LIVING COSTUMES. oured when among them, to learn the cause which THE little canton of Soleure is wedged in between first excited them to war, and the time when it comthe territories of Berne, Zurich and Basle: its great- menced, but they can give no rational account of est breadth is thirty miles, and its length thirty-six: it either. An intelligent Chippeway chief informed has an area of two hundred and seventy-five square me, that the disputed boundary between them, was miles, and a population of 54,300 persons. The pop- a subject of little importance, and the question reulation of the capital of this country, is only 3,600, specting it, would be easily adjusted. He appeared yet this small spot is independent and in its princi- to think they fought, because their fathers fought pal city you will find curious monuments, an inter- before them. esting arsenal, a penitentiary, a well-regulated college, libraries rich in rare books, and a great many capable and intelligent men. The capital of this canton bears the name of Soleure: it stands at the foot of mount Jura, and is divided by the river Aar, into two parts; it is fortified with walls and bastions. The environs are pleasant and picturesque. This city is very ancient and many Roman antiquities have been found in it. The canton of Soleure embraces a part of the chain of the Jura, and on the river Aar the country is flat, well-wooded, and contains abundance of fruittrees, fertile fields and prairies, which are kept moist by the Aar, and by a number of other streams. The population of the canton of Soleure is almost entirely composed of Catholicks: the clergy possess great influence and to their sacerdotal functions add that of instruction. In the city of Soleure there is one ecclesiastick, for about every eighty inhabitants. Most of the population are engaged in agricultural pursuits there are some cotton factories, but the principal article of trade is the exportation of horses, cattle, firewood, cheese, and the famous kirch-wasser. [From the Georgetown Metropolitan.] INDIAN WRITTEN LANGUAGE. THE following very interesting incident of Indian life, was written by Governour Cass, our present minister to France, while on one of those numerous missions to the aboriginal tribes, in which his integrity, sagacity, and deep knowledge of the Indian character, achieved so many beneficial results for the United States, as well as for the outcast children of the forest themselves, by the amicable relations which he established, and the treaties which he made between them and our government; and is published now by his kind permission. It was the practice of Governour Cass, while on these expeditions, to record minutely all the interesting particulars, and the facts respecting the history, habits, and characters of the Indian tribes, which practical acquaintance brought under the knowledge of a sagacious and inquiring mind. By such a man, what valuable materials for an authentick history of that remarkable and perishing race, will not these documents present. We hope from time to time, to have the high gratification of presenting further extracts to the publick. An incident occurred, during a recent tour to the Northwest, so rare in itself, and which so clearly shows the facility with which communications may be opened between savage nations, without the intervention of letters, that I have thought it would be interesting to communicate to you. The Chippeways and Sioux are hereditary enemies, and Charlevoix says they were at war when the French first reached the Mississippi. I endeav This war has been waged with various success, and in its prosecution, instances of courage and selfdevotion have occurred, within a few years, that would not have disgraced the pages of Grecian, or of Roman history. Some years since, mutually weary of hostilities, the chiefs of both nations met and agreed upon a truce. But the Sioux, disregarding the solemn contract which they had formed, and actuated by some sudden impulse, attacked the Chippeways, and murdered a number of them. The old Chippeway chief, who descended the Mississippi with us, was present on this occasion, and owed his life to the intrepidity and generous self-devotion of a Sioux chief. This man entreated, remonstrated, and threatened. He urged his countrymen, by every motive, to abstain from any violation of their faith, and when he found his remonstrances useless, he attached himself to the Chippeway chief, and avowed his determination of saving or perishing with him. Awed by his intrepidity, the Sioux finally agreed that he should ransom the Chippeway, and he accordingly applied to this object all the property which he owned. He then accompanied the Chippeway on his journey, until he considered him safe from any party of the Sioux who might be disposed to follow him. The Sioux are much more numerous than the Chippeways, and would have overpowered them long since, had the operations of the former been consentaneous; but they are divided into so many different bands, and are scattered over such an extensive country, that their efforts have no combination. Believing it equally inconsistent with humanity and sound policy, that these border contests should be suffered to continue, satisfied that government would approve of any plan of pacification which might be adopted, and feeling that the Indians have a full portion of moral and physical