No. 167.] 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
FEBRUARY 1, 1808. 
ee 
[1 of Vox. 25. 
* As long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving to their Opinions a Maximnm of 
6 Tufiuence and Celebrity, the moft extenfively circulated Mifcellany will répay with the greatett Effect the 
** Curiofity of thefe wko read either for Amufcment or Inftruction.” JOHNSON. ; 
a a oe a ee 
PIE 
» ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
Original LEYTER on MEN and MANNERS 
in NORTH AMERICA: 
N the autumn of last year, five Indian 
_ chiefs arrived in the city of New York 
from the territory of Detroit, north-west 
ofthe river Ohio, accompanied by J. Selief 
felin, esq. agent of Indian affairs, and Mr, 
Whitmore.- Knapp, interpreter.. “hey 
were chiefs. of the Ottawa, Chippwa, 
and Poutewetamy nations, and were thus 
desiynated, viz. 
Abewdy; Matchipasquifican; of the 
tawa nation. : 
Mangy; Chippawa nation. 
Kisses, of the Sun; Okia, of the Poute- 
watamy lation. 
When I understood where they resided, 
I waited on them at their apartments, at 
Willis’s boarding-house, in Barelay-street; 
aud had their permission, through their 
imterpreter, to make a portrait of each, 
which I did at Mr. Tyler’s tavern; at 
Greenwich, to which place they. accom- 
panied mein a evach. They were on 
their way to the seat of government, to 
intreat, on the part of their several na-_ 
tions, the performance of some obligations, 
whieh had been previously promised, but 
not fulfilled. Their places. of residence, 
generally considered, were 1400 miles:dis- 
taut, north-west from the extremity of 
he possessed exclusively a sort of coronet 
of red feathers, gathered. from paroquets, 
the colour of which was singularly bril- 
iant. I learned from their mterpreter, 
that several of their wives, or sguazs, 
were very beautiful, and that their conduct 
was friendly and tractable. When I had 
“made a rough outline of the first portrait 
they surveyed it with great astonishment 
and were extremely eager to have likenesses 
of each-other, which, on obtaming, they 
laughed immoderately, and even danced 
with gladness. They explained the uses- 
of the watch, im signifying, by gesture 
that at any hour, A. M. the sun was ris- 
ing; and, at any hour, P:M. that the sun 
was declining. There being a severe 
frost at that time, I enquired if they were 
not cold, by going so bare and thinly clad; 
in various parts of their bodies; they an-~ 
swered this question, by asking me if my 
ace was not cold, and, gn my. replying dia 
the negative, they said they were ali face! 
They smoked much, but. ate, and drank 
moderately.. Each made a bargain with 
me, while I drew them, that | would send 
@ copy of his portrait to the seat of go- 
vernment, that they might-takeic to their 
own nation. .'Two of them wore long 
silver crosses, one on his bosom, and the 
other behind: they were of the Romana 
Catholic persuasion, and had been con- 
the Pennsylvaniastate. They were all rage verted by. some French priests: two of 
bust well-buiit men, and the shortest w 
five feet ten inches in stature: they ins 
formned me that they travelled by the ap- 
pearance of the moss on the trees, which 
onthe north side of the bark is very visi- 
le, and often pendant, but on the south 
sideis full. The Poutewatamy chief was 
to be the speaker of the party at the great 
talk, as: they phrased it; and I likewise 
found that he had his speech by heart, 
‘hke many of our Eutopean orators. 
This chief was only 22 vears of age, ofa 
lofty and: commanding demeanor; bis 
eves were fall of animation and fire, yet 
attempered by an obliging spirit. ~ 1 uns 
derstood that he had been elevated ‘to 
his dignities for his prowess in battle, 
when iighting agamst General Sinclair; 
Montury Mac, No. 167. 
_the British lines, as the States*will nor als 
‘Ahem .wore a silver medal, with the head 
of his Britannic Majesty, on one side, and 
the arms of England om the ether; and 
they likewise had alargeoval piece of sils 
ver, with the arins of the United States, on 
one side, and General Washington and 
an Indian chief, in conference, on the 
other. These chiefs, er sackems, wished 
to bring their squaws with them, but the 
interpreter 
would not permit them, 
They live at their villages, or castles, of 
wig-wans, on bear’s flesh, and venison, 
and buffaloes; the men hunt, and the 
women till the ground for their corn, 
which is all the agriculture they pursie, 
The Americans in the neighbourhood of 
Detroit trade with the Indians through 
low 
