Old Mackinaw; Or, The Fortress of the Lakes and its SurroundingsStrickland, W. P. (William Peter)
History
Old Mackinaw; Or, The Fortress of the Lakes and its Surroundings
Strickland, W. P. (William Peter)
Great Lakes (North America); Mackinac Island (Mich. : Island) -- History; Michigan -- History
I give you long
life on the earth, and skill in saving life in others. Go, you are
called on high.'
"I went on, and saw a man standing with a large, circular body, and
rays from his head, like horns. He said, 'Fear not, my name is Monedo
Wininees, or the Little man Spirit. I give this name to your first
son. It is my life. Go to the place you are called to visit.' I
followed the path till I could see that it led up to an opening in the
sky, when I heard a voice, and standing still, saw the figure of a man
standing near the path, whose head was surrounded with a brilliant
halo, and his breast was covered with squares. He said to me: 'Look at
me, my name is O-shau-wau-e-geeghick, or the Bright Blue Sky. I am the
veil that covers the opening into the sky. Stand and listen to me. Do
not be afraid. I am going to endow you with gifts of life, and put you
in array that you may withstand and endure.' Immediately I saw myself
encircled with bright points which rested against me like needles, but
gave me no pain, and they fell at my feet. This was repeated several
times, and at each time they fell to the ground. He said, 'wait and do
not fear, till I have said and done all I am about to do.' I then felt
different instruments, first like awls, and then like nails stuck into
my flesh, but neither did they give me pain, but, like the needles,
fell at my feet as often as they appeared. He then said, 'that is
good,' meaning my trial by these points. 'You will see length of days.
Advance a little further,' said he. I did so, and stood at the
commencement of the opening. 'You have arrived,' said he, 'at the
limit you cannot pass. I give you my name, you can give it to another.
Now, return! Look around you. There is a conveyance for you. Do not be
afraid to get on its back, and when you get to your lodge, you must
take that which sustains the human body.' I turned, and saw a kind of
fish swimming in the air, and getting upon it as directed, was carried
back with celerity, my hair floating behind me in the air. And as soon
as I got back, my vision ceased.
"In the morning, being the sixth day of my fast, my mother came with a
little bit of dried trout. But such was my sensitiveness to all
sounds, and my increased power of scent, produced by fasting, that
before she came in sight I heard her, while a great way off, and when
she came in, I could not bear the smell of the fish or herself either.
She said, 'I have brought something for you to eat, only a mouthful,
to prevent your dying.' She prepared to cook it, but I said, 'Mother,
forbear, I do not wish to eat it--the smell is offensive to me.' She
accordingly left off preparing to cook the fish, and again encouraged
me to persevere, and try to become a comfort to her in her old age,
and bereaved state, and left me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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