The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25

Old minstrel harp! with dreary chime,
Strike thou in rude and artless rhyme
The glories of that olden time,
When Narvaez With his galleys came;
When Ponce de LIE on's thirst for fame,
And dark De Soto's heart of flame,
Had bid them leave Castilian bowers,
To seek for fortunes golden showers
In this our tabled LAND of Flowers.
How changed the scene nor glen, nor rock,
Shakes to the charging squadrons shock;
Where rolled the din of Indian war,
The hunters bugle sounds affair :;
Where loud the fearful war-whoop rang,
The church bell peals it's mellow clang.
And later yet-When heroes braVed
tyrant king, and proudly waved
The 1" stars and stripes" DER gallant dead,
When Marion fought and Jasper bled;
Where poured the shot it's deadly shower,
Tall spires and stately cities tower;
Where ponderous portals hoartely Jared,
And sentries walked their sleepless ward,
The dancers light and twinkling feet
Keep time to music soft and sweet;
The pillared hall, the peaceful cot,
stand fair on many stored spot,
Where ragged the battle fray /;
And where red fields were lost and won
CAT evenings close, their labor done),
The maid and matron, sire and son,
And bright-haired children, many one,
Have humbly knelt to pray
II.
Twas not of this meant to tell;
But how one summers morn it fell
That bold De Soto's warriors bravo
Lay camped beside Savannah's wave.
The gray lark, Graded on the cloud,
Poured down his carol long and loud,
O'erpowering all the singing nlls;
The mist from off the far blue hills,
In white and slumb'rous shadow-folds,
Flowed droopingly away. Beholds
Tue rising sun, so fair scene,
AS greets him in that valley green?
There meath the crimson-tinted skies
The rivers rippes sink and rise;
Soft falling here in low cascade,
Coquetting there with life and shade,
Yet, holding still the glorious heaven,
And sending back the radiance given
AS some fair child of mortal birth,
Won by seducing joys of earth,
Still makes her soul of heaven the shrine,
And sheds an influence half-divine!
Up from the waking camp rose high
The bugle's note, and blood-hound's cry;
Harness and armors ringing clank,
Echoed along the rivers bank;
Shrilly the chargers sounding neigh
Bent with the hum of rising day,
Mailed cavalier, and Indian scout,
Mixed with the soldiers, stern and stout
While sunlight glanced DER steel-clad breast
Pennon, and shield, and knightly crest,
And Spain broad banner floating free,
In all the pomp of chivalry!
III.
With soft, sweet thrilling of her waves,
The opposing bank the river laves;
In light 1t lay-its quiyering shades
The downright verdure of it's glades
By balmy breezes freshly famed
Was this the dark-browed hunters land?
The shore is broken, bold, and there
Thin smoke-wreaths on the crystal air
Show where a lovely Indian town,
From bluff to river stretches down.
Its cane pavilions, long and low,
Lay on the shore like banks of snow,
Close sheltered by a verdant screen
OF tall palmetto groves between;
Magnolias dark, the SOuthrOn's pride,
And giant iye-Oaks branching wide.
The snow-white lines extending far,
Yet broken and irregular,
Resembling more some martial camp
Close on the verge of verdant swamp,
Than towns the soldiers heart retains
Towering ON Andalusia's plains.
AS peering out the trees between,
Full soon motley group was seen;
An Indian guide a-down the ledge
Slept cautious to the waters edge,
And summoned them at once to send
Some herald, counsellor, or friend,
With whom the Spanish chief might speak
And message send to their Cazique.
"
Soon parting from the village shore,
A large canoe six warriors bore
Soon touched its PROV the opposing strand,
And light the strangers leaped to land.
Mature of age appeared tney ALL
Yet, 1.-the and sfnewy, dark and tall,
Each stalwart arm ween, could WELD
The axe and bow, in chase or field
Firm in its gaze each falcon eye,
And full of native dignity
Each mien (tO SUCH unconscious how,
The herd of common spirit bow;
Each dark brow bore a coronet
OF plumage of the paroquet,
Rude rings OF gold each bosom graced,
And from girdle round each waist
Peace pipe and battle-axe were hung.
The outer mantle round them flung,
Was marten skin and clasPed with god.
With stately step and bearing bold,
And ceremonial grave yet brief,
They made due reverence to the - Chief
One low obeisance to the sun,
One to the westering moon, and one,
To brave De SOtO-as they cease,
Demanding: " Would st thou acdi' or peace ?
Such quaint array and question free
The younger gallants smiled to see;
But the bold chief, with ready grace,
Reprcssed CT ill-timed mirth the trace
And met them with such courtesy
As meets the flower of chivalry
Replying, as he grasped each hand
Peace and passage tbrO' your land ~
Tho rneaSenpera retT1.nad tn baor