The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-03-23
THE LAST'OF THE IRON HEARTS.

II
it should be written and, what is more, the man is
not in America who can do it or, if he be, he has
not yet made his appearance in print SO the brave
and unfortunate race SO deeply wronged by our fi-
theirs and ourselves pass away, and no data are lett
to posterity bv which to understand their character
save the dull records of incompetent or one-sided
chroniclcrs, and the vague specuations of hasty
travellers of whom are about as much entitled
to credit as Captain Hall. We are not going into
a dissertation, but beg leave to assure our readers
that the Indian is not the ferocious brute of Hub
hard and Mather, or the brilliant, romantic, half
French, half-Celti Mohegan and Yemassee cren-
t.. by Symmes and Cooper. How can men, how
ever talented, describe what they never saw!
A pudding cannot be made without plums,
or a story, now-a-days, without sprinkling of what
fools call love and wise men folly. Our tale, there
fore, shall have a little of the fashionable spice.
Once upon time there lived, among the Yank-
tons of the far Northwest, an amazon, who, what
mischief was done by her eyes, certainly inhic-
ted literal wounds with her hands. Such things
have been before; read of Clorinda, Camilla,
and Marphsa in ancient days, and are assured by
Tyrone Power that the modern Irish women assist
their husbands in faction fights, each armed with
stone tied up in the foot of II stocking. How much
likely, then, that such characters should some
times be found among people to whom refinement
is utterly unknown, with whom animal bravery is
sounds are war and battle. The Penthiselea in
question was the daughter of a tremendous warrior,
who had fewer than three scalps drying in the
smoke of his lodge mt 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 yaantly
knocked two wounded men in the head with her
(aas not fair hands, after the fray was over.
From that time she renowned the ayocaons, and
,f hnrc h., ,tnI
cradle, her back bore no burhen, her hand planted
no corn dressed no robe, and wrought moccas-
in. She reined the steed, welded the lance, and
drew the sword instead She accompanied war and
hunting parties, and sat in the councils of men
and in both situations her merit was cordially nc
knowledged. For all this she was especially quail
fled. The daughter of giant, she exceeded the
stature of her SEX trained to ncessant exercise she
was quite equal to the fatigucs of war. In council,
taciturnty 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 character was
ambition. Conscious of powers inferior to those of
few men, she saw herself doomed to be an Indian
wife, that is an inferior being, mere drudge,
bearer of burthcns, a newer of wood and drawer of
water, the slave of an INFERIOR and the victim of his
caprice. The proud and naughty soul she inherited
from her father rcvoed at a lot abjec, and she
possessed the only qualities which could raise her
above it, namely, physical strength and determined
courage, active and passive.
The Fleet Foot 1--WE will not inilct orr readers
the scsquipedalian torture of an Indian nancy he
came the hate Of the of her tribe and the adj
miration of its men. For envy, petty malice, and
calumny she cared nothing She heard her name
the subject of rude praise, her deeds the themes of
rude song, her wisdom the admiration of the old,
and her beauty the discourse of the young She
was emnent!y beautiful, that is if form cast in
gigantic mould of perfect symmetry and very rcgu-
lar and very dark features can be said to make
woman so. Before she was twenty she wooed
by half the males in the tribe who had any pretcn-
sions to rank among its men, but to of them
woIld she incline her ear, gravey seriously. TO
have married would have been to lose her rank, to
become the Paria we have described an Indian wifo
to be- Therefore she scotled ut their proposals and
returned their presents. Ifthey came to whine their
love-sick dttes before her door, she broke their
heads with their own three-holed flutes and ifthey
persisted she shot their dogs and horscs.-Neverthe-
less, so much she annoyed, that she obliged
to find expediedt to prevent the nuisance at
and forever.
Her tribe have ceremony, or rather had it (for
it has for many years been obsoletc) OF particular
interest and importance to its females. 1t was Il
dance of virgins. After appropriate religious rites
and dances, the unmarrid women advanced, one at
time, into the centre of the assembled multitude
and challenged each and all who knew any thing
against her maiden fame to declare it. Were it his
betrothed, any one having such knowledge was
held bound in honor to proclaim it without rescrva-
ton. 1t may therefore be supposed that many took
no rart in the rite, and its manifest Inconvenience
have caused it to be discontinued
The Fleet Foot stepped into the circle, drew up
her commanding form to its full height, and with
mingled pride and dignity addressed the crowd 81
have been for these six years." she said, woman
set apart from woman. In plain aud forest, in
peace and in war, in village and camp, my inter-
course has, been wholly with men. The clear river
is ruled BY the least breath the snus IS sullied BY
the pressure of the lightest foot. Let him breaqo
the stream of my life and trample on the snow of
my character who can !"
There Il brcathcss silence, but no one spoke.
She then commanded her medicine bag to be