(1) _High-mindedness of the Indian._--p. 39.
The Indians very frequently evince a pride and greatness of mind which
would not have disgraced the heroes of ancient Greece and Rome. "The
greatest part of them," says Charlevoix, "have truly a nobleness and
an equality of soul which we cannot arrive at with all the helps we
can obtain from philosophy and religion." Always master of themselves,
in the most sudden misfortunes, we cannot perceive the least
alteration in their countenances. A prisoner who knows not in what his
captivity will end, or which is perhaps still more surprising, who is
still uncertain of his fate, does not lose on this account a quarter
of an hour's sleep. Even the first emotions do not find them at fault.
The following well attested stories shew their high-mindedness, and
one of them their singular chivalry of character.
A Huron Captain was one day insulted and struck by a young man. Those
who were present would have punished this audaciousness on the spot.
"_Let him alone_," said the Captain, "_Did you feel the earth tremble?
He is sufficiently informed of his folly._"--_Charlevoix_, ii. 64.
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. An Indian of the Lenape nation, who was
considered 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. And I 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 imbrue 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.--_Heckew._
161, 2.
Mr. Heckewelder relates another instance of Indian heroism and
magnanimity, not below the preceding. In the year 1782, a young white
prisoner had been sent by the war-chief of the Wyandots of Lower
Sandusky as a present to another chief, who was called the _Half-King_
of Upper Sandusky, 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 wife of the Half-King
refused to receive the prisoner in lieu of her son, and this amounted
to 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, 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 he said 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. 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 is 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 as you say?" said 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.--_Heckew._ 162, 3.
Nutall, in his Travels through the Arkansa territory, says, among the
most extraordinary actions which they (the Arkansas) performed against
the Chickasaws is the story which has been related to me by Major
Lewismore Vaugin, one of the most respectable residents in this
territory. The Chickasaws, instead of standing their ground against
the Quapaws (a band of Arkansaws) were retreating before the Quapaws,
whom they had descried at a distance, in consequence of the want of
ammunition. The latter, understanding the occasion, were determined to
obviate the excuse, whether real or pretended, and desired the
Chickasaws to land on an adjoining sand-beach of the Mississippi,
giving them the unexpected promise of supplying them with powder for
the contest. The chief of the Quapaws then ordered all his men to
empty their powder-horns into a blanket, after which he divided the
whole with a spoon, and gave the half to the Chickasaws. They then
proceeded to the combat, which terminated in the killing of ten
Chickasaws, and the loss of five prisoners, with the death of a single
Quapaw.--_Page 85._