Notes on the Iroquois: or, Contributions to the Statistics, Aboriginal History, Antiquities and General Ethnology of Western New-YorkSchoolcraft, Henry Rowe
History
Notes on the Iroquois: or, Contributions to the Statistics, Aboriginal History, Antiquities and General Ethnology of Western New-York
Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe
Indians of North America -- New York (State); Iroquois Indians
While I was engaged in taking the census of the Onondagas, at their
council house, at the Castle, where a large number of all ages and both
sexes were assembled, the interpreter, who spoke English very well,
taking advantage of a pause in the business, said to me, pointing to
a fine boy who sat on a bench, near a window, “that is our king!” I
had, a short time before, requested that this boy should be sent for.
His mother had now, unperceived by me, brought him, dressed out in his
best clothes, and evinced, by the expression of her eyes and bearing, a
conscious pride in bringing him to my notice. And truly, she had every
reason to be proud of so finely formed, bright and well-looking a boy.
In addition to these advantages, it is to be remembered that descent,
amongst the Onondagas and the other Iroquois, is counted by the female,
which constituted a further motive of satisfaction and pride to the
mother, in showing her pretty Hux-sa-ha, or boy. She made no remark,
however, on my noticing him, but sat with modesty and ease near him,
but with an eye beaming with too much pride and self-complacence to be
concealed.
The lad was but three years old, but tall for that age, and offered a
fine model of form. I could not help noticing, what had often impressed
me in similar instances, that the infusion of European blood, derived
from his grandfather by the father’s side, had served to heighten and
improve physical development, and fulness and beauty of muscle. His
eyes were full, large, black and sparkling. His dark hair also was a
true trait of his race. His countenance was of a bright brown, showing
the blood, and rather formed on the Grecian mould, with a good nose
and pretty lips. Yet, over all, there was a physiological dash of the
muscular expression, hue and air of the true Konoshioni.
There was nothing peculiar in his dress, which was of good materials
and well made, agreeably to the nation’s fashion for boys, except it
might be the lining of the under brim of a light straw hat, which the
mother had carefully decorated with a piece of light figured cotton
goods, looking as if it had been cut from a printed handkerchief.
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