them_. - - -THIRD PERSONAL FORM. - -HE, (_or_ SHE.) - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - N’dahoaluk, _he loves me_, w’dahoalguna, _he loves us_, - k’dahoaluk,--_thee_, w’dahoalguwa,--_you_, - w’dahoalawall--_him_. w’dahoalawak,--_them_. - - -FOURTH PERSONAL FORM. - -WE. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - K’dahoalenneen, _we love thee_, k’dahoalohummena, _we love you_, - n’dahoalawuna,--_him_. n’dahoalowawuna,--_them_. - - -FIFTH PERSONAL FORM. - -YOU. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - K’dahoalihhimo, _you love me_, k’dahoalihhena, _you love us_. - k’dahoalanewo,--_him_. k’dahoalawawak,--_them_. - - -SIXTH PERSONAL FORM. - -THEY. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - N’dahoalgenewo, _they love me_, n’dahoalgehhena, _they love us_. - k’dahoalgenewo,--_thee_, k’dahoalgehhimo,--_you_. - w’dahoalanewo,--_him_. w’dahoalawawak,--_them_. - -In this manner verbs are conjugated through all their moods and tenses, -and through all their negative, causative, and various other forms, -with fewer irregularities than any other language that I know of. - -These conjugations, no doubt, you have found, or will find in Mr. -Zeisberger’s grammar, but the few examples that I have above put -together, are necessary to understand the explanation which I am about -to give. - -The words you quote are: “_getannitowit n’quitayala_,” _I fear God_, -or rather, according to the Indian inversion, _God I fear_. Your -observation is that the inflection or case of the noun substantive -_God_, is carried to the verb. This is true; but if you enquire for the -reason or the manner in which it takes place, you will find that _ala_ -is the inflection of the second or last person of the verb, in the -first personal form; thus as you have seen that _n’dahoala_ means _I -love him_, so _n’quitayala_, in the same form and person means _I fear -him_; it is therefore the same as if you said _God I fear him_. This -is not meant in the least to doubt or dispute the correctness of your -position, but to shew in what manner the combination of ideas is formed -that has led to this result. You have now, I believe, a wider field for -your metaphysical disquisitions. - -I pass on to the other parts of your letter. I believe with you that -Professor Vater is mistaken in his assertion that the language of -the Chippeways is deficient in grammatical forms. I am not skilled -in the Chippeway idiom, but while in Upper Canada, I have often met -with French Canadians and English traders who understood and spoke it -very well. I endeavoured to obtain information from them respecting -that language, and found that it much resembled that of the Lenape. -The differences that I observed were little more than some variations -in sound, as _b_ for _p_, and _i_ for _u_. Thus, in the Delaware, -_wapachquiwan_ means a _blanket_, in the Chippeway it is _wabewian_; -_gischuch_ is Delaware for a _star_, the Chippeways say _gischis_; -_wape_ in Delaware _white_; in the Chippeway, _wabe_. Both nations -have the word _Mannitto_ for God, or the Great Spirit, a word which is -common to all the nations and tribes of the Lenape stock. - -There is no doubt that the Chippeways, like the Mahicanni, Naticks, -Wampanos, Nanticokes, and many other nations, are a branch of the great -family of the Lenni Lenape, therefore I cannot believe that there is so -great a difference in the forms of their languages from those of the -mother tongue. I shall, however, write on the subject to one of our -Missionaries who resides in Canada, and speaks the Chippeway idiom, -and doubt not that in a short time I shall receive from him a full and -satisfactory answer. - -On the subject of the numerals, I have had occasion to observe that -they sometimes differ very much in languages derived from the same -stock. Even the Minsi, a tribe of the Lenape or Delaware nation, have -not all their numerals like those of the Unami tribe, which is the -principal among them. I shall give you an opportunity of comparing them. - - Numerals of the Minsi. Numerals of the Unami. - - 1. Gutti. 1. N’gutti. - 2. Nischa. 2. Nischa. - 3. Nacha. 3. Nacha. - 4. Newa. 4. Newo. - 5. _Nalan_, (algonk. _narau_.) 5. Palenach. - 6. Guttasch. 6. Guttasch. - 7. _Nischoasch_, (algonk. _nissouassou_.) 7. Nischasch. - 8. Chaasch. 8. Chasch. - 9. _Nolewi._ 9. _Peschkonk._ - 10. _Wimbat._ 10. _Tellen._ - -You will easily observe that the numbers five and ten in the Minsi -dialect, resemble more the Algonkin, as given by La Hontan, than the -pure Delaware. I cannot give you the reason of this difference. To this -you will add the numerous errors committed by those who attempt to -write down the words of the Indian languages, and who either in their -own have not alphabetical signs adequate to the true expression of the -sounds, or want an _Indian ear_ to distinguish them. I could write a -volume on the subject of their ridiculous mistakes. I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XI. - -FROM MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - BETHLEHEM, 24th June, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I now proceed to answer the several queries contained in -your letter of the 13th inst. - -1. The double consonants are used in writing the words of the Delaware -language, for the sole purpose of indicating that the vowel which -immediately precedes them is short, as in the German words _immer_, -_nimmer_, _schimmer_, and the English _fellow_, _terrible_, _ill_, -_butter_, &c. The consonant is not to be articulated twice. - -2. The apostrophe which sometimes follows the letters _n_ and _k_, is -intended to denote the contraction of a vowel, as _n’pommauchsi_, for -_ni pommauchsi_, _n’dappiwi_, for _ni dappiwi_, &c. If Mr. Zeisberger -has placed the apostrophe in any case before the consonant, he must -have done it through mistake. - -3. There is a difference in pronunciation between _ke_ and _que_; the -latter is pronounced like _kue_ or _kwe_. In a verb, the termination -_ke_ indicates the first person of the plural, and _que_ the second. - -4. The word _wenn_, employed in the German translation of the tenses -of the conjunctive mood of the Delaware verbs, means both _when_, -and _if_, and is taken in either sense according to the content of -the phrase in which the word is used. Examples: _Ili gachtingetsch -pommauchsiane_, “IF I live until the next year”--_Payane Philadelphia_, -“WHEN I come to Philadelphia.” - -5. Sometimes the letters _c_ or _g_, are used in writing the Delaware -language instead of _k_, to shew that this consonant is not pronounced -too hard; but in general _c_ and _g_ have been used as substitutes for -_k_, because our printers had not a sufficient supply of types for that -character. - -6. Where words are written with _ij_, both the letters are to be -articulated; the latter like the English _y_ before a vowel. For this -reason in writing Delaware words I often employ the _y_ instead of _j_, -which Mr. Zeisberger and the German Missionaries always make use of. -Thus _Elsija_ is to be pronounced like _Elsiya_. - -7. Answered in part above, No. 5. The double vowels are merely intended -to express length of sound, as in the German. - -8. _Ch_, answers to the X of the Greeks, and _ch_ of the Germans. _Hh_, -like all other duplicated consonants, indicates only the short sound of -the preceding vowels. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XII. - -TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 13th July, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I have received your kind letters of the 20th and 24th ult. -It is impossible to be more clear, precise, and accurate, than you -are in your answers to my various questions. The information which -your letters contain is of the highest interest to me, and I doubt not -will prove so to the Committee, by whose orders I have engaged in this -Correspondence, on a subject entirely new to me, but with which I hope -in time and with your able assistance, to become better acquainted. - -M. de Volney has said somewhere in his excellent Descriptive View of -the United States, that it were to be wished that five or six eminent -linguists should be constantly employed at the public expense to -compile Indian Grammars and Dictionaries. I cannot suppose that the -Count meant literally what he said, as he must have been sensible of -the difficulties attending on the execution of such a plan, but at any -rate, here is a noble display of enthusiasm for our favourite science, -and a sufficient encouragement for us to pursue our philological -enquiries. Alas! if the beauties of the Lenni Lenape language were -found in the ancient Coptic, or in some ante-diluvian Babylonish -dialect, how would the learned of Europe be at work to display them -in a variety of shapes and raise a thousand fanciful theories on that -foundation! What superior wisdom, talents and knowledge would they not -ascribe to nations whose idioms were formed with so much skill and -method! But who cares for the poor American Indians? They are savages -and barbarians and live in the woods; must not their languages be -savage and barbarous like them? - -Thus reason those pretended philosophers who court fame by writing huge -volumes on the origin of human language, without knowing, perhaps, any -language but their own, and the little Latin and Greek that they have -been taught at College. You would think, when you read their works, -that they had lived in the first ages of the creation and had been -intimately acquainted with the family of our first parents. They know -exactly what words were first uttered when men began to communicate -their ideas to each other by means of articulated sounds; they can -tell you how the various parts of speech, in perfect regular order, -were successively formed, and with a little encouragement, they would, -I have no doubt, compile a Grammar and Dictionary of the primitive -language, as one Psalmanazar did once in England of a supposed Formosan -tongue. It is a pity, indeed, that the Delawares, the Wyandots and -the Potowatamies, with languages formed on a construction which had -not been before thought of, come to destroy their beautiful theories. -What then? are we to suppress the languages of our good Indians, or to -misrepresent them, that the existing systems on Universal Grammar and -the origin of language may be preserved? No, my friend, we shall on the -contrary, I hope, labour with all our might to make them known, and -provide, at least, additional facts for future theorists. - -I have been led into this chain of ideas by reading the ponderous work -of a Scotch Lord named Monboddo, who has dreamt of languages more than -any other writer that I know. On the authority of a Father Sagard, (a -French Missionary) he represents the language of the Hurons as the -most incoherent and unsystematical heap of vocables that can possibly -be conceived. Their words have no regular formation or derivation, -no roots or radical syllables, there is no analogy whatever in the -construction or arrangement of this language. He says, for instance, -that there is a word for “two years” entirely different from those -which signify one, three, four or ten years; that “_hut_,” “_my hut_,” -and “_in my hut_,” are severally expressed by words entirely different -from each other. He adduces several other examples of the same kind, -with which I shall not trouble you, and concludes with saying, that -“the Huron language is the most imperfect of any that has been yet -discovered.” (Orig. of Lang., Vol. I., p. 478.) - -Before we proceed further, let us suppose that a Huron or a Delaware -is writing a treatise on the origin of language, and in the pride of -pompous ignorance attempts to make similar observations on the English -idiom. Following Lord Monboddo’s course of reasoning, he will say: “The -English is the most imperfect language upon earth, for its words have -no kind of analogy to each other. They say, for instance, ‘_a house_,’ -and the things that belong to a house they call ‘_domestic_.’ They say -‘_a year_,’ and ‘an _annual_ payment,’ for a sum of money payable every -_year_. That is not all; if the payment is to be made in _two_ years, -it is then called _biennial_, in which you find no trace of either the -word _two_ or the word ‘_year_,’ of which in a regular language it -should be compounded. What belongs to a _King_ is royal; to a _woman_, -feminine; to _ship_, naval; to a _town_, urban; to the _country_, -rural. Such another irregular, unmethodical dialect never existed, I -believe, on the back of the great tortoise!!” - -Such would be the language of our Huron philosopher, and he would -be about as right as Lord Monboddo. I have read this work of Father -Sagard, of which there is a copy in the Congress library. It appears to -me that the good Father was an honest, well meaning, but most ignorant -friar, of one of the mendicant orders. His residence among the Hurons -was very short, not more than a twelve-month; he was, I know not for -what reason, called home by his superiors, and left America with great -regret. He has collected a number of words and phrases of the Huron -language in the form of a vocabulary, which he improperly calls a -dictionary. I have had it copied and shall shew it to you when you come -to town. You will be satisfied when you see it, that the good man not -only never analysed the language of the Hurons, but was incapable of -doing it. He was perfectly bewildered in the variety of its forms, and -drew the very common conclusion that what he could not comprehend was -necessarily barbarous and irregular. From an attentive perusal of his -“dictionary,” I am inclined to draw the opposite conclusion from that -which he has drawn. There appears to me to be in it sufficient internal -evidence to shew that the Huron language is rich in grammatical forms, -and that it is constructed much on the same plan with the Delaware. I -shall be very glad to have your opinion on it, with such information -as you are able and willing to give. I beg particularly that you will -let me know whether there are roots and derivations in the Indian -languages, analogous to those of our own? - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XIII. - -TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 18th July, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--In your letter of the 27th of May you have said that you -believed the Delaware nation were those whom the Baron La Hontan meant -to designate by the name of _Algonkins_. In a subsequent letter, (June -20th,) you seem to consider them as distinct nations, but nearly -allied to each other; you say you are not well acquainted with their -language, which is not the same with that of the Lenape, though there -is a considerable affinity between them. Upon the whole I suppose that -you have meant to apply the denomination Algonkins, not only to the -Delawares proper, but to all the nations and tribes of the same family. - -This has led me to consider who those Algonkins might be that La -Hontan speaks of, and upon the best investigation that I have been -able to make of the subject, I am inclined to believe that La Hontan’s -Algonkins are properly those whom we call _Chippeways_, a family or -branch of the Delawares, but not the Delawares themselves. I first -turned to Dr. Barton’s “New Views of the Origin of the Nations and -Tribes of America,” in which I found that he considered the Delawares -and Chippeways as two distinct people; but when I came to the specimens -which he gives of their languages in his Vocabularies, I found no -difference whatever in the idioms of the two nations. Pursuing the -enquiry further, I compared the Vocabulary of the Chippeway language -given by Carver in his travels, and that of the Algonkin by La -Hontan, and was much astonished to find the words in each language -exactly alike, without any difference but what arises from the French -and English orthography. The words explained by the two authors, -happen also to be precisely the same, and are arranged in the same -alphabetical order. So that either Carver is a gross plagiarist, who -has pretended to give a list of Chippeway words and has only copied the -Algonkin words given by La Hontan, or the Chippeways and Algonkins are -one and the same people. I shall be very glad to have your opinion on -this subject. - -I find in Zeisberger’s Grammar something that I cannot well comprehend. -It is the verb “_n’dellauchsi_” which he translates “I live, move -about,” or “I so live that I move about.” Pray, is this the only verb -in the Delaware language, which signifies “_to live_,” and have the -Indians no idea of “life,” but when connected with “_locomotion_”? - -Is the _W_ in the Delaware, as your Missionaries write it, to be -pronounced like the same letter in German, or like the English _W_ -and the French _ou_? If this letter has the German sound, then it is -exactly the same as that of our _V_; in that case I am astonished that -the Delawares cannot pronounce the _F_, the two sounds being so nearly -alike. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XIV. - -FROM MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - BETHLEHEM, 22d July, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I received at the same time your two letters of the 13th and -18th inst., the last by our friend Dr. Wistar. I think you are wrong -to complain of the little importance attached by the learned of Europe -to the study of Indian languages and of the false ideas which some -of them have conceived respecting them. The truth is that sufficient -pains have not been taken in this country to make them known. Our -Missionaries have, indeed, compiled grammars and dictionaries of -those idioms, but more with a view to practical use and to aid their -fellow-labourers in the great work of the conversion of the Indians to -Christianity, than in order to promote the study of the philosophy of -language. They have neither sought fame nor profit, and therefore their -compositions have remained unknown except in the very limited circle -of our religious society. It belongs to the literary associations of -America to pursue or encourage those studies in a more extended point -of view, and I shall be happy to aid to the utmost of my power the -learned researches of the American Philosophical Society. - -Your remarks on Lord Monboddo’s opinion respecting the Indian -languages, and on Father Sagard’s work, on which that opinion is -founded, I believe to be correct. I am not acquainted with the language -of the Hurons, which I have always understood to be a dialect of that -of the Iroquois, or at least to be derived from the same stock, and -I cannot conceive why it should be so poor and so imperfect as the -good Father describes it, while its kindred idiom, the Iroquois, is -directly the reverse. At least, it was so considered by Mr. Zeisberger, -who was very well acquainted with it. Sir William Johnson thought the -same, and I believe you will find his opinion on the subject in one of -the Volumes of the Transactions of the Royal Society of London.[279] -Colden, in his History of the Five Nations, says “that the verbs of -that language are varied, but in a manner so different from the Greek -and Latin, that his informant could not discover by what rule it -was done.”[280] I suspect his informant had not yet acquired a very -profound knowledge of the Iroquois; but from his imperfect description -of their verbs, I am very nearly convinced that they are formed on -the same model with those of the Lenni Lenape, which Mr. Zeisberger -has well described in his Grammar of that language. Colden praises -this idiom in other respects; he says that “the Six Nations compound -their words without end, whereby their language becomes sufficiently -copious.” This is true also of the Delawares. - -The Hurons are the same people whom we call Wyandots; the Delawares -call them _Delamattenos_. I am inclined to believe that the tribe whom -we call _Naudowessies_, and the French _Sioux_, who are said to live to -the west or north-west of Lake Superior, are a branch of the Hurons; -for the rivers which we call _Huron_, (of which there are three)[281] -are called by the Chippeways, _Naduwewi_, or _Naudowessie Sipi_. -But of this I cannot be sure; though I would rather conclude that -_Naudowessie_ is the Chippeway name for all the Wyandots or Hurons. -It is a fact which, I think, deserves to be ascertained. It is a very -common error to make several Indian nations out of one, by means of the -different names by which it is known. - -I proceed to answer the questions contained in your letter of the 18th. - -As it seems to me probable that the Naudowessies and Hurons, though -called by different names, are the same people; so it may be the case -with the Chippeways and the Algonkins, although I have no greater -certainty of this hypothesis than of the former. I have no doubt, -however, of their being both derived from the same stock, which is that -of the Lenni Lenape: that their languages are strikingly similar is -evident from the two vocabularies that you mention, and I had rather -believe that they both speak the same language, than that Captain -Carver was a plagiarist. The accounts which he gives of the Indians I -have found in general correct; which is the more remarkable, that from -his own account, it appears that he did not reside very long among -them. He must have been, therefore, a very attentive and accurate -observer. - -It is very probable that I did not express myself with sufficient -precision in the passages of my letters of the 27th of May and 20th of -June to which you refer. The Lenni Lenape, or Delawares, are the head -of a great family of Indian nations who are known among themselves -by the generic name of _Wapanachki_, or “Men of the East.” The same -language is spread among them all in various dialects, of which I -conceive the purest is that of the chief nation, the Lenape, at whose -residence the grand national councils meet, and whom the others, by way -of respect, style _grandfather_. The Algonkins are a branch of that -family, but are not, in my opinion, entitled to the pre-eminence which -the Baron La Hontan ascribes to them. He applied the name “Algonkin,” -in a more extensive sense than it deserves, and said that the Algonkin -language was the finest and most universally spread of any on the -continent; a praise to which I think the Lenni Lenape idiom alone is -entitled. In this sense only I meant to say that the Baron included the -Delawares in the general descriptive name of “Algonkins.” - -I have yet to answer your questions respecting the language, which I -shall do in a subsequent letter. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XV. - -FROM THE SAME. - - - BETHLEHEM, 24th July, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I have now to answer your question on the subject of the -Delaware verb, _n’dellauchsi_, which Zeisberger translates by “I live, -or move about,” or “I so live that I move about.” You ask whether this -is the only verb in the language which expresses “_to live_,” and -whether the Indians have an idea of _life_, otherwise than as connected -with _locomotion_? - -Surely they have; and I do not see that the contrary follows from Mr. -Zeisberger’s having chosen this particular verb as an example of the -first conjugation. I perceive you have not yet an adequate idea of the -copiousness of the Indian languages, which possess an immense number of -comprehensive words, expressive of almost every possible combination -of ideas. Thus the proper word for “_to live_” is in the pure Unami -dialect _lehaleheen_. An Unami meeting an aged acquaintance, whom -he has not seen for a length of time, will address him thus: “_Ili -k’lehelleya?_”[282] which means, “are you yet alive?” The other will -answer “_Ili n’papomissi_,”[283] “I am yet able to walk about.” The -verb _n’dellauchsin_, which Mr. Zeisberger quotes, is more generally -employed in a spiritual sense, “_n’dellauchsin Patamawos wulelendam_,” -“I live up, act up to the glory of God.” This verb, like _pommauchsin_, -implies action or motion, connected with _life_, which is still the -principal idea. I do not know of any thing analogous in the English -language, except, perhaps, when we say “To _walk_ humbly before God;” -but here the word _walk_ contains properly no idea in itself but that -of locomotion, and is not coupled with the idea of _life_, as in the -Indian verb which I have cited. The idea intended to be conveyed arises -in English entirely from the _figurative_ sense of the word, in the -Delaware from the _proper_ sense. - -I should never have done, were I to endeavour to explain to you in all -their details the various modes which the Indians have of expressing -ideas, shades of ideas, and combinations of ideas; for which purpose -the various parts of speech are successively called to their aid. In -the conjugations of the verbs, in Zeisberger’s Grammar, you will find -but three tenses, present, past, and future; but you will be much -mistaken if you believe that there are no other modes of expressing -actions and passions in the verbal form as connected with the idea -of time. It would have been an endless work to have given all those -explanations in an elementary grammar intended for the use of young -Missionaries, who stood in need only of the principal forms, which they -were to perfect afterwards by practice. Let me now try to give you a -faint idea of what I mean by a few examples in the Delaware language. - - N’mitzi, _I eat_.