L'Hirondelle & les petits Oifeaux. balm of fentiment, and he retired with grief, convinced that the paffion which preyed upon the young man was more difficult to be cured than his diforder. There are fome evils above the power of remedies, and there are fome attachments which come under that defcription; a paffion that knows it may, in fome measure, be reconciled with virtue, is almost unconquerable time or religion, which has ftill an afcendancy over human reafon, is the only weapon which remains to fubdue it, or, at leaft, to oppofe it. Monforin was informed by Beranger of the little fuccefs which proceeded from their mediation; he did not conceal what would be the refult of fuch an oppofition; he appealed to his paternal yearnings. Darnicourt, without waiting for the old man's answer, rofe with warmth against this advice, which he charged with criminal lenity, in which the dignity of a father was given up. "It was abfolutely neceffary that Daminville fhould give up all hopes of marrying Felicia, he ought to banish the remembrance of her from his heart, or elfe Monforin ought to procure a lettre de cachet to confine him as a rebellious fon; that ftep was neceffary; he is anfwerable for his conduct to his family, to all parents, to heaven itself;"—for that is always in the mouths of those who are pretendedly devout. "Sir, (interrupted Beranger) fhould the young gentleman preferve in the dungeon that fame unhappy tendreffe—” 131 On hearing this fentence they fhewed their indignation by a loud laugh, and Beranger left them employed in the project of fubduing Daminville, or to play all the engines of punishment against him. (To be continued.) To the EDITOR of the LADY'S MA- SIR, I am, With great refpect, Your humble fervant, L'HIRONDELLE & les petits OISEAUX. Never fear that, Sir," interrupted L'HIRONDELLE eft un oiseau 66 fage, & qui à beaucoup de prévoyance comme elle voyage beaucoup elle à beaucoup vû, & beaucoup ap pris. Un jour qu'un payfan enfemen the inhuman Darnicourt; punishment will foon bring him to his fenfes." Beranger replied with great vivaci-çoit fon champ, elle affembla les pety, "Have not you then, Sir, known your own heart -Pray how long is it fince religion has armed a father against his own child? Sir, you are rich," addreffing himself to Monforin, Felicia is faid to come of a good family, is amiable and virtuous; is such an alliance as this to be rejected with fo much obstinacy?" 66 tits oifeaux, & leur parla ainfi-" Voyez-vous," leur dit elle, " ce que cet homme fait. Il feme à 1 heure qu'il eft de la graine qui fera un jour votre ruine, fi vous n'y remédiez à tems; car il faut que vous fachiez que les filets des oifeleurs font tous faits de lin ou de chauvre. Ainfi, croyez-moi, mangez cette graine de peur des S2 fuites." fuites." Les oifeaux fe moquerent de l'hirondelle, & de fon beau difcours. Ils trouvoient affez de quoi vivre fans être obligés à manger du chenevis.-Quand la graine eut germé, & qu'elle fút montée en tuyau." Arrachez cette maudite herbe brin à brin," s'écrioit le prévoyant oifeau : "je vous plains, fi vous ae le faites, il est encore tems de prevenir le mal: mais fi vous ne vous depéchez, votre perte eft immanquable. Ce que je vous en dis ce n'eft pas pour moi. Je fais bien comment me garantir du danger. Je m'en irai loin d'ici, au-delà des mers, où bien je vivrai dans quelque coin où je n'aurai rien à craindre des filets, ni des trébuchets, mais pour votre propre falut, fi vôtre vie vous eft chére faites attention à ce que je vous dis." Les petits oifeaux n'en firent rien. C'étoit, difoient ils, une babillarde, qui aimoit à donner des leçons aux autres. Pour eux, ils allerent toujours leur train, & continuerent à chanter, à manger, & à fe divertir. Enfin le chanvre étant tout à fait crû, l'hirondelle prit congé des oifeaux en ces termes :—— “ Je me retire de la campagne, & m'en vas vivre dans les villes parmi les hommes: mais puis que vous n'avez pas voulu ajouter foi à mes paroles, & prendre mon avis, ne gardez plus, à préfent, la compagne. Au nom de Dieu, mes chers enfans ne volez plus: fuyez les arbres & les haies, & renfermezvous dans quelque trou. C'eft la l'unique parti qui foit fur fi vous voulez eviter les maux affreux de l'efclavage & la mort même." Les petits oifeaux ne fuivirent point fon avis, & ne s'en inquiéterent nullement; ils furent prefque tous attrapés par les oifeleurs. [4 Tranflation of the above is earnest requefled from the Fair Sex.] becoming behaviour, prevent him the trouble of repeating his admonitions, inferted in the Female Reformer, or he must be under the disagreeable neceffity (urged by the dictates of unfeigned friendship for the fex) of making ufe of more fevere remarks, and expreffing himself in more harfh, though not disrespectful terms, than he has already done he was in hopes a word to the wife would have proved fuffi cient, but he fears he is unhappily miftaken: do, good ladies, prevent his fears. Hatton Street, Feb. 20. DANCES of the interior. Inbabitants of NORTH AMERICA, from CARVER'S TRAVELS, Page 266, &c. D ANCING is a favourite exercise among the Indians; they never meet on any public occafion but this makes part of the entertainment, and when they are not engaged in war o hunting, the youth of both fexes amufe themselves in this manner every evening. They always dance, as I have just obferved, at their feafts. In thefe, as well as all their other dances, every man rifes in his turn, and moves about with great freedom and boldnels, finging, as he does fo, the exploits of his ancestors. During this, the company who are feated on the ground in a circle around the dancer, join with him in marking the cadence by an odd tone, which they utter altogether, and which founds Hek, bch, bek. Thefe notes, if they might be fo termed, are articulated with a harsh accent, and trained out with the utmoft force of their lungs, fo that one would imagine their ftrength muft foon be exhausted by it, inftead of which they repeat it with the fame violence during the whole of their entertainment. The women, particularly of the weftern nations, dance very gracefully. They carry themfelves erect, and with their arms hanging down clofe to their fides, move first a few yards to the Dances of the interior Inhabitants of North America. 