Western courier. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1838-04-05
INDIAN TRAITS.

Some fourteen or fifteen years ago, We
were in our trading house at the mouth Of
the Tore Bleuo, and the Sparrowhawk
and his people were encamped dtbesideB
| 1t cbaneed that in conversation we adj
dressed him by The tiiIe Of brother
| which deemed 10 please him highly. 1T
shall be SO, said he. shaking US warmly
by the hand. $ it shall be so.' Now, be it
knows that j is'ibe Custom Of the Dah-
cotshs to adopt comrades or brethren,
and very frequently this honor is confer
red OF white men, and serves as a bond
OF affection ond protection between the
pattjes and their families. Traders of
ten find the advantages of this custom.
Among thai wild people, many man has
owed his life 10 it.. a lean dog Che had
net better was knocked on the head,
singed in the FIRE. and consigned to the
kettle. Ii was our first dog feast, and
Se could not decline taking it without
much offence, not that canine yenison is
SO. very bad d..eiihar. when early pleiudice
is worn away, as We have learnedb SUBJ
~rqIurni rxpvTFfsas rather stringy
and gluey, to be sure. .shn, still it NJ little
worse than tough nation. Besides. it is
a feast of honor, only given to Distinguish
ed guests. and surely honor ought not to
go for nothing.
We ate and smoked, and thereby ac-
CURED all the right of near blood relation
to the chiefs family. Nothing was too
good for us. A year afterwards we start.
ed afoUt en- journey, on day that might
have split the rocks Of Greenland, and the
Sparrowhawk's nephew followed us for
ten miles in order to add 10 our comfort
by the gift of gallant black horse. He
flung the bride, shook hands. and walked .
off without staying for thanks or remune-
ration. The said nephew was named
Ishtakhumbah, or Sleepy Eye, anoble
feiiow Of minor chief over 9=frer Highx--z
and as straight as one of his own arrows.
One day, while yet in the pride Of his
strength, as the Sparrowhawk was visit-
ing bis traps, he caught Chippeway in
the very act of stealing a beaverfrom one
of them. This was one of the born and
sworn foes of his race. The chief cock.
ed his gun, and the thief, being unarmed,
barred his breast his inevitable fate, In
dian.like. The Dahcotah was moved to
pity and dropped his muzzle. Poor
man. said he. you must be very huns
cry to do so unbecoming an action. Yes,
YOUR wife and little ones must be s'arv-
ing. Take the beaver take the trap
take my gun, and go feed your fa-
miIy. And the noble chief walked
away, leaving his reprieved foe in utter
astonishmept. k
Eight soldiers treated bis wife withex"
cessive brutality, buthe would h5t CONS
plain to the commanding officer. He was
a father himself. he said. and he would
not wound his white fathers heart so
much as to tell him that he had such
wicked children.
Alta meeting Of the Baptist Society for
promoting the gospel in ireland, the Rev.
M, Fisher related the following anecdote
asillustrated of IRISH Lurury: 81 was
much amused (said Mr.; F.. with our
brother Mccarthy; he is thorough Irish,
letter and spirit. When was with him
in Ireland, I asked what he chiefly lived
npon? -"O,n said he, We have plenty OF
potatoes.''a s.How often do you eat
them?" said /. .sOnly fourtmes day."
was the rcply.--.'I have ten acres OF pos
tatoes for my family, and we all eat 'ems
]ssoWs, hosess sheep, pigs and children.
EeDont you .uink, = said |, "there. is very
little variety in this diet2 .sNot a sii,
man said brother Mccarthy. 1--WE have
great variety. for we eat the Aftts Potas
| toes with the big ones,