Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-15


est trees. whose coloarlng properties he had previous
/ IN knowr--and after seeing the Construction of the
pep ne soon learned TO make one but first be made
It without elit; this Inconvenience was, however,
!, quicky removed by his sagacty lie next difficult
Is was to mako his invention known to his country
ncn 4 7 by this time he Ind become distracted
from his tribe and their usual pursuits that he
viewed with an eye of suspicion. Hts former COM
,snvns passed his wigwam without cnctng IL, and
mentioned his udmc who prsctising inn
proper krcls, for nooriciy mschievoUs purposes,
and he TO think that he shoai have been hard.
ly dealt with If his docile and unambous disposition
had not been generally acknowledged by his tribe.
At length he summoned some of the most distinguish
ed OF hi> nation, ia order a. make his communication
20 them-and after giving the best explanation Of his
discovery that he could, stripped it OF all supernatu
raj influence, he proceeded 10 demonstrate 10 them in
good earnest that he had made discovery. His
daughter, who was his only pupd, was ordered TO 60
ont of hearing, while be requested bis friends 10
a word sentiment, which he put down, and then
she was called in and read II To them; then the father
| retired and the daughter wrote; the Indians were
wonder but not entirely satisfied. See quch
yah then proposed that the tribe should select
raj youths from among their brightest Young men,
that he might communicate the mystery 10 them
! This was ut length ag-aed to- although there wac
soma Lurking suspicion of neSfStnncy IN the whole
business. John Nav This Indian pamc / have for
gotteu fuil blood, with scvete. others, were secc-
ted for this purpose. The tribe watched Tire youths
for several months with anxiety, and when they offer
Cd themselves for examinations, the feelingA of all
were wrought M 10 tic highest pitch. The Youths
were separated from their nd from each OF her
~ watched with great care. The uninitiatcd directed
what master and pupil should wire 10 each other and
the tests viewed IT. suc' manner only 10
| destroy their rfdety, but most firmly 10 fix their
faith The Indians, this, ordered great feast,
and made Sc qua yah conspicuous IT it How near
| ~ alike Is man in every age! Pythagoras did the
same on the dis covcry of an import ant principle in
geometry. Se-qun-yah became at once schooluas-
ter, professor philosopher, and chief. His coun-
trytnen were proud of his talents, and l.ed him in
reverence one favored by tie Great Spirit. The
invcniIons OF early times were sroujed in mystery
See q''ch-yah disdaincd all quackery. ~
lie did not stop here but carried his scorcrios
70 numbers. He of course, knew nothug ofthc Ara
bic digts, the power ui Roman et,cTs in the sci
| cncc. The Chcroxees had metal numerals To one
hundred, and bad words for all numbers M 10 that
but they had n" signs characters assiS, them in
enumerating, adding, suhtrsctins, multiplying, or
dividing. lie rejected upon this until he had cro-
aed their elementary principles in his mind but he
was at first obliged 10 make wnrts 10 express III.
moaning, and then signs explain ~. L This pru
cess he SO n had clear perception of numbers w
TO million. Ills great difficulty the Iilres,olt-
to tX tho powers Of ms signs accordiug their plat
When this was overcome, his step Has i'll adding
up hls different numbers, IN Order put down the
fraction of the decimal, and give the whole number
To its next place; but when knew him no had oye5
come al these difficulties, and was quite a ready a.
ritmetician N the fundamental roles This was tho
result oi my interview, AID can safely say that |
have seldom met a man Of more shrewducss than
Seequah-yah. He adhered tn all the customs of his
country, and when his associate Chiefs on the mis-
sion assumed our costume he was dressed in al res
poets like nm Indian. See-quah-yah is a man Of d.
vcrsiiicd talents; he passed FROM metaphysical and
phil sorcni Investigation TO mechanical OCCUPATIONS
with the greatest The OILY practical r,echnI
les he was acquainted with ve.c a few buny.;n,
bacSsmiths, who could make rough tomaiawk or
tinker the lock of rile; yet he became white md
silver sth without any instruction. and made sf.
and silver spoons with ncalncss and skill to the
great admiration Of the people Of the Cherokee na-
tion See-quah-yah has also great Tor pain
ting tie mixes his colours with skill; taking ali the
art and sciences of s tribe upon the subject he added
to Vt many cfymical experiments OF his oyyn and
some OF them were very successful, and would be
worth being known 10 Our painters. For his draw
ings he had no model but what nature f4rnished ana
he often copied them with astonishing fnithfulncss
his fcscnblances Of the human form Il is tue are
coarse, but often spirited and ccrrrec and he gave
Gctiun aud sometimes grace TO his renrcsrnln
lions Of animals. lie had uerer seen n can,mlh,i,
pencil when he made Of the hair OF wild animal,
for his brushes. Some Of his productions discovered
considerable practical knowledge of perspective:
out he could not have formed rules for this The
painters IN the carly ages were many years coming
TO knowledge OF this part of their art; and even
now they are more successful in the art than perfcf
an tho rules OF it. The manners OF The American
Cadmu5 arc the most easy, and lis habits are those
of The most assiduous scholar; end his disooi,icn s
more lively than that OF any Indian ever saw He
understood and felt the advantages the white men
had long enjoyed, of having the accumulation of eve
N'.'N' VI iIOiIl generation 10 genera
ton, By means Of written language while ibe rod
man could only commit his thoughts 70 uncertain
tradition lilo reasoned correctly when no urged
tins to his friend as the cause why the rcd man had
made so few advances in knowledge in comparison
with U.S. and to remedy this of his great aims
and one which he has accomplished beyond that Of a.
ny other man living or perhaps, any other who ever
existed in rude state Of nature.
1T perhaps may not DO known that the govern
ment OF the u States had 1unt Of type cut for his
alphabet, and TINT newspaper printed partlv iu Tho
Cherokee language and partly in the English, has
been established at New Echotn and is characterised
by decency and good sense and thus many OF the
Cherokees are able TO read both Languages Afer
putting these remarks TO paper had the pleasure
OF seeing the Head Chief Of the Cherokees hocon-
hrmed the statement Of See-quali- YAH and added
that he wnslon Indian Of The siictcst veracty and
sobr'ety. The western Wilderness is not ONLY 10
BLOSSOM like the rose, but there has started I'D
and proved That be has not degenerated since the
Prhpve days OF Cecrops, and the romantic ayes OF
wonderful effort and god-like rcnown."
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