evils, without adding to them the calamities of war, which had no definite object, and no probable termination, on our arrival at Sandy lake, I proposed to the Chippeway chiefs, that a deputation should accompany us to the mouth of the St. Peter's, with a view to establish a permanent peace between them and the Sioux. The Chippeways readily acceded to this proposition, and ten of their principal men descended the Mississippi with us. The computed distance from Sandy lake to the St. Peter's, is six hundred miles; and a considerable portion of the country has been the theatre of hostile enterprises. The Mississippi here traverses the immense plains which extend to the Missouri, and which present to the eye a spectacle at once interesting and fatiguing. Scarcely the slightest variation in the surface occurs, and they are entirely destitute of timber. In this debateable land the game is very abundant. Buffaloes, elks, and deers, range unharmed, and unconscious of harm. The mutual for the restoration of peace, had sent a number of their young men into these plains with a similar piece of bark, upon which they had represented their desire. This bark had been left hanging to a tree, in an exposed situation, and had been found and taken away by a party of Sioux. hostilities of the Chippeways and Sioux, render it dangerous for either, except in strong parties, to visit this portion of the country. The consequence has been a great increase of all the animals whose flesh is used for food, or whose fur is valuable for market. We found herds of buffalo quietly feeding on the plains. There is little difficulty in approaching sufficiently near to kill them. With an eagerness The proposition had been examined and discussed which is natural to all hunters, and with an improv- in the Sioux villages, and the bark which was found idence which always attend those excursions, the contained their answer. The Chippeway who had animals are frequently killed without any necessity, prepared the bark for his tribe was with us; and on and no other part is then preserved but the tongue. our arrival at St. Peter's, finding that it was lost, I reThere is something extremely novel and interest-quested him to make another. He did so, and proing in this pursuit. The immense plain, extending duced what I have no doubt was a perfect fac simile. as far as the eye can reach, is spotted here and The Chippeways explained to us with great facility, there with droves of buffaloes. The distance, and the intention of the Sioux, and apparently with as the absence of known objects, render it difficult to much readiness as if some common character had estimate the number or the size of these animals. been established between them. The hunters approach them cautiously, keeping to the leeward, lest the buffaloes, whose scent is very acute, should observe them. The moment a gun is fired, the buffaloes scatter, and scour the field in every direction. Unwieldy as they appear, they move with celerity. It is difficult to divert them from their course, and the attempt is always hazardous. One of the party barely escaped with his life from this act of temerity. The hunters who are stationed on different parts of the plain, fire as the animals pass them. The repeated discharge of guns in every direction, and the shouts of those who are engaged in the pursuit, and the sight of the buffaloes at full speed on every side, give an animation to the scene which is rarely equalled. The droves which we saw were comparatively small. Some of the party, whom we found at St. Peter's, and who had arrived at that place by land from the Council Bluffs, estimated one of the droves which they saw to contain two thousand buffaloes. As we neared this part of the country, we found our Chippeway friends cautions and observing. The flag of the United States was flying over all our canoes, and, thanks to the character which our country acquired by the events of the last war, I found, in our progress through the whole Indian country, after we had once left the great line of communication, that this flag was a passport which rendered our journey safe. We consequently felt assured that no wandering party of the Sioux would attack even their enemies while under our protection. But the Chippeways could not appreciate the influence the American flag would have upon other nations, nor is it probable they estimated with much accuracy the motives which induced us to assume the character of an umpire. The Chippeways landed occasionally to examine whether any of the Sioux had recently visited that quarter. In one of these excursion, a Chippeway found in a conspicuous place a piece of birch bark, made flat by being fastened between two sticks at each end, and about eighteen inches long by two broad. This bark contained the answer of the Sioux nation to the proposition which had been made by the Chippeways for a termination of hostilities. So sanguinary had been the contest betwen these tribes, that no personal communication could take place. Neither the sanctity of office, nor the importance of the message, could protect the ambassador of either party from the vengeance of the other. Some time preceding, the Chippeways, anxious The junction of the St. Peter's with the Mississippi, where the principal part of the Sioux reside. was represented, and also the American fort, with a sentinel on duty, and the flag flying. The principal