The San Francisco call., 1896-12-13

this hero OF many battles, when old, poor
and obscure, became desirous of giving his
story 10 his white friends, "that the
people of the United States might know
the cause which lmpelled him to act as he
had'done and the principles by which he
8 was governed" This was faithfully trans
5. lated by Antoine lie Claire, : half breed OF
= French and Indian parentage, whose de-
:. sceHdants live in Davenport, Iowa.
e: - Unjust be remem bered that, although
:: Black Hawks story is intermingled with
!: iegends, it is probably true as regards the
i: emigration of the tribes-the Sacs. as they
: were called-from place to place to their
final destination, the Rock River country,
in Illinois. The tradition of the causes
which led to this great event in their
history was handed down 10 Black
Hawk as coming from his great
' grandfather, Mana ma-kee, who, by
tblackening his face, fasting and in
vocation to the Great Spirit, appeared to
g the chief in dreams, telling HIM to fast
one year more, and then to take his
Brother chieftains and travel to the lett OF
the sun rising till they could hear certain
sounds, when they would meet a white
man who would be a father to this people.
The sounds were heard and the white man
appeared. He announced himself TO be
the son of the King of France and said
that he also had tasted four years; that
b the Great Spirit had visited him in dreams,
telling him he would meet his children,
the Indians. and their chief.
They returned to their nation. The old
chief, when he learned of their meeting
the white man, presented the great
medicine bag to his son, Mana ma-kee,
SAYING it was the soul Of their nation that
it never had been disgraced and he hoped
it, never would be. Nana-ma-kee was a
young man, and there were some dissen-
sions among the people on account of so
much power being given to one so young,
but when the talk" was at its height a
violent thunderstorm appeared and the
LIGHTNING struck tree, setting fire to it.
Young Nana-ma-kee seized a burning
branch. made fire in the lodge, seated
the people around it, who were awed by
what seemed to be miracle, and addressed
them:
II am young, but the Great Spirit has
called me to take the rank l hold. While
my father, the chief, nVed had no wish
to take his place. You have seen the
power given Dy the CTeaL oplrIl III causing
that fire. / wish that the chiefs, my
brothers. may never let it go out. "
All were satisfied when they heard and
saw that the Great Spirit had spoken and
confirmed his words by the burning tree.
In the legend of the burning tree one is
reminded of the burning bush out of
which God spake to Moses regarding the
children of Israel. In ali accounts of the
religion of the Indians know OF no
record where they are represented as woT-
shiping the Great Spirit in any material
form or wood or stone. The Great Spirit
was immortal and invisible.
After long absence the French father
returned, and trade was kept up for
some time with the tribe, exchanging
various commodities for their furs and
other articles. The British, who were then
at war with the French, at last overpow-
cred them and gained possession of Quebec.
Some OF the differen mt tribes joined in the
WAR, and afterward united their forces
against the Sacs and drove them to Mon
treal and thence to Mackinaw- They met
the British Father, as Black Hawk calls
him, who helped them and furnished
them with goods. They were troubled
by their enemies, who drove them from