The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-09-09
WALPOLE, Augnft %

Esfrz efG letter from s. Grj7void EEg Of Detroit. 4.
fraasit Garauer, E/9 Of fbit siiape. gi4ug an af-
SopSf efbe TOTAL ECLIPSE, June l6 1900, a, n
@PPeS,edHt Drfr0h, and Hs zfe3 or TIE Lrdfoas
For fevera months this anticipated phenomenon
was !ubje6 OF enquiry with the Indians. as MANY
hories had been told them, partly by Ignorant, and
partly by defgning perlons OF terrible thnqs which
would accompany that The troubled aCnea
of national affairs with foreign powers a, that mr.
ROD facilitated the propagation of vfonary and aw
fn predictions. Hundreds came 10 me 70 copCuj, On
the fubec Of the eclipfe and its threatened accor,p,
niments and consequences fone large parte. c,,,,.
IN from dittauce OH purpofe to enquire on this iub
Jed. They knew, that white people could foretel
ecpies, and iuppofed we NUT be able ZOO 70 rred;A
the attendant circumstances of wind and weather and
every cHect upon the earth. Mofl of them believe
this faculty giveH To whi!e people by the Great Spi-
rit, which he has thought proper DENY 70 Indians
and appear to have little notion that il depend, up.n
calculations upon natural principles.
|, has long, (perhaps aways) been general fenti
ment OF Indians thar al echpfe particularly Of the
fun, is an cxpreIion, rather token If the anger
of the Great Spri,,-dud the degree of hi, anger +,
indicated by the magnitude of the eclipfe The ex-
pectatIon oil ree, therefore, was fucirnt TO
prepare them for the reception OF every errayapant
tale and direfu prognonication. Among other idea,
that OF zoar, biOsiy mar naturally occsrred and wa,
sahy fomsnted, in conjunction with then exining cir
peTtOn
of influence among them, to point out to their C,is
fa2on, bsrO and 7o5rr. this calamity was TO take
place, and wb9r blood mnH h. ned IL i, faid. the
Indians defeated general Hsrier on the day of an e.
eIpfe, and have ince entertained perfualion tina,
fuoh phenomenon j. peculiarly unfortunate for H.
ngeyjcas, and fUicieut enrre fucoeGs to Ii,a, If
they trike tina, dsy-Agd it was generally report
ed fhort time prevous to The late eciipie that an
attack under 's aupces agreed TO be made upon
this and other American POI, in thi. quarter.
Beiides ths; Of -sdr, the minds Of the Indians were
filed with other terrific sn,icpstion, --Sone Who'll,
villages appeared nlpreicd, tina, the darkness would
be equal TO that Of the dsrkeH night, aud would CON
tnue for month";, aud mary imagined it would be =
DARK year. They expected the fun would be ogf opf
for that fpace Of time, that vegetable. ard animal,
would perrin, together with mott Indians who lived
the cafusl produce Of the thacs But the more
general expectation was tina; Il would he only d,,S
dag, they expreh-d il, nir5f 41y. And they
fuppofed the day would be productive Of the mon
dreadful oms Of wind, hail, and other elementary
eoncnIions bey ond the power Of man TO defcribe 1
found but Indian of fome hundreds ;hat osn,e
w from the wilderneis, who appeared to pof: NY
lut conception Of the expected phenomenon. II was
the lpn Of an Intelligent chief dead who decar
ID that he had fears, for he believed he had Ieen
fueh thing when boy, and his father taught him
tina, casfed by the ngas (their term for the
0'oa) getting over the dag sH, and ,hs' Popping s
light for fhort time,