1898-99. } FAMOUS ALGONQUINS ; ALGIC LEGENDS. 299 
OTTAWA CHIEFS. Pontiac was a great chief of the Ottawas. He 
was about fifty years of age when Quebec was taken. His story has 
been so well told that it is unnecessary to do more than to refer to him 
here.( 7) 
_THE BLACKBIRDS. There were several noted red men who bore the 
name of Blackbird. Catlin gives the story of the Mandan chief of this 
name, a proud and cruel potentate of the middle of last century. On 
his death he was placed on his favourite white steed, dressed in rich furs, 
feathers and war paint. A great grave was dug on a high bluff over- 
looking the Missouri River, into which was led the horse with his dead 
burden, and they were buried together.(¢) 
ANDREW J. BLACKBIRD. An Ottawa of this gens is well known as 
an educated man, who occupied the position of interpreter at Harbour 
Springs, Michigan, and was for a time postmaster there. He is author 
of an interesting volume, “History of the Ottawa and Chippewa 
Indians,” replete with information as to his people, their legends, history, 
customs and language.(7) 
MAKADEBENESSI. There were two brave men of the Ottawa tribe whose 
history it has been found difficult to separate so as to give to each the 
credit due for heroic deeds and loyalty. The descendants of both are 
cousins, as were the parents, and have Manitoulin Island as their home. 
(f) ‘‘ Parkman's Conspiracy of Pontiac.” ‘‘ Henry's Travel,” part 1, ch. ix. 
(g) ‘‘Geo. Catlin’s Travels among American Indians,”’ 2-5, 
(vy) Indian Moral Precepts. Andrew J. Blackbird gives twenty-one precepts, or moral commandments, 
ot the Ottawas and Chippewas, the first five of which, with the sixteenth and the last one are as follows :— 
the others embrace the most of the decalogue. 
(1) Thou shalt fear the Great Creator, who is the overruler of all things. 
(2) Thou shalt not commit any crime, either by night or by day or in a covered place; for the Great 
Spirit is looking upon thee always, and thy crime shall be manifested in time, thou knowest not when, 
which shall be to thy disgrace and shame, 
(3) Look up to the skies often, by day and by night, and see the sun, moon and stars which shine in 
the firmament. and think that the Great Spirit is looking upon thee continually, 
(4) Thou shalt not mimic or mock the thunders or the cloud, for they were specially created to water 
the earth and ‘to keep down all the evil monsters that are under the earth, which would eat up and devour 
the inhabitants if they were set at liberty. 
(5) Thou shalt not mimic or mock any mountains or rivers, or any prominent formations of the earth, 
for itis the habitation of some deity or spirit, and thy life shall be continually in hazard if thou shouldst 
provoke the anger of these deities. 
(16) Thou shalt disfigure thy face with charcoal and fast, at least ten days or more of each year, 
whilst thou art yet young, or before thou reachest twenty, that thou mayst dream of thy future destiny. 
(21) Thou shalt be brave and not fear any death. 
If thou shouldst observe all these commandments, when thou diest thy spirit shall go straightway to 
that happy land where afl the good spirits are, and shall there continually dance with the beating of the 
drum of Tchi-baw-yaw-booz, the head spirit in the spirit land. But if thou shouldst not observe them, 
thy spirit shall be a vagabond of the earth always, and go hungry and will never be able to find this road, 
“*Tchi-bay-kon,” in which all the good spirits travel.—*‘ Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan,” by 
Andrew J. Blackbird, ot Harbour Springs, late U.S. Interpreter. Babcock & Darling, Publishers, Cap. XIV. 