[284] - N’mamitzi, _I am eating, or am in the act of eating_. - N’mitzihump, _I have eaten_. - Metschi n’gischi mitzi, _I am come from eating_. - N’dappi mitzi, _I am returned from eating_. - -The first two _n’mitzi_ and _n’mamitzi_, both mean _I eat_, but the one -is used in the indefinite, and the other in the definite sense, and a -good speaker will never employ the one instead of the other. The three -last expressions are all past tenses of the verb “_I eat_,” and all -mean, “_I have eaten_,” but a person just risen from table, will not -say, “_n’dappi mitzi_;” this expression can only be used after leaving -the place where he has been eating, in answer to a person who asks him -“where he comes from.” The word “_n’dappi_” is connected with the verb -_apatschin_, to return. There is another distinction, proper to be -mentioned here. If the place where the person comes from is near, he -says “_n’dappi_,” if distant “_n’dappa_.” Thus: - - N’dappi pihm, _I am come from sweating_ (_or from the sweat oven_.) - N’dappihackiheen, _I am come from planting_. - N’dappi wickheen, _I am come from building a house_. - N’dappimanschasqueen, _I am come from mowing grass_. - N’dappi notamæsin, _I am come from striking fish with a spear_. - N’dappallauwin, _I am come (returned) from hunting_. - N’dappachtopalin, _I am come (returned) from making war_. - -In the future tense I could shew similar distinctions, but it would -lead me too far. - -I must now take notice of what Father Sagard says, as you have -mentioned in your letter of the 13th inst., that the Indian languages -have “no _roots_, and that there is no regularity in the formation of -their words.” It is certain that the manner in which the Indians in -general form their words is different from that of the Europeans, but I -can easily prove to you that they understand the manner of forming them -from “_roots_.” I take, for instance, the word _wulit_, good, proper, -right, from which are derived: - - Wulik, _the good_. - Wulaha, _better_. - Wulisso, _fine, pretty_. - Wulamoewagan, _truth_. - Wulatenamuwi, _happy_. - Wulatenamoagan, _happiness_. - Wulapensowagan, _blessing_. - Wulapan, _fine morning_. - Wuliechen, _it is good, or well done_. - Wulittol, _they are good_. - Wuliken, _it grows well, thrives_. - Wuliechsin, _to speak well_. - Wulelendam, _to rejoice_. - Wulamallsin, _to be well, happy_. - Wulandeu, } - Wuligischgu,} _a fine day_. - Wulapeyu, _just, upright_. - Wuliwatam, _to be of good understanding_. - Wuliachpin, _to be in a good place_. - Wulilissin, _to do well_. - Wulilissu, _he is good_. - Wulilissick, _behave ye well_. - Wulinaxin, _to look well_. - Wulamoeyu, _it is true_. - Wulantowagan, _grace_. - Wulatopnachgat,[285] _a good word_. - Wulatopnamik, _good tidings_. - Wulatonamin,[286] _to be happy_. - Wulissowagan, _prettiness, handsome appearance_. - Wulihilleu, _it is good_. - Wulineichquot, _it is well to be seen_. - Wulelemileu, _it is wonderful_. - Wulitehasu, _well cut or hewed_. - Wuliwiechinen, _to rest well_. - Welsit Mannitto, _the Good Spirit_. - From Machtit, _bad_. - Machtitsu, _nasty_. - Machtesinsu, _ugly_. - Machtschi _or_ Matschi Mannitto _or_ Machtando, _the evil Spirit, - the Devil_, &c. - -You will naturally observe that the words derived from the root -_Wulit_, imply in general the idea of what is good, handsome, proper, -decent, just, well, and so pursuing the same general object to -_happiness_ and its derivatives; _happiness_ being considered as a good -and pleasant feeling, or situation of the mind, and a person who is -_happy_, as being well. This does not, as you might suppose, make the -language ambiguous; for the Indians speak and understand each other -with great precision and clearness. - -I have yet to answer your question about the _f_ and _w_. There are in -the Delaware language no such consonants as the German _w_, or English -_v_, _f_, or _r_. Where _w_ in this language is placed before a vowel, -it sounds the same as in English; before a consonant, it represents a -_whistled_ sound of which I cannot well give you an idea on paper, but -which I shall easily make you understand by uttering it before you when -we meet. - - _I am, &c._ - - - - -LETTER XVI. - -TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 31st July, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I have received with the greatest pleasure your two favours -of the 24th and 26th inst.; the last, particularly, has opened to -me a very wide field for reflection. I am pursuing with ardour the -study of the Indian languages (I mean of their grammatical forms) in -all the authors that I can find that have treated of the subject, -and am astonished at the great similarity which I find between those -different idioms from Greenland even to Chili. They all appear to me -to be compounded on a model peculiar to themselves, and of which I had -not before an idea. Those personal forms of the verbs, for instance, -which you mention in your letter of the 20th of June, I find generally -existing in the American languages. The Spanish-Mexican Grammarians -call them _transitions_, but they are not all equally happy in their -modes of explaining their nature and use. The word “_transition_,” -however, I think extremely well chosen, as it gives at once an idea of -the passage of the verb from the pronoun that governs to that which -is governed, from “I love” to “I love you.” The forms of the Indian -verbs are so numerous, that a proper technical term is very much wanted -to distinguish this particular class, and I adopt with pleasure this -appropriate Spanish name, at least, until a better one can be found. - -I am sufficiently satisfied from the examples in your last letter -that the Indians have in their languages “roots,” or radical words -from which many others are derived; indeed, I never doubted it -before, and only meant to shew you by the instances of Father Sagard, -and Lord Monboddo, what false ideas the Europeans have conceived -on this subject. The various meanings of the word “_wulit_” and -its derivatives, obtained, as you have shewn, by easy or natural -transitions from one kindred idea to another, are nothing new in -language. The Greek has the word “_kalos_,” which in its various -meanings is very analogous to “_wulit_.” Instances of similar -“transitions” from different European idioms might be cited without -end. There is one in the French which strikes me at this moment -with peculiar force. In that language, an honest man is “_just_” in -his dealings and a judge in his judgments; but a pair of shoes is -so likewise, when made exactly to fit the foot, and by a natural -transition, when the shoes are too tight, they are said to be too -_just_ (trop justes). A foreigner in France is reported to have said -to his shoemaker, complaining of the tightness of a pair of new made -shoes: “_Monsieur, ces souliers sont trop équitables_.” I remember also -an English song, beginning with the words “_Just like love_,” where you -see the word “_just_” is employed without at all implying the idea of -_equity_ or _justice_. But justice is strict, exact, correct, precise, -and therefore the word _just_ is employed for the purpose of expressing -these and other ideas connected with that to which it was first applied. - -I have made these trite observations, because I am well aware that -many _a priori_ reasoners would not fail to find in so many words -of different meanings derived from the same root, a proof of the -poverty of the Indian languages. They would say that they are poor, -because they have but few radical words, a conclusion which they -would infallibly make without taking the pains of ascertaining the -fact. If they were told that the Greek (the copiousness of which is -universally acknowledged) has itself but a comparatively small number -of roots, they would not be at a loss to find some other reason in -support of their pre-conceived opinion. I have read somewhere (I -cannot recollect in what book), that there was not a greater proof of -the barbarism of the Indian languages, than the comprehensiveness of -their locutions. The author reasoned thus: Analysis, he said, is the -most difficult operation of the human mind; it is the last which man -learns to perform. Savage nations, therefore, express many ideas in a -single word, because they have not yet acquired the necessary skill -to separate them from each other by the process of analysis, and to -express them simply. - -If this position were true, it would follow that all the languages -of savage nations have been in the origin formed on the same model -with those of the American Indians, and that simple forms have been -gradually introduced into them by the progress of civilisation. But if -we take the trouble of enquiring into facts, they will by no means lead -us to this conclusion. It is not many centuries since the Scandinavian -languages of the North of Europe were spoken by barbarous and savage -nations, but we do not find that in ancient times they were more -comprehensive in their grammatical forms than they are at present, -when certainly they are the least so, perhaps, of any of the European -idioms; on the other hand, the Latin and Greek were sufficiently so by -means of the various moods and tenses of their verbs, all expressed -in one single word, without the use of auxiliaries; and yet these two -nations had attained a very high degree, at least, of civilisation. -I do not, therefore, see as yet, that there is a necessary connexion -between the greater or lesser degree of civilisation of a people, and -the organisation of their language. These general conclusions from -insulated facts ought constantly to be guarded against; they are the -most fruitful sources of error in the moral as well as in the natural -sciences. Facts ought to be collected and observations multiplied long -before we venture to indulge in theoretical inferences; for unobserved -facts seem to lie in ambush, to start up at once in the face of -finespun theories, and put philosophers in the wrong. - -I wish very much that some able linguist would undertake to make a -good classification of the different languages of the world (as far -as they are known) in respect to their grammatical forms. It was once -attempted in the French Encyclopedia, but without success, because the -author had only in view the Latin and Greek, and those of the modern -languages which he was acquainted with. His division, if I remember -right, was formed between those idioms in which inversions are allowed, -and those in which they are not. Of course, it was the Latin and Greek -on the one side, and the French, Italian, &c., on the other. This -meagre classification has not been generally adopted, nor does it, in -my opinion, deserve to be. A greater range of observation ought to be -taken. - -I do not pretend to possess talents adequate to carrying into execution -the plan which I here suggest; but I beg you will permit me to draw a -brief sketch of what I have in view. - -I observe, in the first place, in the eastern parts of Asia, a class -of languages formed on the same model, of which I take that which is -_spoken_ in the empire of China, as it stood before its conquest by -the Tartars, to be the type. In this language, there is but a very -small number of words, all monosyllables. As far as I am able to -judge from the excellent grammars of this idiom of which we are in -possession, the words convey to the mind only the principal or leading -ideas of the discourse, unconnected with many of those accessory -ideas that are so necessary to give precision to language, and the -hearer is left to apply and arrange the whole together as well as he -can. It has but few or no grammatical forms, and is very deficient in -what we call the connecting parts of speech. Hence it is said that -the words spoken are not immediately understood by those to whom -they are addressed, and that auxiliary modes of explanation, others -than oral communication, are sometimes resorted to, when ambiguities -occur. As I am no Sinologist, I will not undertake to say that the -description which I have attempted to give of this language, from -the mere reading of grammars and dictionaries, is very accurate, but -I venture to assert that it differs so much from all others that we -know, that with its kindred idioms, it deserves to form a _genus_ in a -general classification of the various modes of speech. From its great -deficiency of grammatical forms, I would give to this genus the name -_asyntactic_. - -My second class of languages would consist of those which possess, -indeed, grammatical forms, sufficient to express and connect together -every idea to be communicated by means of speech, but in which those -forms are so organized, that almost every distinct idea has a single -word to convey or express it. Such are the Icelandic, Danish, Swedish, -and even the German and English. Those forms of the nouns and verbs -which are generally called declensions and conjugations, are in these -languages the result of an analytical process of the mind, which has -given to every single idea, and sometimes to a shade of an idea, a -single word to express it. Thus, when we say “_of the man_,” here -are three ideas, which, in the Latin, are expressed by one single -word “_hominis_.” In the locution “_I will not_,” or “_I am not -willing_,” and in the verbal form “_I will go_,” three or four ideas -are separately expressed in English, which, in Latin, are conveyed -together by single words “_nolo_,” “_ibo_.” From this peculiar quality -of sufficiently, yet separately, expressing all the necessary ideas, I -would denominate this class of languages _analytical_, or _analytic_. - -The third class would, of course, be that in which the principal parts -of speech are formed by a synthetical operation of the mind, and in -which several ideas are frequently expressed by one word. Such are what -are called the Oriental languages, with the Latin, Greek, Slavonic, and -others of the same description. These I would call _synthetic_. - -The French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, with their various -dialects, in which conquest has in a great degree intermingled the -modes of speech of the second and third class, would together form a -fourth, which I would call “_mixed_.” - -In these various classes I have not found a place for the Indian -languages, which richly deserve to form one by themselves. They are -“_synthetic_” in their forms, but to such a degree as is not equalled -by any of the idioms which I have so denominated, and which are only -such in comparison with others where _analytic_ forms prevail. That -they deserve to make a class by themselves cannot be doubted. They are -the very opposite of the Chinese, of all languages the poorest in -words, as well as in grammatical forms, while these are the richest -in both. In fact, a great variety of forms, necessarily implies a -great multiplicity of words; I mean, complex forms, like those of the -Indians; compound words in which many ideas are included together, and -are made to strike the mind in various ways by the simple addition or -subtraction of a letter or syllable. In the Chinese much is understood -or guessed at, little is expressed; in the Indian, on the contrary, -the mind is awakened to each idea meant to be conveyed, by some one or -other of the component parts of the word spoken. These two languages, -therefore, as far as relates to their organisation, stand in direct -opposition to each other; they are the top and bottom of the idiomatic -scale, and as I have given to the Chinese, and its kindred dialects, -the name of _asyntactic_, the opposite name, _syntactic_, appears to -me that which is best suited to the languages of the American Indians. -I find that instead of asking you questions, as I ought to do, I am -wandering again in the field of metaphysical disquisitions. I shall try -to be more careful in my next letter. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XVII. - -TO THE SAME. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 3d August, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I now return to my proper station of a scholar asking -questions of his master. In your letter of the 24th ult., you have -fully satisfied me that the Indians have a great number of words -derived from “_roots_,” much in the same manner as in the languages of -Europe, but you have said at the same time “that the manner in which -the Indians in general form their words, is different from that of the -Europeans.” I am very anxious to have this manner[287] explained, and I -shall be very much obliged to you for all the information that you can -give me on the subject. - -I have told you already that I thought I had reason to believe that -all the American languages were formed on the same general plan. If I -am correct in my supposition, I think I have found in the language of -Greenland, the identical manner of compounding words which I am now -calling upon you to explain. You will tell me whether I have judged -right, and you will at once destroy or confirm my favourite hypothesis. -According to the venerable Egede, words are formed in the Greenland -language by taking and joining together a part of each of the radical -words, the ideas of which are to be combined together in one compound -locution. One or more syllables of each simple word are generally -chosen for that purpose and combined together, often leaving out the -harsh consonants for the sake of euphony. Thus from “_agglekpok_,” he -writes, “_pekipok_,” he mends or does better, and “_pinniarpok_,” he -endeavours, is formed the compound word “_agglekiniaret_,” which means, -“endeavour to write better.” The first syllable “_agl_,” is taken from -“agl_ekpok_,” the second “_ek_” from the same word, and also from the -first syllable of “_pekipok_,” leaving out the _p_ to avoid harshness, -and the third “_inniar_” from “Pinniar_pok_,” also leaving out the -initial consonant for the same reason. It seems to me that I find -something like it in the Delaware language. According to Zeisberger, -_wet_ooch_wink_ signifies “father.” Now taking the second syllable -_ooch_, and placing _n_ before it, you have “_nooch_,” my father. To be -sure, it is not the first syllable that is borrowed, as in the above -example from the Greenlandish, but the principle appears, nevertheless, -to be the same in both languages. - -On the subject of this word “_father_” I observe a strange -contradiction between two eminent writers on Indian languages, -evidently derived from the stock of the Lenni Lenape or Delaware. -One of them, Roger Williams, in his Key to the Language of the New -England Indians, says “_osh_” (meaning probably _och_ or _ooch_, as the -English cannot pronounce the guttural _ch_) father; “_nosh_” my father; -“_kosh_” thy father, &c. On the other hand, the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, -in his observations on the language of the _Muhhekanew_ (Mohican) -Indians, speaks as follows: “A considerable part of the appellations -is never used without a pronoun affixed. The Mohegans say, my father, -‘_nogh_’ (again _noch_ or _nooch_) thy father ‘_kogh_,’ &c., but -they cannot say absolutely ‘_father_.’ There is no such word in their -language. If you were to say ‘_ogh_,’ you would make a Mohegan both -stare and smile.” (page 13.) - -Which of these two professors is right? It seems that either Rogers -invented the word _osh_ for “father,” from analogy, or that Edwards is -not correct when he says that _ogh_ or _ooch_ singly, mean nothing in -the Indian language. Is he not mistaken when he says that there is no -word whatever answering to “father,” or “the father,” in an abstract -sense; and if an Indian would stare and smile when a white man says -_ooch_, would he smile in the same manner if he said _wetoochwink_? -Is it possible to suppose that this respectable author had only a -partial knowledge of the language on which he wrote, and that he was -not acquainted with the radical word from which _nooch_ and _kooch_ -had been formed? Or is there no such radical word, and has Zeisberger -himself committed a mistake? - -I beg leave to submit to you also another observation that I have -made. It appears from the work of the late Dr. Barton, who quotes -your authority for it, that the name of the _Lenni Lenape_, means -“_the original people_,” and that “_Lenno_” in the Delaware language -signifies “man,” in the general sense, (_Mensch_.) Now, it appears that -in the language of the _Micmacs_ (a tribe of Nova Scotia,) they call -an Indian “_Illenoh_,” and in that of the Canadian mountaineers (whom -some believe to be the Algonkins proper) they say “_Illenou_.” (Mass. -Histor. Coll. for the year 1799, pp. 18, 19.) I am apt to believe that -those names are the same with “_Lenno_,” and that it is from them that -the French have formed the name “_Illinois_,” which extends even beyond -the Mississippi. In the speech of the Indian chief _Garangula_, to the -Governor of Canada, related by La Hontan, the warrior says: “You must -know, Onontio, that we have robbed no Frenchmen, but those who supplied -the ‘_Illinois_,’ and the ‘_Oumamis_,’ our enemies, with powder and -ball.” I am inclined to believe that Garangula when he spoke of the -_Illinois_ meant the _Lenni Lenape_, and by the name of _Oumamis_, -intended to describe their chief tribe, the _Unamis_. Of this, -however, I leave you to judge. But I strongly suspect that “_Lenno_,” -“_Lenni_,” “_Illenoh_,” “_Illenou_,” “_Illinois_,” are the same name, -and all apply to that great nation whom the Baron La Hontan takes to -be the _Algonkins_, who, it would seem, are only called so by way of -discrimination, but consider themselves as a branch of the great family -of the “_Illenou_.” If I am correct in this, how do you make out that -_Lenni Lenape_ means “_original people_”? - -The Greenlanders, according to Egede, call themselves _Innuit_, which -in their language also signifies _men_. It appears to me to be very -much akin to _Illenoh_, _Illeun_. Could the Greenlanders be in any way -connected with the _Lenni Lenape_? - -Pray tell me from what languages are derived the words _squaw_, -_sachem_, _tomahawk_, _calumet_, _wampum_, _papoose_, which are so much -in use among us? Are they of the Delaware or the Iroquois stock? - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XVIII. - -FROM MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - BETHLEHEM, 12th August, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I have duly received your two letters of the 31st of July -and 3d of August last. I am much pleased with your metaphysical -disquisitions, as you call them, and I beg you will indulge in them -with perfect freedom, whenever you shall feel so disposed. I agree -with you that a proper classification of human languages would be a -very desirable object; but I fear the task is too hard ever to be -accomplished with the limited knowledge of man. There are, no doubt, -many varieties in language yet to be discovered. - -As you wish to be acquainted with the manner in which our North -American Indians compound their words, I shall endeavour to satisfy you -as well as I am able. The process is much the same as that which Egede -has described with respect to the Greenland language, and this strongly -corroborates your opinion respecting the similarity of forms of at -least of those of North America. In the Delaware and other languages -that I am acquainted with, parts or parcels of different words, -sometimes a single sound or letter, are compounded together, in an -artificial manner, so as to avoid the meeting of harsh or disagreeable -sounds, and make the whole word fall in a pleasant manner upon the -ear. You will easily conceive that words may thus be compounded and -multiplied without end, and hence the peculiar richness of the American -languages. Of this I can give you numerous examples. In the first -place, the word “_nadholincen_.” It is a simple short word, but means -a great deal. The ideas that are conveyed by it are these: “Come with -the canoe and take us across the river or stream.” Its component parts -are as follows: The first syllable “_nad_” is derived from the verb -“_naten_,” to fetch; the second, “_hol_,” from “_amochol_,” a canoe or -boat; “_ineen_” is the verbal termination for “_us_,” as in _milineen_, -“give us;”--the simple ideas, therefore, contained in this word, are -“_fetch canoe us_,” but in its usual and common acceptation it means, -“come and fetch us across the river with a canoe.” I need not say that -this verb is conjugated through all its moods and tenses. _Nadholawall_ -is the form of the third person of the singular of the indicative -present, and means “He is fetched over the river with a canoe,” or -simply, “He is fetched over the river.” - -From _wunipach_, a leaf, _nach_, a hand, and _quim_, a nut growing on a -tree (for there is a peculiar word to express nuts of this description -and distinguish them from other nuts) is formed _wunachquim_, an acorn, -and the ideas which by this name are intended to be conveyed are these: -“The nut of the tree the leaves of which resemble a hand, or have upon -them the form of a hand.” If you will take the trouble to examine the -leaves of an oak tree, you will find on them the form of a hand with -outspread fingers. On the same principle are formed - - M’sim, _hickory nut_. - Ptucquim, _walnut_. - Wapim, _chestnut_. - Schauwemin, _beech nut_, and many others. - -The tree which we call “_Spanish oak_,” remarkable for the largeness -of its leaves, they call “_Amanganaschquiminschi_,” “the tree which -has the largest leaves shaped like a hand.” If I were to imitate the -composition of this word in English and apply it to our language, -I would say _Largehandleafnuttree_, and softening the sounds after -the Indian manner, it would perhaps make _Larjandliffentree_, or -_Larjandlennuttree_, or something like it. Of course, in framing the -word, an English ear should be consulted. The last syllable of that -which I have last cited, is not taken from the proper name for _tree_, -which is _hittuck_; but from “_achpansi_,”[288] which means the “stock, -trunk or body of a tree” (in German “_der stamm_”). The last syllable -of this word, “_si_,” is in its compound converted into _schi_, -probably for the sake of euphony, of which an Indian ear in this case -is the best judge. - -Again, “_nanayunges_,” in Delaware means “a horse.” It is formed -from _awesis_, a beast, from which the last syllable _es_ is taken, -and _nayundam_, to carry a burden on the back or shoulders; for -when something is carried in the hands or arms, the proper verb is -“_gelenummen_.” The word which signifies “horse,” therefore, literally -means, “the beast which carries on its back,” or in other words, -“a beast of burden.” Were asses or camels known to the Indians, -distinctive appellations for them would soon and easily be formed. - -Thus much for the names of _natural substances_, and words which relate -to visible objects. Let us now turn to the expression of ideas which -affect the moral sense. - -You will remember that I have told you before that “_wulik_” or -“_wulit_” signifies “good,” and in the various derivations which flow -from it means almost every thing that is good, just, proper, decent, -pleasing or agreeable. When an Indian wishes to express that he is -pleased with something that you have told him, he will say in his -metaphorical language: “You have spoken _good_ words.” Now let us see -how this compound idea is expressed. “_Kolamoe_” is one of the forms of -the past tense of a verb which means “to speak the truth,” and properly -translated signifies “thou hast spoken the truth,” or “thou hast spoken -good words.” _K_, from _ki_, expresses the second person, “_ola_” is -derived from _wulit_ and conveys the idea of _good_; the rest of the -word implies the action of speaking. - -In the third person, “_wulamoe_” means “he has spoken the truth;” from -which is formed the noun substantive _wulamoewagan_, “_the_ truth:” -_wagan_ or _woagan_ (as our German Missionaries sometimes write it -to express the sound of the English _w_) being a termination which -answers to that of “_ness_” in English, and “_heit_” or “_keit_” in -German. Pursuing further the same chain of ideas, _wulistamoewagan_ or -_wulamhittamoewagan_, means “faith” or “belief,” the belief of what -a man has seen or heard; for _glistam_ is a verb which signifies “to -hear, hearken, listen;” hence “_wulista_,” believe it, _wulistam_, he -believes; _wulisto_, believe ye, &c. The Indians say _klistawi!_ hear -me! _nolsittammen_, I believe it; _ammen_ or _tammen_ abridged from -_hittammen_, where they are employed as terminations, mean “to do, -perform, adopt.” See what a number of ideas are connected together -in single words, and with what regularity they are compounded, with -proper terminations indicating the part of speech, form, mood, tense, -number and person, that they respectively belong to! The various -shades of thought that those different modes of speech discriminate -are almost innumerable; for instance, _wulistammen_ means simply to -believe; _wulamsittammen_ to believe with full conviction. I would -never have done, if I were to point out to you all the derivatives -from this source, or connected with the idea of _belief_, which word -I bring forward merely by way of example, there being many others -equally fruitful. There is _wulamoinaquot_, credible, worthy of belief -(sometimes used as an impersonal verb, “it is credible, it deserves to -be believed”); _welsittawot_, a believer; _welsittank_, a believer in -the religious sense, &c. - -The syllable _pal_ or _pel_ prefixed to some words, implies denial, -and also frequently denotes wrong and is taken in a bad sense. -Hence _palsittamoewagan_, unbelief; _palsittammen_, to disbelieve; -_pelsittank_, an unbeliever; _pelsittangik_, unbelievers. Again, -_palliwi_, otherwise; _palliton_, to spoil, to do something wrong; -_palhiken_, to make a bad shot, to miss the mark in shooting; -_palhitechen_, to aim a stroke and miss it; _pallahammen_, to miss in -shooting at _game_; _pallilissin_, to do something amiss or wrong. - -M. de Volney has very justly observed on the Miami language, which is -a dialect of the Lenape, that _m_ at the beginning of a word implies -in general something bad or ugly. It is certainly so in the Delaware, -though not without exceptions, for _mannitto_, a spirit, by which -name God himself, the great and good Spirit is called, begins with -that ill-omened letter. Nevertheless the words “_machit_,” bad, and -“_medhick_,” evil, have produced many derivatives, or words beginning -with the syllables _med_, _mach_, _mat_, _mui_, _me_, _mas_, &c., -all of which imply something bad, and are taken in a bad sense. For -instance, _mekih_ and _melih_, corruption; _machtando_, the devil; -_machtageen_, to fight, kill; _machtapan_, a bad, unpleasant morning; -_machtapeek_, bad time, time of war; _machtonquam_, to have a bad -dream, &c. I mention this merely to do justice to the sagacity of M. -Volney, whose few observations upon the Indians induce us to regret -that he was not in a situation to make more. - -I begin to feel fatigued, and therefore shall take leave of you for the -present and reserve the remainder of my answer for my next letter. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XIX. - -FROM THE SAME. - - - BETHLEHEM, 15th August, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I sit down to conclude my answer to your letter of the 3d -inst. - -Before I begin this task, let me give you some examples that now occur -to me to shew the regularity of the formation of Indian words. - - -1. The names of reptiles generally end in _gook_ or _gookses_. - - Achgook, _a snake_. - Suckachgook, _a black snake_ (from _suck_ or _suckeu_, black.) - Mamalachgook, _spotted snake_. - Asgaskachgook, _green snake_. - -2. The names of fishes in _meek_ (_Namæs_, a fish.) - - Maschilameek, _a trout_ (spotted fish.) - Wisameek, _cat-fish_ (the fat fish.) - Suckameek, _black fish_. - Lennameek, _chub fish_. - -3. The names of other animals, have in the same manner regular -terminations, _ap_, or _ape_, for walking in an erect posture; hence -_lenape_, man; _chum_, for four-legged animals, and _wehelleu_, for -the winged tribes. I need not swell this letter with examples, which -would add nothing to your knowledge of the principle which I have -sufficiently explained. - -I now proceed to answer your letter. - -Notwithstanding Mr. Edwards’s observation (for whom I feel the highest -respect), I cannot help being of opinion, that the monosyllable -_ooch_, is the proper word for _father_, abstractedly considered, and -that it is as proper to say _ooch_, father, and _nooch_, my father, -as _dallemons_, beast, and _n’dallemons_, my beast; or _nitschan_, -child, or a child, and _n’nitschan_, my child. It is certain, however, -that there are few occasions for using these words in their abstract -sense, as there are so many ways of associating them with other ideas. -_Wetoochwink_ and _wetochemuxit_ both mean “the father,” in a more -definite sense, and _wetochemelenk_ is used in the vocative sense, and -means “thou our father.” I once heard Captain Pipe, a celebrated Indian -chief, address the British commandant at Detroit, and he said _nooch!