It is true that the smaller islands are rocky and barren; but the Great
Manitoolin, Drummond's, and St. Joseph's, are fertile. The soil on which
I now tread is rich and good; and all the experiments in cultivation
already tried here have proved successful. As far as I can judge, the
intentions of the government are benevolent and _justifiable_. There are
a great number of Indians, Ottawas, and Pottowottomies, who receive
annual presents from the British government, and are residing on the
frontiers of the American settlements, near Lake Michigan. These people,
having disposed of their lands, know not where to go, and it is the wish
of our government to assemble all those Indians who are our allies, and
receive our annual presents within the limits of the British
territory--and this for reasons which certainly do appear very
_reasonable_ and politic.
There are three thousand seven hundred Indians, Ottawas, Chippewas,
Pottowottomies, Winnebagos, and Menomonies, encamped around us. The
issue of the presents has just concluded, and appears to have given
universal satisfaction; yet, were you to see their trifling nature, you
would wonder that they think it worth while to travel from one to five
hundred miles or more to receive them; and by an ordinance of the Indian
department, every individual must present himself _in person_ to receive
the allotted portion. The common equipment of each chief or warrior
(that is, each man) consists of three quarters of a yard of blue cloth,
three yards of linen, one blanket, half an ounce of thread, four strong
needles, one comb, one awl, one butcher's knife, three pounds of
tobacco, three pounds of ball, nine pounds of shot, four pounds of
powder, and six flints. The equipment of a woman consists of one yard
and three quarters of coarse woollen, two yards and a half of printed
calico, one blanket, one ounce of thread, four needles, one comb, one
awl, one knife. For each child there was a portion of woollen cloth and
calico. Those chiefs who had been wounded in battle, or had
extraordinary claims, had some little articles in extra quantity, and a
gay shawl or handkerchief. To each principal chief of a tribe, the
allotted portion of goods for his tribe was given, and he made the
distribution to his people individually; and such a thing as injustice
or partiality on one hand, or a murmur of dissatisfaction on the other,
seemed equally unknown. There were, besides, extra presents of flags,
medals, chiefs' guns, rifles, trinkets, brass kettles, the choice and
distribution of which were left to the superintendent, with this
proviso, that the expense on the whole was never to exceed nine pounds
sterling for every one hundred chiefs or warriors.
While the Indians remain on the island, which is generally about five
days, they receive rations of Indian corn and tallow (fat melted down);
with this they make a sort of soup, boiling the Indian corn till it is
of the consistence of porridge,--then adding a handful of tallow and
some salt, and stirring it well. Many a kettleful of this delectable
mess did I see made, without feeling any temptation to taste it; but
Major Anderson says it is not so _very_ bad, when a man is _very_
hungry, which I am content to believe on his testimony. On this and on
the fish of the bay they live while here.
* * * * *
As soon as the distribution of the presents was over, a grand council of
all the principal chiefs was convened, that they might be informed of
the will of their great father.
You must understand, that on the promontory I have mentioned as shutting
in the little bay on the north side, there are some government
edifices; one large house, consisting of one room, as accommodation for
the superintendent and officers; also a carpenter's house and a magazine
for the stores and presents, all of logs. A deal plank, raised on
tressels, served as a table; there were a few stools and benches of
deal-board, and two raised wooden platforms for beds: such were the
furniture and decorations of the grand council-hall in which the
_representative_ of the representative of their Great Mother had now
assembled her red children; a flag was displayed in front upon a lofty
pole--a new flag, with a new device, on which I saw troops of Indians
gazing with much curiosity and interest, and the meaning of which was
now to be explained to them.
The council met about noon. At the upper end of the log-house I have
mentioned, stood the chief superintendent, with his secretary or grand
vizier, Major Anderson; the two interpreters, and some other officials.
