378 ANECDOTE OF A CATAWBA INDIAN. penetrate them, and a poisonous vapour issued from its mouth. Some of the bravest troops were killed in their attempts to oppose it, and the soldiers were so terrified, that they would have preferred meeting the whole army of the enemy. "At last, Regulus was obliged to make use of machines for hurling stones, and battering down the walls of cities, to overcome this enemy. The serpent long resisted these efforts, and destroyed a number of men; but a heavy stone at last broke the spine or back-bone, and prevented it from moving: the soldiers then surrounded and killed it. Regulus sent the skin of this serpent to Rome, where it remained till the time of Pliny, about seventy years after Christ.” STORY OF HAWKSEYE. (CONCLUDED.) At the close of the former part of this article I promised the reader an anecdote. Here it is. "The Senecas of New York, and the Catawbas, a powerful southern tribe, were at war with each other, early in the last century. A scalping party of the former, having travelled several days' journey, through the woods, towards the territories of the latter, discovered a solitary Catawba, hunting, and clothed only in a light summer dress, proper for that amusement. They had already intercepted his running towards home, and he therefore sprang off for a large hollow rock, four or five miles distant, in the hope of secreting himself under its shelter. He was so swift, and so skilful in the use of the gun which he carried with him, that he shot down seven of his pursuers, before they were able to overtake and surround him. "They carried him in melancholy triumph, to their own country, and in every village, which they passed through, he was beaten, by the women and children. The chiefs held a council, and it was decided that he should be burned to death. "The place selected for this purpose was on the banks of a river; and he was followed to the execution by a great number of Senecas who were in such high glee, that they suffered their prisoner to go unbound to the spot. Although he had been scantily fed, and had suffered every hardship, his spirit yet was free, and his eye shone like the eagle's. He was still resolved to be free. When his enemies least expected it, he broke from them, dashed down the rocks, swam across the river with his foes at his heels, and bullets whistling around his ears; yet he could not bear to leave his enemies without some testimony of his scorn and contempt. "He stopped to make very deliberately, the most contemptuous gestures, in their sight, which his ingenuity could suggest, and then raising a shrill war-whoop, as STORY OF HAWKSEYE. 379 a last salute, he commenced his flight out on his journey through the then through the forest, with the speed of a trackless forest, with nothing to guide tiger escaped from his cage. He con- him but his Indian instinct. tinued his course, in such a manner, as to run, by about midnight of the same day, as far as his pursuers were two days in following him. He then lay still, concealed under logs and bushes, until five of the enemy came up, kindled their fire not far from where he lay watching them, refreshed themselves with a slight repast, and stretched their bodies on the bare earth to sleep. He now crawled up towards the fire, seized one of their tomahawks, and killed them all on the spot. Stripping off their scalps for a trophy, he clothed himself with articles of their dress, took the best of their guns, ammunition, and provisions, and set off afresh with a light heart. 66 Finding himself clear of his pursuers, he made his way through the woods to the place where he had shot the seven Senecas. He digged them up from their fresh-made graves, scalped them, and completed his journey homeward in triumph." But to return from this long digression, and tell you more about Powell. After reading the foregoing anecdote, we may be sure that whatever Powell took in hand he accomplished. Having fulfilled his promise to his brother, he determined to visit once more the ancient residence of his father. With his bow in his hand, and a quiver well-filled with arrows on his back, he boldly set He had some other difficulties to encounter besides a thick forest. As he was passing a thicket, one day, he saw something which he thought was a bear, and being very hungry, he fired. But what was his dismay when he found that he had killed a black hog, which he knew must belong to some Indian in the neighbourhood. After much difficulty he found the owner of the animal. "What must I pay you," said Powell, "for the damage I have done you?" "It was an accident," answered the friendly Indian, "and therefore I shall charge you nothing, but give you a quarter of the hog to eat on your journey." This is an example which civilized society would do well to copy. Children should remember this part of Powell's history, and when one of their companions accidentally disturbs them in their amusement, or injures their toys, they should learn to forgive and forget. Although Powell got along very well in the affair I have just related, yet he sometimes met with difficulties. At one time, game would be scarce; and at others, broad streams and tangled thickets impeded his progress. At length he arrived on the top of the hills which surround Honeoye lake, from which place a beautiful prospect presented itself. Before him was the peaceful Honeoye, over whose bosom Hawkseye had often paddled his canoe; and about the other one of the pleasantest little villages in western New York. If Powell could again visit this spot, he might well say, with the poet, "'Twas a dream! not a token nor trace could I view knew ; Like the shadows of night at the dawning of day, After