American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2): or, Land, lake, and river illustrations of transatlantic natureWillis, Nathaniel Parker
General
American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2): or, Land, lake, and river illustrations of transatlantic nature
Willis, Nathaniel Parker
United States -- Description and travel
“About sunset it cleared up, and we encamped on the east branch of the
Susquehanna. In the night it thundered and rained very fast, and took us
at a disadvantage; for we had made no shelter to keep off the rain,
neither could we see it till just over our heads, and it began to fall.
“One of our Indians cut four sticks, five feet long, and stuck both ends
in the ground, at two feet distance one from another; over these he
spread his watch-coat, and crept through them, and then fell to singing.
In the mean time, we were setting poles slantwise in the ground, tying
others across them; over which we spread our blanket, and crept close
under it, with a fire before us, and fell fast asleep. I waked a little
after midnight and found our fire almost out; so I got the hatchet and
felled a few saplings, which I laid on, and made a rousing fire, though
it rained stoutly; and lying down once more, I slept sound all night.
“In the morning, when we had dried our blankets, we kept along the side
of a hill, and looked about us, not having had such an opportunity for
two days, on account of the forest. The valley differed from all I had
ever seen before, in its easy and fruitful ascent and descent,—in its
great width, everywhere crowned with noble and lofty woods,—but above
all, in being entirely free from naked rocks and sharp precipices.”
A night or two after, our traveller fell in with a variety of Indian
character I never have seen noticed elsewhere:—
“Soon after we were laid down to sleep, and our fire almost burnt out,
we were entertained by a comical fellow, disguised in as odd a dress as
Indian folly could invent. He had on a clumsy vizard of wood, coloured
black, with a nose four or five inches long, a grinning mouth set awry,
and furnished with long teeth; round the eyes were circles of bright
brass, surrounded by a larger circle of white paint. From his forehead
hung long tresses of buffalo’s hair; and from the catch part of his head
(his tuft) hung ropes, made of the plaited husks of Indian corn.
“I cannot recollect the whole of his dress, but that it was equally
uncouth. He carried in one hand a large staff, in the other a calabash,
with small stones in it for a rattle; and this he rubbed up and down
with his staff. He came in at the further end of the wigwam, and,
holding up his head, made a noise like the braying of an ass. I asked
Weisar, who, as well as myself, lay next the alley, what noise that was.
Shickalamy, the chief, who thought I was scared, called out, ‘Lie still,
John!’ I never heard him speak so much English before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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