Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-06-10
"--------Admi to that equal sky,
Bis faithful dog shall bear him company"
CHAPTER I.

GA loud, wild, wrathful, and savage cry from some
huge animal, made heart creep to mouth, and
bathed forhead in sweat. We looked up-and red
deer-a stag of ten-he king of the forest-stood with
all his antlers, snung the wind but yet blind to fg
ure overshadowed by ck."-Christopher North.
In the beautiful home of the Oneidas, near
where the great Niagara sings its continued
anthem, and the broad Lake Ontario spreads
away Northward, and the lesser Seneca, Cay
uga and Oneida smile in their quiet loveliness );
where the wild swan spreads her snowy sail ,and
the haze of the brown Indian Summer fingers
long, five centuries age rose the smoke of many
wigwam on the shore of the Oneida Lake, the
home of the tribes and nation of the Onedas
| Here, as their tradition ran, they had resid-
ed and seen their fathers and kindred fall asleep
generation after generation, while their women
cultivated the maize, builded their lodges, and,
with their hooks of bone and the spear and ar
row, brought up the fnny tribe which the lakes
and streams afforded in great abundance. The
chase supplied material for the hunters garb,
the moccasin and the neutrality-suspicious.
frock Of the woman, and in winter the greater
part of their sustenance The dried venison,
bears meat and moose meat, and the dried fish
gathered in abundance was luxury not unfit
for the palate of the epicurean. Their fields of
corn and the abundance of wild rice and roots
made up the sum of their livelihood
Their lodges and wigwams were constructed
of upright poles fastened at the top, COW
cred with bark or skins, and frequently extend
ed for a considerable distance in length In
the centre was kindled the fire for warmth OF
cooking, while the smoke assembled through an
opening at the top, and upon either side ranged
the raised couches for sleep, and upon the posts
about the lodge hung the dried provisions. Be-
meath these humble roofs we cannot doubt but
their slumbers were as sweet, after the fatiguel
| and excitements of the chase or war expedition
5 and chastity as guarded, as among more en-
, lightened people.
One Autumn, when the season was waning
= and the moon of frosts had felled the leaves o
tho forest and the beech and chestnut were bein!
gathered, extensive preparations were finished
for the long winter hunting expedition over tn
, slopes of the Eastern hills. Those to be en-
gagged in the expedition had prepared themselve
c by long fasts and auspicous dreams, and at tn
S early approach of winter set out for the dstan
forest.
On the South their hunting grounds wer
bounded by those of the numerous and power
t full nation of the wolf totem, and known as th
: Mohawks. On the North lay the great lake
r and on the East the territory of the Algonquins
e nation who, while over jealous of their ow
rights and possessions, had little honor and fe,
scruples of trespassing upon the possessions O
: their neighbors. And numerous had been til
;, complaints from the Oneidas and Cayugas G
S such infringing.
The first days of their expedition were spen
e in trapping along the great streams, and man
n the beaver whose head was found under til
q simple trap of log raised few inches fror
! the ground and baited with twgs. And Will
1t thesnowswere yet shallowand the lake unirozcr
y many were the fish that satated their hungr
IL appetites, as they gathered around the evonin
l. meal.
s. As the deeper SHOWS came on, and the plac
1t of tho moose and deer was near by, the exped
"a ton was divided into three different partie
70 each led by their appointed chief, and who we
'e to separately pursue the object of their exp
ID dition and return at the beginning of the Sprir
l. moon to their village. To each party was allott
II the different portions of the hunting grounds
ID The first party, led by Nagowa, the young Chi
a, of the nation, went to the Southward, viii
ct the second ranged along the Northward, and
the foot of tho great hills, in near approach
fy the Algonquins. The third took the cent?
a. and scaled the ranges of big hills The thi
a. sun after the separation, q herd of deer we
no discovered by Nagowa and his party lodged
st the deep snow, and their hides made clothil
CO and their meat food for the band.
in At tho close of the fifth day the track of
w. moose on his slow journey to the shelter of t