St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-07-28
aflistellanll.
THE WHITE CANOE.

There are legends unnumbcrcd, ant
records of fearful accidents and dar
ing deeds that throw halo Of ro
nance about everything, even as
Loeb Lomond, the Rhine and Lake
Como and the Bosphorus are sacred
from their legends and traditions.
Here is a legend of Niagara
Centuries since, when the hunting
grounds of the rcd man were und;s
turbcd by the sound Of the woodman'S
axe or the whir Of the miilcr's wheel
the Indians roamcd wild as the deer
of the forest and free as the buffalo on
the plains, happy in their ignorance
Then advance of civilization had not
affected their rough laws and habits
They were the posscssors of the soil
by right and by Inheritance. In those
days each tribe had its peculiar Gus.
toms, and under no circumstances, in
the face Of no penalty, was any mem
Der of tribe known to deviate from
them. The Seneca tribe owned the
hunting grounds round about Niagara,
and it was their custom annually to as.
semblc their chiefs and warriors at
Goat Island, in order to arrange diff.
cnltics between themselves, and also
the grievances of other tribes. Previ-
Gus to the adjournment of the counsel
q day was selected to offer the animal
sacrifice to the Spirit of the Falls
This offering was white canoe, which
was filled with the rarcst flowers that
b'OOmed on the banks, the choicest
fruits that hung upon the trees, and
the richest gems and minerals that the
earth produced. The night of the fnll
moon was selected, and then the fair
est maiden in the tribe who had ar.
rived at the age of womanhood was
chosen to paddle this snow-white ca
noe over the Falls to the Spirit Land
this gift was to propitiatc the Father
OF W aters, and give to him the faircst
daughter of the tribe. All were eager
that the honor might fall upon them.
for they believed they should be at
once received into the hunting grounds
of the Spirit Land
Among those who arrived at wo.
manhood on the anniversary was tic
daughter of chief she was known
as the lily of the tribe, the faircst of
them all ; the chic,s of other tribes
had made offers for her hand, for her
beauty was the glory of the Seneca
Indians. Her mother had been slain
| 10y hostile tribe. and the great chiCt
thus centcrcd all his love upon this
fair flower Of beauty. She had never
given her love to any young warrior,
but accompanied her father and chief
in all his hunting expeditions, and en-
| dcavOrcd to console his wounded spir
it by her devotion and fidelity thus
! she became a necessity to his cXis
| tencc whenever she was absent hi:
| brow was clouded with care, while
her presence seemed like n glcam OF
sunshine in his solitude and sorrow.
This only child was chosen as the
sacrifcial offering to the Spirit of Nj
agara. The old warrior manifested
J
/ lips, nor did he for moment attempt
to change her fate he silently bowed
to the decision, and calmly assisted
in the preparations for the sacrifice
The most fragile flowers that grew he
gathered, with his own hands he sc
lcctcd all the offerings, and then sol
emnly walked forth into the lonely
paths of the forests ; no tear dlmmin2
his eyes as he parted from his child
The festival commenced, the warrior.
performed their favorite dances unit
the sun sank in the west. Two hours
later and the moon rode calmly int,
the sky, siIvcring the waters of Mag
ara, and haloing the earth with an al
most supernatural beauty. The iai
maiden took her seat in the canoe, an,
guided it towards the Falls no mari
of fear or irrcsolution was visible ol
her countenance ; the surging water
carried her rapidly forward the saw
age warriors shouted and yelled thei
wild songs. Suddenly another cano'
shot out from the land and darted tc
wards the first one, which it rapid,
approached, and to the amazement O
the tribe, the form of the old warrio
chief was seen. He clasped his daugl
ter in his arms, and their hearts tlrot
bed together in love. In one long an
ncvcr-cnding embrace they plunge
over the fearful waters and passed tt
gether from time into eternity.