Sioux chief was named the Six, alluding, I believe, to the band of villages under his influence. To show that he was not present at the deliberation upon the subject of peace, he was represented upon a smaller piece of bark, which was attached to the other. To identify him, he was drawn up with six heads and a large medal. Another Sioux chief stood in the foreground, holding a pipe in his right hand, and his weapons in his left. Even we could not misunderstand that, like our own eagle with the olive-branch and arrows, he was desirous of peace, but prepared for war. The Sioux party contained fifty-nine warriours, and this number was indicated by fifty-nine guns, which were drawn upon one corner of the bark. The only subject which occasioned any difficulty in the interpretation of the Chippeways, was owing to an incident of which they were ignorant. The encampment of our troops had been removed from the low grounds upon the St. Peter's, to a high hill upon the Mississippi: two forts were therefore drawn upon the bark, and the solution of this enigma could not be discovered until our arrival at St. Peter's. The effect of the discovery of this bark upon the minds of the Chippeways was visible and immediate. Their doubts and apprehensions appeared to be removed, and during the residue of the journey, their conduct and feelings where completely changed. The Chippeway bark was drawn in the same general manner, and Sandy lake, the principal place of their residence, was represented with much accuracy. To remove any doubts respecting it, a view was given of the old northwestern establishment, situated upon the shore, and now in the possession of the American Fur Company. No proportion was preserved in their attempt at delineation. One mile of the Mississippi, including the mouth of the St. Peter's, occupied as much space as the whole distance to Sandy lake, nor was there any thing to show that one part was nearer to the spectator than another; yet the object of each party was completely obtained. Speaking languages radically different from each other-for the Sioux constitute one of the three general divisions, into which the early French writers have arranged the aborigines of our country, while the Chippeways are a branch | words, and the attempt must lead us into the regions of what they call the Algonquins-and without any of fancy. conventional character established between them, these savages had thus opened a communication barren which is spoken by any of our aboriginal The Sioux language is probably one of the most upon the most important subject which could occu- tribes. Col. Leavenworth, who made considerable py their attention. Propositions leading to a peace proficiency in it, calculated, I believe, that the numwere made and accepted, and the simplicity of the ber of words did not exceed one thousand. They mode could only be equalled by the distinctness of use more gestures in their conversation than any the representations, and by the ease with which they Indians I have seen, and this is a necessary result were understood. of the poverty of their language. An incident like this, of rare occurrence at the present day, and throwing some light upon the mode of communication before the invention of letters, excited in us all, as may be expected, the greatest interest. It is only necessary to add, that on our arrival at St. Peter's, we found that Col. Leavenworth had been as attentive and indefatigable upon this subject, as upon every other which fell within the sphere of his command. During the preceding winter, he visited a tribe of the Chippeways upon this pacifick mission, and had, with the aid of the agent, Mr. Taliferro, prepared the minds of both tribes for a permanent peace. The Sioux and Chippeways met in council, at which we all attended, and smoked the pipe of peace together. They then, as they say in their figurative language, buried the tomahawk so deep that it could never be dug up again, and our Chippeway friends departed well satisfied with the results of the mission. We discovered a remarkable coincidence, as well in the sound as in the application, between a word in the Sioux language and one in our own. The circumstance is singular, and I deem it worthy of notice. The Sioux call the falls of St. Anthony, Ha, Ha, and the pronunciation is in every respect similar to the same word in the English language. I could not learn that this word was used for any other purpose, and I believe it is confined in its application to that place alone. The traveller, in ascending the Mississippi, turns a projecting point, and these falls suddenly appear before him at a short distance. Every man, savage or civilized, must be struck with the magnificent spectacle which immediately opens to his view. There is an assemblage of objects, which, added to the solitary grandeur of the scene, to the height of the cataract, and to the eternal roar of its waters, inspire the spectator with awe and admiration. In his anecdotes of painting, it is stated by Horace Walpole, that " on the intervention of fosses for boundaries, the common people called them Ha, Ha, to express their surprise at finding a sudden and unperceived check to their walk." I believe the name is yet used in this manner in England. It is certainly not a little remarkable that the same word should be applied by one of the most civilized and by one of the most barbarous