American Scenery, Vol. 2 (of 2): or, Land, lake, and river illustrations of transatlantic natureWillis, Nathaniel Parker
General
American Scenery, Vol. 2 (of 2): or, Land, lake, and river illustrations of transatlantic nature
Willis, Nathaniel Parker
United States -- Description and travel
Having disposed of one of his foes, Morgan abandoned the shelter of his
tree, and took to flight. The Indian pursued, and the race was continued
about sixty yards, when, looking over his shoulder, the old man saw the
gun raised, within a few paces of him. He sprang aside, and the ball
whizzed harmlessly by. It was now a more equal contest; and Morgan
struck at the Indian with his gun, receiving at the same instant a blow
from a tomahawk, which severed one of the fingers from his left hand.
They closed immediately, and the Indian was thrown; but overturned the
old man, with a powerful effort; and, sitting on his breast, uttered his
yell of victory, and felt for his knife. A woman’s apron, which he had
stolen from the farm-house, and tied around his waist, embarrassed him;
and Morgan seized one of his hands between his teeth, and, getting hold,
himself, of the handle of the knife, drew it so sharply through the
Indian’s fingers, as to wound him severely. In the struggle, they
regained their feet, and still retaining his hold on the fingers in his
mouth, Morgan gave him a stab, which decided the contest. The savage
fell, and, afraid that others of the tribe might be lurking near, the
exhausted old man made the best of his way to the fort.
A party immediately went out to the spot where the struggle had taken
place, but the fallen Indian was not to be seen. They tracked him by his
blood to a fallen tree, where he was endeavouring to stanch his wounds
with the stolen apron. On their approaching him, he affected to smile,
and endeavoured to conciliate them, crying out, in his broken English,
“How do, broder? how do, broder?” There was little mercy in store for
him, however. To the shame of our white race, it is recorded that “they
tomahawked and scalped him: and afterwards flaying both him and his
companion, they converted their skins into saddle-seats and pouches!”
[Illustration]
PULPIT ROCK, WHITE MOUNTAINS.
* * * * *
The name given to this fine fragment of the White Mountains, indicates
very fairly the favourite vein of association in the minds of the first
Puritan settlers of New Hampshire; but it looks as much like a pulpit as
many other rocks in the bold scenery of New England, of which we know at
least a dozen by the same name. Settled by the same class of stern
religionists as Massachusetts, New Hampshire has not upon its history
the same blot of fanaticism. The tragical era of persecution for
witchcraft in Massachusetts had no corresponding abomination in New
Hampshire. The two or three cases on record are rather
amusing—particularly that inserted in the historical collections, under
the title of “The Complaint of Susan Trimmings, of Little Harbour,
Piscatagua.” The complaint and evidence were as follows:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account