192 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



while reason holds her sway, so long as the tide flows 

 through the sound of Long Island. It was my own hands 

 that lashed her and her cherub child to that fatal vessel, 

 where she perished, and upon her cold breast that child 

 lived. Years had past since this scene and these actors 

 in it had passed before my eyes. No wonder, then, that 

 now it was called up in a manner and place so singular, 

 that it should have overpowered my manly faculties, and 

 so completely absorbed every other sense, that while the 

 tears rolled down my cheeks, I should have entirely for- 

 gotten that other and anxious eyes were gazing on mine. 

 My actions had a tendency to confirm first impressions 

 upon these rude people, and perhaps might have profitted 

 by keeping up the deception. 



But I had made up my mind when I settled in this 

 country, where I expected to be surrounded by these 

 people, that in all my intercourse and dealings with them, 

 I would preserve a different course. But it was no little 

 trouble for me to convince them that I was not the one 

 they had supposed me to be. However, by the dint of a 

 little French, which the old man, (being himself half 

 French,) understood, a little Indian, a little English, and 

 much gesticulation, I at length succeeded tolerably well 

 in making myself understood. And by the same signs, 

 I learned who the occupant of the "grave among the 

 cedars" was, and many other particulars, that, could 

 they have been known to some of the characters that have 

 been introduced to my readers, would have been of vast 

 importance to them. But then I knew not that such char- 

 acters lived ; and therefore the scene of this day, uncon- 

 nected with other parts of this tale, were uninteresting 

 to any but myself, and to none but my wife did I ever 

 mention it. Having established a friendship with this 

 family upon a firm basis, I informed them where my 

 "wigwam" was, and invited them to return the visit. 

 Gaining the confidence of the old man, who was a kind 

 of a village chief, and had been a noble warrior, gained 

 the confidence of the whole village with it, and was ulti- 



