The twelfth arrow he held a long time in his hands, and looked around keenly on every side to spy the manitoes he was after. But these manitoes were very cunning, and could change their form in a moment. All they feared was the boy's arrows, for these were magic arrows, which had been given to him by a good spirit, and had power to kill them, if aimed aright. At length, the boy drew up his last arrow, settled in his aim, and let fly, as he thought, into the very heart of the chief of the manitoes; but before the arrow reached him, he changed himself into a rock. Into this rock, the head of the arrow sank deep and stuck fast. "Now your gifts are all expended," cried the enraged manito," and I will make an example of your audacity and pride of heart, for lifting your bow against me"-and so saying, he transformed the boy into the Nazhik-a-wä wä sun, or Lone Lightning, which may be observed in the northern sky, to this day. AK ÚK O JEESH, OR GROUNDHOG. AN ODJIBWA TALE. A FEMALE akukojeesh, or groundhog, with a numerous family of young ones, was burrowing in her wauzh, or hole in the ground, one long winter, in the north, when the young ones became impatient for spring. Every day the mother would go out and get roots and other things, which she brought in to them to eat; and she always told them to lie close and keep warm, and never to venture towards the mouth of the wauzh. But they became very impatient at last to see the light and the green woods. Mother, said they, is it not almost spring? No! no! said she, in a cross humor, keep still and wait patiently; it hails, it snows, it is cold-it is windy. Why should you wish to go out? This she told them so often, and said it in such a bad temper, that they at last suspected some deception. One day she came in, after having been a long while absent, and fell asleep, with her mouth open. The little ones peeped in slily, and saw on her teeth the remains of the nice white bulbous roots of the mo-na-wing, or adder's tongue violet. They at once knew it was spring, and without disturbing the old one, who only wanted to keep them in till they were full grown, away they scampered, out of the hole, and dispersed themselves about the forest, and so the family were all scattered. "THE LOON UPON THE LAKE." BY E. F. HOFFMAN. [From the Chippewa.*] I LOOKED across the water, I thought it was my lover, My true lover's paddle glistened. Joyous thus his light canoe would the silver ripples wake.— Where he stood, his red scarf waving, Boughs they then were newly laving. I hear his last farewell, as it echoed from the brake.— Nenemoshain nindenaìndum THE CHEROKEES. WE learn from the Cherokee Advocate, that Col. George Washington and Col. Armstrong, commissioners to adjudicate the claims of the Cherokee nation under the treaty of 1835-6, have arrived at Tallequah and have entered upon their inquiries. Gen. John T. Mason was detained at Fort Gibson by indisposition. The investigation will embrace only matters that strictly come within the terms of the treaty-a treaty which the Advocate characterizes as "a real Pandora's box, whence have sprung full-grown among the Cherokee people ten thousand wrongs, vexations, jealousies, heart-burnings and other evils." The editor strongly urges upon the United States Government, now that the ostensible object of the treaty-the removal of the Cherokees-has been accomplished, a more "just and liberal conduct toward that nation ;" and that they shall not "be turned away when they approach to ask, not the bestowment of lavish favors, but the dispensation of mere justice." HISTORY. ERA OF THE SETTLEMENT OF DETROIT, AND THE STRAITS BETWEEN LAKES ERIE AND HURON. THE following papers, relative to the early occupancy of these straits, were copied from the originals in the public archives in Paris, by Gen. Cass, while he exercised the functions of minister at the court of France. The first relates to an act of occupancy made on the banks of a tributary of the Detroit river, called St. Deny's, probably the river Aux Canards. The second coincides with the period usually assigned as the origin of the post of Detroit. They are further valuable, for the notice which is incidentally taken of the leading tribes, who were then found upon these straits. It will be recollected, in perusing these documents, that La Salle had passed these straits on his way to "the Illinois," in 1679, that is, eight years before the act of possession at St. Deny's, and twenty-two years before the establishment of the post of Detroit. The upper lakes had then, however, been extensively laid open to the enterprise of the missionaries, and of the adventurers in the fur trade. Marquette, accompanied by Alloez, had visited the south shore of Lake Superior in 1668, and made a map of the region, which was published in the Lettres Edifiantes. This zealous and energetic man established the mission of St. Ignace at Michilimackinac, about 1669 or 1670, and three years afterwards, entered the upper Mississippi, from the Wisconsin. Vincennes, on the Wabash, was established in 1710;* St. Louis, not till 1763.