I02 



which he communicated, with the addition of a few general remarks 

 upon Indian language. In the examples I have felefted for the view of 

 my friends, I have preferved, the incidents with fidelity, as he related them, 

 but unlefs I could reprefent them on paper with the united powers of an 

 aftor and an iraprovifatore, an aftor too, that extends his imitations even to 

 animals, it would be impoffible to give an idea of the exprefllve efFcft 

 of his relations. The chief I fpeak of, is the celebrated Tchikanakoa, 

 who commanded the united Indians at the defeat of General St. Clair ; 

 an uncommon man, for with the talents and fame of an accompliflied 

 warrior, he is the uniform fupporter of peace and order, among five or 

 fix tribes who put their truft in him ; fimple, wife, temperate, ardent 

 in his purfuits ; fpeaking different languages eloquently ; attached to the 

 hereditary chief of his tribe, whom he fupports though he might fup- 

 plant ; preferving his dignity among the vulgar of every rank, by a 

 correal: referve ; to his friends, as it were, unembodied, (hewing all the 

 movements of his foul, gay, witty, pathetic, playful by turns, as his feel- 

 ings are drawn forth by natural occafions ; above all things fincere. 

 , Such is the outline of the charafter of that nobly endowed Indian, who 

 gratified my curiofity by recitals of the tales and fables of his country- 

 men, of which the following are a fpecimen. While the weapons, drelles, 

 and trinkets of thefe people find their way into our cabinets, thefe or- 

 naments drawn from the Indian wardrobe of the mind, the dreffes in 

 which they exhibit the creations of their fancy, may by forae be thought 

 not uncurious.* The North American Indians have no other, for far 

 to the fouthward of the Mifluri, as I have been informed, and from 

 thence to the Northern Ocean, they have no idea of poetry, as it de- 

 rives its charafter from rhime or meafure. Their fongs are ihort en- 

 thufiaflie fentences, fubjefted to no laws of compofition, accompanied by 

 monotonous mufic, either rapid or flowj according to the fubjeft, or the 



fancy 



• These are Miami tales and fables. Mr. Kirwan, our learned prefident has lhe\vn 

 me a paffage in Mr. Gibbon, wliere that writer exprefles hinifelf with entliufiafm, on the 

 fubjeft of an original Iroquois tale. 



