Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-11-17
[voI. XxxvTT---No. 80.

est hucs but widest contour, is seer tho
poor Indian performing ablution and,
Att little distance beyond, on the plain.
at the base Of three huge granite boul.
ders, he is humbly propitiating the
guardian spirits Of the place, by sacri-
noes Of tobacco, ~entreating for permits.
sion 70 TAKE away a small piece of tho
red clay tor a pipe. Farther along,
and over an extended plain, are seen.
like gophir- hills, their excavations, m.
cient and recent, where tho thousand
states and rocks that strew the surfnce
preserve their countless sculp.ured HE.
roglyphics-their WAGONS, totems, and
medicine -subjects endless for the an
tiquary or the merely curious. Graves.
mounds, and ancient Notifications, also
that lie in sight-as well as acoman's
iNits-the pyramid or loaping.rock,
and its legends, together with traditions
novel and numerous, and a description
graphical and psychological, ofthis strange
place, have all been subjects that have
passed rapidly through my contempla-
ton. All these things | have long
since penned OF and sent to you, and
have since been dipping my / on deep
CIR into the arcana Of their medicine or
mysteries, and mythology, which will
be forthcoming anon.
Ii the eplstlos above alluded to (and
there was a pretty large package of
them) have never arrived to your
hands, which | think is probably tho
case, they have most assurcdly been
stopped and pillaged by the bronzed
pirates who occupy the plains between
this and the St. Peters. Ifsuch should
prove to be the case, | will try to save
the world from the loss by transcribing
my notes again as soon as possible, and
send them to you. | have grounds
for apprehension that such las been
the fate of my package. for | have just
been told by Indians arriving, that q
conspiracy was maturing among the
Sioux between this place and the falls
DIST Anthony, for the purpose Of ma.
king US feel their vengeance on our
return, for having dared to trespass on
this their hallowed ground. thereby
hangs q tale, and ii may as well BIO
told now as evorsperhups.) III touch
upon it lightly, however, aud if my o.
pistles, Tin which it WAS fully detailed,
and in which all the incidents Of our
journey were put DOWN. do not come
to light, ! shall write il over again,
with all the minutim, for they are all
worth knowing. On our way TO this
place we were caught and imprisoned
by n rascally band Of Sioux, and held
in durance vile for having dared to APP
proach the sacred fountain Of The pipe!
While we had halted at the trading hut
of"Le Blanc" at a place called Ira
verse dcs Sioux, on the St. peters's ri.
yer, and about $50 miles from the Red
Pipe, n murky cloud Of dark visaged
warriors and braves commenced gath
ering around the house, closing and
examining all its avenues, when n be.
gan his agitafcd harangue to us, an
~nouncing to us in the preamble that we
wcreprIsoners, and could not 60 ahead.
About a dozen Of Thorn spoke in turn,
and we were doomed TO sit nearly the
whole afternoon, without being allowed
to speak a word in III behalf until they
had all got through. We were com-
PEELED to keep our seats like culprits,
and hold our tongues till all had BRAN
dished their fists in our faces, and yen-
ted all the threats and invectiye which
could flow from Indian malice, groun'
ded on the presumption that we had
! come TO trespass on their dearest priv
lcge, their religion.
There was some allowance to DO
made, and some excuse, surely, for the
rashness of these poor fellows, and we
felt disposed to pity rather than resent,
though their objectionable stubborn
ness excited US almost 10 desperation.
Their superstition was senslbly touched
for we were persisting in the most PEI
~remptory terms, 10 visit this their grea-
test medicine mystery place; where
it seems, they had often resolved in ma
tionaI council no white man should ey-
er be allowed to go. They took US TO
be "ofliccrs sent by the Government,
to see hat this place was worth, &C.
I" AS this red stone was q part OF iheir
flesh, il would be sacrileglous Tor WINE
men to take it away-a hole would Do
made in their flesh and the blood Y
never be made to stop running" Ny
English companion and myself were
here in a fx-one that demanded the
use ofevery energy we had about US.
Astounded at so unexpected a rebuff,
and more than ever excited to 60 for
ward, and see what was TO be seen in
this strange place, in this emergency
we mutually agreed to 60 ahead, even
if il were at the most imminent hazard
ofour lives, and never retreat one loot
until we reached the spot. We agreed
10 hinge our lives on the event. 1t
therefore gave US a good opportunity