_ -my father! - -The shades of difference between these several expressions are so nice -and delicate, that I feel great difficulty in endeavouring to explain -them. _Wetochemuxit_, I conceive to be more properly applicable to the -heavenly Father, than to an earthly one. It implies an idea of power -and authority over his children, superior to that of mere procreation, -therefore I think it fittest to be used in prayer and worship. -_Wetoochwink_, on the contrary, by the syllable _we_ or _wet_, prefixed -to it, implies progeny and ownership over it;[289] and _wink_ or _ink_ -conveys the idea of the actual existence of that progeny. Yet Mr. -Zeisberger, who well understood the language, has used _wetoochwink_ in -the spiritual sense. Thus, in his Delaware Hymn Book,[290] you find, -page 15, _Pennamook Wetoochwink milquenk!_ which is in English “Behold -what the Father has given us!” Again, in the same book, page 32, we -read, “_Hallewiwi wetochemuxit_;” which means “The Father of Eternity.” -Upon the whole I believe that _ooch_ is a proper word for “father” -or “a father,” but _wetoochwink_ may also be used in the same sense, -notwithstanding its more definite general acceptation. There is little -occasion, however, to use either with this abstract indefinite meaning. - -I agree with you that _lenni_, _lenno_, _illenoh_, _illenou_, -_illinois_, appear to have all the same derivation, and to be connected -with the idea of _man_, _nation_, or _people_. _Lenno_, in the Delaware -language, signifies man, and so does _Lenape_, in a more extended -sense. In the name of the Lenni _Lenape_, it signifies _people_; but -the word _lenni_, which precedes it, has a different signification and -means _original_, and sometimes _common_, _plain_, _pure_, _unmixed_. -Under this general description the Indians comprehend all that they -believe to have been first created in the origin of things. To all such -things they prefix the word _lenni_; as, for instance, when they speak -of _high_ lands, they say _lenni hacki_ (original lands), but they do -not apply the same epithet to _low_ lands, which being generally formed -by the overflowing or washing of rivers, cannot, therefore, be called -_original_. Trees which grow on high lands are also called _lenni -hittuck_, original trees. In the same manner they designate Indian -corn, pumpkins, squashes, beans, tobacco, &c., all which they think -were given by the Great Spirit for their use, _from the beginning_. -Thus, they call Indian corn[291] _lenchasqueem_, from _lenni_ and -_chasqueem_; beans, _lenalachksital_, from _lenni_ and _malachksital_; -tobacco, _lenkschatey_, from _lenni_ and _kschatey_; which is the same -as if they said _original corn_, _original beans_, _original tobacco_. -They call the linden tree _lennikby_, from _lenni_ and _wikby_; the -last word by itself meaning “the tree whose bark peels freely,” as the -bark of that tree peels off easily all the year round. This bark is -made use of as a rope for tying and also for building their huts, the -roof and sides of which are made of it. A house thus built is called -_lennikgawon_, “original house or hut,” from _lennikby_, original, or -linden tree, _wikheen_, to build, and _jagawon_ or _yagawon_, a house -with a flat roof. It is as if they said “a house built of _original_ -materials.” - -_Lennasqual_, in the Minsi dialect, means a kind of grass which is -supposed to have grown on the land from the beginning. English grasses, -as timothy, &c., they call _schwannockasquall_, or white men’s grass. -The chub fish they call _lennameek_, because, say they, this fish is in -all fresh water or streams, whereas other fish are confined to certain -particular waters or climates. - -They also say _lenni m’bi_, “pure water;” _leneyachkhican_, a fowling -piece, as distinguished from a rifle, because it was the _first_ -fire-arm they ever saw; a rifle they call _tetupalachgat_. They say, -_lenachsinnall_, “common stones,” because stones are found every where, -_lenachpoan_, “common bread,” (_achpoan_ means “bread”); _lenachgook_, -a common snake, such as is seen every where (from _achgook_, a snake); -_lenchum_, the original, common dog, not one of the species brought -into the country by the white people. I think I have sufficiently -explained the name “_Lenni Lenape_.” - -As I do not know the Greenland language, I cannot say how far the word -“_innuit_” is connected with _lenni_ or _lenno_, or any of the words or -names derived from them. - -The words _squaw_, _sachem_, _tomahawk_, and _wigwam_, are words of -Delaware stock, somewhat corrupted by the English. _Ochqueu_, woman; -_sakima_, chief; _tamahican_, hatchet;[292] _wickwam_ (both syllables -long, as in English _weekwawm_), a house. Hence, _nik_, my house; -_kik_, thy house; _wikit_, his house; _wikichtit_, their houses; -_wikia_, at my house; _wiquahemink_, in the house; again, _wickheen_, -to build a house; _wikhitschik_, the builders of a house; _wikheu_, -he is building a house; _wikhetamok_, let us build a house; _wikheek_ -(imperative), build a house; _wikhattoak_, they are building (a house -or houses). - -_Calumet_ is not an Indian word; M. Volney thinks it is an English word -for a tobacco pipe; it is certainly not proper English, but I have -always thought that it was first used by the English or the French. The -Delaware for a tobacco pipe is _Poakan_ (two syllables). - -_Wampum_ is an Iroquois word, and means a marine shell. - -_Papoose_, I do not know; it is not a word of the Delaware language, -yet it is possible that it may be used by some Indian nations, from -whom we may have borrowed it. I have been told that the Mahicanni of -New England made use of this word for a _child_. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XX. - -TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 21st August, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I have read with the greatest pleasure your two interesting -letters of the 12th and 15th. I need not tell you how pleased the -Historical Committee are with your correspondence, which is laid before -them from time to time. I am instructed to do all in my power to -induce you to persevere in giving to your country the so much wanted -information concerning the Indians and their languages. The Committee -are convinced that the first duty of an American Scientific Association -is to occupy themselves with the objects that relate to our own -country. It is on these subjects that the world has a right to expect -instruction from us. - -I am busily employed in studying and translating the excellent -Delaware Grammar of Mr. Zeisberger; I hope the Historical Committee -will publish it in due time. The more I become acquainted with this -extraordinary language, the more I am delighted with its copiousness -and with the beauty of its forms. Those which the Hispano-Mexican -Grammarians call _transitions_ are really admirable. If this language -was cultivated and polished as those of Europe have been, and if the -Delawares had a Homer or Virgil among them, it is impossible to say -with such an instrument how far the art could be carried. The Greek is -admired for its compounds; but what are they to those of the Indians? -How many ideas they can combine and express together in one single -locution, and that too by a regular series of grammatical forms, by -innumerably varied inflexions of the same radical word, with the -help of pronominal affixes! All this, my dear sir, is combined with -the most exquisite skill, in a perfectly regular order and method, -and with fewer exceptions or anomalies than I have found in any -other language. This is what really astonishes me, and it is with -the greatest difficulty that I can guard myself against enthusiastic -feelings. The verb, among the Indians, is truly the _word_ by way of -excellence. It combines itself with the pronoun, with the adjective, -with the adverb; in short, with almost every part of speech. There -are forms both positive and negative which include the two pronouns, -the governing and the governed; _ktahoatell_,[293] “I love thee;” -_ktahoalowi_, “I do not love thee.” The adverb “not,” is comprised both -actively and passively in the negative forms, _n’dahoalawi_, “I do -not love;” _n’dahoalgussiwi_, “I am not loved;” and other adverbs are -combined in a similar manner. From _schingi_, “unwillingly,” is formed -_schingattam_, “to be unwilling,” _schingoochwen_, “to go somewhere -unwillingly,” _schingimikemossin_, “to work unwillingly;” from _wingi_, -“willingly,” we have _wingsittam_, “to hear willingly,” _wingachpin_, -“to be willingly somewhere,” _wingilauchsin_, “to live willingly in -a particular manner;” from the adverb _gunich_,[294] “long,” comes -_gunelendam_, “to think one takes long to do something;” _gunagen_, “to -stay out long;” and so are formed all the rest of the numerous class -of _adverbial verbs_. The _adjective verbs_ are produced in the same -way, by a combination of adjective nouns with the verbal form. Does -_guneu_ mean “long” in the adjective sense, you have _guneep_, it was -long, _guneuchtschi_, it will be long, &c.; from _kschiechek_, “clean,” -is formed _kschiecheep_, “it was clean;” from _machkeu_, “red,” -_machkeep_, “it was red;” and so on through the whole class of words. -Prepositions are combined in the same manner, but that is common also -to other languages. What extent and variety displays itself in those -Indian verbs, and what language, in this respect, can be compared to -our savage idioms? - -Nor are the participles less rich or less copious. Every verb has a -long series of participles, which when necessary can be declined and -used as adjectives. Let me be permitted to instance a few from the -causative verb _wulamalessohen_, “to make happy.” I take them from -Zeisberger. - - Wulamalessohaluwed, _he who makes happy_. - Wulamalessohalid, _he who makes me happy_. - Wulamalessohalquon, _he who makes thee happy_, - Wulamalessohalat, _he who makes him happy_. - Wulamalessohalquenk, _he who makes us happy_. - Wulamalessohalqueek, _he who makes you happy_. - Wulamalessohalquichtit, _he who makes them happy_. - - * * * * * - -Now comes another participial-pronominal-vocative form; which may in -the same manner be conjugated through all the _objective_ persons. -_Wulamalessohalian!_ THOU WHO MAKEST ME HAPPY! - -I will not proceed further; but permit me to ask you, my dear sir, -what would Tibullus or Sappho have given to have had at their command -a word at once so tender and so expressive? How delighted would be -Moore, the poet of the loves and graces, if his language, instead of -five or six tedious words slowly following in the rear of each other, -had furnished him with an expression like this, in which the lover, -the object beloved, and the delicious sentiment which their mutual -passion inspires, are blended, are fused together in one comprehensive -appellative term? And it is in the languages of savages that these -beautiful forms are found! What a subject for reflection, and how -little do we know, as yet, of the astonishing things that the world -contains! - -In the course of my reading, I have often seen the question discussed -which of the two classes of languages, the _analytical_ or the -_synthetical_ (as I call them), is the most perfect or is preferable -to the other. Formerly there seemed to be but one sentiment on the -subject, for who cannot perceive the superiority of the Latin and -Greek, over the modern mixed dialects which at present prevail in -Europe? But we live in the age of paradoxes, and there is no opinion, -however extraordinary, that does not find supporters. To me it would -appear that the perfection of language consists in being able to -express much in a few words; to raise at once in the mind by a few -magic sounds, whole masses of thoughts which strike by a kind of -instantaneous intuition. Such in its effects must be the medium by -which immortal spirits communicate with each other; such, I should -think, were I disposed to indulge in fanciful theories, must have -been the language first taught to mankind by the great author of all -perfection. - -All this would probably be admitted if the Latin and Greek were only in -question: for their supremacy seems to stand on an ancient legitimate -title not easy to be shaken, and there is still a strong prepossession -in the minds of the learned in favour of the languages in which Homer -and Virgil sang. But since it has been discovered that the barbarous -dialects of savage nations are formed on the same principle with the -classical idioms, and that the application of this principle is even -carried in them to a still greater extent, it has been found easier to -ascribe the beautiful organisation of these languages to stupidity and -barbarism, than to acknowledge our ignorance of the manner in which -it has been produced. Philosophers have therefore set themselves to -work in order to prove that those admirable combinations of ideas in -the form of words, which in the ancient languages of Europe used to be -considered as some of the greatest efforts of the human mind, proceed -in the savage idioms from the absence or weakness of mental powers in -those who originally framed them. - -Among those philosophers the celebrated Dr. Adam Smith stands -pre-eminent. In an elegant treatise on the origin and formation of -language, he has endeavoured to shew that synthetical forms of speech -were the first rude attempts which men made to communicate their ideas, -and that they employed comprehensive and generic terms, because their -minds had not yet acquired the powers of analysis and were not capable -of discriminating between different objects. Hence, he says every river -among primitive men was _the river_, every mountain _the mountain_, and -it was very long before they learned to distinguish them by particular -names. On the same principle, he continues, men said in one word -_pluit_ (it rains,) before they could so separate their confused ideas -as to say _the rain_ or _the water is falling_. Such is the sense and -spirit of his positions, which I quote from memory. - -This theory is certainly very ingenious; it is only unfortunate -that it does not accord with facts, as far as our observations can -trace them. You have shown that the comprehensive compounds of the -Delaware idiom are formed out of other words expressive of single -ideas; these simple words, therefore, must have been invented before -they were compounded into others, and thus analysis presided over the -first formation of the language. So far, at least, Dr. Smith’s theory -falls to the ground; nor does he appear to be better supported in his -supposition of the pre-existence of generic terms. For Dr. Wistar has -told me, and quotes your authority for it, that such are seldom in -use among the Indians, and that when a stranger pointing to an object -asks how it is called, he will not be told a _tree_, a _river_, a -_mountain_, but an ash, an oak, a beech; the Delaware, the Mississippi, -the Allegheny. If this fact is correctly stated, it is clear that among -those original people every tree is not _the tree_, and every mountain -_the mountain_, but that, on the contrary, everything is in preference -distinguished by its specific name. - -It is no argument, therefore, against the synthetical forms of -language, that they are in use among savage nations. However barbarous -may be the people by whom they are employed, I acknowledge that I can -see nothing barbarous in them, but think, on the contrary, that they -add much to the beauty of speech. This is neither the time nor the -place to enter into an elaborate discussion of this subject, but I beg -leave to be allowed to illustrate and support my opinion by a lively -example taken from the Latin tongue. - -Suetonius relates that the Roman Emperor Claudius (one of the most -barbarous tyrants that ever existed,) once gave to his courtiers -the spectacle of a naval combat on the Fucine lake, to be seriously -performed by gladiators. When the poor fellows saw the Emperor -approaching, they hailed him with “_Ave, Imperator_, MORITURI _te -salutant!_” In English this means, “Hail, Cæsar! THOSE WHO ARE GOING -TO DIE salute thee!” The tyrant was so moved, or rather struck with -this unexpected address, that before he had time to reflect he returned -the salutation _Avete vos!_ “Fare ye well!” This gracious reply, from -the mouth of an Emperor, amounted to a pardon, and the gladiators, -in consequence, refused to fight. But the monster soon returned to -his natural ferocity, and after hesitating for a while whether he -would destroy them all by fire and sword, he rose from his seat, and -ran staggering along the banks of the lake, in the most disgusting -agitation, and at last, partly by exhortations and partly by threats, -compelled them to fight.[295] Thus far Suetonius. - -Now, my dear sir, I put the question to you; if the gladiators, -instead of _morituri_, had said in English _those who are about or -going to die_; would the Emperor even have hesitated for a moment, and -would he not at once have ordered those men to fight on? In the word -_morituri_, he was struck at the first moment with the terrible idea -of death placed in full front by means of the syllable MOR; while the -future termination ITURI with the accessory ideas that it involves was -calculated to produce a feeling of tender compassion on his already -powerfully agitated mind, and in fact did produce it, though it lasted -only a short time. But if, instead of this rapid succession of strong -images, he had been assailed at first with five insignificant words -_Those--who--are--going--to_, foreseeing what was about to follow, -he would have had time to make up his mind before the sentence had -been quite pronounced, and I doubt much whether the gladiators would -have been allowed time to finish it. In German, _Diejenigen welche -am sterben sind_, would have produced much the same effect, from the -length of the words _diejenigen_ and _welche_, which have no definite -meaning, and could in no manner have affected the feelings of the -tyrant Claudius. _Ceux qui vont mourir_, in French, is somewhat -shorter, but in none of the modern languages do I find anything that -operates on my mind like the terrible and pathetic _morituri_. May we -not exclaim here with the great Gœthe: _O, eine Nation ist zu beneiden, -die so feine Schattirungen in einem Worte auszudruecken weiss!_ “O, -how a nation is to be envied, that can express such delicate shades of -thought in one single word!”[296] - -I hope, indeed I do not doubt, that there is a similar word in -the Delaware language; if so, please to give it to me with a full -explanation of its construction and meaning. - -I thank you very much for the valuable information you have given -on the subject of the word “_father_;” the distinction between -_wetochemuxit_, and _wetoochwink_, appears to me beautiful, and -Zeisberger seems to have perfectly understood it. When he makes use of -the first of these words, he displays the “_Father of Eternity_” in all -his glory; but when he says, “_Behold what the Father has given us!_” -he employs the word _wetoochwink_, which conveys the idea of a _natural -father_, the better to express the paternal tenderness of God for his -children. These elegant shades of expression shew in a very forcible -manner the beauty and copiousness of the Indian languages, and the -extent and the force of that natural logic, of those powers of feeling -and discrimination, and of that innate sense of order, regularity and -method which is possessed even by savage nations, and has produced such -an admirable variety of modes of conveying human thoughts by means of -the different organs and senses with which the Almighty has provided us. - -Will you be so good as to inform me whether the Delaware language -admits of inversions similar or analogous to those of the Latin tongue; -and in what order words are in general placed before or after each -other? Do you say “_bread give me_,” or “_give me bread_”? - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XXI. - -FROM MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - BETHLEHEM, 26th August, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--Your letter of the 21st inst. has done me the greatest -pleasure. I see that you enter the spirit of our Indian languages, and -that your mind is struck with the beauty of their grammatical forms. I -am not surprised to find that you admire so much _wulamalessohalian_, -it is really a fine expressive word; but you must not think that it -stands alone; there are many others equally beautiful and equally -expressive, and which are at the same time so formed as to please -the ear. Such is _eluwiwulik_, a name which the Indians apply to -Almighty God, and signifies “the most blessed, the most holy, the -most excellent, the most precious.” It is compounded of _allowiwi_, -which signifies “_more_” and _wulik_, the meaning of which has been -fully explained in former letters. It is, as it were _allowiwi wulik_; -the vowel _a_, in the first word being changed into _e_. By thus -compounding this word _allowiwi_ with others the Delawares have formed -a great number of denominations, by which they address or designate the -Supreme Being, such are: - - Eliwulek,[297] } _He who is above every thing_.[299] - Allowilen,[298] } - Eluwantowit,[300] _God above all_; (“getannitowit” means _God_.) - Eluwiahoalgussit, _the beloved above all things_. - Elewassit,[301] _the most powerful_, _the most majestic_. - Eluwitschanessik, _the strongest of all_. - Eluwikschiechsit, _the supremely good_.[302] - Eluwilissit, _the one above all others in goodness_. - -I have no doubt you will admire these expressions; our Missionaries -found them of great use, and considered them as adding much to the -solemnity of divine service, and calculated to promote and keep alive a -deep sense of devotion to the Supreme Being. I entirely agree with you -in your opinion of the superior beauty of compound terms; the Indians -understand very well how to make use of them, and a great part of the -force and energy of their speeches is derived from that source: it is -very difficult, I may even say impossible, to convey either in German -or English, the whole impressiveness of their discourses; I have often -attempted it without success. - -The word “_morituri_” which you cite from the Latin, affords a very -good argument in support of the position which you have taken. It is -really very affecting, and I am not astonished at the effect which -it produced upon the mind of the cruel emperor. We have a similar -word in the Delaware language, “_Elumiangellatschik_,” “those who -are on the point of dying, or who are about to die.” The first part -of it, _elumi_, is derived from the verb _n’dallemi_, which means -“I am going about” (something). _N’dallemi mikemosi_, “I am going -to work,” or “about to work.” _N’dallemi wickheen_, “I am going to -build.” _N’dallemi angeln_, “I am about dying,” or “going to die.” -The second member of the word, that is to say _angel_, comes from -_angeln_, “to die;” _angloagan_, “death,” _angellopannik_, “they are -all dead.” The remainder is a grammatical form; _atsch_, indicates the -future tense; the last syllable _ik_, conveys the idea of the personal -pronoun “_they_.” Thus _elumiangellatschik_, like the Latin _morituri_, -expresses in one word “they or those who are going or about to die,” -and in German “_Diejenigen welche am sterben sind_.” - -I am pleased to hear that you discover every day new beauties as you -proceed with the study of the Indian languages, and the translation -of Mr. Zeisberger’s Grammar. You have, no doubt, taken notice of the -reciprocal verb exemplified in the fifth conjugation, in the positive -and negative forms by “_ahoaltin_,” “to love each other.” Permit me to -point out to you the regularity of its structure, by merely conjugating -one tense of it in the two forms. - - -INDICATIVE PRESENT. - - Positive Form. - N’dahoaltineen, _we love one another_. - K’dahoaltihhimo, _you love one another_. - Ahoaltowak, _they love one another_. - - Negative Form. - Matta n’dahoaltiwuneen, _we do not love one another_. - Matta kdahoaltiwihhimo, _you do not love one another_. - Matta ahoaltiwiwak, _they do not love one another_. - -You will find the whole verb conjugated in Zeisberger, therefore I -shall not exemplify further. You see there is no singular voice in this -verb, nor is it susceptible of it, as it never implies the act of a -single person. In the negative form, “matta” or “atta” is an adverb -which signifies “no” or “not,” and is always prefixed; but it is not -that alone which indicates the negative sense of the verb. It is also -pointed out by _wu_ or _wi_, which you find interwoven throughout the -whole conjugation, the vowel immediately preceding being sometimes -changed for the sake of sound, as from “aholt_a_wak,” “they love each -other,” is formed “ahoalt_i_wiwak,” “they do not love each other.” - -I will point out further, if you have not already observed it, what I -am sure you will think a grammatical curiosity; it is a concordance -in tense of the adverb with the verb. Turn to the future of the same -negative conjugation in Zeisberger, and you will find: - - Mattatsch n’dahoaltiwuneen, _we shall or will not love each other_. - Mattatsch k’dahoaltiwihhimo, _you_-- - Mattatsch ahoaltiwiwak, _they_-- - -I have said already that _atsch_ or _tsch_ is a termination which in -the conjugation of verbs indicates the future tense. Sometimes it is -attached to the verb, as in _matta ktahoaliwitsch_, “thou shalt or wilt -not love me,” but it may also be affixed to the adverb as you have seen -above, by which means a variety is produced which adds much to the -beauty and expressiveness of the language. - -You have asked me whether the Delaware language has inversions -corresponding with those of the Latin? To this question, not being a -Latin scholar, I am not competent to give an answer; I can only say -that when the Indian is well or elegantly spoken, the words are so -arranged that the prominent ideas stand in front of the discourse; but -in familiar conversation a different order may sometimes be adopted. We -say, in Delaware, _Philadelphia epit_, “Philadelphia at,” and not, as -in English, “at Philadelphia.” We say “bread give me,” and not “give me -bread,” because _bread_ is the principal object with which the speaker -means to strike the mind of his hearer. - -In the personal forms, or as you call them, _transitions_ of the active -verbs, the form expressive of the pronoun governed is sometimes placed -in the beginning, as in _k’dahoatell_, “I love thee,” which is the -same as _thee I love_; for _k_ (from _ki_), is the sign of the second -person; sometimes, however, the governing pronoun is placed in front, -as in _n’dahoala_, “I love him,” _n’_ being the sign of the first -person, I. In these personal forms or transitions, one of the pronouns, -governing or governed, is generally expressed by its proper sign, _n’_ -for “I” or “me,” _k’_ for “thou” or “thee,” and _w’_ for “he or him;” -the other pronoun is expressed by an inflexion, as in _k’dahoalohhumo_, -I love you, _k’dahoalineen_, thou lovest us, _k’dahoalowak_, thou -lovest them. You may easily perceive that the governing pronoun is not -always in the same relative place with the governed. - -That these and other forms of the verbs may be better understood, it -will not be amiss to say something here of the personal pronouns. They -are of two kinds: separable and inseparable. The separable pronouns are -these: - - Ni, _I_. - Ki, _thou_. - Neka, _or_ nekama, _he_ or _she_. - Kiluna, _we_. - Kiluwa, _you_. - Nekamawa, _they_. - -There are other personal pronouns, which I believe to be peculiar to -the Indian languages; such are: - - Nepe, _I also_. - Kepe, _thou also_. - Nepena, _or_ kepena, _we also_. - Kepewo, _you also_. - Kepoak, _they also_. - -The inseparable pronouns are _n_ for the first person, _k_ for the -second, and _w_ or _o_ for the third, both in the singular and the -plural. They are combined with substantives in the possessive forms, -as in _nooch_, my father, _kooch_, thy father; the third person is -sometimes expressed by the termination _wall_, as _ochwall_, his or -her father, and at other times by _w_, as in _wtamochol_, his or her -canoe. In the plural, _nochena_, our father, _kochuwa_, your father, -_ochuwawall_, their father. - -The verbal transitions are compounded of the verb itself, combined -with the inseparable pronouns and other forms or inflexions, expressive -of time, person, and number. To understand these properly requires -attention and study. - -These things are not new to you, but they may be of use to those -members of the Committee who have not, like yourself, had the -opportunity of studying a grammar of this language. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XXII. - -FROM THE SAME. - - - BETHLEHEM, 27th August, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I promised you in one of my former letters that I would -write to a gentleman well acquainted with the Chippeway language, to -ascertain whether it is true, as Professor Vater asserts, that it is -almost without any grammatical forms. I wrote in consequence to the -Rev. Mr. Dencke, a respectable Missionary of the Society of the United -Brethren, who resides at Fairfield in Upper Canada, and I have the -pleasure of communicating to you an extract from his answers to the -different questions which my letter contained. - - -EXTRACT. - -1. “According to my humble opinion, and limited knowledge of the -Indian languages, being chiefly acquainted with the Delaware and -Chippeway, of which alone I can speak with propriety, those two idioms -are of one and the same grammatical structure, and rich in forms. I -am inclined to believe that Mr. Duponceau is correct in his opinion -that the American languages in general resemble each other in point of -grammatical construction; for I find in that of Greenland nearly the -same inflections, prefixes, and suffixes, as in the Delaware and the -Chippeway. The inflexions of nouns and conjugations of verbs are the -same. The pronominal accusative is in the same manner incorporated with -the verb, which, in this form, may be properly called _transitive_. -See Crantz’s History of Greenland, in German, page 283. These forms, -though they are very regular, are most difficult for foreigners to -acquire. I might give examples of conjugations in the various forms, -but as they have not been expressly called for, I do not think -necessary to do it. - -“The Greenlanders, it seems, have three numbers in the conjugation -of their verbs, the singular, dual, and plural; the Delawares and -Chippeways have also three, the singular, the _particular_, and the -plural. For instance, in the Delaware language we say in the plural, -‘_k’pendameneen_,’ which means ‘we _all_ have heard;’ and in the -particular number we say, ‘_n’pendameneen_,’ ‘we, who are now specially -spoken of, (for instance, this company, the white people, the Indians,) -have heard.’ Upon the whole, Crantz’s History of Greenland has given me -a great insight into the construction of the Indian languages; through -his aid, I have been able to find out the so necessary _infinitive_ -of each particular verb. By means of the transitions, Indian verbs -have nine or ten different infinitives, whence we must conclude that -it is very difficult to learn the Indian languages. There is also a -peculiarity in them, by means of the duplication of the first syllable, -as ‘_gattopuin_,’ ‘to be hungry;’ ‘_gagattopuin_,’ to be very hungry. - -2. “Carver’s Vocabulary of the Chippeway, I believe is not correct, -though I have it not at present before me. - -3. “The numerals in the Chippeway up to ten, are as follows. I write -them according to the German orthography. 1. Beschik. 2. Nisch. 3. -Nisswi. 4. Newin. 5. Nanán. 6. N’guttiwaswi. 7. Nischschwaswi. 8. -Schwaschwi. 9. Schenk. 20. Quetsch.” - - * * * * * - -Thus far Mr. Dencke. I do not recollect whether I have already -explained to you what he says about the “_particular_” number in the -conjugation of the Delaware verbs. There is a distinction in the plural -forms. “_K’pendameneen_, (_k’_ from _kiluna_, ‘we,’) means generally -‘we have heard,’ or ‘we all have heard,’ not intending to allude to a -particular number of persons; in ‘_n’pendameneen_,’ the ‘_n’_ comes -from ‘_niluna_,’ which means ‘_we_,’ in particular, our family, nation, -select body, &c. ‘_Niluna yu epienk_,’ ‘we who are here assembled,’ -_n’penameneen_, (for _niluna penameneen_) we see (we who are together -see); _n’pendameneen_, we hear (we who are in this room hear). But -when no discrimination is intended to be made, the form _kiluna_, or -its abridgement _k’_ is used. _Kiluna elenapewit_, ‘we, the Indians’ -(meaning _all_ the Indians); _kiluna yu enda lauchsienk_, ‘we all that -live upon earth;’ ‘_k’nemeneen sokelange_,’ we see it rain, (we _all_ -see it rain); _k’nemeneen waselehelete_, we _all_ see the light, (we -and all who live upon earth see the light.)” - -I believe Mr. Zeisberger does not mention this distinction in his -Grammar; but he could not say every thing. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XXIII. - -TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 30th August, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I thank you for your two favours of the 26th and 27th -inst. I am very much pleased to find from the valuable extract of -Mr. Dencke’s letter, which you have had the goodness to communicate, -that the Chippeways have grammatical forms similar to those of the -Delawares. Indeed, as far as my researches have extended, I have found -those forms in all the Indian languages from Greenland to Cape Horn. -The venerable Eliot’s Grammar shews that they exist in the idiom of the -New England Indians, as he calls it, which is believed to be that of -the Natick tribe. Crantz and Egede prove in the most incontrovertible -manner that the language of Greenland is formed on the same _syntactic_ -or _polysynthetic_ model. So are the various dialects of Mexico, as far -as I can judge from the Grammars of those languages that are in our -Society’s library. Indeed, the authors of those Grammars are the first -who have noticed the personal forms of the Indian verbs, and given -them the name of _transitions_. I find from Father Breton’s Grammar -and Dictionary of the Caribbee language, that those forms exist also -in that idiom, and the Abbé Molina, in his excellent History of Chili, -has shewn that the Araucanian belongs to the same class of languages. -All the genuine specimens that we have seen of the grammatical forms -of the Indians from north to south, on the continent, and in the -islands, exhibit the same general features, and no exception whatever -that I know of has yet been discovered. Father Sagard’s assertions -about the Huron are not founded in fact, and are even disproved by the -examples which he adduces, and Mr. Dencke’s testimony is sufficient -to counterbalance the naked supposition of Professor Vater that the -language of the Chippeways has no forms. Too much praise cannot be -given to this learned author for the profound researches that he has -made on the subject of American languages with a view to discover the -origin of the ancient inhabitants of this continent, but not being -on the spot, he had not the same means of ascertaining facts that we -possess in this country. Had he lived among us, he would not so easily -have been persuaded that there was such a difference between the -different languages of the American Indians; that some of them were -exceedingly rich in grammatical forms, and appeared to have been framed -with the greatest skill, while others were so very poor in that respect -that they might be compared to the idioms of the most savage nations in -north-eastern Asia and Africa.[303] In Philology, as well as in every -other science, authorities ought to be weighed, compared, and examined, -and no assertion should be lightly believed that is not supported by -evident proof faithfully drawn from the original sources. - -I do not positively assert that all the languages of the American -Indians are formed on the same grammatical construction, but I think -I may safely advance that as far as our means of knowledge extend, -they appear to be so, and that no proof has yet been adduced to the -contrary. When we find so many different idioms, spoken by nations -which reside at immense distances from each other, so entirely -different in their etymology that there is not the least appearance of -a common derivation, yet so strikingly similar in their forms, that -one would imagine the same mind presided over their original formation, -we may well suppose that the similarity extends through the whole of -the languages of this race of men, at least until we have clear and -direct proof to the contrary. It is at any rate, a fact well worthy of -investigation, and this point, if it should ever be settled, may throw -considerable light on the origin of the primæval inhabitants of this -country. - -The most generally established opinion seems to be, that the Americans -are descended from the Tartars who inhabit the north-easternmost -parts of Asia. Would it not be then well worth the while to ascertain -this fact by enquiring into the grammatical forms and construction -of the languages of those people? The great Empress Catharine -employed a learned professor to compile a comparative vocabulary -of those languages which are spoken within the vast extent of the -Russian Empire. This was but the first step towards a knowledge of -the character and affinities of those idioms. If something may be -discovered by the mere similarity of words, how much farther may not -we proceed by studying and comparing the “plans of men’s ideas,” and -the variety of modes by which they have contrived to give them body and -shape through articulate sounds. This I consider to be the most truly -philosophical view of human language generally considered, and before -we decide upon the Tartar origin of the American Indians, we ought, I -think, to study the grammars of the Tartar languages, and ascertain -whether their thoughts flow in the same course, and whether their -languages are formed by similar associations of ideas, with those of -their supposed descendants. If essential differences should be found -between them in this respect, I do not see how the hypothesis of Tartar -origin could afterwards be maintained. - -Professor Vater is of opinion that the language of the Cantabrians, -whom we call Biscayans or Basques, a people who inhabit the sea coast -at the foot of the Pyrenean mountains, is formed on the same model -with that of the American Indians. We have in our Society’s library, -a translation into that idiom of Royaumont’s History of the Bible. -I acknowledge, that by comparing it with the original, I have found -sufficient reason to incline in favour of the Professor’s assertion. -This is a very curious fact, which well deserves to be inquired into. -This Basque language, it is to be presumed, was once spoken in a -considerable part of the ancient world, and probably branched out into -various dialects. How comes it that those polysynthetic forms which -distinguish it, have disappeared from all the rest of the continent of -Europe, and are only preserved in a single language no longer spoken -but by a handful of mountaineers? How comes it that the Celtic which -appears no less ancient is so widely different in its grammatical -construction? Are we to revive the story of the Atlantis, and believe -that the two continents of America and Europe were once connected -together? At least, we will not forget that the Biscayans were once -great navigators, and that they were among the first who frequented the -coasts of Newfoundland. - -But let us leave these wild theories, and not lose sight of our -object, which is to ascertain facts, and let others afterwards draw -inferences from them at their pleasure. In Father Breton’s Grammar -and Dictionary of the Caribbee language, I have been struck with a -fact of a very singular nature. It seems (and indeed there appears -no reason to entertain the least doubt on the subject) that in that -idiom the language of the men and that of the women differ in a great -degree from each other. This difference does not merely consist in -the inflexions or terminations of words, but the words themselves, -used by the different sexes, have no kind of resemblance. Thus the -men call an enemy _etoucou_, and the women _akani_; a friend in the -masculine dialect is _ibaouanale_, in the female _nitignon_. I might -adduce a much greater number of examples to shew the difference between -these two modes of speaking. It does not, however, pervade the whole -language; sometimes the termination of the words only differs, while -in many cases the same words are used exactly alike by both sexes. -But those which differ entirely in the two idioms are very numerous, -and are in general terms of common use, such as names of parts of -the body, or of relationship as father, mother, brother, sister, and -many others. It is said a tradition prevails in the Caribbee islands -that their nation was once conquered by another people, who put all -the males to death and preserved only the females, who retained their -national language, and would not adopt that of the conquerors. I am -not much disposed to believe this story; the more so as I find similar -instances in other idioms of different words being employed by the -men and women to express the same thing. Thus among the Othomis, (a -Mexican tribe) the men call a brother-in-law _naco_, and the women -_namo_; a sister-in-law is called by the men _nabehpo_, and by the -women _namuddu_. (Molina’s Grammar of the Othomi language, p. 38.) In -the Mexican proper, the men add an _e_ to the vocative of every proper -name, and say _Pedroe_ for _Pedro_; while the women leave out the -_e_ and distinguish the vocative only by an affected pronunciation. -(Rincon’s Mexican Grammar, p. 6.) It is said also that among the -Javanese, there is a language for the nobles and another for the common -people.[304] These are curious facts, and a discovery of their causes -would lay open an interesting page of the great hidden book of the -history of man. - -As I have determined to abstain from every hypothesis, I shall leave it -to others to discover and point out the causes of these extraordinary -facts; but I shall be obliged to you for informing me whether in any -of the Indian languages that you know, there is any such difference of -dialect between the two sexes, and in what it particularly consists. -I cannot believe this story of the conquest of the Caribbee islands -and of its producing that variety of language. I find it related by -one Davis, an English writer, in whom I place no reliance; for he has -pretended to give a Vocabulary of the Caribbee language, which he has -evidently taken from Father Breton, without even taking the trouble of -substituting the English for the French orthography. Carver acted with -more skill in this respect. - -I thank you for the explanation which you have given of what Mr. -Dencke calls the “_particular_ plural,” of the Chippeway and Delaware -languages, of which I had no idea, as Zeisberger does not make any -mention of it. It appears to me that this numerical form of language -(if I can so express myself,) is founded in nature, and ought to have -its place in a system of Universal Grammar. It is more natural than -the Greek dual, which is too limited in its comprehension, while the -particular plural expresses more, and may be limited in its application -to two, when the context or the subject of the conversation requires -it. I find this plural in several of the modern European languages; -it is the _nosotros_ of the Spanish, the _noi altri_ of the Italian, -and the French _nous autres_. There is nothing like it in English or -German, nor even in the Latin. I am disposed to believe that this form -exists also in the Greenland language, and has been improperly called -_dual_ by those who have written on it. The Abbé Molina speaks also of -a Dual in the Araucanian idiom, which he translates by _we two_. But he -may have used a term generally known, to avoid the explanations which a -new one would have required. However this may be, the particular plural -is well worthy of notice. - -I shall be obliged to you for a translation of the Lord’s prayer in the -Delaware language, with proper explanations in English. I suspect that -in Loskiel is not correct. - -In reading some time ago one of the Gospels, (I think St. Mark’s,) in -one of the Iroquois dialects, said to be translated by the celebrated -chief Captain Brandt, I observed that the word _town_ was translated -into Indian by the word _Kanada_, and it struck me that the name of the -province of _Canada_ might probably have been derived from it. I have -not been able to procure the book since, but I have now before me a -translation of the English common prayer-book into the Mohawk, ascribed -to the same chief, in which I find these words: “_Ne_ KANADA-_gongh -konwayatsk Nazareth_,” which are the translation of “in a CITY called -Nazareth,” (Matth. ii. 23.) The termination _gongh_ in this word -appears evidently to be a grammatical form or inflexion, and _Kanada_ -is the word which answers for “_city_.” I should be glad to know your -opinion of this etymology. - -I find in Zeisberger’s grammar, in the conjugation of one of the forms -of the verb _n’peton_ “I bring,” _n’petagep_ in one place, and in -another _n’petagunewoakup_, both translated into German by “_sie haben -mir gebracht_,” “they have brought to me.” Are these words synonyma, or -is there some difference between them, and which? - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XXIV. - -FROM MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - BETHLEHEM, 5th September, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I have received your favour of the 30th ult. I answer -it first at the end, and begin with your etymology of the word -_Canada_. In looking over some of Mr. Zeisberger’s papers, who was -well acquainted with the language of the Onondagoes, the principal -dialect of the Iroquois, to which nation the Mohawks belong, I find -he translates the German word _stadt_ (town) into the Onondago by -“_ganatage_.” Now, as you well know that the Germans sometimes employ -the G instead of the K, and the T instead of the D, it is very possible -that the word _Kanada_ may mean the same thing in some grammatical -form of the Mohawk dialect. As you have seen it so employed in Captain -Brandt’s translation, there cannot be the least doubt about it. This -being taken for granted, it is not improbable that you have hit upon -the true etymology of the name _Canada_. For nothing is more certain -than what Dr. Wistar once told you on my authority, that the Indians -make more use of _particular_ than of _generic_ words. I found myself -under very great embarrassment in consequence of it when I first began -to learn the Delaware language. I would point to a tree and ask the -Indians how they called it; they would answer an _oak_, an _ash_, a -_maple_, as the case might be, so that at last I found in my vocabulary -more than a dozen words for the word _tree_. It was a good while before -I found out, that when you asked of an Indian the name of a thing, he -would always give you the specific and never the generic denomination. -So that it is highly probable that the Frenchman who first asked of -the Indians in Canada the name of their country, pointing to the spot -and to the objects which surrounded him, received for answer _Kanada_, -(town or village), and committing the same mistake that I did, believed -it to be the name of the whole region, and reported it so to his -countrymen, who consequently gave to their newly acquired dominions the -name of _Canada_. - -I had never heard before I received your letter that there existed a -country where the men and the women spoke a different language from -each other. It is not the case with the Delawares or any Indian nation -that I am acquainted with. The two sexes with them speak exactly the -same idiom. The women, indeed, have a kind of lisping or drawling -accent, which comes from their being so constantly with children; but -the language which they speak does not differ in the least from that -which is spoken by their husbands and brothers. - -The question you ask about _n’petageep_ and _n’petagunewoakup_, both -of which Zeisberger translates by _sie haben mir gebracht_, is easily -answered. The translation is correct in both cases, according to the -idiom of the German language, from which alone the ambiguity proceeds. -_N’petageep_ means “they have brought to me,” but in a general sense, -and without specifying by whom the thing has been brought. _Es ist mir -gebracht worden_, or “it has been brought to me,” would have explained -this word better, while _n’petagunewoakup_ is literally rendered by -“_they_,” (alluding to particular persons,) “have brought to me,” or -_sie haben mir gebracht_. You have here another example of the nicely -discriminating character of the Indian languages. - -I believe I have never told you that the Indians distinguish the -genders, animate and inanimate, even in their verbs. _Nolhatton_ and -_nolhalla_, both mean “_I possess_,” but the former can only be used -in speaking of the possession of things inanimate, and the latter of -living creatures. NOLHATTON _achquiwanissall_, “I have or possess -blankets;” _cheeli kœcu n’nolhattowi_, “many things I am possessed -of,” or “I possess many things;” _woak nechenaunges nolhallau_, “and -I possess a horse,” (and a horse I possess.) The _u_ which you see at -the end of the verb _nolhalla_, conveys the idea of the pronoun _him_, -so that it is the same as if you said, “and a horse I possess _him_.” -It is the accusative form on which you observed in one of your former -letters and is annexed to the _verb_ instead of the _noun_. - -In the verb “_to see_,” the same distinction is made between things -animate and inanimate. _Newau_, “I see,” applies only to the former, -and _nemen_ to the latter. Thus the Delawares say: _lenno newau_, “I -see a man;” _tscholens newau_, “I see a bird;” _achgook newau_, “I see -a snake.” On the contrary they say, _wiquam nemen_, “I see a house;” -_amochol nemen_, “I see a canoe,” &c. - -It is the same with other verbs; even when they speak of things lying -upon the ground, they distinguish between what has life and what is -inanimate; thus they say, _icka_ schingiesch_in_[305] _n’dallemans_ -“there lies my beast,” (the verb _schingieschin_[305] being only used -when speaking of animate things;) otherwise they will say: _icka_ -schingiesch_en n’tamahican_, “yonder lies my ax.” The _i_ or the _e_ -in the last syllable of the verb, as here used in the third person, -constitutes the difference, which indicates that the thing spoken of -has or has not life. - -It would be too tedious to go through these differences in the various -forms which the verb can assume; what I have said will be sufficient to -shew the principle and the manner in which this distinction is made. - -I inclose a translation of the Lord’s Prayer into Delaware, with the -English interlined according to your wishes. I am, &c. - - -THE LORD’S PRAYER IN THE DELAWARE LANGUAGE. - - Ki _Thou_ - Wetóchemelenk _our Father_ - talli _there_ - épian _dwelling_ - Awosságame, _beyond the clouds,_ - Machelendásutsch _magnified or praised be_ - Ktellewunsowágan _thy name_ - Ksakimowagan _thy kingdom_ - peyewiketsch _come on_ - Ktelitehewágan _thy thoughts, will, intention, mind,_ - léketsch _come to pass_ - yun _here_ - Achquidhackamike _upon or all over the earth,_ - elgiqui _the same_ - leek _as it is_ - talli _there_ - Awosságame _in heaven or beyond the clouds_, - Milineen _give to us_ - eligischquik _on or through this day_ - gunagischuk _the usual_, _daily_ - Achpoan _bread_, - woak _and_ - miwelendammauwineen _forgive to us_ - n’tschannauchsowagannéna _our transgressions_ (faults), - elgiqui _the same as_ - niluna _we_ (particular plural) _we who are here_ - miwelendammáuwenk _we mutually forgive them_, - nik _who or those_ - tschetschanilawequéngik _who have transgressed or injured us_ - (past participle) - woak _and_ - kátschi _let not_ - n’páwuneen _us come to that_ - li _that_ - achquetschiechtowáganink _we fall into temptation_; (ink, _into_), - shuckund _but_ (rather) - ktennineen _keep us free_ - untschi _from_ - medhicking _all evil_ - Alod _for_ - Knihillátamen _thou claimest_ - ksakimowágan[306] _thy kingdom_ - woak _and_ - ktallewussoágan _the superior power_ - woak _and_ - ktallowilissowágan _all magnificence_ - ne _from_ - wuntschi _heretofore_ - hallemiwi, _ever_ (always) - Nanne leketsch. _Amen._ (so be it; so may it come to pass.) - - - - -LETTER XXV. - -TO MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - PHILADELPHIA, 1st October, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--Various professional avocations have prevented me from -answering sooner your kind letter of the 5th ult. I thank you for the -Delaware translation of the Lord’s prayer; it does not differ much from -that in Loskiel, but the English explanations which you have given add -greatly to its value. - -The information which your letter contains on the subject of the -annexation to the verb of the form or inflexion indicative of the -gender, is quite new to me. Though I was already acquainted with the -principle on which this takes place, I was not fully aware of the -extent of its application. We have already noticed and remarked upon -the combination of the pronominal form with the active verb[307] in -“_getannitowit n’quitayala_, I fear God;” in which the pronoun _him_ -is expressed by the last syllable _ala_ or _yala_, so that it is the -same as if you said “_God I fear him_,” in Latin _Deus timeo eum_, -and by contraction, _Deus timeum_. With this it is not difficult to -pursue the same course or “plan of ideas,” by connecting not only the -subject pronoun, but its gender, animate, or inanimate, with the verbal -form. The idea of the sexes, if the language admitted of it, might be -expressed in the same manner. Thus also Latin words might be compounded -on the Delaware plan. If I wished to express in that manner “_I see a -lion_,” I would say _leo video eum_, and by contraction _videum_; and -if the object was of the feminine gender, I would say _videam_, for -_video eam_. The difference between the Latin and the Delaware is that -in the former the ideas of the pronoun and its gender are expressed by -a _nominal_ and in the latter by a _verbal_ form. I consider _leonem -video_, as a contraction of _leo eum video_; the _n_ being interposed -between _leo_ and _eum_, and the _u_ in _eum_ left out for euphony’s -sake. In the same manner _fœminam_ appears to me to be contracted -from _fœmina eam_;[308] whence we may, perhaps, conclude that in the -formation of different languages, the same ideas have occurred to the -minds of those who framed them; but have been differently combined, and -consequently differently expressed. Who would have thought that the -barbarous idioms of the American savages could have thrown light on the -original formation of the noble and elegant language of ancient Rome? -Does not this very clearly shew that nothing is indifferent in science, -and above all, that we ought by no means to despise what we do not know? - -I thought we had exhausted all the verbal forms of the Delaware -language, when I accidentally fell upon one which Zeisberger has -not mentioned in his grammar, but of which he gives an example in -his vocabulary or spelling-book. It is a curious combination of the -relative pronoun “_what_” or “_that which_” with an active verb, -regularly conjugated through the several transitions or personal forms. -The author thus conjugates the present of the indicative. - - -FIRST TRANSITION. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - Elan, _what I tell thee_, ellek, _what I tell you_, - elak, _what I tell him_. elachgup, _what I tell them_. - - -SECOND TRANSITION. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - Eliyan, _what thou tellest me_, eliyenk, _what thou tellest us_, - elan, _what thou tellest him_. elachtup, _what thou tellest them_. - - -THIRD TRANSITION. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - Elit, _what he tells me_, elquenk, _what he tells us_, - elquon, _what he tells thee_, elquek, _what he tells you_, - elat, elguk, _what he tells him_. elatup, elatschi, _what he tells - them_. - - -FOURTH TRANSITION. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - Elenk, _what we tell you_, ellek, _what we tell you_, - elank, _what we tell him_. elanquik, _what we tell them_. - - -FIFTH TRANSITION. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - Eliyek, _what you tell me_, eliyenkup, _what you tell us_, - elatup, _what you tell him_. elaachtitup, _what you tell them_. - - -SIXTH TRANSITION. - - _Singular._ _Plural._ - - Elink, _what they tell me_, elgeyenk, _what they tell us_, - elquonnik, _what they tell thee_, elgeyek, _what they tell you_, - elaachtit, _what they tell him_. elatschik, _what they tell us_. - -Thus I have given myself the pleasure of transcribing this single tense -of one of the moods of this beautiful verb, which I find is used also -in the sense of “_as I tell thee_,” &c., and is a striking example of -the astonishing powers of this part of speech in the Delaware language. -Can you tell me where those powers end? Is there anything which a -Delaware verb will not express in some form or other? I am no longer -astonished to find that Mr. Zeisberger has not displayed in his grammar -all the richness of this idiom. A single verb, with its various forms -and transitions, would almost fill a volume, and there are no less than -eight conjugations, all of which were to be explained and illustrated -by examples! - -But it is not in the verbs alone that consist the beauties of this -language. The other parts of speech also claim our attention. There I -find, as well as in the verbs, forms and combinations of which I had -not before conceived an idea. For instance, Zeisberger tells us that -there are nouns substantive in the Delaware which have a _passive -mood_! Strange as this may appear to those who are unacquainted with -Indian forms, it is nevertheless a fact which cannot be denied; for -our author gives us several examples of this _passive noun_, all ending -with the substantive termination _wagan_, which, as you have informed -me, corresponds with the English _ness_, in “happiness,” and the German -_heit_ or _keit_, in the numerous words ending with these syllables. -Permit me to select some of the examples given by Zeisberger. - - Machelemuxowagan, _honour, the being honoured_. - Gettemagelemuxowagan, _the receiving favour, mercy, tenderness_. - Mamschalgussiwagan,[309] _the being held in remembrance_. - Witahemgussowagan, _the being assisted or helped_. - Mamintochimgussowagan,[310] _the being esteemed_. - Wulakenimgussowagan, _the being praised_. - Machelemoachgenimgussowagan, _the receiving honour and praise_. - Amangachgenimgussowagan, _the being raised or elevated by praise_. - Schingalgussowagan, _the being hated_. - Mamachtschimgussowagan, _the being insulted_. - -You will, I am afraid, be disposed to think that we have changed -places, and that I am presuming to give you instruction in the Delaware -language; but I am only repeating to you the lessons that I have -learned from Zeisberger, to save you the trouble of explaining what I -can obtain from another source; to be corrected, if I have committed -mistakes, and to receive from you the information which my author -does not give. Besides, as our correspondence is intended for the use -of the Historical Committee, my occasional extracts from Zeisberger, -and the observations to which they give rise, are addressed to them -as well as to you, and under your correction, may contribute to give -them a clearer idea of the forms of the Indian languages. Our letters -thus form a kind of epistolary conference between the scholar and his -master, held before a learned body, who profit even by the ignorance -of the student, as it draws fuller and more luminous explanations from -the teacher. Had I proceeded otherwise, your task would have been much -more laborious and troublesome, and it would have been ungenerous to -have exacted it from you. - -In this manner I have relieved you from the trouble of explaining the -_passive substantives_ of Zeisberger, unless I should have mistaken his -meaning, in which case, you will, of course, set me right. But this -author does not tell us whether there are on the other hand _active -substantives_, such as “_the honouring_,” “_the favouring_,” “_the -remembering_,” “_the praising_,” “_the insulting_,” “_the hating_.” -Here I beg you will be so good as to supply his deficiency, and explain -what he has left unexplained. - -I find also that there are diminutive words in the Delaware, as in the -Italian, such as _lennotit_, a little man, (from _lenno_); _amementit_, -a little child, (from _amemens_); _wiquames_, a little house, (from -_wiquam_), &c. Pray, are there also augmentatives? Is there any -difference between the diminutive terminations _tit_ and _es_, and what -is it? - -I have been told that you intend soon to visit Philadelphia; I shall -rejoice to find it true, and to form a personal acquaintance with you, -which, I hope, will produce a lasting friendship. - - I am, &c. - - - - -LETTER XXVI. - -FROM MR. HECKEWELDER. - - - BETHLEHEM, 10th October, 1816. - -DEAR SIR.--I have hesitated whether I should answer your favour of -the 1st inst., being very soon to set out for Philadelphia, where I -shall be able to explain to you verbally everything that you wish to -know in a much better manner than I can do in writing. As there are, -however, but few questions in your letter, and those easily answered, -I sit down to satisfy your enquiry, which will for the present close -our correspondence. If you think proper to resume it after my return to -this place, you will find me as ready as ever to continue our Indian -disquisitions. - -In the first place, it cannot, I think, properly be said that -substantives in general in the Delaware language have a passive mood; -but there are substantives which express a passive situation, like -those which you have cited, after Mr. Zeisberger. I do not know of any -words which express the same thing _actively_, except the infinitives -of active verbs, which are in that case substantively used. Such are, - - Shingalgundin, _to hate_; or _the hating_. - Machelemuxundin, _to honour_; or _the honouring_. - Mamachkimgundin, _to insult_ (by words); or _the insulting_. - -The diminutive forms in the Indian are _tit_ and _es_; the former is -generally applied to animate, and the latter to inanimate things. -Thus we say _lennotit_, a little man; _amementit_, a little child; -_wiquames_, a small house; and _amocholes_, a small canoe. This rule -does not hold, however, in all cases; for the little fawn of a deer, -although animate, is called _mamalis_, and a little dog among the -Minsi is called _allumes_, (from _allum_, a dog.) _Chis_ or _ches_, is -also a diminutive termination, which is sometimes applied to beasts; -_achtochis_ and _achtoches_, “a small deer.” - -Augmentatives are compounded from the word _chingue_, which signifies -large; and sometimes the two words are separately used. - - Chingue, _or_ m’chingue puschis, _a large cat_. - Chingewileno (for _chingue lenno_), _a tall stout man_. - Chingotæney (for _chingue otæney_), _a large town_. - Chingi wiquam, _a large house_. - Chingamochol, _a large canoe_. - Chingachgook, _a large snake_, &c. - -There are a few augmentatives formed in a different manner; for -instance, from _pachkshican_ or _kshican_, “a knife,” are formed -_pachkschicanes_, “a small knife,” and _m’chonschicanes_,[311] “a large -knife;” still it is easy to see that _m’chon_, in the latter word, is -derived from _chingue_, large or great, which, with a little variation, -brings it within the same rule with the others. - -You have, no doubt, observed in Zeisberger the terminations _ink_ and -_unk_, which express the idea of locality, coupled with a substantive, -as for instance: - - Utenink, _or_ otænink, _from_ otæney, _a town_; _in the town_. - Utenink n’da, _I am going to town_, or _into the town_. - Utenink noom, _I am coming from within the town_. - Sipunk, (_from_ sipo) _to_ or _into the river_. - M’bink, (_from_ m’bi) _in the water_. - Hakink, (_from_ hacki) _in_ or _on the earth_. - Awossagamewunk, (_from_ awossageme), _in heaven_. - Wachtschunk n’da, _I am going up the hill_. - Wachtschunk noom, _I come from the hill_. - Hitgunk, _on_ or _to the tree_. - Ochunk, _at his father’s_. - -As you must have observed that many of our Indian names of places -end with one or other of these terminations, such as _Minisink_, -_Moyamensing_, _Passyunk_, &c., you will understand that all these -names are in what we might call the _local_ case, which accounts for -the great number of those which end in this manner. - -I beg you will not write to me any more for the present, as I do not -know how soon I may have the pleasure of seeing you. I anticipate great -satisfaction from your acquaintance, and hope it will be improved into -a true _Indian_ friendship. - - I am, &c. - - J. HECKEWELDER. - - - - -ERRATA IN PART II. - - - PAGE 352, LINE 11--For “_Zeisberger_” read “_Heckewelder_.” - - 359, 24--(of letter vi.) For “_from_” read “_for_.” - - 362, 15--For “_schawanáki_” read “_schwanameki_.” - 16--For “_chwani_” read “_chwami_.” - - 383, 1--(from the bottom) For “_k’lehelleya_” read - “_k’lehellecheya_.” - - 386, 21--For “_wulatopnachgat_” read “_wulaptonachgat_.” - 23--For “_wulatonamin_” read “_wulatenamin_.” - - 392, 27--(of letter xvii.) For “_manner_” read “_matter_.” - - 397, 6 and 7--For “_achpansi_” read “_achpanschi_.” - - 401, 26--For “_Indian corn_” read “_a particular species of - Indian corn_.” - - 404, 8--For “_ktahoatell_” read “_ktahoalell_.” - 18--For “_gunich_” read “_gunih_.” - - 410, 12--For “_eliwulek_” read “_eluwilek_.” - 13--For “_allowilen_” read “_allowilek_.” For the English - translation, of these two words, substitute “_the most - extraordinary, the most wonderful_.” - 14--For “_eluwantowit_” read “_eluwannitowit_.” - 16--For “_elewassit_” read “_elewussit_.” - 18--For “_the supremely good_” read “_the most holy one_.” - - 424, 6 and 7--For “_schingieschin_” read “_schingiechin_.” - - 429, 9--For “_mamschalgussiwagan_” read - “_mamschalgussowagan_.” - 11--For “_mamintochimgussowagan_” read - “_mamintschimgussowagan_.” - - 431, 4--(from the bottom) For “_m’chonschicanes_” read - “_m’chonschican_.” - - - - -ADDITIONAL ERRATUM IN PART I. - - PAGE 323, LINE 34--For “_Indians_” read “_traders_.” - - - - - PART III. - - WORDS, PHRASES, AND SHORT DIALOGUES, - - IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE - - _LENNI LENAPE, OR DELAWARE INDIANS_. - - BY THE REV. JOHN HECKEWELDER, - - OF BETHLEHEM. - - - - -WORDS, PHRASES, ETC., - -OF THE - -LENNI LENAPE, OR DELAWARE INDIANS. - - - N’mítzi, _I eat_. - N’gáuwi, _I drink_. - N’wachpácheli, _I awake_. - N’ménne, _I drink_. - N’papommíssi, _I walk_. - N’gagelícksi, _I laugh_. - N’mamentschi, _I rejoice_. - N’dáschwil, _I swim_. - N’manúnxi, _I am angry_. - N’mikemósi, _I work_. - N’delláchgusi, _I climb_. - N’nanipauwi, _I stand_. - N’lemáttáchpi, _I sit_. - Nópo, nóchpo, n’hóppo, _I smoke_. - N’schiweléndam, _I am sorry_. - N’gattópui, _I am hungry_. - N’gattósomi, _I am thirsty_. - N’pálsi, _I am sick_. - Nolamálsi, _I am well_. - N’nipitíne, _I have the tooth-ache_. - N’wilíne, _I have a head-ache_. - N’wischási, _I am afraid_. - N’wiquíhhalla, _I am tired_. - N’tschittanési, _I am strong_. - N’schawússi, _I am weak_, _feeble_. - N’túppocu, _I am wise_. - N’nanólhand, _I am lazy_. - N’pomóchksi, _I creep_. - N’dellemúske, _I am going away_. - N’gattúngwan, _I am sleepy_. - Oténink n’da, _I am going to town_. - Gelóltowak, _they are quarrelling_. - K’dahólel, _I love you_. - Kschingálel, _I hate you_. - Ponihi, _let me alone_. - Palli áal, _go away_. - Gótschemunk, _go out of the house_. - Ickalli áal, _away with you_. - Kschaméhella, _run_. - Ne nipauwi, _stop there_. - Undach áal, _come here_. - Kpáhi, _shut the door_. - Tauwúnni, _open the door_, _lid_, &c. - Pisellissu, _soft_. - Pisalatúlpe, _soft-shelled tortoise_. - Kulupátschi, _otherwise_, _on the other hand_, _else_, _however_. - Nahalíwi,} - Eiyelíwi,} _both_ (of them.) - Leu, _true_. - Attáne léwi, _it is not true_. - Alla gaski lewi, _it cannot be true_. - Bíschi, bíschihk, _yes_, _indeed_, (it is so.) - N’wingalláuwi, _I like to hunt_. - N’winggi mikemósi, _I like to work_. - N’schíngi mikemósi, _I don’t like to work_. - M’wingínammen, _I like it_. - N’wingándammen, _I like the taste_ (of it). - N’wíngachpihn, _I like to be here_. - N’schíngachpihn, _I dislike being here_. - N’mechquihn, _I have a cold, cough_. - Undach lénni, _reach it hither_. - Undach lénnemáuwil, _reach it to me_. - N’gattópui, _I am hungry_. - N’gattosomi, _I am thirsty_. - N’wiquíhilla, _I am tired, fatigued_. - N’tschitannéssi, _I am strong_. - N’schauwihilla, _I am weak, faint_. - N’wischási, _I am afraid_. - N’daptéssi, _I sweat_. - N’dágotschi, _I am cold, freezing_. - N’dellennówi, _I am a man_. - N’dochquéwi, _I am a woman_. - N’damándommen, _I feel_. - N’leheléche, _I live, exist, draw breath_. - Lécheen, _to exist, breathe, draw breath, be alive_. - Lechéwon, _breath_. - - _Note._ As we would ask a person whom we had not seen for a - long time: “Are you _alive_ yet?”--or, is such and such a one - yet _alive_? the Indian would say: - - Ili kleheléche? _do you draw breath yet_? - Leheléche íli nítis, N. N.? _does my favourite friend_ N. N. _yet - draw breath_? - Gooch ili lehelecheu? _does your father draw breath yet_? - Gáhawees ili lehelecheu? _does your mother draw breath yet_? - N’tschu! _my friend_. - N’tschútti, _dear, beloved friend_. - Nitis, _confidential friend_. - Geptschat, _a fool_. - Geptschátschik, _fools_. - Leppóat, _wise_. - Leppoeu, _he is wise_. - Leppoátschik, _wise men, wise people_. - Sókelaan, _it rains_. - K’schilaan, _it rains hard_. - Pélelaan, _it begins to rain_. - Achwi sókelaan, _it rains very hard_. - Alla sókelaan, _it has left off raining_. - Peelhácquon, _it thunders_. - Sasapeléhelleu, _it lightens_. - Petaquíechen, _the streams are rising_. - M’chaquiéchen, _the streams are up, high_. - Choppécat, _the water is deep_. - Meetschi higíhelleu, _the waters are falling_. - Síchilleu meétschi, _the waters have run off_. - Tatehúppecat, _shallow water_. - Gahan, _very low water, next to being dried up_. - K’schuppéhelleu, _a strong current, riffle_. - Pulpécat, _deep dead water, as in a cove or bay_. - Clampéching, _a dead running stream, the current imperceptible_. - Kscháchan, _the wind_. - Ta úndchen? _from whence blows the wind_? - Lowannéunk úndchen, _the wind comes from the north_. - Schawannéunk úndchen, _the wind comes from the south_. - Schawanáchen, _south wind_. - Lowannáchen, _north wind_. - Wundchennéunk, _in the west_. - Gachpatteyéunk, _in the east_. - Moschháquot, _a clear sky_. - Kschiechpécat, _clear water, clear, pure water_. - Achgumhócquat, _cloudy_. - Páckenum, _dark_, (very.) - Pekenink, _in the dark_. - Pisgeu, _it is dark_. - Pisgéke, _when it becomes dark_, (is dark.) - Mah! _there, take it_! - Yuni, _this_. - Nanni, nan, _that_. - Wullíh, _yonder_. - Wáchelemi, _afar off_. - Wáchelemat? _is it afar off, a great way off_? - Péchuat, _near, nigh_. - Pechuwíwi, _near_, (not far off.) - Pechútschi, _near_. - Pechu lennitti, _directly, presently_. - Pechu, _soon_, _directly_. - Alíge, _if so_, _nevertheless_. - Alíge n’dallemúsca, _I will go for all_, _nevertheless I will go_. - Yu úndachqui! _this way_, _to this side_! - Icka úndachqui, _to yon side_. - Ickalli úndachqui! _still further on that way!_ - Wullih! _yonder!_ - Wullíh táh! _beyond that!_ - Pennó wullíh! _look yonder!_ - Nachgiéchen, _it has hit against something_, (cannot move or be - driven forward,) as _a joist_, _a pin in a building_. - Clagáchen, _it rests on something in the water, is grounded_. - Clagáchen amóchol, _the canoe is aground, rests on something_. - Clagáchen aschwitchan, _the raft has grounded_. - Tauwihilla, _sunk_, _it has sunk_. - N’dámochol k’tauwíhille, _my canoe sunk_. - Gachpattol amóchol, _take the canoe out of the water_. - Gachpallátam, _let us get out and go on shore_. - Pusik! _embark!_ (ye.) - Pusil! _embark!_ (thou.) - Wischíksil! _be thou vigilant, quick, in earnest and exert thyself!_ - Wischíksik! _be ye vigilant, in earnest, quick!_ (about it.) - - _Note._ The word wischíksi or wischíxi - is by the white people interpreted - as signifying “_be strong_,” which does - not convey the true meaning of this - word: it comprehends more; it asks - for _exertions to be made, to fulfil the - object_. - - N’petalogálgun! _I am sent as a messenger!_ - N’sagimáum petalogálgun yu pétschi, _my chief has sent me as a - messenger to you_. - Matta nutschquem’páwi, _I am not come for nothing_, (meaning, being - on an errand.) - Pechu k’pendammenéwo wentsche payan, _you will soon hear why I am - come here_. - Tschingetsch kmátschi? _when do you return home again?_ - Sédpook! _at day break!_ - N’dellgun lachpi gatta páame, _I was told to hasten, and return - quickly_. - Lachpí, _quick_, (without delay.) - N’mauwi pihm, _I am going to take a sweat_ (at the sweat house). - N’dapi pihm, _I am come from sweating_ (from the sweat house). - N’dapelláuwi, _I am come from hunting_. - N’dápi notamæsi, _I come from taking fish with the spear_. - N’dapi áman, _I come from fishing with the hook and line_. - N’dapi achquáneman, _I come from bushnet fishing_. - Notameshícan, _a fishing spear_, _gig_. - Aman, _a fish hook_. - Achquáneman, _a bush net_. - Apatschiáne, _when I return_. - Góphammen, } _to shut up anything close_, _a door_, &c. - K’páhammen, } - Kpáhi, _shut the door_. - Kpáskhamen, _to plug up tight_. - Tauwún, _open the door_. - Tauwúnni, _open the door for me_. - M’biák, _a whale_, (fish.) - Yuh’ allauwítan! _come, let us go a hunting!_ - Nelema n’metenaxíwi, _I am not yet ready_. - K’metenaxi yúcke? _are you now ready?_ - Nélema ta! _not yet!_ - Pechu lenítti, _by and by_. - Laháppa pehil! _wait a little for me!_ - Nelema n’gischambíla níwash! _I have not yet done tying up my pack!_ - Yúh’ yehúcke allemuskétam! _well now let us go on!_ - Schuck sokeláan gachtáuwi! _but it will rain!_ - Quanna ta! _even if it does_, _no matter if it does_! - Alla kschilánge, _when the shower is over_. - Ta hatsch gemauwikéneen? _at what place shall we encamp?_ - Wdiungoakhánnink, _at the white oak run_. - Enda gochgochgáchen, _at the crossing, fording-place_. - Enda tachtschaúnge, _at the narrows_, (where the hill comes close - on the river.) - Meechek achsinik, _at the big rock_. - Gauwáhenink, _at the place of the fallen timbers_. - Sikhéunk, _at the salt spring_. - Pachséyink, _in the valley_. - Wachtschúnk, _on the hill_. - Yapéwi, _on the river bank_. - Gámink, _on the other side of the river_. - Eli shíngeek, _on the flat_, (level upland.) - Mahónink, _at the lick_, (deer lick.) - Oténink, _in the town_. - Tékenink, _in the woods_. - Hachkihácanink, _in the field_. - Pockhapóckink, _at the creek between the two hills_. - Menatheink, _on the island_. - Enda lechauhánne, _at the forks of the river_. - Enda lechauwíechen, _at the forks of the road_. - Sakunk, _at the outlet of the river_, (mouth of the river.) - T’huppecúnk, _at the cold spring_. - K’mésha? _did you kill a deer?_ - Atta, n’palléha! _no, I missed him!_ - Yuh’ allácqui! _what a pity!_ - Biesch knéwa? _then you did see one?_ - Nachen n’newa achúch, _three times I saw deer_. - Quonna eet kpúngum machtit, _perhaps your powder is bad_. - Na leu, _that is true_, _so it turned out to be_. - Achtschíngi pockteu, _it scarcely took fire_. - Achtuchuíke wérnan? _are there plenty of deer where you was?_ - Atta ta húsca, _not a great many_. - Nángutti schuck n’peenhálle, _I saw but few tracks_. - Machk kpenhálle? _did you track any bears?_ - Biesch n’penhálle mauchsu, _I tracked but one_. - Schuck n’dállemons mekane, _but my dog_. - Palli uchschíha, _drove him off_. - N’gatta amochólhe, _I want to make a canoe_. - Wítschemil! _help me!_ - N’pachkamen gachtáuwi, _I want to get bled_. - Yuh, nanne léketsch, _well do so_, _let it be so_. - N’matamálsi, _I feel unwell_. - Woak n’nipitíne, _and have the tooth-ache_. - Wítschemil! _help me!_ - Poníhil, _let me alone_. - Tschitgússil! _be still_, _hold your tongue_! - Kscháhel! _strike hard_, _lay on well_! (on wood, &c.) - Míleen, _to give_, _the giving_. - Mil, _give_. - Mili, _give me_. - Milineen, _give us_. - Miltin, _given_, (was already.) - Miltoágan, _a present_. - N’milgun, _it was given to me_. - Milo, _give him_. - Milátamo, _let us give him_. - Sehe! _hush_, _be quiet_! - Elke! _O dear_, _wonderful_! - Ekesa! _miserable_, _for shame_! - Suppínquall, _tears_. - Lepácku, _he cries_. - E gohán, _yes, indeed_. - Kéhella, _aye_, _yes_. - Kehellá? _so, is it possible?_ - Kehella lá! _O yes_, _so it is_! - Yuh kehella! _well, then!_ - La kella! _to be sure_, _’tis so_! - Kehella kella! _yes, yes!_ - E-E, _yes_, (a lazy _yes_.) - Mátta, _no_. - Tá, _no_, (a lazy _no_.) - Tagú, _no_, _not_. - Atta ta, _no, no_. - Eekhockewítschik mamachtagéwak, _the nations are warring against - each other_. - Yuh allácqui na lissichtit, _indeed it is a pity they do so_. - Napenaltowaktsché, _they will be scalping each other_. - Auween won gintsch pat? _who is that who just now came?_ - Taktáani, _I don’t know_. - Mauwi pennó, _go and see_. - Auween kháckev? _who are you?_ (of what nation.) - Lennápe n’hackey, _I am an Indian_, (of the Lenni Lenape.) - Ta kóom? _where do you come from?_ - Oténink nóom, _I come from the town_. - Auween kpetschi, witscheuchgun? _who came with you here?_ - Na nípauwit, _he who stands there_. - Lennápe? _is he an Indian?_ (a Lenni Lenape.) - Tah, Mengwe, _no, he is a Mingo, an Iroquois_. - Kpetschi witscheuchgun otenink untschi? _did he come with you from - the town?_ - Matta! n’mattelúkgun, _no! he fell in with me_ (by the way). - Ta tallí? _where?_ - Wulli tah achtschaúnge! _yonder at the narrows!_ - Ki gieschquíke? _this day?_ (to-day.) - Atta! welaquíke, _no! last evening_. - Kœcu undochwe wentschi yu páat? _what is he come here for_, _what - is he after_? - Taktani, schuck n’tschupínawe! _I don’t know, but I mistrust him!_ - Tcshpináxu gáhenna, _he appears suspicious_, _has a suspicious - appearance_. - Gichgemotket quónna, _probably he is a thief_. - Wewitschi eet, _most likely_, (he is such.) - N’gemotemúke n’dállemons nechnaúnges, _my horse has been stolen from - me_. - Wichwínggi gemotgéwak Menge, _the Mingoes are very fond of stealing_. - Yuh amachgídieu, _they are vagabonds_. - Gachtíngetsch, _next year_. - Lehelechejane, _If I live_, (or am alive.) - Gamhackinktsch n’da, _I will go across the sea_, (or more properly) - _to the country beyond the sea_. - Clámachphil! _sit still!_ - Schíki a na Lenno, _that is a fine, pretty man_. - Quatsch luppackhan? _why do you cry?_ - N’nilchgun na nipauwit, _he that stands there struck me_. - Uchschímo meetschi, _he has already ran off_, _made away with - himself_. - T’chúnno! _catch him!_ - Gachbílau! _tie him!_ - Lachénau! _let him loose!_ - Weemi, _or_ wemi auween lue, _everybody says_. - Wigwingi geloltóak schwánnakwak, _that the white people are fond - of quarrelling_. - N’matúnguam, _I had a bad dream_. - N’mátschi, _I will go home_. - Siquonne lappitsch knewi lehellecheyan! _in the spring you will see - me again if I am alive!_ - Yuh, schuck mámschali! _well, but do remember me!_ - Natsch leu, _it shall be so_, _that shall be done_. - N’nuntschímke, _I have been called_. - Auween guntschimgun? _who called you?_ - N’dochquéum, _my wife_. - N’nitsch undach aal! _come hither my child!_ - Lachpi! _quick!_ - Nayu nípauwi (or nípawi), _there stand_. - Pelláh, _indeed_, _surely_, _so so_. - Petalamo auween, _somebody sounds_ (calls out) _the alarm yell_, - (signifying danger at hand.) - Yuh, shimoítam! _come, let us run off!_ - Nélema ta! _not yet!_ - Quanna eet auween gatta napenálgun! _perhaps somebody is coming - to attack and scalp us!_ - Wewitschi eet, _probably_, _may-be_. - Pennáu! _look!_ - Wulli ta pépannik! _yonder they are coming!_ - Auween knéwa? _who do you see?_ - Machelook, _or_ chelook schwánnakwak, _many white people_. - Papomiscuak? _are they on foot?_ - Alénde, _some of them_. - Schuk matta weémi, _but not all of them_. - Gachtonalukguntsch matta uchschimuiénge, _we shall be attacked if - we do not make off with ourselves_. - Yuh, uchschimuítam alíge, _well then, let us make off at any rate_. - Mattapewíwak nik schwannakwak, _the white people are a rascally set - of beings_. - Kilunéwak wingi, _they are giving to lying_. - Kschinggálguna gehenna, _they hate us truly_. - Gemotemukguna wíngi, _they like, are disposed to rob us, are thieves - upon us_. - Yuh, gachtonalátam! _well, let us fall upon them, attack them_. - Longundowináquot, _it looks likely for peace_, _there is a prospect - of peace_. - Pennau won! _look at that one!_ - Achgíeuchsu, _he is drunk_. - Achgepíngwe, _he is blind_. - Achgépcheu, _he is deaf_. - Kpítscheu, _he is foolish_. - Sópsu, _he is naked_. - Mamanúnxu, _he is angry_. - Scháaksu, _he is covetous_. - Pihmtónheu, _he has a crooked mouth_. - Ilau, _he is a great war-captain_. - Sakímau, _he is a chief_. - Kschamehellátam, _let us run together_. - Típaas, _a hen_. Tipátit, _a chicken_. - Tschólens, _a bird_. Tscholéntit, _a little bird_. - - - - -INDEX. - - - Abbott, Rachel, 341. - - Abenakis, a name of the Lenape, xliii., 121, 123, 126. - - Acadia, inhabited by the Souriquois, etc., 121. - - Achsinning, 184. - - Achtschingi clammui, 199. - - Adair, James I., 126. - - _Adelung’s Mithridates_, 124. - - Ahouandâte or Wyandots, xliv. - - Albany, xxx., xxxi., 61. - - Albany River, the, 120. - - Algonquins, the, 95; - language, 121, 122, 123, 124. - - Allegheny River, the, 84, 294. - - Alligewi or Allegheny, the, 48, 53, 126. - - Alligewi Sipu, the Allegheny River, 48. - - Anderson, John, a Quaker trader, 241 _et seq._ - - Apalaches or Wapanachkis, the, 126. - - Apalachian nation, the, 126. - - Aquanoshioni, national name of the Six Nation Indians, 96, 97, 98. - - Arundel and Robbins, Messrs., 173. - - Assiniboils or Sioux, the, 119, 123. - - Assinipoetuk, the, 119. - - Aubrey, Lætitia, 336. - - - Bartholinus, Kasper, 118. - - _Barton’s New Views_, 121, 122, 126. - - Bear, the naked, 255. - - Belts of Wampum, 109. - - Benezet, John Stephen, xxx. - - Bethlehem, xxx.; - Indians at, 85, 90, 91, 92, 251, 332. - - Beverwyck, xxxi. - - Big Beaver River, 190, 196. - - Blackfoot Indians, 121. - - Boudinot, Elias, 331. - - Brodhead, General Daniel, 70, 237. - - Butterfield’s _Crawford’s Campaign against Sandusky_ referred to, 284. - - - Calhoon, Thomas, an Indian trader, 270. - - Canada, xxxvi., 56, 85, 93, 120, 121, 126, 342. - - Canai or Kanhawas, the, xliv., 90, 122. - - Canajoharie, xxxi. - - Canaways, the, xliv. - - Canawese, the, xliv. - - Canibas, the, 121. - - Carolina, xxxii., xxxvii. - - Carolina, North, 122. - - Carver, Captain Jonathan, 119; - his “_Three Years’ Travel through the interior parts of North - America_,” _ibid._; 268, 322; - quoted, 324, 339. - - Catawbas, the, 126. - - Cayahaga, Delaware preacher at, 291. - - Cayahaga River, 85. - - Cayugas, the, 96, 99. - - Chaktawas, the, 126. - - Chapman, Abraham, and John, 67. - - Chapman, a Jew trader, 257. - - Chaquaquock, Indian name for the English, 142. - - Charlevoix, Father, 123, 124, 331. - - Chemenk, 91, 92. - - Chenos, an old Indian, brings down rain, 236. - - Cherokees, the, 64, 65, 88, 89, 95; - language of, 119, 171, 327. - - Chesapeake Bay, 50. - - Chickesaws, the, 125. - - Chingleclamoose, 199. - - Chippeways or Algonquins, language of, 119; xl., 90, 124, 130, 144, - 176, 212. - - Choctaws, the, 125. - - Christian Indians, xl. - - Christinaux, the, 123. - - Clavigero, the Abbé, 331. - - Cochnewagoes, the, a mixed race of Indians, 93. - - Coghnewago, 52. - - Coghnewago Hills, 52. - - Colden, Cadwallader, his _History of the Five Indian Nations_ quoted, - xxxii., xxxiv., xliii., 55, 120. - - _Collections of Maps, Historical Society_, referred to, 93, 94. - - _Colonial Records of Penna._, xxxv., 178. - - Conecocheague, 341. - - Conestoga Indians, the murder of, 68, 80, 184, 192. - - Connecticut, 94. - - Conois, the, xliv. - - Cornplanter, the, 112. - - Cornstalk, the, 89, 184. - - Coshocton, 237. - - Crantz, David, a Moravian historian, his _History of Greenland_ - referred to, 118. - - Crawford. Col. William, 133; - tortured by Indians, 284; - dialogue with Capt. Wingenund, 285. - - Creeks, the, 95, 121, 125. - - Cushman, the Rev. Mr., of the Plymouth Colony, 330. - - - David, a Moravian Indian, 166. - - David’s Path, 168. - - De Laet, 126. - - Delamattenos, the, 80. - - De la Ware, Lord, xliii. - - Delaware hunter and the bear (anecdote), 255. - - Delaware Water Gap, 264. - - Denmark, 119. - - Detroit, xl., 49, 55, 108, 110, 119, 121, 133, 144, 171, 174, 226, - 230, 258, 284. - - _Detroit Gazette_ quoted, 243. - - Doctol, Indian for Doctor, 231. - - Duncan, David, 280. - - Dunmore’s War, 89, 263, 278. - - Du Ponceau to Heckewelder, letters of, 353, 364, 369, 376, 379, 387, - 392, 403, 416, 426. - - Du Ponceau to Wistar, letter of, 359. - - Du Pratz, 126. - - Dutch, Indian account of their arrival in New York, 71 _et seq._; - xxx., xxxii., xxxiii., xxxiv., xxxviii., 61, 74, 75. - - Dutchemaan, the Dutch so called by the Indians, 60, 77. - - Du Vallon, 126. - - - Easton, xxxv., 79, 168, 303. - - Edwards, Bryan, 331. - - Edwards, the Rev. Jonathan, 94, 125, 127. - - Egede, P., 118. - - Eliot, the Rev. John, 94, 125, 127. - - Elliot, Matthew, 152. - - Enda Mohatink, “_where human flesh was eaten_,” 200. - - Esquimaux Indians, 118. - - Etchemins, the country of the, 121. - - Evans, Mr., murder of, at Pittsburg, 111. - - - Florida Indians, 95, 347. - - Floridian languages, 125. - - Forks of Delaware, the, 86. - - Fort Allen, 166, 333. - - Fort Duquesne, 86. - - Fort Harmar, 112. - - Fort McIntosh, 173, 219. - - Fort Washington, 183. - - Franklin at Fort Allen, 166. - - Freeman, Mr., an Indian Peace Commissioner, 182. - - French and Indian War, the, 67, 88. - - French Missionaries, 119. - - - Gaaschtinick or Albany, 60. - - Gachgawatschiqua, a Shawano chief, 86. - - Gambold, the Rev. John, 126. - - Gelelemend or Killbuck, a Delaware chief, 233; - biographical sketch of, _ibid._ - - Gentellemaan (gentleman), 188. - - Georgia, 86, 121. - - Gibson, Col. John, biographical sketch of, 48; - letter to the Rev. N. Seidel, 82, 85, 132. - - Girty, Simon, 152, 279. - - Gladwyn, Major, at Detroit, 108. - - Glicanican or Indian tobacco, 212. - - Glikhican, Isaac, a Moravian Indian, 341. - - Gnadenhütten on the Mahoning, 91. - - Goshachking, 237, 295, 327. - (See Coshocton.) - - Greenland, inhabitants of, 118; - Moravian mission in, _ibid._ - - Greentown, incident occurring at, 144. - - Greenville, treaty of, xli., 298. - - Guyandots, the, xliv. - - - Hardin, Mr., an Indian Peace Commissioner, 182. - - Harris, John, on the site of Harrisburg, 90. - - Heckewelder, the Rev. John G. E., biographical sketch of, vii.