a little delay he set off at a rapid rate towards his destination. As he of the names that I loved, of the trees that I approached nearer, the hill seemed to recede, and Powell thought he should never reach it; but about sunset he came to the foot of it, and was soon on the summit of this famous hill where he had lived about 14 years before. The smallest traces of Hawkseye's wigwam could no where be seen. Powell, after visiting the spring, the brook, and the site of the old wigwam, retired to rest under a tree, and early next morning set off on his return. He walked slowly down the hill, crossed the brook, considering, as he left it, that he should see the place of his birth and former home no more. How different is the appearance of every thing at this day from what it was when Powell left this place! The woods which covered the hill are cut down, and a stone academy now rears its head where Hawkseye's lowly wigwam formerly stood. On one side several rich farms are to be seen, and on Like a tale that is told, they had vanished away." Before we conclude, let us take one more view of Powell. Hearing that the remnant of the tribe to which he belonged had removed to a neighbouring state, he went and joined his former friends. Several years after his visit to the grave of Hawkseye, we find him settled in a comfortable wigwam, surrounded by his family and friends, and passing his time as pleasantly as he could wish. His exploits were recited by the orators of the tribe, sung around the council fires, and repeated again and again in the family circle. But this time has past. Powell is no longer present when his praises are sung; he is no longer styled the brave warrior as he passes along, for Powell is dead, and the light of his achievements live only in song. GLASS CLOTH. It is said that a gentleman of Lisle, in France, has found out a method of making a kind of glass cloth which is perfectly flexible, and may be applied to the hangings of rooms, and other purposes. This cloth of glass is exceedingly beautiful; and, from its manner of reflecting the light, appears more brilliant than silver or gold tinsel. In the evening, in a room where there are lights, it must have a most singular appearance. FALLS OF NIAGARA. SINCE the "Notes of a Rambler" about Niagara Falls were inserted in the Magazine, we have seen Mr. Joseph W. Ingraham of this city, who has spent almost as many years in viewing this great natural curiosity as the "Rambler" has days, and who has kindly pointed out a few mistakes into which the Rambler had fallen. The narrow bridge leading to Bath Island is much farther from the verge of the precipice of the Schlosser Fall than was supposed. It is above 60 rods. Goat Island contains 75 instead of 67 acres. The division of the Falls on the New York side, which the Rambler called the American Fall, should be called the Schlosser Fall. Luna Island has been recently named Prospect Island. The Schlosser Fall is 167 feet in descent, and the Horse Shoe Fall 154. It was stated that the river, at the Ferry, just below the Falls, was 60 rods wide; but it is 76. The mineral spring below the Falls, said to be one mile is nearly two miles distant. The chasm in the rocks, called the Devil's Hole, is only half a mile below the Whirlpool, and is but 65 feet in depth; and the historical fact mentioned in connection with it took place in the year 1763. One of the churches at the Falls is for Episcopalians. Lundy's lane is still called by that name. The rock, under the limestone at the Falls, is shale. The pieces fell from Table rock in Aug. 1818 and in Dec. 1828. The Hermit's hut was built about 30 rods below the Schlosser Fall, instead of the Great or Horse-shoe Fall. We ought to say, also, that our map of the Falls is not quite so perfect in every respect, as we could have wished, but it was the best we could obtain. Mr. I. has one which is rather better in his "Manual for the use of Visiters" to the Falls, but we did not know it, at the time. By the way, Mr. I. has written a large book about the Falls, which is now nearly or quite ready for the press, and from which we wish he would furnish an extract or two for the columns of this magazine. ARTESIAN WELLS. The newspapers sometimes mention Artesian wells, but I suppose that half of the readers of these papers are wholly ignorant what they are. Now they are wells which are obtained by boring down deep into the earth with a kind of hollow auger till the water rushes up through the hole to the top of the ground, and forms an artificial fountain. These holes are often bored many hundred feet deep; and some in China are said to be a thousand feet deep. any more."-"I will faithfully promise not to go out, indeed I will," said the dog.-"I tell you," said his master, "I cannot now believe you; and as your presence here is necessary to guard my property, you shall henceforth be kept from the temptation of breaking your promise, by being securely chained." A DOG, that was usually kept chained ise yesterday, and I cannot trust you during the day, promised his master that, if he would let him be free, he would not ramble beyond the boundary of the yard. His master took his word, and released him; but no sooner was he left alone than he forgot his promise, and went out on a day's stroll. When he returned at night, his master scolded him severely for breaking his word. In the morning, when the gates were opened, he was chained up as usual, when his master again entered the yard, and he asked again to be released. "No," said his master, "you broke your prom Whenever we make promises, we ought always to keep them; for nobody will place any dependence upon us, when once we have broken our word. |