網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

rested, till he happily discovered five of those Indians who had pursued him :-he lay hid a little way off their camp, till they were sound asleep. Every circumstance of his situation occurred to him, and inspired him with heroism.-He was naked, torn, and hungry, and his enraged enemies were come up with him ;but there was now every thing to relieve his wants, and a fair opportunity to save his life, and get great honour and sweet revenge by cutting them off.— Resolution, a convenient spot, and sudden surprise, would effect the main object of all his wishes and hopes. He accordingly creeped, took one of their tomohawks, and killed them all on the spot

clothed himself, took a choice gun, and as much carry in

ammunition and provisions as he could well

a running march. He set off afresh with a light heart, and did not sleep for several successive nights, only when he reclined, as usual, a little before day, with his back to a tree. As it were by instinct, when he found he was free from the pursuing enemy he made directly to the very place where he had killed seven of his enemies, and was taken by them

for the fiery torture. He digged them up-burnt

their bodies to ashes, and went home in safety with singular triumph.-Other pursuing enemies came, on the evening of the second day, to the camp of their dead people, when the sight gave them a greater shock than they had ever known before. In their chilled war council they concluded, that as he had done such surprising things in his defence before he

was captivated, and since that in his naked condition, and now was well armed, if they continued the pursuit he would spoil them all, for he surely was an enemy wizard,—and therefore they returned home. --ADAIR'S General Observations on the American

Indians, p. 394.

It is surprising, says the same author, to see the long continued speed of the Indians.-Though some of us have often ran the swiftest of them out of sight for about the distance of twelve miles, yet afterwards, without any seeming toil, they would stretch onleave us out of sight, and outwind any horse.-Ibid.

p. 318.

If an Indian were driven out into the extensive

woods, with only a knife and a tomohawk, or a small

hatchet, it is not to be doubted but he would fatten

even where a wolf would starve.-He would soon

collect fire by rubbing two dry pieces of wood together, make a bark hut, earthen vessels, and a bow and arrows; then kill wild game, fish, fresh water tortoises, gather a plentiful variety of vegetables, and live in affluence.-Ibid. p. 410.

Stanza 23. 1. 7.

Mocazins is a sort of Indian buskins.

Stanza 25. l. 1.

Sleep, wearied one! in the dreaming land.

Shouldst thou the spirit of thy mother greet.

There is nothing (says Charlevoix) in which these

barbarians carry their superstitions farther, than in

F 5

what regards dreams, but they vary greatly in their

manner of explaining themselves on this point. Sometimes it is the reasonable soul which ranges:

abroad, while the sensitive continues to animate the body. Sometimes it is the familiar genius who gives salutary counsel with respect to what is going to happen. Sometimes it is a visit made by the soul, of the object of which he dreams.-But in whatever manner the dream is conceived, it is always looked upon as a thing sacred, and as the most ordinary way in which the gods make known their will to men.

Filled with this idea, they cannot conceive how

we should pay no regard to them. For the most part they look upon them either as a desire of the soul, inspired by some genius, or an order from him,

« 上一頁繼續 »