Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-05-18
The Last Of his Race.
A TALE OF AN HUNDRED YEARS SINCE.

The Last OF his Race. vr-
A TALE OF AN HUNDRED YEARS SINCE. 8
The mighty West had been settled.
The heaven-blest home of Liberty extend
ed from ocean to ocean. The States of
the Pacific had begun to rival the Atlantic,
and beautiful villages and thriving cities
adorned the ocean shore Of Oregon, and
the banks Of the great Columbia. .r ~.
The darkness of night had settled over
this scene of beauty and prosperity, and
hushed for few hours all but the ever
lasting noise of revelry. Now the upstart-
ing beams of the same full moon dimly
reveal the spires of a distant city, and in
silvery loveliness reflected from the quiet
surface Of the mighty deep.
Casting my eyes carolcssly along the
beach, they linger upon human form,
with slow and solemn steps passing from
point to point. | endcavorcd to approach
the spot unobserved that I might ascer-
tain who and what it might be- He had
now seated himself upon the edge Of the
rock, his feet dangling over the side, and
and his eyes fixed upon the breakers that
laZily washed its base. In my eagernoss
to catch glimpse of the strangers face
my feet became entangled and | fell
among the bushes. Startled by the noise,
he spang to his feet and in a strange
tongue seemed to be demanding, Who's
thereW
On my rising, we stood face to face.
reached out my hand, and assured him,
as well as | could, there was no danger;
and he, in broken English, expressed him.
self satifed.
His features were those of an Indian,
for in my boyhood | chanccd to see one.
A bow was thrown across his shoulders,
after the manner of those long departed
tribes.
Man of the Forest" said r, ssit is mid
night, the song of the birds is hushed
and the wild beasts has gone to rest it
is time for man to seek his home"
"Home % he replied: 81 have no home.
Why should | seek one! Ny people
are no more. Time was when they COW
vered these hills, and like mighty swarm
filled the wales. There, where YOU see
yon steeple glittering in the moonlight,
once stood an Indians wigwam and all
around the cleaning watch fires blazcd."
'1 know it," was my answer, land
often have [ wondered that mighty roo-
pie could so soon have faded from the
earth"
Faded ~ he exclaimed. cave YOU
may well say faGed. Often have / stood
in the morning and looked up the noun
tain side, and seen the cloud that hung
upon its brow wasted away by the sun
beam, and thought even so ma nation
were destroyed. Aye, sir, they PASSED
away as my breath does from the bright
surface of my tomahawk"
but" said [, chow came it?"
Know you not, stranger" said he
and his tread became quicker, and his
voice betrayed the deepest emotion,-"it
was the cursed fTe-udter! War killed
some: disease some: but that swept off
Its millions. 1t made war-it made dis
| ease. Our young men were ruined: there
were no old men; and year after year
the tribes became smaller, till now, al
though have been far to the rising sun,
have not found one of my race I am
alone. | came here to die-to spend a
few hours in prayer TO the Great Spirit
! and then all that remains of my fathers
people will be gone"
Here he paused, and I could not but
notice with alarm the mighty upheavings
of his bosom, and the increasing violence
of his tread. He broke out again
''Let the white man beware He, too,
drinks the fire water If he will not stop
his fate will be like the Indians. Drunk.
enness will bring with it disease and war !:
and by and bye some people will come
across the big waters and take away the
white mans home, as he took away the
Indians. Go, stranger, 60 tell your
people to take care lest it burn them up.
as it did the Indians. Go--go-gom he
repeated, with increasing emphasis.
And ere the last word had died upon
his lips, he leaped from the rock, and was
engulfed in the ocean.