At some little distance I sat with Mr. and Mrs. MacMurray, and a young
son of the lieutenant-governor; near me I perceived three Methodist
missionaries and two Catholic priests. The chiefs came in, one after
another, without any order of precedence. All those whom I had seen at
Mackinaw recognised me immediately, and their dusky faces brightened as
they held out their hands with the customary _bojou!_ There was my old
acquaintance the Rain, looking magnificent, and the venerable old Ottawa
chief, Kish,ke,nick (the Cut-hand). The other remarkable chiefs of the
Ottawas were Gitchee, Mokomaun (the Great or Long-knife); So,wan,quet
(the Forked-tree); Kim,e,ne,chau,zun (the Bustard); Mocomaun,ish (the
Bad-knife); Pai,mau,se,gai (the Sun's course in a cloudless sky); and
As,si,ke,nack (the Blackbird); the latter a very remarkable man, of whom
I shall have to say more presently. Of the Chippewas, the most
distinguished chiefs were, Aisence (the Little Clam); Wai,sow,win,de,bay
(the Yellow-head), and Shin,gua,cose (the Pine); these three are
Christians. There were besides Ken,ne,bec,ano (the Snake's-tail);
Muc,konce,e,wa,yun (the Cub's-skin): and two others, whose style was
quite grandiloquent,--Tai,bau,se,gai (Bursts of Thunder at a distance),
and Me,twai,crush,kau (the sound of waves breaking on the rocks).
Nearly opposite to me was a famous Pottowottomie chief and conjuror,
called the Two Ears. He was most fantastically dressed, and hideously
painted, and had two large clusters of swan's down depending from each
ear--I suppose in illustration of his name. There were three men with
their faces blacked with grease and soot, their hair dishevelled, and
their whole appearance studiously squalid and miserable: I was told they
were in mourning for near relations. With these exceptions the dresses
were much what I have already described; but the chief whom I
immediately distinguished from the rest, even before I knew his name,
was my cousin, young Waub-Ojeeg, the son of Wayish,ky; in height he
towered above them all, being about six feet three or four. His dress
was equally splendid and tasteful; he wore a surtout of fine blue cloth,
under which was seen a shirt of gay colours, and his father's medal hung
on his breast. He had a magnificent embroidered belt of wampum, from
which hung his scalping-knife and pouch. His leggings (metasses) were of
scarlet cloth beautifully embroidered, with rich bands or garters
depending to his ankle. Round his head was an embroidered band or
handkerchief, in which were stuck four wing-feathers of the war-eagle,
two on each side--the testimonies of his prowess as a warrior. He held a
tomahawk in his hand. His features were fine, and his countenance not
only mild, but almost femininely soft. Altogether he was in dress and
personal appearance the finest specimen of his race I had yet seen; I
was quite proud of my adopted kinsman.
He was seated at some distance; but in far too near propinquity, for in
truth they almost touched me, sat a group of creatures--human beings I
must suppose them--such as had never been seen before within the lines
of civilisation. I had remarked them in the morning surrounded by a
group of Ottawas, among whom they seemed to excite as much wonder and
curiosity as among ourselves: and when I inquired who and what they
were, I was told they were _cannibals_ from the Red River, the title
being, I suspect, quite gratuitous, and merely expressive of the
disgust they excited. One man had his hair cut short on the top of his
head, and it looked like a circular blacking-brush, while it grew long
in a fringe all round, hanging on his shoulders. The skins thrown round
them seemed on the point of rotting off; and their attitude, when
squatted on the ground, was precisely that of the larger ape I have seen
in a menagerie. More hideous, more pitiable specimens of humanity in its
lowest, most degraded state, can hardly be conceived; melancholy,
squalid, stupid--and yet not fierce. They had each received a kettle and
a gun by way of encouragement.
The whole number of chiefs assembled was seventy-five; and take notice
that the half of them were smoking, that it was blazing noontide, and
that every door and window was filled up with the eager faces of the
crowd without, and then you may imagine that even a scene like this was
not to be enjoyed without some drawbacks; in fact, it was a sort of
purgatory to more senses than one, but I made up my mind to endure, and
did so. I observed that although there were many hundreds around the
house, not one woman, outside or inside, was visible during the whole
time the council lasted.
When all were assembled, and had seated themselves on the floor without
hurry, noise, or confusion, there was a pause of solemn preparation, and
then Mr. Jarvis rose and addressed them. At the end of every sentence,
As,si,ke,nack (the Blackbird), our chief interpreter here, translated
the meaning to the assembly, raising his voice to a high pitch, and
speaking with much oratorical emphasis, the others responding at
intervals, "Ha!" but listening generally in solemn silence. This man,
the Blackbird, who understands English well, is the most celebrated
orator of his nation. They relate with pride that on one occasion he
began a speech at sunrise, and that it lasted without intermission till
sunset: the longest breathed of our parliament orators must yield, I
think, to the Blackbird.