Canton herald. (Canton, Miss.) 1837-1839, 1838-06-06


Ef.f
H
.mHt
firpfHf tif n
HHIH HWIhe utat
Oua1f Hfa ffH.ft eHHtf.t
iHuF, aHItliaHt HIfl fN H'N.
a.timMAsf a.eHt Nlt Bon 0ff.t
.HHt iH dfalaaHUt lla u.EkU 81.
iH. Hla traveller aNIDIHaufl.fFlrn
ihYt uHH ani tHa mHf Mo 'ha I.n
boa,HH1uoW IRVINE frmrt ab.h
m1Il stream Il..Hfgel i't 8lleu
Hip iua Mississippi That i.eHm I.
tho ri1m Ne hame lndmH, lnd
lislEnIfes,intbe language oI'helaiun,
"Hln hinl fbai drtmw mcn. Nnf
III mufh0fih1t sirnHuseHihe smooth
and perpendicular face el tbo bul, Di
au elevation which n1 human 900 rlu
reach, 3 co., HE figure 81 cnurnou.
bird with il' wing, csicudcd. The
bird which tbs figure represents, Nas
called BY ihc Indiansa plata, and from
ibis Is derived the name ofthe stream.
The traditions Of the riaaa l5slil.
current among AL the tribes 81 the up.
per Mississippi, and those Who have
inhabited the valley Of the Illinois, and
Is briefly thus. "Many thousand
moons before the arrival Of the pale
iaces. when the great margolynh and
mastodon, whose bones are now dug
up, were still living ia this land Of the
green prairics, there existed a bird of
such dimensions that he could easily
carry Urin lie ,.ioarga Gll protyn
deer. Having obtained taste Of hu.
man flesh, from that time he would
prey upon nothing else. He was art
iul as he was powerful; he would dart
suddenly and Unexpectedly upon an
Indian, bear him OIL into one Of tie
caves in the bluil, and devour him.
Hundreds Of warriors attempted for
years to destroy him, but without sue
cess. Whole villages were nearly de-
populated, and CONSERVATION spread
throughout all the tribes Of the lIIIni.
At length, Outoga, chief whose fame
asa warrior extended even beyond the
great lakes, separating himself from
the rest of the tribe, tasted in solitude
for the space of a whole moon, and
prayed to the Great Spirit, the Mas
ter Of life, that he would protect his
children from the Piasa. On the last
night of his fast, the Great Spirit ap-
\peared to Outoga in u dream, and d.
>Eected hiato select twenty ofhiS war
RVS, each armed with a bow and poi
sohet arrow, and conceal them in a
aeS!!gnae>l spot. Near the place Of
'heir conccalment, another warrior
was TO stanl in open view, as a victim
Tor The liasa, which they must shoot
the instant that he pounced upon hi,
prey. When the chief awoke in III,
morning he thanked the Great Spirit
and returning TO his tribe, told them hi
dream. The warriors were quickl,
selected and placed in ambush as di
cted.-Outoga offered himself as III,
victim. He was willing to die for hi,
tribe. Placing himself in an open view
OF the bluff, he soon saw the Piasa per
ched on the cliff eyeing his prey. On
toga drew up his manly form TO its ut
most height, and planting his feet firm
~ upon the earth began to chant tht
death song OF a warrior. A momen
after, the Pasa rose into the air, anC
swift as the thunderbolt, darted dowr
upon the chief. Scarcely had he rea
ched his victim, when every bow wa!
sprung, and every arrow sent to the
feather into his body. The Piasa ut
tered a wild, fearful scream that SCUM
ded far over the opposite side of tn,
river, and expired. Outoga was safe
Not an arrow, not even the falcons 0
the bird hatl touched him. The Mas
ter of hle,ih admiration of the gener
Gus deed Of Outoga, had held over hin
an invisible shield. In memory o
this event, the image Of thePiasa, wa
engraved on the face ofEthe bluff
Such is the Indian tradition. Orcours
lido not vouch for its truth. Thi
much, however, is certain, the Ggur,
OF large bird cut into the soil,
rock, is still there, and at height tha
Is perfectly inaccessible. How an,
Tor what purpose it was made, | leay
*others to determine; even at this da,
AN Indian never passes that spot in hi
conna without 6rin,r Nc cr,,c .. IL 4