people, to objects, which, although not the same, were yet calculated to excite the admiration of the observer. opening by which they are poured out on the inside of an almond, and sunk into a depression of the The gland for preparing the tears is of the size bone at the upper part of the cheek. The fluid Nothing can show more clearly how fallacious eyelid by seven orifices; it is prevented from runwhich it prepares passes to the inside of the upper are those deductions of comparative etymology ning on the cheek by the oily fluid from the small which are founded upon a few words, carefully glands, and is collected at the inner corner of the gleaned, here and there, from languages having no eye from which unless too abundant it is conveyed common origin, and which are used by people hav-into the tear-bag f, through two little pipes, the opening neither connexion nor intercourse. The com "The Structure of the Eye with Reference to Natural Theol mon descent of two nations can never be traced by ogy, by W. C. Wallace, Oculist to the New York Institution for the accidental consonance of a few syllables or the Blind." a The oblique muscle, through the edge of which the pyramidal muscle b plays over the hook d. To supply the necessities of birds, which are observed during their rapid movements among branches of trees, they have a third eyelid, which, when drawn over the eye, is an effectual protection of the organ by its toughness; and by its partial transparency, vision is not altogether obscured. It is moved by two flat muscles, which, having no room elsewhere, are closely applied to the back of the eye. One of the edges of the broader muscle, resembles a string case, through which passes the tendon or cord of the other muscle, which is fixed to the membrane. In the owl there is a small hook projecting from the circle of bone which surrounds the clear part of the eye; when the muscles act they pull the cord over this hook and draw the membrane across the eye. The eyes of quadrupeds are also furnished with a third eyelid called the haw, on the internal surface of which there is a gland that prepares a gummy fluid, which the animal sweeps across the eye to keep it moist and transparent. In the rhinoceros, this gland is of enormous size when compared with other animals. This animal is said to plough the ground with its horn, and to throw earth and dust on its enemies; the eye is consequently much exposed, and requires unusual protection. projecting branches. He sat astride upon this, almost beyond the reach of the surges, while she continued watching him in an agony of grief, hesi tating whether she should endeavour to find her way to camp, and procure assistance, or remain near her boy. However, evening was about to close, and, as she could not proceed through the woods in the dark, she resolved at least to wait un til the moon rose. A STORY OF LAKE ERIE. AN Indian woman and her child, who was about five years old, were travelling along the beach to a camp a few miles distant. The boy observed some wild grapes growing upon the top of the bank, and expressed such a desire to obtain them, that his mother, seeing a ravine at a little distance, by which she thought she could gain the edge of the preciShe sat on the top of the precipice, resolved to gratify him. Having desired him to remain where he was, she ascended the steep, pice a whole hour, and, during that time, occasionand was allured much farther into the woods than ally ascertained that her son was alive, by hearing she at first intended. In the meantime, the wind his cries amidst the roaring of the waves; but when began to blow vehemently, but the boy wandered the moon appeared he was not to be seen. She carelessly along the beach, seeking for shells, till now felt convinced that he was drowned, and giv the rapid rise of the water rendered it impossible ing way to utter despair, threw herself on the turf. for him to return to the spot where he had been left Presently she heard a feeble voice cry, (in Indian,) by his mother. He immediately began to cry aloud," Mama, I'm here, come and help me." She startand she being on her return, heard him, but instead ed up, and saw her boy scrambling up the edge of of descending the ravine, hastened to the edge of the bank, she sprang forward to catch his hand, but the precipice, from the bottom of which the noise the ground by which he held, giving way, he was seemed to proceed. On looking down, she beheld precipitated into the lake, and perished among the her son struggling with the waves, and vainly en- rushing billows! deavouring to climb up the bank, which was fifty feet, perpendicular height, and very slippery. There being no possibility of rendering him assistance, she was on the point of throwing herself down the steep, when she saw him catch hold of a tree that had fallen into the lake, and mount one of its most Oysters. The liquor of oysters contains innumerable embryos, with transparent shell-one hundred and twenty to the inch; and also other animalculæ, as three kinds of worms, etc. The sea-star, men, cockles, and muscles, are their enemies. DESTRUCTION OF THE MORAVIAN TOWNS, As early as the middle of the fifteenth century, a sect of harmless and peaceable Christians sprung up in Moravia, in the dominions of Austria, amid the general fermentation, which seems so remarkably to have seized the publick mind in Europe, about that time. These