-xiv.; - at Detroit, 144; - in Upper Canada, 168; - on the Muskingum, 102, 171; - associated with Gen. R. Putnam, 183; - on the Big Beaver, 190; - at Tuscarawas, 205; - at Lower Sandusky, 219; - at New Gnadenhütten on the Huron, 226; - dialogue with Killbuck, 234; - dialogue with Chenos, 237; - his “_Collection of the names of chieftains and eminent men of the - Delaware Nation_” alluded to, 270; - general observations and anecdotes, 310 _et seq._; - at Post Vincennes, 311; - at Marietta, 312; - advice to travellers, 318. - - Heckewelder to Du Ponceau, letters of, 361, 371, 375, 380, 383, 395, - 399, 409, 414, 422, 430. - - Heckewelder to Wistar, letters of, 356, 358. - - Henry, Judge William, of Lancaster, 82. - - Hermit’s Field, the, 200. - - Hervas, 126. - - Holland, Luke, a Delaware, 178 _et seq._ - - Hoosink, 255. - - Hudson’s Bay Company, the, 118, 120. - - Huron River, now the Clinton, 93. - - Hurons, the, xliv.; - disunited from the Iroquois, 119; - language of, 122. - - - Iceland, 119. - - Indiana Territory, 85. - - Indian Grammars by the Spaniards, 127. - - Indians, their historical traditions, 47. - mounds and fortifications, 48, 49. - treatment of, by the Europeans, 76 _et seq._ - general character, 100 _et seq._ - belief in an all-wise and good Creator, or Mannito, 101. - hospitality, 101. - civility, 103. - humor and wit, 104. - respect for the aged, 104, 163 _et seq._ - sense of justice, 105. - form of government, 107. - education of their children, 113 _et seq._ - signs and hieroglyphics, 127 _et seq._ - drawings, 130. - hunters’ marks, 131. - oratory, 132. - metaphorical expressions, 137 _et seq._ - names given their own people and the whites, 141 _et seq._ - intercourse with each other, 145 _et seq._ - political manœuvres, 150 _et seq._ - manner of marriage and treatment of their wives, 154 _et seq._ - pride and greatness of mind, 170 _et seq._ - wars and the causes which lead to them, 175. - manner of surprising an enemy, 177 _et seq._ - peace-messengers, 181 _et seq._ - treaties of peace, 185 _et seq._ - ill treatment by the whites, 187 _et seq._ - food, and the manner of preparing it, 193 _et seq._ - dress, and love of ornaments, 202 _et seq._ - dances, songs, and sacrifices, 208 _et seq._ - scalp-whoops or yells, 215 _et seq._ - alarm-whoop, 217. - death-halloo, _ib._ - physical constitution and diseases, 220 _et seq._ - _materia medica_, 224 _et seq._ - sweat-ovens, 225. - physicians and surgeons, 228 _et seq._ - doctors or jugglers, 231 _et seq._ - superstitions, 239 _et seq._ - manner of initiating boys, 245. - system of mythology, 249. - coats-of-arms, 252. - behaviour towards the insane, and their ideas regarding suicide, - 257 _et seq._ - drunkenness, 261 _et seq._ - funerals, 268 _et seq._ - friendships, 277 _et seq._ - preachers and prophets, 290 _et seq._ - computation of time, 306 _et seq._ - astronomical and geographical knowledge, 308 _et seq._ - general character compared with that of the whites, 328 _et seq._ - - Iroquois, the, 95 _et seq._; - supplied by the English with fire-arms, xxxii.; - the name given to the Six Nations by the French, xliv.; - the language, 119; - in the State of New York, 121. - - Irvine, General William, letter to Wm. More, 81; - letter from Washington, 284. - - - Jefferson, Thomas, 122. - - Johnson, Sir William, 68, 120. - - Juniata River, Shawanose on the, 86, 87. - - - Kanawha, the Great, 89, 184. - - Karalit, language of the, 118. - - Kickapoos, the, 121. - - Killbuck or Gelelemend, 233; - dialogue with Heckewelder, 234. - - Killistenoes, the, 95, 322. - - Knisteneaux, the, 95. - - Knox, H., Secretary of War, letter to Heckewelder, 311. - - Koguethagechton, Indian name of Capt. White Eyes, 280. - - Kuequenaku, the Indian name of Philadelphia, 142. - - - Labrador, 118. - - La Chine, a murderous affair between two Indians at, 105. - - Laehauwake, Easton, 79. - - La Hontan, Father, xliii., 119; - list of Indian nations, 121, 122, 124. - - Lake Erie, 49, 85. - - Lake St. Clair, 49. - - Languages, Indian, 118 _et seq._ - - Las Casas, 331. - - Leather Lips, a Wyandot chief, 297; - death of, 298. - - Lehigh Hills, 52. - - Lehigh River, the, 52. - - Lehigh Water Gap, the, 91, 234, 334. - - Lehighton, site of Gnadenhütten on the Mahoning, xxxi. - - Lenapewihittuck, the Delaware River, 51, 78. - - Lenni Lenape, national name of the Delawares, xxvi.; - were they or were they not conquered by the Mengwe? xxvii. _et - seq._; xiii.; - wars with the Iroquois, xxvii.; - settle on the Atlantic coast, xxviii.; - made women by the Iroquois, xxix.; - on New York Island, xxxvii.; - in the far West, 47; - on the Mississippi, 49; - confederated with the Mengwe to fight the Allegewi, 50; - on Chesapeake Bay, _ib._; - on the Delaware, 51; - consent to become women, 58; - seek to gain their independence, 62; - take up arms against the English, 68; - assert their national independence, 70; - their fate subsequent to 1763, and that of their kindred tribes, 83 - _et seq._; - their number, 85; - language, 121, 124; - song of the warriors, 211; - words, phrases, etc., 431 _et seq._; - Tortoise, Turkey, and Wolf tribes of, 51, 52, 253. - - Lincoln, Gen. Benjamin, 105. - - Logan, the well-known Indian chief, 89; - his celebrated speech, 132. - - Lord’s Prayer, the, in the Delaware, 424. - - Loskiel, the Rev. George H., biographical sketch of, xxix.; - his _History of the Mission of the United Brethren_ - _among the Indians of North America_” referred to, xxix., xxx., - xxxvii., xl., 48; - quoted in full touching the making women of the Delawares by the - Iroquois, 59; - referred to, 70, 85, 86, 88, 90, 92, 97, 126, 134; - quoted, 206; - referred to, 213, 341. - - Lower Sandusky, 159, 173. - - - Mæchachtinni, the name given by the Lenape to the Senecas, 99. - - Machtitschwanne, or Massachusetts, 77. - - Mackenzie, Alexander, 121. - - Mahicanni or Mohicans, xliii., 53; - their account of the Iroquois making women of the Delawares, 60; - Moravian mission among them, 93; - called Mahingans, xliii., 121. - - Mahikanders or Mohicans, xliii. - - Maine, Province of, xxviii., 121. - - Manahachtanienk, New York Island, 77, 262. - - Maqua, the Mohican name of the Six Nations, xliv., 98. - - Marietta, 311, 312. - - Maryland, 53, 91, 92, 122. - - Matassins, the, 123. - - McKee, Alexander, 152. - - Mechanschican, _i.e. Long Knives_, 142, 143. - - Meigs, Return Jonathan, U. S. Agent to the Cherokees, 126. - - _Memorials of the Moravian Church_ referred to, 302. - - Mengwe, Delaware name of the Six Nations, xxvi.; - in the Great Lake region, 50; - on the St. Lawrence, 54; - their treachery toward the Lenni Lenape, 54, 64, 68, 98. - - Messissaugees, the, 121. - - Miamis or Twightwees, xii.; - of Lenape origin, 121; - their country, 93. - - Michael, a Monsey buried at Bethlehem, 206 _et seq._ - - Micmacs, the, 121. - - Minisink, the country of the Minsis, 52. - - Mingoes, name given to the Six Nations by the whites, xliv., 98, 130. - - Minsis or Monseys, 52, 53, 84, 85, 123, 124. - - Miquon, Delaware name of William Penn, 66, 78, 142. - - Mississippi River, the, xxvii., xxxii., xxxvii., 47, 49, 51, 85, 95, - 118. - - Mitchell, Mr., U. S. Agent to the Creeks, 126. - - Mobilians, the, 126. - - Mohawks, the, xxxiv., xxxv., 61, 96, 99. - - Mohicanichtuck, Hudson’s River, xxxviii., 52, 53, 75. - - Mohicans, xxviii., xxx., xxxiii., 71, 86. - - Monongahela River, the, 87. - - Monsonies, the, 123. - - Montreal, 105. - - Moravian Indians, the, xl., 81; - settle at Wyalusing, 83, 197; - settle on the Muskingum, 84, 85; - at Philadelphia, 166; - grant of lands by Congress to, 168; - on the Retrenche, _ibid._; - near Detroit, 176; - murder of, on the Muskingum, 184, 283. - - Morgan, Col. George, 300. - - Mourigans or Mohicans, xliii. - - Muhheekanes or Mohicans, xliii. - - Munsell’s _Collections of the History of Albany_ quoted, xxxi. - - Muskanecun Hills, the, 52. - - Muskingum or Tuscarawas River, xl., 84, 85, 102, 112, 171, 180, 252. - - Muskohgees or Creeks, 125. - - - Namaesisipu, the Mississippi River, 47, 49, 51. - - Nanticokes, the, xxviii., xliii., 53, 83, 90 _et seq._, 122. - - Natchez, the, 126. - - Natick dialect, the, 125; - Eliot’s Bible in the Natick, 94. - - Naudowessies, the, 95, 119, 268. - - Nazareth, Capt. John at, 52, 220; - the Barony, 336. - - Nentico or Nanticoke, xliv. - - Nescopeck, 91, 166, 333. - - New England, xxxii., 71. - - New London, 94. - - New York Island, xxxvi., xxxvii., 72, 208. - - Niagara, xl., 174. - - Nocharauorsul, the ground hog, myth of, 251. - - Nordmann’s Kill, xxx., xxxi., xxxv., 60, 61. - - North River, the, xxxvii., 51. - - Nova Scotia, 121, 123. - - - Ohio, an Iroquois word, 48; - the river, 84, 86, 87, 339 - - Onas, Iroquois for William Penn, 142. - - Oneida, 93. - - Oneidas, the, 96, 99. - - Ongwe-honwe, the name given themselves by the Iroquois, xxxiv. - - Onondagoes, the, 96, 99. - - Openagi, the, xliii. - - Openangoes, the, 121. - - Otayáchgo, Mohican name of the Nanticokes, 92. - - Ottawas, the, xl., xii. - - Owl Creek, 168. - - - Pachgantschihilas, a Delaware chief, 80. - - Papunhank, a Monsey, 197. - - Pascagoulas, the, 125. - - Paxnos, a Shawano chief, 88. - - Penn, William, 66, 107, 331. - - Pequods, the, 94. - - Perth Amboy, 148. - - Philadelphia, Shawanose on the site of, 86; - Indians on the site of, 148. - - Pilgerruh, a Moravian Mission, 85. - - Pine Plains, Dutchess Co., N. Y., 93. - - Pine Swamp, the, 166, 200. - - Pipe, a Delaware chief, biographical sketch of, 133; - speech at Detroit, _ibid._, 151, 152, 153, 338, 347. - - Pipe of Peace, 109. - - Pittsburg, 69, 70, 86; - Mr. Evans murdered at, 111, 184, 190, 192, 279. - - Point Pleasant, 89, 184. - - Pontiac, 108. - - Potomac River, the, 51, 90. - - Pottowatomies, the, xli., 121. - - Proctor, General Thomas, 295. - - Proud’s _History of Pennsylvania_ quoted, 67. - - Psindamocan, a preparation of Indian corn, 195. - - Putnam, General Rufus, 183, 311. - - Pyrlæus, the Rev. J. Christopher, biographical sketch of, xxx.; - his collection of Indian traditions in MS., 54; - account of the conspiracy of the Five Nations quoted, 56; - quoted, 61, 91, 96; - _Indian tradition_ quoted, 251, 347. - - - Quaekels, Quakers so called by the Indians, 143. - - Quebec, 78. - - - Rauch, Christian Henry, a Moravian Missionary, 93. - - River Indians, Mohicans so called, xxxiv., xliii. - - Robbins and Arundel, Messrs., 173. - - Rochefort, 126. - - Rocky Mountains, 118. - - Rogers’s _Key into the Language of the Indians of New England_ - referred to, 142. - - Rosenbaum, Cornelius, a Delaware, 264; - dialogue with Heckewelder, 265. - - - Sagard, Father Samuel, xliv.; - his Dictionary, 120, 127. - - Samuel, a Moravian Indian, 220. - - Sandusky, 153, 172; - Crawford’s campaign against, 284. - - Sankhicanni, name given by the Lenape to the Mohawks, 99. - - Savannah, 86, 121. - - Schatikooks or Mohicans, xliii. - - Scheyichbi, Indian name of New Jersey, 51. - - Schussele’s painting, “The Power of the Gospel,” 294. - - Schuylkill River, the, 86. - - Schwannack, _i. e._, “salt beings,” 142. - - Schweinitz’s _Life of Zeisberger_ referred to, 63, 81. - - Senecas, 55, 69, 96, 99. - - Sganarady, a Mohawk chief’s account of the origin of the Indians, 61, - 250. - - Sganiateratich-rohne, the Iroquois name of the Nanticokes, 92. - - Shamokin, 91, 178. - - Shawanose, the, xxxix., xli., 85 _et seq._; 121, 130. - - Shechschequon, 91. - - Shenango, 91. - - Shikilimus at Shamokin, 88. - - Shingask, 269; - funeral of his wife, 270 _et seq._ - - Shummunk, 91. - - Silver Heels, a Shawano, 278. - - Sioux or Assiniboils, the, 119. - - Six Nations or Mengwe, their manner of attaining to power, xxxii. _et - seq._; - how they lost their power, xxxix. _et seq._; xliv.; - eat human flesh, 55; - unable to conquer the Delawares, 56; - their scheme to make women of the Delawares, _ib._; - insult the Delawares, 67, 119. - - Snake Indians, the, 121. - - Soccokis, the, 121. - - Souriquois, the, 121. - - Sproat, Col. Ebenezer, 312. - - “_Star in the West, A_” referred to, 331. - - Steiner, the Rev. Abraham, 49. - - Stenton, John, 333; - his place attacked by Indians, 334, 335. - - St. Lawrence, the, xxviii., xxxvii., 54, 56, 93, 95. - - St. Pierre, the, 119. - - Stockbridge, 93. - - Susquehanna River, the, 50, 52, 90. - - Sussee Indians, the, 121. - - Sweat-ovens, 226. - - Sweden, 119. - - - Tadeuskund or Honest John, 302. - - Tallegewi, the, 48, 49. - - Tamanend, 300. - - Tamaqua, or King Beaver, 269. - - Tammany Society, the, 301. - - Tar-he, a Wyandot chief, 298. - - Tassmanane, a preparation of Indian corn, 195. - - Tatemy, Moses, Brainerd’s interpreter, 302, 307, 337. - - Tawachguano, Delaware name of the Nanticokes, 92. - - Tawalsantha, Indian name of Norman’s Kill, xxxi. - - Tecumseh, 295. - - Thomas, a Susquehanna Indian at Bethlehem, 267. - - Thomson, Charles, xxxvi. - - Thorhallesen, 118. - - _Transactions of the Massachusetts Historical Society_ referred to, - 94. - - Trappers, the, Nanticokes so called, 92. - - Treaties held with the Indians between 1740 and 1760, xxxv. - - Trueman, Mr., an Indian Peace Commissioner, 182. - - _Trumbull’s History of Connecticut_ referred to, 94. - - Tschachgoos, the, 142. - - Tuscarawas, the river, 85; - the town, 205. - - Tuscaroras, the, 96, 99, 327. - - Twightwees or Miamis, the, 121. - - - Umfreville, Mr., 121. - - Unalachtgo, Turkey Delawares, 51, 53, 253. - - Unamis or Turtles, 51, 53, 124, 250. - - Unechtgo, Delaware name of Nanticokes, 92. - - Upper Sandusky, 173. - - - Vater, Johann Severin, 124, 125, 126. - - Vincennes, Post, 183, 311. - - Virginia, xxviii., 53, 71, 90, 122. - - Virginians or “Long Knives,” 76. - - _Volney’s View of the Soil and Climate of the United States_ referred - to, 256. - - - Wabash River, the, 85, 183. - - Waketemeki, 230. - - Wampum, 109. - - Wangomend, a Monsey preacher, 293 _et seq._ - - Wapanachki, xliii., 121, 123, 124, 126. - - Wapsid Lenape, i. e. _the white people_, 142. - - Wawundochwalend, a chief of the Tuscaroras, 206. - - Wayne, Gen’l Anthony, xli., 89, 133, 192. - - Weiser, Conrad, xxx., xxxi., 54. - - Weissport, 166. - - Wells, William, and the bear, 256. - - Wetterholt, Captain Jacob, 334. - - White, a Nanticoke chief, 90, 92. - - White Eyes, Capt., a chief of the Western Delawares, xxxix.; - biographical sketch of, 69, 151, 152, 153, 279. - - Whitefield, the Rev. George, 52, 336. - - Williamson, Capt. David, in command of militia at Gnadenhütten on - Muskingum, 81; - his expedition by whom authorized, 283, 286. - - Wingenund, Capt., a Delaware, 279, 284; - dialogue with Col. Crawford, 285 _et seq._ - - Wistar to Heckewelder, letters of, 354, 359. - - Wolf tribe of Delawares, 52, 253. - - Womelsdorf, xxx. - - W’Tássone, name given by the Lenape to the Oneidas, 99. - - Wyalusing, 83, 196. - - Wyandots, xl., xli., xliv., 95, 119, 130. - - Wyoming, 79, 91, 92, 166. - - - Yengees (_Yankees_), 77, 142, 143. - - - Zeisberger, the Rev. David, reference to his _Essay of a Delaware - and English Spelling-Book_, xliii., 125; - biographical sketch of, 63; - quoted, 97; - his German Iroquois Dictionary, 97, 120, 347; - his opinion of the Iroquois language, 120; - his Grammar of the Lenni Lenape language, 125, 127, 166, 279; - dialogue with Indian David, 167; - at Goschgoschink, 293, 338, 347. - - Zinzendorf, Count Nicholas Lewis, in Penna., xxx.; - among the Shawanose of Wyoming, 88, 337. - - -[Illustration: FINIS] - - - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] The annotations in brackets are by the Editor. - -[2] Between the words “_if_” and “_what_” insert “_we can credit_.” - -[3] A figurative expression, denoting the territory claimed by them, -and occupied at the time. - -[4] Alluding to the white people settling those countries. - -[5] [The book referred to here and elsewhere frequently in the course -of his narrative by the author, was written by the Rev. George Henry -Loskiel, a clergyman of the Continental Province of the Moravian -Church, and was published at Barby, Saxony, in 1789. It is entitled -“Geschichte der Mission der Evangelischen Brüder unter den Indianern in -Nordamerika,” and is a faithful record of the Christian work in which -the Moravians engaged chiefly among the Lenape and Iroquois stocks of -the aborigines, in the interval between 1735 and 1787. The material -on which the author wrought in the preparation of his history was -furnished mainly from the archives of his church at Herrnhut, to which -duplicates of the missionaries’ journals were statedly forwarded. In -this way he was enabled to produce a narrative which is marvellously -accurate, even touching minor points of topography, despite the fact -that the shifting scenes of his drama were laid in another hemisphere. -The preface was written at Strickenhof, in Livonia, in May of 1788. In -it Mr. Loskiel acknowledges his indebtedness for valuable assistance -to the venerable Bishop Augustus G. Spangenberg, who had superintended -the Moravian Mission in the New World in the interval between 1744 -and 1762; and to the veteran missionary David Zeisberger, at that -time still in its service. It was the latter who supplied the larger -portion of the material relating to the history, traditions, manners, -and customs of the North American Indians, found in the ten chapters -introductory to the history of the Mission. This valuable work was -translated into English by the Rev. Christian Ignatius Latrobe, of -London, in 1793, and published there, in 1794, by “The Brethren’s -Society for the Furtherance of the Gospel.” It is now a rare book. -Having been consecrated a Bishop for the American Province of his -Church in 1802, Mr. Loskiel came to this country, settled at Bethlehem, -Pa., where he died in 1814.] - -[6] Figurative expression. See Loskiel’s History, Part I. c. 10.[9] - -[7] For “_declaring at the same time_” read “_and declared afterwards_.” - -[8] [John Christopher Pyrlæus was sent by the heads of the Moravian -Church at Herrnhut, Saxony, to Bethlehem, Pa., in the autumn of 1741, -to do service in the Indian Mission. Having assisted Count Zinzendorf, -during his sojourn in the Province in 1742, in the work of the ministry -among a portion of the German population of Philadelphia, we find him, -in January of 1743, prosecuting the study of the Mohawk under the -direction of Conrad Weiser, the provincial interpreter, at Tulpehocken, -(near Womelsdorf, Berks County, Pa.) This was in view of fitting -himself for the office of corresponding secretary of the Mission Board -at Bethlehem, and for the duties of an evangelist among the Iroquois -stock of Indians, to whom it was purposed by the Moravians to bring the -Gospel. At the expiration of three months he returned to Bethlehem, -and in the following June, accompanied by his wife, who was a daughter -of John Stephen Benezet, a well-known merchant of Philadelphia, set -out for the Mohawk country, his destination being the Mohawk castle of -Canajoharie. Here he remained upwards of two months, in which interval -of time he visited the remaining Mohawk castles, and by constant -intercourse with the Indians strove assiduously to perfect himself in -their language. Such was his progress then and subsequently, that in -1744 he felt himself competent to impart instruction in that important -dialect of the Iroquois to several of his brethren at Bethlehem, who -were training for missionaries. In 1748, while settled at Gnadenhütten, -on the Mahoning, (Lehighton, Carbon County, Pa.,) he rendered similar -service. Meanwhile he had acquired a knowledge of the Mohican, and in -1745 there appeared his first translations of German hymns into that -tongue--the beginnings of a collection for use in Divine worship in -the Mission churches. Eight of the eleven years of his stay in this -country were mainly spent in labors of the kind just enumerated. Having -been liberally educated, Mr. Pyrlæus was well qualified for the work in -which he engaged. Several of his contributions to this novel department -of philology, in manuscript, are deposited in the library of the -American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. Among these are essays -on the grammatical structure of the Iroquois dialects, and a collection -of notes on Indian traditions. The former Mr. Heckewelder names on -a subsequent page, and from the latter he makes frequent extracts. -In 1751 Mr. Pyrlæus sailed for England, where he was active in the -ministry of his Church until his recall to Germany in 1770. He died at -Herrnhut in 1785.] - -[9] [The passage referred to by Mr. Heckewelder is quoted in full by -way of annotation on a subsequent page.] - -[10] [Norman’s Kill, named after Albert Andriese Bratt De Norman, -an early settler of Beverwyck, rises in Schenectady County, has a -south-east course of about twenty-eight miles, and empties into the -Hudson, two miles south of Albany, in the town of Bethlehem. In records -of 1677 it is called Bethlehem’s Kil. The Indian name of the stream was -Tawalsantha. In the spring of 1617 the United New Netherlands Company -erected a fort near the banks of Norman’s Kill, and in 1621 the Dutch -made a solemn alliance and treaty of peace with the Five Nations, near -its mouth.--_Munsell’s Collections of the History of Albany._ Albany, -1870.] - -[11] For “_Mohicans_” read “_Lenape_.” - -[12] [”_The History of the Five Indian Nations depending on the -Province of New York in America_, by _Cadwallader Colden_.” The -first edition of this rare book was dedicated by the author to his -Excellency, William Burnet, Esq., and was printed and sold by William -Bradford in New York, 1727. Colden emigrated from Scotland in 1708, and -first settled in Pennsylvania, engaging in the practice of medicine. -Removing to New York in 1718, he was some time surveyor-general, -subsequently a member of the King’s Council, and in 1761 commissioned -Lieutenant-Governor of the Province. This commission he held at the -time of his death at his seat on Long Island, in September of 1776.] - -[13] [The proceedings of these conferences and treaties with the -Indians are spread upon the minutes of the Provincial Council of -Pennsylvania, which were authorized to be printed by the Act of -Legislature of April 4th, 1837, and published subsequently in seven -volumes. They are known as “The Colonial Records.”] - -[14] At a Treaty, at Easton, in July and November, 1756. - -[15] [Should be _Thomson_.] - -[16] Loskiel’s History, Part I., ch. 10. - -[17] The Iroquois were at that time a confederacy of only Five Nations; -they became Six afterwards when they were joined by the Tuscaroras. - -[18] Meaning, that the Five Nations would assist the white people in -getting the country of their enemies, the Delawares, &c., to themselves. - -[19] Loskiel, Part I., ch. 10. - -[20] [The Indian converts attached to the Moravian Mission, whom Mr. -Heckewelder invariably designates “Christian Indians” throughout his -history. The Moravian Indians at this date were settled with their -missionaries in three towns on the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum -(now the Tuscarawas River), all within the limits of the present -Tuscarawas County, Ohio.] - -[21] Loskiel, Part III., ch. 9. - -[22] The proper name is _Wtáwas_, the _W_ is whistled. - -[23] [In the summer of 1794, Gen. Wayne moved an army into the Ohio -country, and on the 20th of August defeated the confederated Indians -near the rapids of the Maumee, or Miami of the Lake. The result of this -campaign was a treaty of peace, which was ratified at Greenville, the -present county seat of Darke County, Ohio, in August of 1795, between -the United States Government, represented by Wayne, and the Shawanese, -Delawares, Wyandots, Ottawas, Potawattomies, Miamis and smaller tribes, -at which treaty about two-thirds of the present state of Ohio was ceded -to the United States.] - -[24] [The missionary David Zeisberger, in a collection of Delaware -vocables incorporated in “_An Essay of a Delaware and English Spelling -Book for the use of the Schools of the Christian Indians on the -Muskingum River_,” printed at Philadelphia, by Henry Miller, in 1776, -defines _Lennilenape_, “Indians of the same nation.”] - -[25] Colden. - -[26] La Hontan. - -[27] The Dutch called them Mahikanders; the French Mourigans, and -Mahingans; the English, Mohiccons, Mohuccans, Mohegans, Muhheekanew, -Schatikooks, River Indians. - -[28] “Night’s encampment” is a halt of one year at a place. - -[29] The Mississippi, or _River_ of _Fish_; _Namæs_, a _Fish_; _Sipu_, -a _River_. - -[30] The Iroquois, or Five Nations. - -[31] [Col. John Gibson, to whom Mr. Heckewelder frequently alludes, was -born at Lancaster, Pa., in 1740. At the age of eighteen, he made his -first campaign under Gen. Forbes, in the expedition which resulted in -the acquisition of Fort Du Quesne from the French. At the peace of 1763 -he settled at that post (Fort Pitt) as a trader. Some time after this, -on the resumption of hostilities with the savages, he was captured -by some Indians, among whom he lived several years, and thus became -familiar with their language, manners, customs, and traditions. In the -expedition against the Shawanese under Lord Dunmore, the last royal -governor of Virginia, in 1774, Gibson played a conspicuous part. On the -breaking out of the Revolutionary war, he was appointed to the command -of one of the Continental regiments raised in Virginia, and served with -the army at New York and in the retreat through New Jersey. He was -next employed in the Western department, serving under Gen. McIntosh -in 1778, and under Gen. Irvine in 1782. At one time he was in command -at Pittsburgh. In 1800 Col. Gibson was appointed Secretary and acting -Governor of the territory of Indiana, a position which he filled for a -second time between 1811 and 1813. Subsequently he was Associate Judge -of Allegheny County, Pa. He died near Pittsburgh in 1822. He was an -uncle of the late John B. Gibson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of -Pennsylvania between 1827 and 1851.] - -[32] Loskiel’s History of the Mission of the United Brethren, Part I., -ch. I. - -[33] [In 1789 Mr. Heckewelder, accompanied by Abraham Steiner, -(subsequently a missionary to the Cherokees of Georgia,) visited the -mission at New Salem, on the Petquotting, (now the Huron,) in Erie -County, Ohio, on business relating to the survey of a tract of land on -the Tuscarawas, which Congress had conveyed to the Moravians in trust -for their Indians. This was to indemnify them for losses incurred at -their settlements during the border-war of the Revolution.] - -[34] The _Glades_, that is to say that they crossed the mountains. - -[35] Meaning the river Susquehannah, which they call “the great Bay -River,” from where the west branch falls into the main stream. - -[36] The word “Hittuck,” in the language of the Delawares, means a -rapid stream; “Sipo,” or “Sipu,” is the proper name for a river. - -[37] [The Indians of this town proved troublesome neighbors to a small -company of Moravians, who, in the spring of 1740, were employed by -Whitefield to erect a large dwelling near its site, which he designed -for a school for negroes. The town lay near the centre of a tract -of 5,000 acres (now Upper Nazareth township, Northampton County, -Pennsylvania), which Whitefield bought of William Allen, which he named -Nazareth, and which, in 1741, he conveyed to the Moravians. Captain -John and his clan of Delawares vacated their plantation in the autumn -of 1742, and in the following year, the Moravians commenced their -first settlement, and named it Nazareth. Whitefield’s house is still -standing.] - -[38] Loskiel, part I., ch. 10. - -[39] The Reverend C. Pyrlæus, a pupil of Conrad Weiser, of whom he -learned the Mohawk language, and who was afterwards stationed on the -Mohawk River, as a Missionary, has, in a manuscript book, written -between the years 1742 and 1748, page 235, the following note which he -received from a principal chief of that nation, viz.: “The Five Nations -formerly did eat human flesh; they at one time ate up a whole body of -the French King’s soldiers; they say, _Eto niocht ochquari_; which is: -Human flesh tastes like bear’s meat. They also say, that the hands are -not good eating, they are _yozgarat_, bitter.” - -Aged French Canadians have told me, many years since, while I was at -Detroit, that they had frequently seen the Iroquois eat the flesh of -those who had been slain in battle, and that this was the case in the -war between the French and English, commonly called the war of 1756. - -At a treaty held at the Proprietors house in Philadelphia, July 5th, -1742, with the Six Nations, none of the Senecas attended; the reason of -their absence being asked, it was given for answer, “that there was a -famine in their country, and that a father had been obliged to kill two -of his children, to preserve the lives of the remainder of the family.” -See Colden’s History of the Five Nations, part II., page 52. See also -the minutes of that treaty, printed at Philadelphia, by B. Franklin, in -1743, p. 7, in the Collection of Indian Treaties in the library of the -American Philosophical Society. - -[40] Loskiel, part I., ch. 1. - -[41] The Rev. C. Pyrlæus, in his manuscript book, page 234, says: “The -alliance or confederacy of the Five Nations was established, as near -as can be conjectured, one age (or the length of a man’s life) before -the white people (the Dutch) came into the country. _Thannawage_ was -the name of the aged Indian, a Mohawk, who first proposed such an -alliance.” He then gives the names of the chiefs of the Five Nations, -which at that time met and formed the alliance, viz.: “_Toganawita_, -of the Mohawks; _Otatschéchta_, of the Oneidas; _Tatotarho_, of the -Onondagos; _Togaháyon_, of the Cayugas; _Ganiatariò_ and _Satagarùyes_, -from two towns of the Senecas, &c.,” and concludes with saying: “All -these names are forever to be kept in remembrance, by naming a person -in each nation after them,” &c., &c. - -[42] Loskiel, part I., ch. 10. - -[43] Loskiel, part I., ch. 10. - -[44] Ibid. - -[45] [The following is the passage from Loskiel, which that historian -copied from David Zeisberger’s “Collection of Notes on the Indians,” -compiled by the missionary during his residence in the valley of the -Tuscarawas, about 1778. “According to the account of the Delawares, -they were always too powerful for the Iroquois, so that the latter -were at length convinced that if they continued the war, their total -extirpation would be inevitable. They therefore sent the following -message to the Delawares: ‘It is not profitable that all the nations -should be at war with each other, for this will at length be the ruin -of the whole Indian race. We have therefore considered a remedy by -which this evil may be prevented. One nation shall be the _woman_. We -will place her in the midst, and the other nations who make war shall -be the man, and live around the woman. No one shall touch or hurt the -woman, and if any one does it, we will immediately say to him, “Why -do you beat the woman?” Then all the men shall fall upon him who has -beaten her. The woman shall not go to war, but endeavor to keep peace -with all. Therefore, if the men that surround her beat each other, and -the war be carried on with violence, the woman shall have the right -of addressing them, “Ye men, what are ye about? why do you beat each -other? We are almost afraid. Consider that your wives and children -must perish, unless you desist. Do you mean to destroy yourselves from -the face of the earth?” The men shall then hear and obey the woman.’ -The Delawares add, that, not immediately perceiving the intention of -the Iroquois, they submitted to be the _woman_. The Iroquois then -appointed a great feast, and invited the Delaware nation to it; when, -in consequence of the authority given them, they made a solemn speech -containing three capital points. The first was, that they declared the -Delaware nation to be the _woman_ in the following words: ‘We dress you -in a woman’s long habit, reafilled ching down to your feet, and adorn -you with ear-rings;’ meaning that they should no more take up arms. -The second point was thus expressed: ‘We hang a calabash with oil and -medicine upon your arm. With the oil you shall cleanse the ears of -the other nations, that they may attend to good and not to bad words, -and with the medicine you shall heal those who are walking in foolish -ways, that they may return to their senses and incline their hearts to -peace.’ The third point, by which the Delawares were exhorted to make -agriculture their future employ and means of subsistence, was thus -worded: ‘We deliver into your hands a plant of Indian corn and a hoe.’ -Each of these points was confirmed by delivering a belt of wampum, and -these belts have been carefully laid up, and their meaning frequently -repeated. - -“The Iroquois, on the contrary, assert that they conquered the -Delawares, and that the latter were forced to adopt the defenceless -state and appellation of a _woman_ to avoid total ruin. - -“Whether these different accounts be true or false, certain it is that -the Delaware nation has ever since been looked to for preservation of -peace, and entrusted with the charge of the great belt of peace and -chain of friendship, which they must take care to preserve inviolate. -According to the figurative explanation of the Indians, the middle of -the chain of friendship is placed upon the shoulder of the Delaware, -the rest of the Indian nations holding one end and the Europeans the -other.”] - -[46] [_The Life and Times of David Zeisberger, the Western Pioneer -and Apostle to the Indians, by Edmund de Schweinitz, Phila._, 1870, -reviews the Moravian mission among the North American Indians from its -beginnings to recent times, besides very fully portraying the career -of the veteran missionary, who spent upwards of sixty years of his -life as an evangelist to the Indians, thirty-six of which were passed -within the limits of the present State of Ohio. He died on the 17th of -November, 1808, at Goshen, on the Tuscarawas, in the 88th year of his -age. Zeisberger, in the course of his long life in the Indian country, -mastered the Delaware and the Onondaga of the Iroquois, into the former -of which he made translations of a number of devotional books, while -he studied both critically, as his literary efforts in that direction, -partly published and partly in MS., amply testify.] - -[47] Mr. Proud, in his History of Pennsylvania, relates that, some -time after the establishment of William Penn’s government, the Indians -used to supply the family of one John Chapman, whose descendants still -reside in Bucks County, with all kinds of provisions, and mentions -an affecting instance of their kindness to that family. Abraham and -John Chapman, twin children about nine or ten years old, going out one -evening to seek their cattle, met an Indian in the woods, who told -them to go back, else they would be lost. They took his advice and -went back, but it was night before they got home, where they found the -Indian, who had repaired thither out of anxiety for them. And their -parents, about that time, going to the yearly meeting at Philadelphia, -and leaving a young family at home, the Indians came every day to -see whether anything was amiss among them. Such (says Proud) in many -instances was the kind treatment of the Aborigines of this country to -the English in their first and early settlement. Proud’s Hist., Vol. -I., pp. 223, 224. - -[48] [For “Easton in Pennsylvania,” read _Philadelphia_. Easton, the -county-seat of Northampton County, was laid out in the spring of 1752.] - -[49] For “1742,” read “_and November, 1756_.” [The latter was held at -Easton.] - -[50] [The so-called French and Indian war, the fourth and last of the -inter-colonial wars, which originated in disputes between the French -and English concerning territorial claims, and which, after a seven -years’ contest, resulted in establishing the supremacy of the latter -over the civilized portions of North America.] - -[51] [The Conestogas remained on their ancestral seats, near the mouth -of the Conestoga, in Manor township, Lancaster County, Penna., long -after the other Indians on the Susquehanna had been crowded by the -advance of civilization beyond Shamokin. Here the remnant of this tribe -was fallen upon by Scotch-Irish partizans of Paxton township (now -within the limits of Dauphin County) in December of 1763, all that -were at the settlement killed, and their cabins burnt to the ground. -Ten days later, the remainder of this inoffensive people, who had -been lodged in the jail at Lancaster, were inhumanly butchered by the -same band of lawless frontiersmen. In Heckewelder’s “Narrative of the -Mission of the United Brethren among the Delaware and Mohegan Indians,” -there is a statement by an eye-witness, touching the last scene in this -bloody tragedy.] - -[52] [White Eyes, alias Koquethagachton, a celebrated captain and -counsellor of the Delawares of the Ohio country, was first met -by Heckewelder at his home, near the mouth of the Beaver (above -Pittsburg), when the latter was on his way to the Tuscarawas, in the -spring of 1762. When Zeisberger entered the valley of that river, in -1772, and built Schönbrunn, the chieftain was residing six miles below -Gekelemukpechunk, the then capital of his nation, in the present Oxford -township, Coshocton County. In Dunmore’s war, as well as in the war of -the Revolution, White Eyes strove strenuously to keep the Delawares -neutral. Failing in this in the latter contest, and seeing himself -necessitated to take sides, he declared for the Americans, joined Gen. -McIntosh’s command, but died at Fort Laurens, on the Tuscarawas, in -November of 1778, before the projected expedition, which was aimed at -the Sandusky towns, moved. White Eyes was a warm friend of the Moravian -mission, and was deeply interested in the progress of his people in the -arts of civilized life.] - -[53] Indian chiefs, in their public speeches, always speak on behalf -of their nation in the singular number and in the first person, -considering themselves, in a manner, as its representatives. - -[54] [In August of 1779, Col. Daniel Brodhead, then commandant of -Fort Pitt, moved with some troops up the Allegheny, and in the forks -of that river destroyed several settlements, inhabited by Monsey and -Seneca Indians. “The Delawares,” he writes in his report to the War -Department, “are ready to follow me wherever I go.”] - -[55] Loskiel, part II., ch. 8. - -[56] Henry Hudson, a British navigator and discoverer in the employ -of the Dutch East India Company, sailed from Amsterdam in command of -the Half Moon, in April of 1609, in search of a north-eastern passage. -Foiled by the ice in the higher latitudes, he turned southwards, and in -September anchored in New York bay. - -[57] Dele “_in which_.” - -[58] Hackhack is properly a gourd; but since they have seen glass -bottles and decanters, they call them by the same name. - -[59] These Dutchmen were probably acquainted with what is related -of Queen Dido in ancient history, and thus turned their classical -knowledge to a good account. - -[60] The Hollanders. - -[61] Manhattan, or New York Island. - -[62] For “_Delawares_” read “_Mohicans_.” - -[63] An Indian corruption of the word _English_, whence probably the -nickname _Yankees_. - -[64] 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 -_Massachusetts_. It deserves to be remarked as an example of the -comprehensiveness of the Indian languages. - -[65] The Delaware river. I have said above, p. 51, that _Hittuck_ -means a rapid stream. I should have added that it means so only when -placed at the end of another word, and used as a compound. Singly, it -signifies a _tree_. - -[66] The Swedes and Dutch. - -[67] William Penn. - -[68] Land traders and speculators. - -[69] Easton, Northampton County, Pa. - -[70] This actually took place at a treaty held at Easton in July and -November, 1756. - -[71] _Council house_ here means “Connexion District.” - -[72] _Pulling the council house down._ Destroying, dispersing the -community, preventing their further intercourse with each other, by -settling between them on their land. - -[73] _Putting the fire out._ Murdering them or their people, where they -assemble for pacific purposes, where treaties are held, &c. - -[74] _Our own blood._ The blood flowing from the veins of some of our -community. - -[75] Alluding to the murder of the Conestogo Indians, 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 to have been written -by the late Dr. Franklin, it is said: “On the first arrival of the -English in Pennsylvania, messengers from this tribe came to welcome -them with presents of venison, corn, and skins, and the whole tribe -entered into a treaty of friendship with the first proprietor, William -Penn, which was to last as long as the sun should shine, or the waters -run in the rivers.” - -[76] _The fire was entirely extinguished by the blood of the murdered -running into it; not a spark was left to kindle a new fire._ This -alludes to the last fire that was kindled by the Pennsylvania -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. - -[77] _The great Swamp._ The Glades on the Allegheny mountains. - -[78] _Delamattenos._ The Hurons or Wyandots, whom they call their -uncle. These, though speaking a dialect of the Iroquois language, are -in connexion with the Lenape. - -[79] For “1787” read “1781.” - -[80] [These were the words of a war-chief of the Delawares, -Pachgantschihilas by name, in the course of an address to the Moravian -Indians at Gnadenhütten, in which he sought to persuade them to remove -from their exposed position on the Tuscarawas to a place of safety -among the Wyandots of the Maumee.] - -[81] For “_us_” read “_them_.” - -[82] [The massacre of Moravian Indians at Gnadenhütten was perpetrated -on the 8th of March, 1782, by militia led by Col. David Williamson, -of Washington County, Pa. The details of this atrocious affair are -very minutely given by De Schweinitz in _The Life and Times of David -Zeisberger_. While such of the borderers as had suffered from Indian -forays sought to extenuate the deplorable transaction, it was at the -same time made the subject of an investigation at the head-quarters -of the department. With what result, however, is inferable from -the following extract from a letter written by Gen. Irvine to His -Excellency William Moore, President of the Supreme Executive Council of -Pennsylvania, and dated _Fort Pitt, May 9, 1782_:--“Since my letter of -the 3d inst. to your excellency, Mr. Pentecost and Mr. Cannon have been -with me. They, and every intelligent person whom I have consulted with -on the subject, are of opinion that it will be almost impossible ever -to obtain a just account of the conduct of the militia at Muskingum. -No man can give any account, except some of the party themselves; if, -therefore, an inquiry should appear serious, they are not obliged, nor -will they give evidence. For this and other reasons, I am of opinion -farther inquiry into the matter will not only be fruitless, but in the -end may be attended with dangerous consequences. A volunteer expedition -is talked of against Sandusky, which, if well conducted, may be of -great service to this country, if they behave well on this occasion. It -may also in some measure atone for the barbarity they are charged with -at Muskingum. They have consulted me, and shall have every countenance -in my power, if their numbers, arrangements, &c., promise a prospect of -success.” _MS. in the Irvine Collection._] - -[The following is a letter from Col. John Gibson, to the Right Rev. -Nathaniel Seidel, senior Bishop of the Moravian Church at Bethlehem, -dated _Fort Pitt, May 9, 1782_. - -“SIR:--Your letter by Mr. Shebosh of the 11th ult., came safe to hand. -I am happy to find that the few small services I rendered to the -gentlemen of your society in this quarter, meet with the approbation of -you and every other worthy character. - -“Mr. Shebosh will be able to give you a particular account of the late -horrid massacre perpetrated at the towns on Muskingum, by a set of -men the most savage miscreants that ever degraded human nature. Had I -have known of their intention before it was too late, I should have -prevented it by informing the poor sufferers of it. - -“I am in hopes in a few days to be able to send you a more particular -account than any that has yet transpired, as I hope to obtain the -deposition of a person who was an eye-witness of the whole transaction, -and disapproved of it. Should any accounts come to hand from Mr. -Zeisberger, or the other gentlemen of your society, you may depend -on my transmitting them to you. Please present my compliments to Mr. -William Henry, Jr., &c. - -“Believe me, with esteem, your most obedient servant, - - “JNO. GIBSON, - - “Col. 7th Virginia Reg’t.” -] - -[83] [For a full account of this exodus, the reader is referred to a -paper entitled “Wyalusing and the Moravian Mission at Friedenshütten,” -by W. C. Reichel, in Part 5 (1871) of the Transactions of the Moravian -Historical Society.] - -[84] For “_Mouseys_” read “_Monseys_.” - -[85] For “1768, _about six_,” read “1772, _a few_.” - -[86] Loskiel, part III., ch. 12. - -[87] [Pilgerruh on the Cuyahoga, within the limits of what is now -Independence township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, was the seat of the -mission during the time of the dispersion in the interval between May -of 1786, and April of 1787.] - -[88] General John Gibson thinks that _Sawano_ is their proper name; -they are so called by the other Indian nations, from their being a -southern people. _Shawaneu_, in the Lenape language, means the south; -_Shawanachau_,[89] the south wind, &c. We commonly call them the -_Shawanese_. - -[89] For “_Shawanachau_” read “_Shawanachan_.” - -[90] The Shawanos call the Mohicans their _elder brother_. - -[91] Loskiel, part II., ch. 10. - -[92] While these people lived at Wyoming and in its vicinity, they -were frequently visited by missionaries of the Society of the United -Brethren, who, knowing them to be the most depraved and ferocious tribe -of all the Indian nations they had heard of, sought to establish a -friendship with them, so as not to be interrupted in their journies -from one Indian Mission to another. Count Zinzendorf being at that -time in the country, went in 1742 with some other missionaries to -visit them at Wyoming, stayed with them 20 days, and endeavoured to -impress the gospel truths upon their minds; but these hardened people, -suspecting his views, and believing that he wanted to purchase their -land, on which it was reported there were mines of silver, conspired -to murder him, and would have effected their purpose, but that Conrad -Weiser, the Indian interpreter, arrived fortunately in time to prevent -it. (Loskiel, part II., ch. 1.) Notwithstanding this, the Brethren -frequently visited them, and Shehellemus, a chief of great influence, -having become their friend (Loskiel, ibid., ch. 8), they could now -travel with greater safety. He died at Shamokin in 1749; the Brethren -were, however, fortunate enough to obtain the friendship of Paxnos or -Paxsinos, another chief of the Shawanos, who gave them full proof of it -by sending his sons to escort one of them to Bethlehem from Shamokin, -where he was in the most perilous situation, the war having just broke -out. (Loskiel, ibid., ch. 12.) - -[93] Loskiel, part I., ch. 10. - -[94] [After the peace of 1763 there was comparative quiet on the -Western frontiers, until the inauguration of the “Dunmore War,” in the -spring of 1774--a contest which the last royal governor of Virginia is -said to have excited, in order to divert the attention of the colonists -from the oppressive acts of England towards them. The initial military -movement in this war was Col. Angus McDonald’s expedition against the -Shawanese town of Waketameki, just below the mouth of the Waketameki -Creek, within the limits of the present county of Muskingum, Ohio. The -battle fought on the 10th of October, 1774, at the junction of the -Great Kanawha and the Ohio, between the garrison of Point Pleasant, -under General Andrew Lewis, and the flower of the Shawanese, Delawares, -Mingoes, and Wyandots, led by the Cornstalk, the Shawano king, in which -the confederate Indians were routed, was speedily followed by a peace.] - -[95] See, in Loskiel’s History, part II., ch. 10, his account of the -visit of this chief to the Christian Indian Congregation at Bethlehem. - -[96] For “_Shawanos_” read “_Nanticokes_.” - -[97] [In 1726, John Harris, a Yorkshireman, settled at the mouth of the -Paxton Creek, traded largely with the neighboring Indians, cleared a -farm, and kept a ferry. John Harris, Jr., his son, born on the Paxton -in the above-mentioned year, inherited from his father 700 acres of -land, on a part of which Harrisburg was laid out in 1785.] - -[98] _Zeningi_, according to Loskiel. - -[99] For “_Schschequon_” read “_Shechschequon_.” - -[100] [For “_Christian_” read “_Christopher_.”] - -[101] Loskiel, part I., ch. 9. - -[102] For “_Tawachguáno_” read “_Tayachguáno_.” - -[103] [Now the Clinton, on whose banks New Gnadenhütten was built by -David Zeisberger in the summer of 1782.] - -[104] [The first mission established by the Moravians among the -northern tribes of Indians, was among a clan of Mohegans, in the town -of Pine Plains, Dutchess County, New York, where Christian Henry Rauch, -of Bethlehem, began his labors as an evangelist in July of 1740.] - -[105] Collections Massach. Histor. Soc., vol. I., p. 195; vol. IV., p. -67; vol. IX., p. 92. - -[106] Collections Massach. Histor. Soc., vol. IX., p. 76. - -[107] Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. IX., p. 77. Trumbull’s History of -Connecticut, vol. I., p. 28. - -[108] The Atlantic Ocean. - -[109] P. 235.--This MS. is in the library of the Society of the United -Brethren at Bethlehem. - -[110] Loskiel, part II., ch. 9. - -[111] Mr. Zeisberger wrote a complete dictionary of the Iroquois -language, in three quarto volumes, the first of which, from A to the -middle of H, is unfortunately lost. The remainder, which is preserved, -contains upwards of 800 pages, which shews that, at least, the Indian -languages are not so _poor_ as is generally imagined. It is German and -Indian, beginning with the German.[112] - -[112] [This work, entitled “_Deutch und Onondagaishes Wörterbuch_,” _i. -e._, Lexicon of the German and Onondaga Languages, complete in 7 vols., -MS., is deposited in the Library of the American Philosophical Society, -at Philadelphia. Also a complete grammar of the Onondaga by the same -author.] - -[113] This word should be pronounced according to the powers of the -German Alphabet. - -[114] Being, or Spirit. - -[115] An old Indian told me about fifty years ago, that when he was -young, he still followed the custom of his father and ancestors, in -climbing upon a high mountain or pinnacle, to thank the Great Spirit -for all the benefits before bestowed, and to pray for a continuance -of his favour; that they were sure their prayers were heard, and -acceptable to the Great Spirit, although he did not himself appear to -them. - -[116] When, between the years 1760 and 1768, the noted war-chief -Pontiac had concerted a plan of surprising and cutting off the garrison -and town of Detroit, while in the act of delivering an impressive -peace oration, to the then commandant Major Gladwyn, the _turning of -the belt_ was to have been the signal of the attack by his forces, who -all had their guns, which previously had been cut off to large pistol -length, hidden under their blankets. So I have been informed by some -of the most respectable inhabitants of Detroit, and by the Indians -themselves. - -[117] For “_once_” read “_sometimes_.” - -[118] For “_should_” read “_deserved to_.” - -[119] For “_to_” read “_out at_.” - -[120] Dele “_outside of the door and_.” - -[121] Grammatica Grœnlandico-Danico-Latina, edita à P. Egede, Hafniæ, -1760, 8vo. - -Dictionarium Grœnlandico-Danico-Latinum, adornatum à P. Egede, Hafniæ, -1750, 8vo. - -[122] For “_Thornhallesen_” read “_Thorhallesen_.” - -[123] [The Moravians have been conducting a successful mission in -Greenland since 1733. In 1761, David Crantz, one of their clergymen, -sailed for that distant country to collect material for a history, -touching its physical aspect and resources, the manners and customs -of the native tribes. Crantz’s work was published at Barby, Saxony, -in 1765, under the title of “_Historie von Grönland, enthaltend die -Beschreibung des Landes und der Einwohner insbeomdere, die Geschichte -der dortigen Mission der evangelischen Brüder zu Neu-Herrnhut und -Lichtenfels_.” An English Translation appeared in London, in 1766.] - -[124] The Hurons, a great while, perhaps centuries ago, became -disunited from the Iroquois; many wars took place between them, and -the former withdrew at last to remote places, where they settled, and -were discovered by French Missionaries and traders: of this last I was -repeatedly assured during my residence at Detroit, between 1781 and -1786. - -[125] Carver says that there are in North America, four different -languages, the Iroquois to the east, the Chippeway or Algonkin to -the northwest, the Naudowessie to the west, and the Cherokee, &c. to -the south. Travels, ch. 17, Capt. Carver, though he appears to have -been in general an accurate observer, resided too short a time among -the Indians to have a correct knowledge of their languages. [Mr. -Heckewelder quotes here and elsewhere from _“Three Years’ Travels -through the Interior Parts of North America for more than Five Thousand -Miles, &c.,” by Capt. Jonathan Carver of the Provincial Troops in -America, Phila._, 1796. Those tribes of the Naudowessies among whom -Carver resided for five months, dwelt about the River St. Pierre, 200 -miles above its junction with the Mississippi. This was the extreme -westerly point reached by the adventurous traveller. The entire nation -of the Naudowessies, according to Carver, mustered upwards of 2000 -fighting men.] - -[126] Le grand Voyage du pays des Hurons, par Samuel Sagard, Paris, -1632. To which is added, a Dictionary of the Huron language, with a -preface. - -[127] Philos. Trans. Abr., vol. lxiii., p. 142. - -[128] Hist. of the Five Nations, p. 14. - -[129] Barton’s New Views, Ed. 1798. Prelim. Disc., p. 32. - -[130] The late Dr. Barton, in the work above quoted, append., p. -3,[132] seems to doubt this fact, and relies on a series of numerals -which I once communicated to him, and was found among the papers of -the late Rev. Mr. Pyrlæus. But it is by no means certain that those -numerals were taken from the language of the Nanticokes, and the -vocabularies above mentioned leave no doubt as to the origin of that -dialect. - -[131] Letter v. - -[132] For “_page_ 3” read “_page_ 5.” - -[133] Letter xxv. - -[134] He says that it is not copious, and is only adapted to the -necessities and conveniences of life. These are the ideas which -strangers and philosophers, reasoning _à priori_, entertain of Indian -languages; but those who are well acquainted with them think very -differently. And yet the Baron says that the Algonquin is “the finest -and the most universal language on the Continent.” - -[135] Letter xi., p. 276. - -[136] It should be properly _Tortoise_; but this word seems in a fair -way to be entirely superseded by _Turtle_, as well in England as in -this country. - -[137] _Chippewäisch-Delawarischer, oder Algonkisch-Moheganischer, -Stamm._ Mithrid., part III., vol. iii., p. 337. - -[138] Vater in Mithrid., part III., vol. 3, p. 283, quotes De Laet, -Novus Orbis, pp. 98, 103, Du Pratz, vol. 2, pp. 208, 9, Rochefort, -Histoire Natur. des Antilles, pp. 351, 394, and Hervas, _Catologo delle -Lingue_, p. 90; none of which works I have it in my power to consult. - -[139] Mithrid., ibid. - -[140] Loskiel, part I., ch. 1. - -[141] Duvallon, Vue de la Colonie Espagnole du Mississippi, quoted by -Vater, in Mithrid., ibid., p. 297. - - -[142] The Bibliotheca Americana records 45 grammars and 25 dictionaries -of the languages spoken in Mexico only, and 85 works of different -authors on religious and moral subjects written or translated into some -of those languages. - -[143] For “_or_” read “_nor_.” - -[144] For “_met_” read “_saw_.” - -[145] For “_days_” read “_hours_.” - -[146] Loskiel, part III., ch. 9. - -[147] For “_December_” read “_November_.” - -[148] [Pipe, a leader of the Wolf tribe of the Monseys, was residing -in the Ohio country at the time of Bouquet’s expedition against the -Delawares and Shawanon of the Muskingum and Scioto, in 1764. When the -Moravians entered the valley of the former river, he was at home on the -Walhonding, about 15 miles above the present Coshocton. In the border -wars of the Revolution, he at first declared against the Americans, -withdrawing with the disaffected Delawares to the Tymochtee creek, -a branch of the Sandusky, within the limits of the present Crawford -County. While here, he was a serviceable tool in the hands of the -British at Detroit. To the Moravian mission among his countrymen he was -for many years unjustifiedly hostile. Eventually, however, he regarded -the work apparently with favor. It was the Pipe who doomed Col. William -Crawford to torture, after the failure of the latter’s expedition -against Sandusky in the summer of 1782. After the treaty of Fort Harmar -in January of 1789, Pipe threw all his influence on the side of those -of his people who now resolved at all hazards to uphold peace with the -United States. He died a few days before the defeat of the confederated -Indians by Wayne, near the rapids of the Maumee.] - -[149] See Loskiel, part III., ch. 9, p. 704, German text, and p. 165, -Eng. Trans. - -[150] It will be understood that he speaks here throughout for himself -and his nation or tribe, though always in the first person of the -singular, according to the Indian mode. - -[151] Meaning his nation, and speaking, as usual, in the first person. - -[152] Meaning women and children. - -[153] Prisoners. - -[154] To make his language agree with the expression _live flesh_. - -[155] For “_with_” read “_of_.” - -[156] According to the powers of the English alphabet, it should be -written Koo-ek-wen-aw-koo. - -[157] Rogers’s Key into the Language of the Indians of New England, ch. -vi. - -[158] For “_they_” read “_the Chippeways and some other nations_.” - -[159] [In Green township, in what is now Ashland County.] - -[160] For “_your_” read “_yon_.” - -[161] After the word “_nation_” insert “_which they do not approve of_.” - -[162] [Alexander McKee, Matthew Elliott, and Simon Girty,--the -first some time a British agent among the Indians, the second with -a captain’s commission from the commandant at Detroit, the third as -brutal, depraved, and wicked a wretch as ever lived,--deserted with -a squad of soldiers from Fort Pitt, in March of 1778. This trio of -renegade desperadoes, henceforth, in the capacity of emissaries of the -British at Detroit (with their savage allies), wrought untold misery on -the frontiers, even till the peace of 1795.] - -[163] For “_they sure_” read “_they are sure_.” - -[164] For “_reply_” read “_answer_.” - -[165] The pronouns in the Indian language have no feminine gender. - -[166] For “_decide_” read “_say_.” - -[167] For “_man_” read “_men_.” - -[168] Between “_is_” and “_even_” insert “_sometimes_.” - -[169] For “_an old Indian_” read “_several old men_.” - -[170] [The fort, built by Franklin in the early winter of 1756, stood -on the site of Weissport, on the left bank of the Lehigh, in Carbon -County, Penna. The well of the fort alone remains to mark its site.] - -[171] For “_road_” read “_course_.” - -[172] [The road from Easton, via Ross Common and the Pocono, to -Wilkes-Barré, formerly called the Wilkes-Barré turnpike.] - -[173] [Mr. Heckewelder had been despatched by the Mission Board at -Bethlehem to Fairfield, on the Retrenche, (Thames,) in Upper Canada, -where the Moravian Indians settled in 1792, to advise with them and -their teachers, concerning a return to the valley of the Tuscarawas, in -which the survey of a grant of 12,000 acres of land, made by Congress, -had recently been completed. Pursuant to his instructions, he proceeded -from Fairfield to the Tuscarawas, to make the necessary preparations -for a colony that was to follow in the ensuing autumn, and re-founded -Gnadenhütten. The village of Goshen, seven miles higher up the river, -was built in October, on the arrival of David Zeisberger and the -expected colony from the Retrenche.] - -[174] [The Wyandot village of Upper Sandusky was three miles in a -south-easterly direction from the site of the present town of Upper -Sandusky, the county-seat of Wyandot County, Ohio. Lower Sandusky, a -trading-post and Wyandot town, was situated at the head of navigation -on the Sandusky. Fremont, the county-seat of Sandusky County, marks -its site. Here the Moravian missionaries and their families were most -hospitably entertained by Arundel and Robbins for upwards of three -weeks, while awaiting the arrival of boats from Detroit, on which they -were to be taken as prisoners of war to that post. It was through -British influence that the Mission on the Muskingum had been overthrown -in the early autumn of 1781, and that its seat was transferred to the -Sandusky. Fort McIntosh stood on the present town of Beaver, Beaver -County, Pennsylvania. It was erected in October of 1778 by General -McIntosh, then in command of the Western Department.] - -[175] For “_where_” read “_whence_.” - -[176] [On the 18th October, 1755, a party of Indians fell upon the -settlers on the Big Mahanoy, (now Penn’s Creek, in Union County, -Penna.,) killed and carried off twenty-five persons, and burned and -destroyed all the buildings and improvements.