The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-09-20
The Spirit Island.

The following beautiful extrac. from Sartain's
Magazine will please many Of the admirers Of the
giIteJ authoress Of Northern Love and Le-
gcnds.'
There is little island, Just below the Falls Of
St Anthony, surrounded by their spray, with
picturesque rocks and dark looking cedars look.
ing lonely and romantic more attractive than the
FnR., through It's peculiar looks, and ts story,
connected with the falls and with the people that
still hover around lhem, on the Territory Of MIN
nesota raising tents # one night soon to depart,
hudhug fire, soon To be queuchsd il is called
the Sptrt Island and its tale is that of many sn
Indian woman--i. in fact the poetic truth Of wO-
maui fate among the r. men Il tells:
There WAS once a famous hunter of the tribe
Of Dekotas Cor Sioux living near the Falls OF St
Anthony Ne had hut one wife, and loved her
and was loved Nv her 80 we'll that the union and
the happiness ofthe hunter and his wife, Ampota
Sampa was talked Of among the tribe us won
deriul--lhey had two children and lived lonely
and happy for several years. But as he became
known as agreat hunter, and grew rich, several
famlit, came and raised their tips (odges) near
that ofthe happy prr. And words and whispers
came to the young man that he ought to have
more wives, so that he might enjoy more happi.
ne-s. He listened to the temples, md soon
made a choice among the daughters Of his new
friends. But when he had to tell his first vile
thereof, lis heart smole him, and to make the
news less painful to her, he began by telling her
ihlthe had bethought himself that she had toe
m ny household cares, and that he wanted some,
body TO help her in them, and so he would bring
her that help in the form Of a young girl, who
was TO be hI- second wife.
"Ampo'a Sampa answered No She had not
too many cares. She was happy to have Il em
for him aud his chlldren.--She prayed and be-
~augil him by their former love and happy life
by every tender tie b. the love of their little ones
not to bring q new love, new wife to the lodge
He -aid nothing. But the same night he brought
home tn the lodge his new wife.
early next morning Il death-song was heard
on the waters If The Mississippi, and canoe was
seen gliding swiftly down the rapids above the
Falls Of 81. Anthony, and in the canoe was sitting
young woman with two little cnildren folded Il
her bosom. 1t was Ampota Sampa; and in hel
song she told the cause Of her despair, Of hel
death Of her departure f,r the spirit land .,
she sat singing her death.song swiftly borne on
ward by the rapids 70 the edge Of the rocka Her
husband, her friends heard her and saw her. but
too late. In a few mom,ntsher canoe was ut Tie
top Of the Falls. there it paused a second, aud
then borne on by the rHsh Of the waters, down It
dashed, and the roaring waves covered lie vie
tins with their white fJanl.
Their bodies were never seen again; but ira
dl1Hn says that on misty morning, the -pirt Of
the Indian wife with the Children folded 10 hci
bosom, i, seen gliding in the caope through III,
T,ins spray 9Loq' spirit ,lana end iR"i n (lg
wind md IN the roar Of the Falls Of St Anthony
Such i.thc legend Of The Indian wife"