Weekly Trinity journal., 1865-02-11
A Noble Savage at the Falls.

Mr. Saa gives the following graphic sketch Of
a contemplative Red Indian at the Falls of
Niagara:
Slowly and sadly walked along the precipice
road toward the Suspension Bridge, when
came on some one standing have stood,
the verge of a scrap, and gazing the Falls.
He had his dog with him-a patient. little black
fellow, with ragged ears-a poverty stricken
mongrel cur Mango had marked him for her
own. He looked as though he had been bred
turnspit, but that branch of business declining
through the introduction of bottle jacks, had at
tempted the water-spanel line of business
Poor little beast! He shivcred and looked
lamentably uncomfortable, but was quiet meek
aud resigned His master was Somewhat under
the middle size, but was brawny, thck-sct itl-
low. The facial angles Of his countenance would
not have been amss on medal representing
one of the Twelve Caesars, for his nose was pure
ly aqualine, his check-bones high, his lips firmly
set, and his chin broad and massive but there
his classicalty stopped. His forehead was low,
his eye, though black and lu5trous, small and
sunken and his head, so far could discern
for the cap he wore, matched with long, coarse,
matted, black hair-raven-back, if you please,
but the sable of who had fed on any,
thing but succulent garbage. He was very
dirty, very ragged. Wrapped round him was Il
blanket-coat, patched here and there with straps
OF leather his lons were girt with wampum
belt but the beads were broken and lusteress.
There some shabby embroidery, too, on the
canvas pouch he carried on his side His legs
were swathed in bandages of coarse linen, with
criss-cross ligaments, such as Italian brigands
wear, and such you may note in the statues
of the Gauls of old. On his feet he wore mecca
sins, and these offered curious contrast TO the
rest of his attire, for they were of new black
cloth, glowing with party-colored passementcrie
and, in their embroidery, quite marvel of bead
work. On one arm rested long duck-gun, with
bright barrel, and his shot-bet and powder
flask hung on his lip opposite the pouch
There Ire stood, silent and motionless. con-
templating the raging waters. He was plainly Il
poor devil, and the clothes lie had would
not have fetched two dollars and half. His
gun was the most valuable part of his accouter-
ments, and the stock of that weapon even was
worn and notched. This clearly no place
for him He was an anomaly and an anchrcn-
ism here. 1t was time for him TO clear out. Do
we not read in the works of the Yankee bard
Here @t the Wild viii h Indian once did take delight
Now the inhabitants are mostly white,
Nary red'
! Yes, this was red man. He was the first
North American Indian, in his land had
| seen. l am not about to get up any spasmodic
enthusiasm concerning the noble savage. He is,
l am aware, at painful discount just at present;
and confess that his nobility is in the MAN,
nonsense and he himself nuisance. / have
him five millions strong-whole-bloo
| and half-blooded-in Mexico, and I am bound to
admit that according to our ideas of ciyiliza-
ton, he is at the best, but a poor creature. |
have nothing favorable to say about the
paint, or the war-path, or the war-dance. l
give up the noble savage's morality. l confess
him to be shiftles and degraded yagrant, who
does not wash sef-who is not at all scru-
pulous about taking things which do not belong
| to him-who will get blind mad drunk on
rum whisky whenever he has chance who
! is not much better shot than white man, and
who has only one special aptitude, that for play
| ing at cards, at which he will cheat Won. But.
fallen and debased as he is, not much more pic
turesque than an English gypsy, and quite as
dishonest, nothing can rob him of a certain dig
nifty of mien, composure of carriage, and an
imperturbability of countenance which the de-
scendants of hundred European kings might
envy. Nothing moves him, nothing excites his
| surprise, nothing excites him to merriment. y
! friend told me, that, travelling once in Nova
Scotia, he came on Indian village where n
chief installed in office: He was invited
to take part in the festivities, and was RECALLED
with banquet composed of one dish. What
do you think it was? Conger eel cut into pieces
about four inches long, Indian corn end molass-
es vet the manner in which the CHIEF ladled
out this horrible mess from tin sop-pail was,
according to my friend the most digni6ed and
imposing performance he had ever witnessed
SINCE in days gone by he had seen royal per-
sonage presiding at public dinner.
And SO this Red Man stood grave and immo-
bile, surveying the Falls. His dress was
| mean and bastard compromise between the past
and the present, but in port and visage be was
the same Indian who, with unquiyerng lip and
unfaltering eye, looks upon the dying Wolfe in
Benjamin Vests picture. There he stood,
statuesque and dumb, needing not needing
nothing, seemingly but his own thoughts. OF
what may lie have been thinking? Perhaps in
this wise: "AIl this was once mine. The
river and the falls, the bank aud the brake, all
belonged to the Red Man. In theft bark canoes
my fathers shot the rapids more skilfully than
the helmsman of that black boat which puiTs
smoke from pipe on its deck, and makes noise
like whip-poor-will in pain. All this belonged
to me, and now am vagrant and an outcast,
and the white man Charters with me for the
birds have slain" Poor copper-hued child Of
the wilderness Perhaps he was listening for
the futter Of wind, and keeping a sharp look
out for the blue-bird Of Canada. went on my
way, and saw him no more. as~a
The Legislature of Idaho, at its last session,