133 to the left, finging, at the fame time, both his own exploits, and the exploits of his ancestors. When he has concluded his account of any memorable action, he gives a violent blow with his war club against a post, that is fix right, and then back again to the left. This movement they perform without taking any steps as an European would do, but with their feet conjoined, moving by turns their toes and heels. In this manner they glide to a certain diftance, and then return; and leted in the ground, near the center of thofe who join in the dance be never the affembly, for this purpose. fo numerous, they keep time fo exact-` ly with each other, that no interruption enfues. During this, at ftated periods, they mingle their fhrill voices with the hoarfe ones of the men, who fit around (for it is obferved that the fexes never intermix in the fame dance) which with the mufic and drums of the Chichicones, make an agreeable harmony. The Indians have feveral kinds of dances which they use on different occafions, as the pipe or calmut dance, the war dance, the marriage dance, and the dance of the facrifice. The movements in every one of thefe are diffimilar, but it is almoft impoffible to convey any idea of the points in which they are unlike. Every one dances in his turn, and recapitulates the wondrous deeds of his family, til at laft they all join the dance, and it becomes truly alarming to any ftranger that happens to be among them, as they throw themselves into every horrible and terrifying pofture that can be imagined, rehearfing, at the fame time, the parts they expect to act against their enemies in the field: during this they hold their sharp knives in their hands, with which, as they whirl about, they are every moment in danger of cutting each others throats; and did they not fhun the mifchief with fuch inconceivable dexterity, it could not be avoided. By thefe motions they intend to reprefent the manner in which they mean to kill, fcalp, and take their prifoners. To hideous yelis, cries, and war-whoops as they ufe in time of action, fo that it is impoffible to difcover them in any other light than as an affembly of de Different nations likewife vary in the manner of dancing.--The Chipeways throw themselves into a great-heighten the scene, they set up the fame er variety of attitudes than any other people; fometimes they hold their heads erect, at others bend them almost to the ground, then recline on one fide, and immediately on the other. The Naudoweffies carry themfelves more upright, ftep firmer, and move more gracefully but they all accompany their dances with the difagreeable nife juft mentioned. The pipe dance is the principal, and the mou pleafing to the fpectator of any of them, being the leaft frantic, and the movements the moft graceful. It is but on particular occafions it is ud, as when ambaffadors of an enemy arrive to treat of peace, or when Ariagers of eminence pafs through their territories. The war dance, which they ufe both before they let out on their war paries, and on their return from them, likes terror into a ftranger. It is performed as the others, amidst a circle of the warriors; a chief generally ins it, who moves from the right mons. I have frequently joined this dance with them, but it soon ceased to be an amufement to me, as I could not lay afide my apprehenfions of receiving fome dreadful wound, that from the violence of their geftures must have proved mortal. I found that the nations to the weftward of the Miffiffippi, and on the borders of Lake Superior, ftill continue to make use of the Pawwawer black dance. The people of the colonies tell a thoufand ridiculous ftories of the devil being raised in this dance by the Indians: but they allow that it was in former times, and is now nearly extinct among thofe who live adjacent to the European fettlements. However, I discovered that it was ftill ufed in the interior parts, and though I did not actually fee the devil raised by it, I was witness to to fome feencs that could only be performed by fuch as dealt with him, or were very expert and dextrous jugglers. Whilft I was among the Naudoweffics, a dance which they thus termed was performed. Before the dance began, one of the Indians was admitted into a fociety which they denominated Wakon Kitchewah, that is, the friendly fociety of the fpirit. This fociety is compofed of a variety of perfons, but fuch only can be admitted into it as are of unexceptionable character, and who receive the approbation of the whole body. To this admiffion fucceeded the pawwaw dance, (in which I faw nothing that could give rife to the reports I had heard) and the whole, according to their ufual cuftom, concluded with a grand feast. It The initiation being attended with fome very fingular circumftances, which, as I have before obferved, must be the effect of magic or amazing dexterity, I fhall give a particular account of the whole procedure. was performed at the time of the new moon, in a place appropriated to the purpofe, near the centre