Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1822-09-19

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We1earn that the grand jury also sesIh,o hoy
presented hetas 4 common nui,s s'su nave
IExtracts from the Journal of , To-. !.
mong The Choctsws, Chickassu,,
Cherokees." in the summer a ,a :, aud
byAdam Hodgson, ESQ. Of I.iss0szo-.
Mr.. q. mentioned the separation s MI
the missionaries at Elliot, and then -, r"a
tinues-.We proceeded thro' the ro w.
along an Indian path. ill evening M,
we reached the dwelling Of bali hue" ,ssS
Chickasaw. and whose hut was ~ zee, =
frontier OF the two nations. We e ,oa sus
him setting before the door, WATCHING ,va ,%
gambols OF fifty or sixty of his ho,,. NC
which were irolicking before him. and =
more than 200 very fine cattle, which; %d ~ !,
sunset were coming up as usual IF ,b.;.
own accord, from different paris ne 'I 4.
surrounding forest, where thew h,, wy
boundless and Iuxuriant range. IT,
whole scene reminded NE stronov :,
pastoral and patriarchsl times. Hsh,%
chosen this situation. he said. for i,s -
,irement in some directions be had =.
neighbors tor fifty or hundred miles :
and because il afforded him excellent ns,
tursge and water TOR his cattle. He r,ra
US hospitable reception; and spread >
bear skin for each Of US in his oply room
which we occupied for two nights, Il.
following day being Sunday.
As cur host spoke English very we'll
and was very intelligent, our quiet meal.
gave an opportunity of obtaining some n.
formation, from him relative 10 lbe L..
dams.
He told me, that great changes had,a.
ken place among the Indians, even in bi,
time-that In many tribes, when be wa,
young the children as soon as tbey rose
were made to plunge in the water. and
swim, in the coolest weather; and were
then collected on The bank OF The river. 10
learn the manners and customs Of their
ancestors, and hear the old men reeite Tue
traditions OF their torefatbers They were
assembled again at sunset, Tor the sane
purpose, and were taught TO regard as
sacred duty, the transmission to their DOS.
terity of the LESSONS thus acquired.
He said, that this custom is now atau,
doned by all the tribes with which be is
acquainted, except, 10 use his own words,
where there IS, here and there, an OLD 40.
cient fellow, who upholds The old way.
He told me that they had an obscure
story, somewhat resembling that OF Jacob
wrestling with an angel, and that The foil
blooded Indians always separated The
sinew which shrank, and that It is never
seen in the venisOD exposed tor sale: he
did not know what they did With ills
elder brother, whom afterwards met.
told me that they eat il as a rarity; but |
have also heard, though on less respeca.
Bile authority, that they refrain from it,
like the ancient Jews. A gentleman who
lived on the Indian frontier, or in The ma.
ton, for ten or fifteen years, told me that
he had been often surprised that tbe 10.
dams always detached this sinew; but It
had never occurred 10 him to inquire lhe
reason.
With respect TO the religious belief Of
the Choctsws, ne said, that II IS prevail
ing opinion among them, that there IS a
Great Spirit, who made the earth, and pla'
ced them on it, and who preserves them
in their hunting journeys, and gives them
their 'luck 10 life;" that, however, they
do not otter think of him-that they be-.
Ileve all who die, 60 to the Spirit county;
but that some suppose il is divided lhlo
two nations; the one abOunding IN hne
woods and deer, and bufalOes; The other,
destitute OF both-ihat these imagine, thai
when the spirit of bad men leaves The
body, it proceeds on the same road as thai
of good men, till the road forks, when .
takes the way to the bad country, suppos'
ing il TO be the other--lhat many expecla
great day, when the world will be burnt
and made over again, far pleasanter than
il is now, when the Spirit wlllreturn fr0m
the Spirit country and settle again upon
it; and that near the place where they
were buried, will be their future home.
He here pointed to sermon book wnlen
he received from his white father llor DC
can read, and said that The following sen.
tence conveys the opinion of many indlsn'
-,.Wheresoever the body is laid TIL !ne
resurrection, thitber, as 20 dwelling
house, death brings US home, or, as a.
Indian would express himself, the g's"
fire brings-us home"
Ertract of letter dated. st. Bartholomew
10th august, 1922.
The second June Packet arrived i'O'.
Eng land some weeks since, By wbIco s'
have received tarif of the d"''e', Wv,
that are to be laid on American pfou%hs
entering the British Colonial Forts; wv
bill itself for the opening OF them. y e
pected out by the first July Packet l"% 4.
ing been passed into law due SINCE h %s
10th inst. As this pirdlacal isiene, ~. H.
no resources within itself, and le" . %S;
vduals here, possess any thing Ike ,,. 'U u',y
tai; the opening Of the British po,,I' . %r
be considered in the light OF aea a 'no.
AZ c,t.,ro vrOcnorifV oil lie Co'~