MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



467 



with them, nor are they suffered 

 to marry, or have any intercourse 

 with the women : they may be 

 treated with the greatest indignity 

 by any warrior, as they are not 

 suffered to resent it." 



The pigeons of the country af- 

 ford a curious nanation — thus 

 described: — 



" I proceeded to examine the 

 neiglibouring country, and soon 

 discovered that pigeons were in 

 the woods. I returned, and ex- 

 changed my rifle for a fowling 

 piece, and in a few hours shot 

 271, when I desisted, I had an 

 opportunity this day of observing 

 the manner in which they feed ; 

 it affords a most singular spectacle, 

 and is also an example of the rigid 

 discipline maintained by gregarious 

 anininls. This species of pigeon 

 associates in prodigious flocks : 

 one of these flocks, when on the 

 ground, will cover an area of se- 

 veral acres in extent, and are so 

 close to each other that the groimd 

 can scarcely be seen. This pha- 

 lanx moves through the woods 

 with considerable celerity, jiicking 

 up as it passes along every thing 

 that will serve for food. It is evi- 

 dent that the foremost ranks must 

 be the most successful, and that 

 nothing will remain for the hin- 

 dennost. That all may have an 

 equal cliance, the instant that any 

 rank becomes the last, they rise 

 and flying over the whole flock, 

 alight exactly ahead of the fore- 

 most. They succeed each other 

 with so much rapidity, that there 

 is a continued stream of them in 

 the air ; and a side view of them 

 exhibits the appearance of the seg- 

 ment of a large circle, moving 

 through the woods. I observed that 

 they ceased to look for food a con- 



siderable time before they become 

 the last rank, but strictly adhere 

 to their regulations, and never 

 rise until there are none behind 

 them." 



The account of a famous chief, 

 named Blackbird, or Oiseau Noir, 

 presents a remarkable example of 

 a man doomed by nature to act 

 the part of a tyrant. — 



" This chief, called by the French 

 Oiseau Noir, luled over the Mahas 

 with a sway the most despotic : 

 he had managed in such a manner 

 as to inspire them with the belief 

 that he was possessed of superna- 

 tural powers ; in council no chief 

 durst oppose him — in war it was 

 death to disobey. It is related of 

 him at St. Louis, that a trader 

 from that town arrived at the 

 Mahas with an assortment of In- 

 dian goods ; he applied to Hlack- 

 bird for liberty to trade, who 

 ordered that he should first bring 

 all his goods into his lodge, and 

 the order was obeyed ; Blackbird 

 commanded that all the packages 

 should be opened in his presence, 

 and from them he selected what 

 goods he thought proper, amount- 

 ing to nearly the fourth part of 

 the whole ; he caused them to be 

 placed in a part of the lodge dis- 

 tinct from the rest, and addressed 

 the trader to this effect — ' Now, 

 my son, the goods which 1 have 

 chosen are mine, and those in your 

 possession are your own. Don't 

 cry, my son, my people shall trade 

 with you for your goods at your 

 own price.' He then spoke to his 

 herald, vvho ascended to the top of 

 the lodge, and commanded in the 

 name of the chief, that the Mahas 

 should bring all their beaver, bear, 

 otter, muskrat, and other skins to 

 his lodge, and not on <iny account 



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