The colored patriot., 1882-04-20


q According to the Natchez legend +b;
III tribe should have been of Asiat7c o,;o.;,, -,
Tor they were the most devoted and S;n
cere of all the fre-worshiners and 'tihl +h
lnosG unanimous ~ and religious follower
u an the ldolaters of the East. Anothe
curious tact is that they held the wome,
10 the highest respect and esteem, an(
with gallantry quite uncommo,
among the aborigines of America, tbc1
ascrlbed the salvation of their race f.
one OF the too-often degraded and de
Splsed sex. The tradition is substantial,
as follows: = >'' ''''1 'i' u
thousands of @ SHOWS ago all the in
naoltants of the earth, with the excen.
5lon OF single family, were DESTROYED
Dy hoods and darkness, and want 81
iood. This one family managed tc
keep up large fire of wood. and 81
survived for time. But in consequence
or the continued darkness even this last
remnant of human existence was ahonf
TO perish. In this emergency a yonno
glrl OF the family, suddenly 1nsnired
with the idea that she might save the
race by an act of self-sacrifce. threw
1erSen upon the fire which served tba
aeSpalrlng sufferers for light. Her
pody was speedily reduced to ashes: but
on Ihe moment she arose, perfect and
apparently unharmed, in the eastern
SKY, surrounded with halos of surnass.
ing glory. The darkness began to dis
appear before the new sun, and the last
family OF the Natchez was saved.
1hls wonderful girl became the chief
OF the tribe, and it was decreed that her
nearest female relative should be her
successor. The worship of the sun.
which she had rivaled in brilliancv ot
her resurrection, was at once eStab-
llshed, and, in addition to this. a per
petual fire was kept, called the .Liyino
sacr1flce OF the sacred fire." and it was
the belief of the survivors that so lon~
as this fire blazed upon their altars. the
n NaVChez would be powerful and happy.
On the spot where the sacrificed maid
en- was rencarnated, where the fire fell
from heaven and surrounded her with
glory they built their great mound to
II'ticate that their Wanderings were at
an end.
1t was only on this mound and at the
festival OF fruits that the priestess of the
sun showed herself to the people. at.
tired in robes of white, adorned with
white feathers, her waist glitterino with
precious stones. She assisted in the |
early greeting Of her ancestor the sun.
and as the god of day descended in the
west his rays fell first upon the sacred
princess, which cireu.nstslce was hailed +
by the wOrshipers as a recognition of
sympathy and acknowledged relation
ship between the real sun and his queen,
ly representative.
1t was natural enough to believe that
the extinction of the sacred fire wonld
bring ruin if not destruction upon the
race.
The sequel of the tradition is often re-
lated by Natchez Indians as follows: A
brave young chief of the tribe became
enamored of beautiful maiden,
with eyes as bright and step as light,
ANA graceful as the startled roe;
whose hair was like the wing of night
- waved III the suns departed glow
1he young lovers passion was evil
IDENTIFY returned, but cruel parents op-
posed them, and their interviews were
stolen and few and far between. The |
Young chief was at times a watcher of {
he sacred fire, and on one occasion
While thus engaged he heard the plaint- I
We and melancholy song of bird. {
fastening into the neigboring grove. he r
vas overjoyed to find his beloved mis- r
ress. There the lovers pie lged their
hearts over and over again, and were ,
he happiest of mortal beings. When I
le returned to the temple the Young y
nan discovered to his horror that the ;.
acred flame had expired, and that the
-ltar which had for centuries glowed
With living fire was dark and cold. !
When the sun again Illuminated the Y
llls there was no response of the sacred :,
moke, and the priests fastened to the =
emple to learn the cause AS soon as .
hey learned the truth, the maiden
hose beauty had been the main cause II
# this terrible catastrophe was slain, s.
ropltlary sacrifice to the offended gods. D
he young chief was spared, but he was "
oOmed to make atonement in long II
erlodS of fasting and prayer, after =,
hlch, with solemn and imposing cere- y
lonieS, he was sentenced to imprisOn-
tent in the center of the great mound, sc
lere TO remain until he should WOO ia
ack from heaven the lost fire. The tn
lief supposed that this would be an ell
lsy task, since he could produce fire by gi
e friction of two pieces of wood, a W
'actice common among his people. ia
ut, overcome by religious fear, his nc
rength of arm appeared to have de- ph
lrted; and when, after long and pa
INT labor, the fire was about to come, Sc
tear of regret for his sacrificed mis- DIR
ess would fall upon the just-igniting Sc
ood and leave his interminable task WI
r another renewal. un
Although centuries have passed away, an
Us a narrator, since this tragic event, XII
! men among the Natchez in their is.
y-dreams often speak reverenually of ''I
e young chief, whom they still believe on
be in the great mound, engaged in sd
) sorrowful labor. and they confident he
assert that when he RECEIVERS the Ha
cred fire he viii appear at the altar,
ut the sacrificed maiden will rise in vii
.endor as the priesteSs of the sun and hat
cen of the tribe, and that the Natchez. tow
'uming all their power and glory, will bel
e and take possession of their desc lad
Ell homes. - Chicago Times. the
- kit,
"A celebrated French breeder. who an,
many years held first rank in the art | i
sheep, when urged to di- hes