Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-09-16

fathers and ourselves, pass away, and no
data are left TO posterity by which TO I'M
derstand their character. save the dull re-
cords OF incompetent or one sided chroni-
clers, and the vague specula,ions Of hasty
| travellers, most of whom are entitled to
about as much credit as Capt. Hall. We
are not going into dissertation, but beg
leave TO assure our readers that the Indian
is not the ferocious brute of Hubbard and
| Mather, or the brilliant, romantic, half
French, half Celtic Michigan and Yemas-
see created by Symmcs and Cooper. How
can men, however talented, describe what
| they never saw
A plum. pudding cannot be made without
pums, or story, now. a days, without
| eprinklng of what fools call love, and wise
men folly. Our tale shall have little OF
the fashionable spice.
Once upon time. there lived among
the Yanktons of the far northwest, an am
AEON, who, whatever mischief was done
by her eyes, certainly inflicted literal
wounds with her hands. Such things have
been before we read of Clornda, Camil>
Ia, and Marphisa in ancient days, and are
assured by Tyrone Power that the modern
Irish women assist their husbands in fac
ton fights, each armed with stone tied
up in the foot ola stocking. How much
more likely, then, that such characters
should sometimes he found amonga people
to whom refinement is utterly unknown,
with whom animal bravery is the highest
moral attribute, and whose first -llsped
sounds are war and battle. The Penthis
lea in question was The daughter of ire
mendous warrior, who never had fewer than
three scalps drying in the smoke of his
lodge at a time, and she had stood side by
side in fight with her father and loaded one
of his two guns before she was fifteen years
old. More; on the same occasion she right
vaiantly knocked two wounded men in the
head, with her own (alas! not fair hands,
after the ARRAY was over.
From that time she renowned the nvoca
tions and sometimes the garb of her SEX
She rocked no cradle, her back bore nc
burthen, her hand planted no corn, dressed
no robe, and wrought no moccasin. She
reined the steed, welded the lance, and
drew the bow instead She accompanied
the war and hunting, parties and sat in the
councils OF men and in both situations heI
merit was cordially acknowledged For
all this she was especially qualified. The
daughter ola giant she exceeded the stat
urc of her sex /; trained to incessnnt eXer-
else she was quite equal to the fatgucs oil
war. In council, taciturniiy is the prime
merit of an Indian, who has nothing to say
and strange as it may seem, she was able
to hold her peace.
The main spring Of this woman's char
deter was ambition. Conscious Of powers
inferior TO those of few men, she saw her
self doomed to be an Indian wife, that is
an inferior being, mere drudge, q bcare
of burlIen, newer of wood and drawe
of water. the slave of an inferior, and thu
victim Of his caprice. The proud ant
naughty soul she inherited from her father
rcvol,ed at 10, so abjec,, and she posses
scd the only qualities which could rails
her above it, VIZ. physical strength and de
termined courage, active and passive.
The Fleet Foot 1--WE will not infct o
our readers the sesquipcdolan torture q
an Indian namel became the hate Of th
women Of her tribe and the admiration {
its men. For envy. petty malice, and ca
umny, she cared nothing. She heard he
name The subject of rude praise, her deed
the theme of rude song. her wisdom til
admiration of the old, and her beauty I'll
discourse Of the young. She was eminent
" beautiful, that is, ifu form cast in Cigar
tic mould of perfect symmetry and regult
and dark features, can be said to make
woman so. Before she was twenty 81
was woocd 5y hafoflhe males Of the trib
who had any professions to rank among i
men, but to none ofthem would she inciT
her ear, either grave'y or seriously. I
have married would have been to lose HI
rank, to have become the Paria we descr
bed an Indian wife 10 be. Therefore ST
scoftd at their proposals and returned the
presents. IL they came TO whine the
love sick dltties before her door. she brol
their heads with their own three hole
flutes and il they persisted, she shot the
dogs and horses. Nevertheless. so mut
was she annoyed, that she was obliged
find an expedient TO prevent the nuisan
at once and forever.
Her tribe have a ceremony, Tor rath
had it, for 1t has for many years been obs
lete,) Of particular interest and importan
to its females. 1t was dance of virgin
After appropriate religious rites and dance
the unmarried women advanced, one at
time, into he centre Of the assembled mi
tituGe. and challenged each and all ofth'
who knew any thing against her maid
fame to declare it. 1t may therefore
supposed that many took no part in
rite, and its manifest inconvenience ha
caused it to be discontinued.
The fleet stepped into the circle, dr.
up her commanding form to its full heig
and with mingled pride and dignity addr
sed the crowd-''I have been for these
years" said she, ga woman set apart fr
women. In plain and forest, in peace Q
war, in village aud camp, my inlercou
has been wholly with men. The ell
river is ruffled by the least breath;the sn
is suied by the pressure Of the light
foot Let him breathe on the stream OF
life and trample on the snow of my char
ter who can !"
There was long breathless silence,