Traditions of the North American Indians, Vol. 1

Traditions of the North
American Indians,
by James
Athearn Jones

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Title: Traditions of the North American Indians, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Author: James Athearn Jones
Release Date: March 15, 2007 [EBook #20826]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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TRADITIONS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS:
BEING
A SECOND AND REVISED EDITION OF
"TALES OF AN INDIAN CAMP."
BY
JAMES ATHEARN JONES.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON: HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW
BULINGTON STREET. 1830 F. SHOBERL, JUN., LONG ACRE.

[Illustration: Designed & Etched by W. H. Brooks, A. R. H. A. I bore
her away in my arms from the battle of Warriors. page 23. London,
Published by Colburn & Bentley, April 1830.]

TO
WASHINGTON IRVING, ESQ.
THESE VOLUMES ARE RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY HIS
FRIEND AND COUNTRYMAN, THE AUTHOR.

ADVERTISEMENT.
It has been thought that the introduction prefixed to the first edition,
and which was intended as a mere framework upon which to hang the
traditions, was not satisfactorily contrived, and that the title did not set
forth the true nature of the work. I think so myself, and have therefore
suppressed that introduction, and given to the work a strictly accurate
title. I have supplied the place of the introduction with a brief statement
of the opportunities I have had of studying the Indian character, and
with an exhibition of proofs of the genuineness of the traditions
themselves. The public having been pleased to say that "if the matter
was genuine, the manner was good," and that a successful attempt to
"stamp the legends with the character of authenticity" would elevate
them to the dignity of "historical records," I have been at some pains to
collect and offer the required proofs.

INTRODUCTION.
I was born within twelve miles of a principal tribe of Indians, within
two miles of a small band, and within six miles of two other small
bands, of that tribe. They were a remnant of the Pawkunnawkuts, who,
at the first settlement of the country, were a very numerous, powerful,
and warlike nation, but at the time of my birth had dwindled in
numbers to about five hundred souls, and were restricted in territory to
some six or seven thousand acres. They then, and at present, sank their
primitive appellation in the less poetic name of Gayheads, which was
given them by the white people with reference to the little elbow or
promontory of land where they lived. Though the manners and customs
of the Whites had made sad inroads on the primitive Indian character,
there yet remained, at the time of my birth, enough to make them
objects of ardent and profitable interest.
The recollections of my earliest childhood are of Indians. My
grandfather had an old Indian woman in his house for the greater part
of the first fifteen years of my life. Our house-servants and
field-labourers were chiefly Indians. It was my grandfather's custom,

and had been that of his ancestors, ever since their settlement, a
hundred and fifty years ago, in the vicinity of the tribe, to take Indian
boys at the age of four or five years, and keep them until they had
attained their majority, when they usually left us, chiefly to become
sailors--an employment in which their services were specially valued.
During my minority we had three of these little foresters in our house,
and these drew around them their fathers, and mothers, and sisters, and
brothers: very frequently our house was an "Indian Camp" indeed.
From the boys I learned the sports and pastimes of Indian childhood,
and, from the aged, their traditional history and wild legends of
supernatural horrors. So thoroughly has my mind become imbued with
their superstitions, that at times I find difficulty in reconciling myself to
the plain matter-of-fact narratives of the men of my own creed and
colour. I have to pinch myself like one awaking from an unpleasant
dream, and to say to the wild creations of Indian fancy, "Ye are
shadows all."
It is quite impossible that any one, who has not been among and "of"
the North American Indians, should be able to form even a tolerable
idea of the