Turning his eyes towards a small spot of cleared land within the thicket, he perceived a dozen of those animals sitting on their hind legs, instead of feeding on the acorns, which, at this season, lay plentifully upon the surface of the leaves, and, listening attentively, he heard them converse in the Iroquois tongue :-the substance of which was, that if the sentinel should not discover them, the next eve, so soon as the moon should give them sufficient light for their internal operations, they would make an attack upon the American camp. They then left their rendezvous, and soon their tall forms were lost in the gloom of the forest. The soldier now returned to his post, and found the arrow sunk deep in the stump, it having passed through the breast of his coat.

He directly returned to camp, and desired the orderly at the commander's marquee, to inform him of his wish to speak with him, having something of importance to communicate. He was admitted-and, having been heard, the colonel bestowed on him the then vacant office of lieutenant of the corps, and directed him to be ready, with a piquet guard, to march at eight o'clock in the evening-again to place his hat and coat upon the stump, and then lie in ambush for the intruders. Accordingly, the party proceeded, and obeyed the colonel's orders, by placing the coat and cap on the stump. The moon arose, but shone dimly through the thick branches of the forest.

While he was thus awaiting, an arrow whizzed from the same quarter as before; the mock soldier fell on his face; a dozen subdued voices sounded from within the thicket, which were shortly followed by the sudden appearance of the speakers themselves. They had barely reached the fallen soldier, when our hero gave the word 'fire!'and the whole band lay dead upon the plain. After stripping them of their trappings, the party returned to the camp.

Twelve Chiefs fell at that fire, and their fall was, undoubtedly, one great cause of the French and Indian wars with the English. The soldier returned from the war, at its termination, with a competency; and was not again heard of, until the parent country raised her arm against her infant colonies. Then was seen, at the head

of a band of Virginia riflemen, our hero, as the brave and gallant Colonel Morgan.

BRANDT, THE MOHAWK.*

Joseph Brandt, the celebrated Mohawk warrior, was an eleve of Sir William Johnston. He derived his name from a Dutch foster-father, who took care of the little Savage while a child. When grown up, he became the head of a band of intrepid Mohawks, and the terror of the Longknives-so they called the Americans-and when, at length, he was disarmed by the peace, he again took the hatchet against the Indians, who had joined the hostile

side.

The late Marquis of Hastings-Earl Moira-admired the address and courage of Brandt, and became his patron. His lordship, more than once, brought him over to England, and introduced him to the beau monde. On one occasion, he took our Indian to a grand masked ball, painted, plumed, armed, and dressed out in the full costume of an Indian warrior. He far eclipsed the motley groups, and became the lion of the rooms.

We are told, that a stately Turk, accompanied by two Houries, wished to ascertain if the Sachem really wore a mask-one half of the face being painted black, and the other red. He, therefore, cautiously touched the top of the nose, with the intent of just raising the mask. Of all people, an American Indian cannot tolerate any personal freedom; Brandt took fire at once, and in good earnest; he supposed they wanted to make a butt of him for their buffoonery. He assumed a most frightful aspect, flourished his tomahawk, and gave the war-whoop with such a terrific yell, that the entire assembly were seized with a panic, and thrown into great confusion. Turks, Jews, and Gypsies, bear-leaders and their bears, Falstaffs, Friars and Fortunetellers, Sultans, Nuns, and Columbines, scudded away, huddling and tumbling over one another, to have a clear stage for the Mohawk.

* See Vol. I. p. 119, for Brandt's ideas on imprisonment for debt.

THE KALUSHES; OR THE DIFFERENCE.

Kotzebue, in his Voyage round the World, speaking of the manners and customs of the Kalushes, one of the Savage nations in a high Northern latitude, remarks, that a young girl had four lovers, whose jealousy of each other produced the most violent quarrels. They finally determined to end the matter, by murdering the object of their adoration. This they executed with their lances and the whole tribe to which they belonged gathered round the funeral pile, on which her body was burnt, chaunting a song; a part of which, when translated, ran thus: "Thou wast too beautiful-thou couldst not live-men looked on thee, and madness fired their hearts.”

In this country, lovers manage these things very differently. So far from destroying the object of their love, when unsuccessful, true gallantry requires that they should kill themselves, either, by the rope, the knife, or some other genteel mode. Such, indeed, is the march of refinement, in this particular, in a neighbouring city, that, we are assured, a custom has been introduced, which requires that a lover-when about to learn the final decision of his sweetheart is bound to carry a huge horseman's pistol in his pocket; and, if unsuccessful in his suit, the deadly weapon is placed in the hands of the cruel fair one, with an imploring request, that she will be good enough to blow out the brains of her despairing swain. In one instance, it is said, the murderous hand of a fair maiden was stayed, by the conviction, that she was required to perform an impossibility.

B 2

POLICY OF AN INDIAN CHIEF.

The following anecdote will show one way of obtaining unlimited influence over an ignorant and superstitious people.

It is well known that formerly, if not now, the Indians regarded an eclipse, either of the sun or moon, as a terribly portentous omen; and, whenever one occurred, a council was usually held, to ascertain the causes of the wrath of the Great Spirit. At the disastrous defeat of St. Clair, while they were in the eager chase of the unfortunate fugitives, they were thrown into such a consternation, by an eclipse of the moon, that the pursuit was stopped, and a consultation held: and, so long was the debate, that an opportunity was offered the shattered remnant of the army to reach a place of security.

While some traders were visiting their settlements on the Wabash, in the spring of 1806, the celebrated TECUMSEH learned from them that a total eclipse of the sun would take place on the 16th of June. Knowing the superstition of his people, he cunningly resolved to profit by this information, and accordingly represented to them, that the Great Spirit had constituted him his agent upon earth, and that, if they did not implicitly comply with his directions, the sun would, on a certain day, hide his head, and withdraw the light of his countenance from them. To their utter amazement, this prediction was fulfilled; and, ever after, they submitted to his dictation, with a confidence that was never shaken, to the end of his life.

And so, in every age, has an ignorance of natural phenomena been a means of enabling the designing few to play on the credulity of their fellow beings, and to hold the mass in subjection to their will.

THE INDIAN AND THE SKELETON.

A party of Indians were shown the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia, where they saw a human skeleton. One of them looked at it for some time in silence, and very attentively; walked up to it, carefully counted the number of ribs on each side, and then suddenly turned away, with the short, expressive Wagh!-an Indian interjection, denoting at once dissent, and as much astonishment as a Red man ever deigns to exhibit. A by-stander, observing the motions of the Savage, requested of him an explanation. "The Black-Coats," said this simple son of the forest, "speak falsely to us. They tell us that their Great Spirit took from man's side a rib, and made of it a woman. But in the skeleton, no rib is wanting-there are the same number on each side. The Black-Coats have not spoken the truth."

HEROIC RESIGNATION.

In a

In the autumn of 1830, the town of Alexandria, in Louisiana, was visited by various tribes of Savages. drunken frolic one of them was killed. The person who committed the act surrendered himself to the relations of the deceased. After this, he walked through the streets, talking composedly of his anticipated execution. A number of the citizens joined and raised a considerable sum of money to buy his pardon : but it was rejected-the surviving brother declaring, that no money could purchase his redemption. The criminal expressed no anxiety to escape. No gun could be procured; when-stating his objection to the delay, and threatening to leave the ground, if he was not immediately punished-the brother advanced, and, with a spade, knocked him down, and split open his skull—exhibiting demoniacal expressions of joy at the accomplishment of the act.