Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-11-17

4" lie was in form and mind a noble chief,
The unfortunate Nenah vPntured her all
In this frail bark, and the wreck was total
In the fall Of lSl-. there was seen congre'
eating along the shores Of Mackinaw, a flo.
tilla Of birchen canoes, laden with furs and
material for wigwams, and so deXterous'y
managed. as 10 resemble truly. so many
=" things Of life" under the skiiful guidance
of the practised Chippewa. Beneath the old
fort, bristled with implements e destruction
were seen sqnaws, Yankee finders, and Ca
madam French, buslly engaged in the cree
ton Of booths, shanties and wigwams, and
r%evelling in the aniicipa'ions Of the profits
and indulgence Of the following day.
Here might be seen an old 'raPper, OF
swarthy " coureus du dois," cautioning a ere
dulous chief, in his native tongue. TO beware
Of the pale-faced Yankees; there a regular
Jonathan, through an interpreter, eloqnen,ly
urging upon the untntored son Of the forest,
that he was the Indians friend. that the old
traders had too long imposed upon them. and
as an earnest Of the truth Of his asseverations,
as well as to secufe him as a purchaser al
his shaniy on the morrow, he stealthiIy in
troduces through an aperture in the back part
of his tent, the conidinr savage 10 an ac-
HNuiii'biiCt IAu tit MllohtN
Amid the hustle and eagerness Of prepan-
ton. professions Of friendship and disgusting
familiarity, the day wore apace, and the un-
clouded sun descending the blue vaulted hea-
ven. sank gorgeously behind The bastions and
battlements of that old time-worn fortress,
now slumbering in ruins, and so beautifully
described by a French writer, as
"Ayant Fair delabri, sans Fair antique"
Did those legitimate sons of ruthless spec
ulation pause TO admire the temporary adleu
of that glorious circular light Of our earthly
Inheritance, as his parting rays played upon
the rugged heights Of Mackinaw? Oh, no
through the reckless passion for gain, excited
by the sonl-destroying contents Of a junk bot
tie, they saw another circular light, TO them
infinitely more engaging, upon one side OF
which was newly stamped at the mint, the
Goddess of Liberty, and thirteen stars-"the
almighty dollar"-the inordinate love Of
which, has degraded American character ir
redeemably in the estimation of the mora
world.
During the evening of that day, some oil
the chiefs, by virtue of their supposed inhu-
ence, and an emphatic promise TO exert it on
The morrow, enjoyed some OF The spirited hos
piialiiy of the trader, and at ten o'clock COM
menced the I" medicine dance,' most COM
foriably drunk. a description Of this singu-
lar dance would be TOO long for an insertion
here, suffice it 10 say, that a dog is sacrificed
TO d" Manitou," or the Evil Spirit, to appease
his wrath, while il gratiies, after the cere-
mony, the appetite Of the dancers; and if all
the diseases unknown to them, which NAV
athict the tribe, are not cured by the kocus
p0cuS Of their !" medicine men" during thai
ceremony, why the Great Spirit has ordained
II otherwise. From these revels and vani
ties, night stole into morning, and the grea
god OF day wheeling up from behind the isl
ands of the Evil Spirit, dispelling the graz
vapors which coated densely Huron's waves
smiled again in general majesty upon tn,
"Turlle's Back" From the shanties, wer
seen suspended tEinkets, Blankets red cali
Goes, and, to a practised eye, certain Sigh
elevations Of ground, within which might O
might not be contained as many whiskey bar
rels. An officer, with a detachment of me-
from the fort, whose duty it was to see tina
no intoxicating liquors were sold upon III
ground, might be seen pompously peerinI
into the shanties for that purpose, but for tn
soul Of him, he could see no more there, tina
was absolutely necessary for the comfort c
an t%ficer, and a gentleman. lie considere
it Vulgar, perhaps, 10 suspect his friend Of S
fragrant a violation Of the law, and thereupo
would institute nc inquiry. The article
were Of a coarse and worthless texture, an
manufactured especially for that market.
The great body Of Indians were loungin
: about begging for rum, surveying the brigl
red colors which hung out in gaudy prof.
sion, and waiting, as impaiieDlly as their ST
ical character would permit, for the avow
OF the occasion which was to afford the
tnaape 4 ~ YEattf, than ..,.n., - -
ed appeiiles.
Inquiries were rife for the whereabouts
the p'fmum mobile Of the ceremony, who pr
Q sently made his appearance in the person
the Indian Agent.
Surrounded by kegs Of silver, our worli
centre of attraction, having appointed his te
lers, commenced with the principal chief
and proceeded, by a descending scale, 10 di
tribute to zach Of the tribe their respecti,
quota of their annuity. Around the place
payment could be seen a horde of hungry e.
peclants, whose morals peculiarly fitted the
for the confines Of civilization, watching vii
an eagles eye each poor "nechee," as he II
ceived his share Of the proceeds-their eag,
and practised eye followed him TO the oull,
OF the enclosure, bounced upon him as III
hawk on its intended victim, led him 10 hi
magazine OF worthless curiosities, and wit
the dexterity Of a magician, transferred tn
larger portion of the poor Indians "needful
into the purlieu Of his pocket. Every trade
was now on the qni pire to assure the confd
ing mckee that he was his best friend, an,
he no sooner convinced him Of this importan
fact, than a downright robbery establishe,
the truth of his professions.
If the poor Indian should cautiously insin
uate that the supply was inadequate 10 the in
vestment, OF that a very honest mistake exist
ed as TO The amount paid out, the index of tn,
right hand mounting instantly to the nasa
organ. that OF the left hand elongatin1 itseI
simultaneously in the direction Of a rum cask
and a peculiarly knowing squirt of the eve
was 60 cognoscible a panlomine 10 poor NJ
: ehee' as to suppress all predatory imsgining'