The First White Man of the West: Life and Exploits of Col. Dan'l. Boone, the First Settler of Kentucky;; Interspersed with Incidents in the Early Annals of the Country.Flint, Timothy
History
The First White Man of the West: Life and Exploits of Col. Dan'l. Boone, the First Settler of Kentucky;; Interspersed with Incidents in the Early Annals of the Country.
Colonel Calloway, the intimate friend of Boone, had joined him in the
course of the spring, at the fort, which had received, by the consent of
all, the name of Boonesborough. He had two daughters. Captain Boone had
a daughter also, and the three were companions; and, if we may take the
portraits of the rustic time, patterns of youthful bloom and loveliness.
It cannot be doubted that they were inexpressibly dear to their
parents. These girls, at the close of a beautiful summer day, the 14th
of July, were tempted imprudently to wander into the woods at no great
distance from their habitations, to gather flowers with which to adorn
their rustic fire-places. They were suddenly surrounded by half a dozen
Indians. Their shrieks and efforts to flee were alike unavailing. They
were dragged rapidly beyond the power of making themselves heard. As
soon as they were deemed to be beyond the danger of rescue, they were
treated with the utmost indulgence and decorum.
This forbearance, of a race that we are accustomed to call savages, was
by no means accidental, or peculiar to this case. While in battle, they
are unsparing and unrelenting as tigers--while, after the fury of its
excitement is past, they will exult with frantic and demoniac joy in the
cries of their victims expiring at a slow fire--while they dash the
tomahawk with merciless indifference into the cloven skulls of mothers
and infants, they are universally seen to treat captive women with a
decorous forbearance. This strange trait, so little in keeping with
other parts of their character, has been attributed by some to their
want of the sensibilities and passions of our race. The true solution
is, the force of their habits. Honor, as they estimate it, is, with
them, the most sacred and inviolable of all laws. The decorum of
forbearance towards women in their power has been incorporated with
their code as the peculiar honor of a warrior. It is usually kept sacred
and inviolate. Instances are not wanting where they have shown
themselves the most ardent lovers of their captives, and, we may add,
most successful in gaining their voluntary affection in return. Enough
such examples are recorded, were other proofs wanting, to redeem their
forbearance from the negative character resulting from the want of
passions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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