† CANADA, 7th June, 1687. A renewal of the taking possession of the territory upon the Straits [Detroit] between Lakes Erie and Huron, by Sieur de la Duranthaye Oliver Morel, Equerry, Sieur de la Duranthaye, commandant in the name of the King of the Territory of the Ottawas, Miamis, Pottawatamies, Sioux, and other tribes under the orders of Monsieur, the Marquis de Denonsville, Governor General of New France. This day, the 7th of June, 1687, in presence of the Rev'd Father Angeleran, Head of the Missions with the Ottawas‡ of Michilimackinac, the *Nicollet's Report. † Law's Historical Dis. This is, manifestly, an error. The writer of this act of possession appears to have mistaken the bank of the St. Mary's, one of the tributaries of the Miami of the Lakes, in the Miami country, for the Sault de Ste-Marie, at the outlet of Lake Superior. The latter position was occupied, at the earliest dates, to which tradition reaches, by a branch of the Algonquins, to whom the French gave the name, from the falls of the river at that locality, of Saulteux. They are better known, at this day under the name of Chippewas and Odjibwas. Miamis of Sault Ste-Marie, the Illinois, and Green Bay, and of the Sioux of Mons. de la Forest, formerly commandant of Fort St. Louis on the Illinois, of Mons. de Lisle, our Lieutenant, and of Mons. de Beauvais, Lieutenant of Fort St. Joseph, on the Straits [Detroit] between Lakes Huron and Erie. We declare to all whom it may hereafter con cern, that we have come upon the banks of the river St. Deny's, situated three leagues from Lake Erie, in the Straits of the said Lakes Erie and Huron, on the south of said straits, and also at the entrance on the north side, for and in the name of the King, that we re-take possession of the said posts, established by Mons. La Salle for facilitating the voyages he made or caused to be made in vessels from Niagara to Michilimackinac, in the years ****** at each of which we have caused to be set up anew a staff, with the arms of the King, in order to make the said renewed taking possession, and ordered several cabins to be erected for the accommodation of the French and the Indians of the Shawnees and Miamis, who had long been the proprietors of the said territory, but who had some time before withdrawn from the same for their greater advantage. The present act passed in our presence, signed by our hands, and by Rev. Father Angeleran, of the society of Jesuits, by MM. De la Forest, De Lisle and De Beauvais, thus in the original: Angeleran, Jesuite. De la Duranthaye [la Garduer]. De la Forest. Compared by me with the original in my hands, Councillor Secretary of the King, and Register in Chief of the Royal Council at Quebec, subscribed, and each page paraphe. Collated at Quebec, this 11th September, 1712. [Signed], BYON ET VANDREUIL. Memoir of Monsieur de la Mothe Cadillac, relative to the establishment of questions, and La Mothe who answers : Q. Was it not in 1699 that you proposed to me an establishment in the Straits which separate Lake Erie from Lake Huron ? A. Yes, my Lord. Q. What were the motives which induced you to wish to fortify a place there, and make an establishment? A. I had several. The first was to make a strong post, which should not be subject to the revolutions of other posts, by fixing there a number a very of French and Savages, in order to curb the Iroquois, who had constantly annoyed our colonies and hindered their prosperity. Q. At what time did you leave Quebec to go to Detroit? A. On the 8th of March, 1701. I reached Montreal the 12th, when we were obliged to make a change. *** I left La Chine the 5th of June with fifty soldiers and fifty Canadians-Messrs. De Fonty, Captain, Duque and Chacornach, Lieutenants. I was ordered to pass by the Grand River of the Ottawas, notwithstanding my remonstrances. I arrived at Detroit the 24th July and fortified myself there immediately; had the necessary huts made, and cleared up the grounds, preparatory to its being sowed in the autumn. Compare these data, from the highest sources, with the Indian tradition of the first arrival of the French, in the upper lakes, recorded at page 107, ONEOTA, No. 2. THE CHOCTAW INDIANS. The Vicksburg Sentinel of the 18th ult., referring to this tribe of Indians, has the following:-" The last remnant of this once powerful tribe are now crossing our ferry on their way to their new homes in the far West. To one who, like the writer, has been familiar to their bronze inexpressive faces from infancy, it brings associations of peculiar sadness to see them bidding here a last farewell perhaps to the old hills which gave birth, and are doubtless equally dear to him and them alike. The first playmates of our infancy were the young Choctaw boys of the then woods of Warren county. Their language was once scarcely less familiar to us than our mother-English. We know, we think, the character of the Choctaw well. We knew many of their present stalwart braves in those days of early life when the Indian and white alike forget disguise, but in the unchecked exuberance of youthful feeling show the real character that policy and habit may afterwards so much conceal; and we know that, under the stolid stoic look he assumes, there is burning in the Indian's nature a heart of fire and feeling, and an all-observing keenness of apprehension, that marks and remembers everything that occurs, and every insult he receives. Cunni-at a hah! They are going away! With a visible reluctance which nothing has overcome but the stern necessity they feel impelling them, they have looked their last on the graves of their sires--the scenes of their youth-and have taken up their slow toilsome march, with their household gods among them, to their new home in a strange land. They leave names to many of our rivers, towns and counties; and so long as our State remains, the Choctaws, who once owned most of her soil, will be remembered." |