Christians, under the title of Moravians, or United Brethren, established themselves about the middle of the sixteenth century in Pennsylvania, at Freedenshutten, on Big Beaver, Wyolussing, and Sheshequon, on the Susquehannah. Here, these exemplary fathers devoted themselves to Christianizing and civilizing the Indians, with signal success. They exerted their best energies to keep down the spirit of war and devastation, so prevalent in a border country, by teaching, that "it must be displeasing to the Great Being, who made men not to destroy men, but to love and assist one another." To carry these beneficent views more effectually into practice with the native tribes of our forests, these true missionaries of the Christian cross removed in 1769 into the heart of the northwestern wilderness, and established the towns of Gnadenhutten, Salem, and Shoebrun, on the banks of the Muskingum. pious labourers, and dismissed them to their beloved flock, for whose religious interests they braved such dangers and suffered such privations, as the pure spirit of Christian philanthropy can alone prepare the soul to endure. The Indians were left to shift for themselves in the Sandusky plains, where most of their horses perished from famine. This, too, when the labour of the Christian Indian had raised abundant corn, which they had not been allowed to gather. But the misfortunes of the band of Christian Indians, who seem so unhappily to have been before their time, and out of place, for the enjoyment of their peaceful doctrines, were also destined to come from men, bearing the name of Christians as well as themselves, and professing the same mild and merciful worship of our heavenly Father. About the latter end of this year, the militia of the Pennsylvania frontier, (yet, however, in dispute with Virginia,) came to a determination of breaking up the Moravian towns. For this purpose, a party of men, under the command of Col. David Williamson, proceeded to the Indian villages, for the purpose of securing these suspected enemies. They, however, found the towns almost deserted; the few prisoners whom they did take, were delivered in safety to the commandant of Fort Pitt. After a confinement of some time, the prisoners were released; much to the displeasure of the inhabitants, infuriated as they had almost necessarily become, by the horrible barbarities of Indian warfare. In March, 1782, the militia of the same portion of the country resolved upon a second expedition against the Moravian towns. Col. Williamson again commanded the men, if command can be applicable to such insubordinate and lawless movements. They amounted to eighty or ninety persons, collected without any publick authority; but solely moved by the private determination of the party, and so far the character of our country is saved from some portion of the flagrant enormities which were perpetrated by this self-appointed military body. The object avowed was, to remove the Moravian Indians peaceably, but certainly to destroy their houses and their crops. In this perilous position, the pious and philanthropick labours of these devoted servants of humanity were blessed with prosperity; and they gathered a flock of three or four hundred Christians out of the Ishmaelites of our wilderness. The arts of peacefu! and civilized life were sown, and were producing much fruit worthy of the good seed; the red man was becoming reclaimed from his ferocity, and the standard of Christian civilization was successfully set up in the wigwams of the savage. But a blight was coming over this goodly prospect; war, with more than its usual fury, burst out again between the Indian and his white neighbours. The towns of the Moravians with their proselytes occupied the middle parties; exposed, as Gibbon remarks, with his usual point, to the fire of both parties. They were situated about sixty miles from the villages of hostile Indians, and "not much farther than the whites; hence they were called the halfway houses of the warriours." In this way they wanted to break up the halfway Both the parties at war passed by or through the asylums for the depredators on the frontier, if they Moravian towns, and committed whatever violations did not, as was perhaps unjustly suspected, originate of neutrality their resentments or their caprices dic-in these villages. The white party took up its line tated. Nor were the Moravians exempt from the suspicions of both parties, for being auxiliaries to their enemies. Often indeed had neutrality been violated in favour of the whites, by communicating intelligence of schemes of Indian incursion. The attack on Wheeling Fort had been distinctly announced by the friendly Moravians; and might not similar intelligence have been conveyed to the Indians? It would have been but fair, between the belligerants, and quite consistent with the Moravian abhorrence of war from all quarters. This condition of irritation and suspicion, continued with more or less aggravation, through the Indian war until the fall of 1781. At this time the hostility of their unconverted countrymen broke out against the praying Indians, as the Moravians were expressively called; their towns and their property were destroyed, and the missionaries were taken prisoners to Detroit. After some confinement, the British commandant became satisfied of the innocence of the of march from the Mingo bottom, on the west side |