The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-04-08
From Putnam + Monthly.
Legend OF the Pals a ii q /.

.
From putnam's Monthly.
ALegend OF the Palisades.
Long before the white sails Of Europe cast
their baleful shadows over the waters Of the
Western Continent, vast portion Of this
territory, bounded by perpetual snow and
perpetual summer, was occupied by two
mighty nations of red men. The Iroquois,
BIZ far the most warike nation, dominated,
with its united tribes, the inland from Cana
da to North Carolina, and east and west from
Central Pennsylvania to Michigan; while the
great Algonquin race peoped the sea-board
from Labrador almost to Florida, and ex-
tending itself westward even to the borders
of Oregon, again stretched along beyond the
waters Of the Mississippi, unto the hunting
grounds of the swarthy Appaachians. This
bright river, in those days, flowed downward
to the sea, under some dark, Indian name ;
and, where yonder village glitters with it's
score of spires and myriad windows, the
smoke of numerous canp-f fires curled up
amidst pointed wigwams, Of poles and skins,
and birch bark, wrought with barbaric char
acters.
OF the Algonquin tribes that formerly in
habited the banks of this mighty stream, ira
dition has scarcely preserved pane. A
handful Of colored earthen beads, 4 few flint
arrow heads, are the sole memorials OF n
once great populace. But tradition, with
wonderful tenacity, clings TO Its legends
Even from the dross of nameless nations,
some golden deed shines forth, with lustre
antiquity cannot tarnish. So among the su-
pornatural songs of the Iroquois we find n
living parable.
! Long before the coming of the pale faces,
4 there was q great warrior Of the Onandago-
1 lroquois by the name of Big Papoose. lie
had round, small smooth face, like that of
q child; but his arms were long and his
shoulders broad md powerful as the branch
es of an oak. AT the eouncil-tire he spoke
not ct hunting parties he was indolent; and
| OF the young sqnaws, none could say, she
loves me-" But if he spoke not at the coun-
Gil fires, the people knew the scalps in his
wigwam were numerous as the cones upon
the pine tree; and If he cared not for hunt
/ ing, yet he wore a triple collar made Of the
skins Of grizzly bears, and the old braves
loved the great elk he had pursued and killed
with blow of his stone axe, when his feet
were as the wings of 4 swallow True it
was, the love that is so common TO man, the
love Of woman, was not in his breast but the
/ brightest and boldest maiden eyes dropped
in his presence, and many time the bosoms
of the young squaws would heave-just a
little. Yet the Big papoose was the friend
of children. Who bound the tiny arrow
heads to the feathered shafts and strung the
little bow with the sinews OF the deer, and
practiced the boy warriors of the tribe in
mimic warfare, and taught them to step with
the foot Of the sparrow, and to trap the fox,
the rabbit and the beaver, and to shout the
death whoop, the sa-sa-kuan! Who was
it but the Big Papoose, lying yonder, face
downward, on the frozen crust.o of the lake,
his head covered with skins, and around him
a score Of boy warriors, lying face down
ward too, watching the fish below, through the
holes in the ice, that they might strike them
with the pointed javalin, the atshkun? Yes,
he was the friend of children, the Big Pa
poose There was then very old brave Of
the Onanaaga tribe his hair was like the
foam Of the waterfall, and his eyes were deep
and dark as the pool beneath it. lie was SO
old that he could lay his hand upon the head
4 Of hundred wears and say--1'boyt' He it
was who had found in the north, under the
uttermost stars. the sacred pieces of copper;
/ he ii was who had seen the great fish, so
! large that "a single one could drink up the
lake at mouthful; and the great Thunder
Water he had seen--Niagara; and the cav
ern, big enough to contain ali the Indian
4 tribes, the Iroquois and the Algonquins, and
/ the stone arch that held the skies, the sun
and moon, and the clouds he had stood be-
meath, and he had seen it.
I He was called the White Cloud, and some
I times, when the summers heat had been too
powerful upon the earth, and the green
/ leaves of the maize dropped too much, he
would bring forth the magic red pipe, and
smoke, and blow the smoke towards the west,
and then the vapors would rise up from the
great Lake Ontario, and approach him, and
overshadow him and the rains would fall,
and the leaves rise up refreshed, and the lit
tie birds would sing loudly in the wet forest.
/ Then, too, would the Big Papoose sit on the
same log with the White Cloud, and ask him
/ to tell the mysteries of the skies and the
Sachem would chant of the White Rabbit of
the north the Queen Of the Heavens that
holds dominion over the uttcrmost stars, and
the SHOWS Of winter that hides in the sum
mer, when the sun is powerful, that she may
rival his brightness in the season of frost.
One day the Big papoose said to the old
chief, "Why, oh White Cloud, do you ever
blow the great smoke Of the calumet towards
the west, Is there not rain, too, In the east ~
Then, the white haired answered, "Because
| like not the visions see, when | blow the
smoke towards the east. AS the smoke from
the calumet moves westward, behold it in al
nations of red men, moving and ever moving
towards the caverns Of the sun. But when
blow the smoke towards the east, see the
red man no more, but the glitter of mighty
waters, and winged canoes in size like the
lofty hemlocks of the forest, and potent ar
rows of fire that dart forth with clouds and
thunderings. And further and further to-
wards the east, | see more aud more of the
winged canoes, in number like the leaves
that are blown by the winds of autumn; and
the winged canoes bear many nations, and
in the approaching nations see not one red
man. 81 have dreamed" replied the young