of their camp, that would contain about two hundred people. Being a ftranger, and on all occafions treated by them with great civility, I was invited to fee the ceremony, and placed clofe to the rails of the inclofure. About twelve o'clock they began to affemble, when the fun fhone bright, which they confidered as a good omen, for they rever, by choice, hold any of their public meetings unless the fky be clear and unclonded. A great number of chiefs firft appeared, who were Creffed in their beft apparel, and after them came the head warrior, clad in a long robe of rich furs, that trailed the ground, attended by a retinue of fifteen or twenty perfons, painted and dreffed in the gayeft manner. Next followed the wives of fuch as had already been admitted into the fociety, in the rear a confufed heap of the lower ranks, all contributing, as much as lay in their power, to make the appearance grand and thowy. When the affembly was feated, and filence proclaimed, one of the principal chiefs arofe, and in a fhort, but masterly speech, acquainted the audience of the occafion of their meeting. He told them that one of their young men wifhed to be admitted into their fociety, and taking him by the hand, prefented him to their view, afking them, at the fame time, whether they had any objection to his becoming one of their community, No objection being made, the young candidate was placed in the centre, and four of the chiefs took their ftations clofe to him, and exhorting him by turns not to faint under the operation he was about to go through, but to behave like an Indian and a man, two of them took hold of his arms, and caufed him to kneel, another placed himself behind him fo as to receive him when he fell, and the last of the four retired about twelve feet from him, exactly in front. This difpofition being compleated, the chief that ftood before the kneeling candidate, began to speak to him with an audible voice. He told him that he himself was agitated by the fame spirit which he fhould, in a few moments, communicate to him; that he would strike him dead, but that he would be inftantly reftored again to life to this he added, that the communication, however terrifying, was a neceffary introduction to the advantages enjoyed by the community, into which he was on the point of being admitted. As he fpoke this he appeared to be greatly agitated, till, at last, his coun tenance was diftorted, and his whole frame convulfed. At this juncture he threw fomething like a small bean at the young man, which feemed to enter his mouth, and he inftantly fell as motionlefs as if he had been shot.The chief that was placed behind him received him in his arms, and by the affiftance of the other two, laid him on the ground, to all appearance bereft of life. Having done this, they immediately began to rub his limbs, and to ftrike Mifs Clifford to Mifs Granby. him on the back, giving him fuch blows, as feem more fit to ftill the quick, than to raife the dead. During thefe extraordinary applications, the speaker continued his harangue, defiring the fpectators not to be furprized or to defpair of the young man's recovery, as his prefent inanimate fituation proceeded only from the forcible operation on faculties that had hitherto been unused to inspirations of this kind. (To be continued.) 4 SERIES of LETTERS. By a YOUNG LADY. (Continued from Page 64.) LETTER V. Mi CLIFFORD to Mifs GRANBY. Clifford Park. AVING half an hour to fpare, I have taken up my pen to return my thanks to my dear Mifs Granby for her picture. HA We are preparing for the ball, which is to be this evening, and my brother has had the misfortune to fprain his ancle, and therefore cannot go. Nelly is come to know what drefs I chufe, to adieu for the prefent. Saturday Morn. OH! my dear Granby, hère has been a charming difcovery made this morning! But to keep you no longer in fufpenfe, I will begin with laft night. There were ninety four at Lord Benfon's, and his lordship opened the ball with Mifs Cowell, who danced the remainder of the evening with the duke of Bd, to the mortification of many of the gentlemen, who all wifhed to be in the duke's place. She is now in her laft mourning, and was dreffed in a white filk facque, her hair out of powder, no cap, only white feathers and pearls, and I think I may fay with the hero in Cato," that her inward greatnefs, unaffected eafe, and fanctity 135 of manners, improves her charms, and fpeaks, while winning mildnefs dwells fhines forth in every thing the acts or in her look." The ball broke up about two home pleafed with their evening's eno'clock, when every one returned tertainment, which had been fpeat but this morning was the beft.--At with great chearfulness and decorum 3 breakfast we were talking of what had paft overnight, and my father was afking who we danced with, and finding Mifs Cowell had had the duke of B -d for her partner, asked her how fhe liked him, and if he had not made her fenfible of his charms? She replied, the duke was a very handsome man to be fure, but he did not fee but that there were many as handfome. My father told her that he thought it very ftrange that neither the duke nor lord Benfon were able to when the immediately replied→ make any impreffion upon her heart, My heart is fix'd, I cannot range, I like my choice too well to change. (for he could not walk) threw himfelf at Up ftarted my brother, and hopped, her feet, took her hand, and kissed it, faying how happy his dear Mifs Cowit should be the whole ftudy of his life ell had made him by that fpeech, and to merit her good opinion. His fudden tranfport at first rather Who can dictate, or what tongue can reveal |