--_Colonial Records_, -_vol._ 6, p. 766.] - -[177] For “_Duke Holland_” read “_Luke Holland_;” the same where the -name again occurs. - -[178] Indian stockings. - -[179] [The three Commissioners set out from Fort Washington -(Cincinnati) for the Indian country in June of 1792, but never -returned. Despite the failure of this mission, General Rufus Putnam was -without delay despatched on a similar errand, and at Post Vincennes, -on the Wabash, in September of the above mentioned year, concluded a -treaty of peace with a number of the Western tribes. Mr. Heckewelder -was associated by the War Department with Putnam in this perilous -undertaking.] - -[180] [Cornstalk, the well-known Shawano king, while held by the -Americans in the fort at Point Pleasant, at the mouth of the Kanhawa, -was murdered by some soldiers of the garrison, in revenge for the loss -of one of their companions, who had met his death while hunting, at the -hands of a British Indian.] - -[181] The Bible. - -[182] The Indians gave this name to General Wayne, because they say -that he had all the cunning of this animal, who is superior to all -other snakes in the manner of procuring his food. He hides himself in -the grass with his head only above it, watching all around to see where -the birds are building their nests, that he may know where to find the -young ones when they are hatched. - -[183] This is not applicable to the Iroquois of the present time. - -[184] [A Monsey of Wyalusing, at whose persuasion the Moravian Indians -settled on that stream in 1765, who became one of their number, -following them to the Big Beaver and the Tuscarawas, where he died -in May of 1775. Papunhank’s name occurs frequently in the annals of -Provincial history between 1762 and 1765.] - -[185] [The Chinglacamoose, now the Moose, empties into the Susquehannah -in Clearfield County, Penna.] - -[186] Dele _again_. - -[187] Bethlehem. - -[188] [“The serenity of Michael’s countenance,” writes Loskiel, “when -he was laid in his coffin, contrasted strangely with the figures -scarified upon his face when a warrior. These were as follows: upon -the right cheek and temple, a large snake; from the under lip a pole -passed over the nose, and between the eyes and the top of the forehead, -ornamented at every quarter of an inch with round marks, representing -scalps; upon the upper cheek, two lances crossing each other; and upon -the lower jaw, the head of a wild boar.”] - -[189] See Loskiel, part I., ch. 3. - -[190] See Loskiel, part I., ch. 11. - -[191] For “_very often_” read “_sometimes_.” - -[192] For “_inches_” read “_feet_.” - -[193] For “_of_” read “_on_.” - -[194] Podophyllum peltatum. - -[195] [Mr. Heckewelder was in this year residing at New Gnadenhütten on -the Huron (now the Clinton), Michigan, where the Moravian Missionaries -ministered to their converts for upwards of three years, subsequent to -their compulsory evacuation of the Tuscarawas valley.] - -[196] They call them _Doctols_; because the Indians cannot pronounce -the letter R. The Minsi or Monseys call them “Mĕdéu,” which signifies -“conjuror.” - -[197] [Gelelemend, _i. e._, _a leader_, (whose soubriquet among the -whites was Kill-buck,) a grandson of the well-known Netawatwes, was -sometime chief counsellor of the Turkey tribe of the Delaware nation, -and after the death of Captain White Eyes, installed temporarily as -principal chief. He was a strenuous advocate of peace among his people -in the times of the Revolutionary war; and being a man of influence, -drew upon himself, in consequence, the implacable animosity of those -of his countrymen who took up arms against the Americans. Even after -the general peace concluded between the United States and the Indians -of the West in 1795, his life was on several occasions imperilled by -his former opponents. Gelelemend united with the Moravian Indians, at -Salem, on the Petquotting in the summer of 1788, where, in baptism, -he was named William Henry, after Judge William Henry, of Lancaster. -He died at Goshen, in the early winter of 1811, in the eightieth year -of his age. He is said to have been born in 1737, in the neighborhood -of the Lehigh Water Gap, Carbon County, Pa. William Henry Gelelemend -was one of the last converts of distinction attached to the Moravian -Mission among the Indians.] - -[198] [Goschachking, sometime the capital of the Delaware nation, stood -on the Muskingum, immediately below the junction of the Tuscarawas and -the Walhonding. On its site stands Coshocton. The town was destroyed by -Gen. Brodhead in 1781.] - -[199] For “_Americans_” read “_white men_.” - -[200] The following extract from the Detroit Gazette, shews that this -superstitious belief of the Indians in the powers of witchcraft, still -continues in full force, even among those who live in the vicinity of -the whites, and are in the habit of constant intercourse with them. - -_From the Detroit Gazette of the 17th of August, 1818._ - -On the evening of the 22d ult. an Indian of the Wyandot tribe was -murdered by some of his relatives, near the mouth of the river Huron, -on lake Erie. The circumstances, in brief, are as follows: - -“It appears that two Wyandots, residing at Malden, and relatives to -the deceased, had been informed by Captain Johnny, an Indian living -on the Huron river, and also a relative, that a Shawanee Indian had -come to his death by the witchcraft of an old Indian woman and her -son Mike, and that in order to avert the vengeance of the Shawanee -tribe, it would be necessary to kill them--and furthermore, that the -death of Walk-in-the-water, who died last June, was caused by the same -old woman’s witchcraft. It was determined to kill the old woman and -her son--and for that purpose they crossed over on the 22d ult. and -succeeded in the course of the evening in killing the latter in his -cabin. The old woman was not at home. The next day, while endeavouring -to persuade her to accompany them into the woods, as they said, to -drink whiskey, they were discovered by Dr. William Brown and Mr. -Oliver Williams, who had received that morning intimations of their -intentions, and owing to the exertions of these gentlemen, the old -woman’s life was preserved and one of the Indians taken, who is now -confined in the jail of this city--the others escaped by swiftness of -foot. - -“On the examination of the Indian taken, it appeared that the old -woman, shortly after the death of the Shawanee, had entered his cabin, -and in a voice of exultation, called upon him, saying--’Shawanee -man! where are you?--You that mocked me; you thought you would live -forever--you are gone and I am here--come--Why do you not come?’ -&c.--She is said to have made use of nearly the same words in the cabin -of Walk-in-the-water, shortly after his death.” - -[201] War-hatchet: from which we have made _tomahawk_. - -[202] The Indians call the American continent an island; believing it -to be (as in fact, probably, it is) entirely surrounded with water. - -[203] For “_killed_” read “_eaten_.” - -[204] Mr. Pyrlæus lived long among the Iroquois, and was well -acquainted with their language. He was instructed in the Mohawk dialect -by the celebrated interpreter Conrad Weiser. He has left behind him -some manuscript grammatical works on that idiom, one of them is -entitled: _Affixa nominum et verborum Linguæ Macquaicæ_, and another, -_Adjectiva, nomina et pronomina Linguæ Macquaicæ_. These MSS. are in -the library of the Society of the United Brethren at Bethlehem. - -[205] For “_Pauksit_” read “_P’duk-sit_.” - -[206] See page 101. - -[207] Probably alluding to a tradition which the Indians have of a very -ferocious kind of bear, called the _naked bear_, which they say once -existed, but was totally destroyed by their ancestors. The last was -killed in the New York state, at a place they called _Hoosink_, which -means the _Basin_, or more properly the _Kettle_. - -[208] The same whom Mr. de Volney speaks of in his excellent “View of -the Soil and Climate of the United States.” Supplement, No. VI., page -356, Philadelphia Edition, 1804. - -[209] See ch. 29, p. 225. - -[210] See ch. 28, p. 221. - -[211] See ch. 2. - -[212] Dele “_lands or_.” - -[213] This word means _liquor_, and is also used in the sense of a -medicinal draught, or other compound potion. - -[214] [Shingask, which signifies _boggy or marshy ground overgrown -with grass_, a brother of Tamaqua, or King Beaver, ranked first among -Indian warriors in the times of the so-called French and Indian war. -The frontiers of Pennsylvania suffering severely from the forays of -this Delaware and his braves, Governor Denny, in 1756, set a price of -£200 upon his head or scalp. Mr. Heckewelder, in a “Collection of the -Names of Chieftains and Eminent Men of the Delaware Nation” states that -Shingask, although an implacable foe in battle, was never known to -treat a prisoner with cruelty. “One day,” he goes on to say, “in the -summer of 1762, while passing with him near by where two prisoners of -his--boys of about twelve years of age--were amusing themselves with -his own boys, as the chief observed that my attention was arrested by -them, he asked me at what I was looking. Telling him in reply that I -was looking at his prisoners, he said, ‘When I first took them, they -were such; but now they and my children eat their food from the same -bowl or dish;’ which was equivalent to saying that they were in all -respects on an equal footing with his own children, or alike dear to -him.”] - -[215] A kind of round buckle with a tongue, which the Indians fasten -to their shirts. The traders call them _broaches_. They are placed in -rows, at the distance of about the breadth of a finger one from the -other. - -[216] The same whom I have spoken of above, page 184, No. 4. - -[217] For “_Albany_” read “_Pittsburg_.” - -[218] See ch. 15, p. 151. - -[219] The Indian name of Capt. White Eyes. - -[220] Page 188. - -[221] For “_Sandusky_” read “_Muskingum_.” - -[222] See above, pages 81, 184. - -[223] [Williamson did not lead the expedition against Sandusky, nor was -it organized for the destruction of the Moravian Indians, then in the -Sandusky country. It was led by Colonel William Crawford. Sanctioned -by General Irvine, then in command of the Western Department, the -undertaking was intended to be effectual in ending the troubles upon -the western frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia, by punishing -the Wyandots, Shawanese, Delawares, and Mingoes, whose war-parties -were wont to come from their settlements in Sandusky, to kill and -devastate along the borders. See Butterfield’s _Crawford’s Campaign -against Sandusky_, for full details touching the fitting out of this -expedition, its disastrous termination, and the awful death by torture -of its commanding officer. - -In a letter written by Washington to General Irvine, and dated -_Headquarters, 6th August, 1782_, he expresses himself in the following -words: “I lament the failure of the expedition, and am particularly -affected with the disastrous fate of Colonel Crawford. No other than -the extremest torture which could be inflicted by the savages, could, I -think, have been expected by those who were unhappy enough to fall into -their hands, especially under the present exasperation of their minds -from the treatment given their Moravian friends. For this reason, no -person should at this time suffer himself to fall alive into the hands -of the Indians.”--_MS. in the Irvine Collection._] - -[224] This name, according to the English orthography, should be -written _Winganoond_ or _Wingaynoond_, the second syllable accented and -long, and the last syllable short. - -[225] The people were at that moment advancing, with shouts and yells, -to torture and put him to death. - -[226] Ruth, i. 16. - -[227] Of the value of one dollar. - -[228] For “_bought_” read “_brought_.” - -[229] [A Monsey settlement near the mouth of the Tionesta, within the -limits of the present Venango County. It was visited by Mr. Zeisberger -for the first time in the autumn of 1767; in the following year it -became the seat of a mission. In 1770, the Allegheny was exchanged by -the missionary and his converts for the Beaver. Zeisberger’s labors -at Goschgoschink furnished the subject for Schüssele’s historical -painting, “The Power of the Gospel.”] - -[230] See Nile’s Weekly Register, vol. i., p. 141, vol. v., p. 174, and -vol. vi., p. 111. - -[231] This appears to be a mistake; Leather-lips, as has been stated -above, was a chief of the Wyandots or Hurons, and is so styled in the -treaty of Greenville, otherwise called Wayne’s Treaty, where he was one -of the representatives of that nation. - -[232] The Indian name of this chief was Tar-he; he was also a Wyandot -or Huron, and one of the signers of the Greenville treaty. How great -must have been the power of Tecumseh, who trusted the execution of -Leather-lips to a chief of the same nation! - -[233] [The earliest record of Tamanen is the affix of his mark to a -deed, dated 23d day of the 4th month, 1683, by which he and Metamequan -conveyed to old Proprietor Penn a tract of land, lying between the -Pennypack and Neshaminy creeks, in Bucks County.--_Pennsylvania -Archives_, vol. i., p. 64. Heckewelder gives the signification of the -Delaware word “tamanen” as _affable_.] - -[234] [Tadeuskund was baptized at the Gnadenhütten Mission, (Lehighton, -Carbon County, Pa.,) by the Moravian Bishop Cammerhoff, of Bethlehem, -in March of 1750. For additional notices of this prominent actor in -the French and Indian war, extracted from manuscripts in the Archives -of the Moravian Church at Bethlehem, the reader is referred to -_Memorials of the Moravian Church_, vol. i., edited by _W. C. Reichel, -Philadelphia, 1870_.] - -[235] [Moses Tatemy was a convert of, and sometime an interpreter for, -David Brainerd, during that evangelist’s career among the Delawares of -New Jersey and Pennsylvania, who were settled on both sides of their -great river, between its forks and the Minisinks. A grant of upwards of -200 acres of land, lying on the east branch of Lehietan or Bushkill, -within the limits of the present Northampton County, Pa., was confirmed -to the chief about the year 1737, by the Proprietaries’ agents, for -valuable services rendered. On this reservation, Tatemy was residing -as late as 1753, and probably later. He was there a near neighbour -of the Moravians at Nazareth. In the interval between 1756 and 1760, -he participated in most of the numerous treaties and conferences -between the Governors of the Province and his countrymen, frequently -in the capacity of an interpreter. Subsequent to the last-mentioned -year, his name ceases to appear on the Minutes of the Provincial -Council. He probably died in 1761. Such being the facts in the case, -Mr. Heckewelder is in error when he states that Tatemy lost his life -at the hands of a white man _prior to 1754_. That a _son_ of the old -chieftain, _Bill Tatemy_ by name, was mortally wounded in July of 1757, -by a young man in the Ulster-Scot settlement, (within the limits of -Allen township, Northampton County,) while straying from a body of -Indians, who were on their way from Fort Allen to Easton, to a treaty, -is on record in the official papers of that day. This unprovoked -assault upon one of their countrymen, as was to be expected, incensed -the disaffected Indians to such a degree, that Governor Denny was fain -to assure them, at the opening of the treaty, that the offender should -be speedily brought to justice; at the same time, he condoled with the -afflicted father. _Bill Tatemy_ died near Bethlehem, from the effects -of the gun-shot wound, within five weeks. He had been sometime under -John Brainerd’s teaching, at Cranberry, N. J., and was a professing -Christian.] - -[236] See above page 67, and see the Errata with reference to that page. - -[237] Ch. 34, pp. 255, 256. - -[238] [These chiefs were representatives of the seven nations with whom -Gen. Putnam concluded a treaty in September of the above-mentioned -year, and were on their way to Philadelphia. - -_Note._--The following is a copy of the letter written by the Secretary -of War to Mr. Heckewelder, advising him of Putnam’s request that he -might be associated with him in his mission to the western Indians: - - “WAR DEPARTMENT, _18 May, 1792_. - - “SIR.--I have the honour to inform you that the United States - have for some time past been making pacific overtures to the - hostile Indians north-west of the Ohio. It is to be expected - that these overtures will soon be brought to an issue under - the direction of Brigadier-General Putnam, of Marietta, who is - specially charged with this business. - - “He is now in this city, and will be in readiness to set out - on Monday next, and being acquainted with you, he is extremely - desirous that you should accompany him in the prosecution of - this good work. - - “Being myself most cordially impressed with a respect for your - character and love of the Indians, on the purest principles - of justice and humanity, I have cheerfully acquiesced in the - desire of Gen. Putnam. - - “I hope sincerely it may be convenient for you to accompany or - follow him soon, in order to execute a business which is not - unpromising, and which, if accomplished, will redound to the - credit of the individuals who perform it. - - “As to pecuniary considerations, I shall arrange them - satisfactorily with you. - - “With great respect, I am, sir, your most obedient servant, - “H. KNOX, - _Secretary of War_.”] - -[239] [Col. Ebenezer Sproat was one of the colony which, under the -auspices of the recently formed Ohio Company, and led by Gen. Putnam, -emigrated to the Ohio country in the spring of 1788, and founded -Marietta.] - -[240] Ch. 6, p. 104. - -[241] For “_them_” read “_us_.” - -[242] Sun-fish. - -[243] Vocabularium Barbaro-Virgineorum, bound with an Indian -translation from the Swedish of Luther’s Catechism. Stockholm, 1696, -duod. - -[244] Carver’s Travels, Introduction, p. 72. Boston Edit., 1797. - -[245] Carver was only 14 months in the Indian country, during which -time he says he travelled near 4000 miles and visited twelve different -nations of Indians. - -[246] For “_Indians_” read “_traders_.” - -[247] [They were sent to Goschschoking (Coshocton), the then capital of -the Delaware nation, to condole with that people on the death of White -Eyes.] - -[248] Ch. 7, p. 111. - -[249] See above, ch. 18, p. 172. - -[250] Dr. Boudinot was long a member, and once President, of the -Continental Congress, and his talents were very useful to the cause -which he had embraced. At a very advanced age, he now enjoys literary -ease in a dignified retirement. - -[251] A Star in the West, or a humble attempt to discover the long lost -ten tribes of Israel, preparatory to their return to their beloved -city, Jerusalem. Trenton (New Jersey), 1816. - -[252] See page 140, and following. - -[253] Star in the West, p. 138. - -[254] This relation is authentic. I have received it from the mouth -of the chief of the injured party, and his statement was confirmed by -communications made at the time by two respectable magistrates of the -county. - -[255] [This outrage was committed at the public house of John Stenton, -which stood on the road leading from Bethlehem to Fort Allen, a short -mile north of the present Howertown, Allen township, Northampton -County. Stenton belonged to the Scotch-Irish, who settled in that -region as early as 1728.] - -[256] [Nescopeck was an Indian settlement on the highway of Indian -travel between Fort Allen and the Wyoming Valley.] - -[257] Justice Geiger’s letter to Justice Horsefield proves this fact - -[258] [These unprovoked barbarities were perpetrated by a squad of -soldiers who, in command of Captain Jacob Wetterholt, of the Provincial -service, were in quarters at the Lehigh Water Gap, Carbon County, Pa.] - -[259] [In this paragraph, Mr. Heckewelder briefly alludes to the _last -foray_ made by Indians into old Northampton County, south of the -Blue Mountain. It occurred on the 8th of October, 1763. An account -of the affair at Stenton’s, on the morning of that day, in which -Stenton was shot dead, and Captain Jacob Wetterholt and several of -his men seriously or mortally wounded, was published in Franklin’s -_Pennsylvania Gazette_, of October 18th, 1763. Leaving Stenton’s, after -the loss of one of their number, the Indians crossed the Lehigh, and -on their way to a store and tavern on the Copley creek, (where they -also had been wronged by the whites,) they murdered several families -residing within the limits of the present Whitehall township, Lehigh -County. Laden with plunder, they then struck for the wilderness north -of the Blue Mountain. Upwards of twenty settlers were killed or -captured on that memorable day, and the buildings on several farms were -laid in ashes.] - -[260] [The 5,000 acres at Nazareth, which Whitefield sold to the -Moravians in 1741, were first held by Lætitia Aubrey, to whom it -had been granted by her father, William Penn, in 1682. The right -of erecting this tract, or any portion thereof, into a manor, of -holding court-baron thereon, and of holding views of frankpledge for -the conservation of the peace, were special privileges accorded to -the grantee by the grantor. It was one of few of the original grants -similarly invested. The royalty, however, in all cases remained a dead -letter.] - -[261] Alluding to what was at that time known by the name of the _long -day’s walk_. - -[262] See above, p. 302. - -[263] The same of whom I have spoken above, p. 171. - -[264] See above, pp. 135, 136. - -[265] Above, p. 279. - -[266] Carver’s Travels, ch. 9, p. 196. Edit. above cited. - -[267] [Glikhican, one of the converts of distinction attached to the -Moravian mission, was a man of note among his people, both in the -council chamber and on the war-path. When the Moravians first met -him he resided at Kaskaskunk, on the Beaver, and at Friedenstadt, on -that river, he was baptized by David Zeisberger in December of 1770. -Subsequently he became a “national assistant” in the work of the -Gospel, lived consistently with his profession, and met his death at -the hands of Williamson’s men at Gnadenhütten in March of 1782.] - -[268] See above, p. 338. - -[269] Loskiel, p. 3, ch. 3. - -[270] [The valley of the Conecocheague, which stream drains Franklin -County, Pennsylvania, was explored and settled about 1730 by -Scotch-Irish pioneers, among whom were three brothers of the name of -Chambers. The site of Chambersburg was built on by Joseph Chambers. -The Conecocheague settlement suffered much from the Indians after -Braddock’s defeat in 1755.] - -[271] Letter V. - -[272] For “_Zeisberger_” read “_Heckewelder_.” - -[273] These papers have been communicated. - -[274] For “_from_” read “_for_.” - -[275] For “_schawanáki_” read “_schwanameki_.” - -[276] For “_chwani_” read “_chwami_.” - -[277] An Enquiry into the Question, whether America was peopled from -the Old Continent? - -[278] The Chippeways have hardly any grammatical forms. - -[279] See Philos. Trans. abridged; vol. lxiii., 142. - -[280] Colden’s Hist. of the Five Nations. Octavo ed., 1747, p. 14. - -[281] One of them empties itself into the north side of Lake St. Clair, -another at the west end of Lake Erie, and a third on the south side of -the said lake, about twenty-five miles east of Sandusky river or bay. - -[282] For “_K’lehelleya_” read “_K’lehellecheya_.” - -[283] From the verb _Pommauchsin_. - -[284] In the original it is _N’mizi_; the German _z_ being pronounced -like _tz_, which mode of spelling has been adopted in this publication. - -[285] For “_Wulatopnachgat_” read “_Wulaptonachgat_.” - -[286] For “_Wulatonamin_” read “_Wulatenamin_.” - -[287] For “_manner_” read “_matter_.” - -[288] For “_achpansi_” read “_achpanschi_.” - -[289] _Wenitschanit_, the parent or owner of a child naturally -begotten; _wetallemansit_, the owner of the beast. - -[290] [_A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the Christian Indians of -the Missions of the United Brethren, in North America._ Philadelphia: -Printed by Henry Sweitzer, at the corner of Race and Fourth Streets, -1803. A second edition of this work abridged, and edited by the Rev. -Abraham Luckenbach, was published at Bethlehem in 1847.] - -[291] For “_Indian corn_” read “_a particular species of Indian corn_.” - -[292] All words ending in _ican_, _hican_, _kschican_, denote a -sharp instrument for cutting. _Pachkschican_, a knife; _pkuschican_, -a gimlet, an instrument which cuts into holes; _tangamican_, or -_tangandican_, a spear, a sharp-pointed instrument; _poyachkican_, a -gun, or an instrument that cuts with force. - -[293] For “_Ktahoatell_” read “_Ktahoalell_.” - -[294] For “_gunich_” read “_gunih_.” - -[295] Quin et emissurus Fucinum lacum, naumachiam ante commisit. -Sed cum proclamantibus naumachiariis “Ave, Imperator! morituri te -salutant,” respondisset “Avete vos!” neque post hanc vocem, quasi veniâ -datâ, quisquam dimicare vellet, diù cunctatus an omnes igni ferroque -absumeret, tandem è sede sua prosiluit, ac per ambitum lacûs, non sine -fœdâ vacillatione discurrens, partim minando, partim adhortando, ad -pugnam compulit. Sueton. in Claud. 21. - -[296] Gœthe, in Wilhelm Meister. - -[297] For “_Eliwulek_” read “_Eluwilek_.” - -[298] For “_Allowilen_” read “_Allowilek_.” - -[299] For the English translation of these two words substitute “_the -most extraordinary_, _the most wonderful_.” - -[300] For “_Eluwantowit_” read “_Eluwannitlowit_.” - -[301] For “_Elewassit_” read “_Elewussit_.” - -[302] For “_the supremely good_” read “_the most holy one_.” - -[303] Bey vielen Amerikanischen Sprachen finden wir theils einen so -künstlichen und zusammengesetzten bau, und einem so grossen reichthum -an grammatischen formen, wie ihn selbst bey dem verbum wenige sprachen -der Welt haben: theils scheinen sie so arm an aller grammatischen -ausbildung, wie die sprachen der rohesten Völker in Nord-Ost-Asia und -in Afrika seyn mögen. _Untersuchungen über Amerikas bevölkerung_, S. -152. - -[304] Among the Mbayas, a nation of Paraguay, it is said that young men -and girls, before their marriage, speak a language differing in many -respects from that of married men and women. Azara, c. 10. - -[305] For “_schingieschin_” read “_schingiechin_.” - -[306] The _k_ which is prefixed to this and the following substantives, -conveys the idea of the pronoun _thy_; it is a repetition (as it were) -of the beginning of the phrase “for _thine_” &c., and enforces its -meaning. _Ksakimowagan_, may be thus dissected: _k_, thy, _sakima_, -king or chief, _wagan_, substantive termination, added to _king_, makes -_kingdom_. - -[307] See Letters 8 and 10. - -[308] M. Raynouard, in his excellent Researches on the Origin and -Formation of the corrupted Roman Language, spoken before the year 1000, -has sufficiently proved that the French articles _le_, the Spanish -_el_, and the Italian _il_, are derived from the Latin demonstrative -pronoun _ille_, which began about the sixth century to be prefixed to -the substantive. Thus they said: ILLI _Saxones_, “THE SAXONS;” ILLI -_negociatores de Longobardia_, “THE Lombard merchants,” &c. So natural -is the use of the pronominal form to give clearness and precision to -language. _Recherches_, &c., p. 39. - -[309] For “_Mamschalgussiwagan_” read “_Mamschalgussowagan_.” - -[310] For “_Mamintochimgussowagan_” read “_Mamintschimgussowagan_.” - -[311] For “_M’chonschicanes_” read “_M’chonschican_.” - - -[Transcriber’s Note: - -Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original.] - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of History, Manners, and Customs of The -Indian Nations who once Inhabited Pe, by John Heckewelder - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIAN NATIONS *** - -***** This file should be named 50350-0.txt or 50350-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/3/5/50350/ - -Produced by Shaun Pinder, Wayne hammond, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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