The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-07-01
4 a3.s,,Itles al AFkangAe,

whilst liz resi- ii he world, previous to the ad.
vent of Columbus, was priding ifsef upon its I'M
mense moral and physical resources--its stores Of
learning s deeds Of daring, and the richness of its
anto1ary lore, it little dreamed that far beyond the
broad Atlantic, the Atlas of the waters which en-
viron the earth g there was place called Arkan-
sas. y Arkansas! is there not magic in the name!
Does il not contTe up a myriad of Bowie knives
and billion of bear fights In that delightful State
the Justices of the Peace write their documents with
a steel pen made of the end of a dagger, use gun
powder for iLk-sand, and when their children are
sick. give them dose of buck-shot in the place OF
blue pills That it is the most delightful place, in
fact the most beautiful spot upon the face of the
earth, may be gathered from the following circum-
stance:
On dark October evening, a party of boatmen
might have been seen seated around a large fire
which they had built upon the margin of the noble
Mississippi upon the Arkansas side. The sky was
backened DER with clouds, although now and then
the golden ghmmer of star might be detected, but
even then the CLEAN was transient as the spark
shown by the freely upon summers night. The
wind swept with deep, long wall through the trees
that skrted the shore and caused the tall canes IN
the brake to rattle against each other like millions
of castanets. Afar off could be heard the wild howl
of the wolf and the grunt of the black bear. The
antered monarchs of the forest" attracted by the
glare, timidy advanced towards the fire, and after
having for a moment seemed spell-bound by the
scene, would suddenly toss their proud anters high
in the air and betake themselves to the depths of the
forrest. The snarl of the wild cat also heard,
the masculine chirp of the wild turkey, and the
hOotings of the owl upon the withered branch OF
some tree scathed by lightning. And yet the men
around that fire trembled not, but ever and anon
they cast wslfIl glance at the frail broad-horn"
las the boats were called in those days. that swung
right and left at the mercy of the current or the
waves. One Of the persons seated by the fire al
ready spoken OF, whilst picking his teeth which
were sharp and pointed like those Of a caniba,
with huge knife, suggested to the rough gang
around him, that he wished they had pack OF
cards so that they might vile away the time. The
ntimatiOn however was received by the company
with sigh for not card was to be had within an
hundred miles of the spot where the party was en-
camped The spokesman however, believing that
necessity was the maternal relative of invention,
proceeded to gather up little pile of chips of the
cotton wood tree, and then taking piece of coal
he marked upon each chip the different characters
borne by the cards. Before he had half accom-
plished his task however, one Of the party seized
his rifle and leveed it alta dusky object that stood
glazing like gnome upon the fire and those as
sembled around it.
''Ha! hal" exclaimed the old Indian, white
skin no need shoot poor old Ingun-like old oak his
roots all dead and his hopes like leaves in the fall
time scattered to the wind Poor old lngun he
want some whisky mighty bad j"
The Red Man looked towards an earthenware jug
that in the custody of the legs of an individual
who was gnawng at the rib of bear, and pointed
significantly at it. The company instantly voted
that he should have a drink of the fire-water and
raising the jug to his lips he drank about a quart.
1t is beautiful feature in the character of the Red
Man. that he never forgets the smallest favor, and
although he had taken draught of whisky dis
TILED from musty corn, he resolved not to be out
done in kindness. Drawing his proud form up to
the height of five feet inch, he said in low sad
tone, ''whe man and old Ingun brothers now; white
man want to play card. Come, come, Ingun show
hm!' Two ofthe party, catching up their rifles, fol-
lowed their grateful guide to sycamore tree which
stood about hundred yards from their camp fire.
The Indian commenced digging with his hunting
knife at the foot of the tree, and soon came to a
bundle covered with bark. Tearing it open, he
Immediately drew therefrom an old pack of cards,
which he delivered TO his friends, and before they
could thank him, darted off into the fathomless
depths Of the forest. Years afterwards, Capt Dan
Hickok tof the Commercial Exchange) bought this
identical pack (which, by-the-by from their Span
ish appearance, are supposed to have been brought
over by some one of the followers of fernando de
Soto into Arkansas,) and few days ago presented
them to his friend Mr. r. L. Place, who intends
placing them in the museum of curiosities of VIM
T. Portery Of the Spirit of the Times in NewYork
$ Truth is stranger than fiction