MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
No. 190. | 
OCTOBER 1, 
1809. [3 of Vox. 28, 
*6 As long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Conyerts, and of giving to their Opinions a Maximum of 
‘* Influence and Celebrity, the mof extenfively circulated Mifcellany will repay with the greatet Effect the 
*' Curiofity of thofé who réad either for Amufement or Inftruction.”— JOHNSON. 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
Curious ParTicuLars concerning the 
GSAGES, @ NATION Of AMERICAN IN- 
DIANS, living SOUTH Of lhe RIVER MIS- 
sounrI. Addressed to LINDLEY MUR- 
RAY, /ESQ. by SAMUEL L. MITCHILL, 
T has been questioned, whether the 
natives of North America have any 
poetical taste. * For a long time I was 
inclined to the opinion, that they had no 
compositions of this kind, or, at_least, 
none beyond a single sentence or ejacu- 
lation. This was my belief, when, after 
the cession of Louisiana-to the United 
States, the Osage Indians, from the re- 
gions far west of the Mississippi, made 
their first. appearance on the ‘shores of 
the Atlantic. A party of them had 
been sent from Washington in 1804, 
to see the maritime country, and had 
travelled as far as New York. Having 
repeatedly seen. these strange visitors, 
and the gentleman who- attended them 
during their stay m that city, 1 was much 
gratified by the, answers. made to many: 
questions. [ asked concerning them.- 
Among other.information I received, was- 
the fact, that the party had a poet among 
them, I endeavoured to. procure a re- 
tired interview with this son of Song; 
but such was the press of company, aud 
such was their incessant ae ot that 
I found it utterly impossible. 
The next year, another party of these 
red men of the West, came to Wash- 
ington,.the seat of the American Go- 
vernment. I visited them, cultivated 
their acquaintance, and had repeated 
visits in return. I was both instructed 
and entertained with the geographical 
delineations they made of the regions 
they were acquainted with. They drew 
for nse,with chalk, on thefloor, a sketch of 
the rivers Arkansas, Missouri, and Missis~ 
Sippi;, and of the Osaze and Gasconade, 
“They depicted the villages of the Great 
and Little Osages, and their route 
thence toward.the city of Washington; 
and they marked the spot, where the vast” 
Saline exists, tothe westward and south 
ward of phair settlements. 
Montury Mas; No, 190, 
- 
” 
on to repeat the words. 
Among other displays of their know 
‘lege, they favoured me with concerts of. 
vocal and instrumental music. Four or 
five performers stood up together in a 
row, and uttered, with measured tone 
and accent, several of their popular songs, 
A small basket, with stones init, like a 
child’s play-thing; a rattle-snake’s tail 
tied to the extremity of a wild turkey’s 
long feather; a surt of board to be beaten 
by the hand; and a flute, or rather 
whistle, made of native reed, were the 
instruments employed by this harmoni- 
ous band. ; 
Their concert was animated, and seemed 
to give the actors a great deal of plea~ 
sure. he spirit and satisfaction which 
they. manifested, made me curious to 
know what were the words and senti- 
ments of the songs. After various efforts, 
I succeeded in procuring several of these 
aboriginal pieces, by aid of their inter- 
preter. He pave ine the literal transla 
-tion, and this yi have thrown into English, 
verse, with but sinall amplification or 
paraphrase. When I took the pen, ink, 
and paper, the chief musician, or poet, 
felt so mugh timidity, or embar rassment, 
that he could with difficulty. be prevailed 
At length, 
however, on being told, “ that the red 
man kept his song in his mouth, but that 
I would show him thé white man’s method 
of putting it *into his pocket,” his scru- 
pies. were overcome; for he laughed, and 
then slowly and distinctly uttered the 
words of several songs. 
I give you, as specimens of their tae 
lent im this way, three different rhythmi- 
cal compositions. These are on Friend- 
ship, War, and Peace, and afford strik- 
ing illustrations of the manner of think- 
ing, among those simple and unlettered 
people. 
You will judge of the sagacity and 
quickness of wit, .which they possess, 
“by the following anecdote :—I observed 
to one of the chiefs, who visited me, 
-“ that, as the white men would, soon be- 
gin te encroach upon them, ‘the woods 
would-be destroyed by fire, or cut down, 
2i Then 
