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GARANGULA, THE ONGUA-HONWA CHIEF: A TALE OF INDIAN LIFE AMONG THE MOHAWKS AND ONONDAGAS TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
BY A CITIZEN OF MILWAUKEE.MILWAUKEE: STRICKLAND & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1857.Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, BY THE AUTHOR, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Wisconsin. R. KING & CO, Printers.
INTRODUCTION.
THE subject matter of the following tale has reference to the confederated tribes of Indians inhabiting the "Long House," extending from Montreal, in Canada, to Manhattan, or the "Nieu Nederlandts"—now known as New-York, the emporium of North America. These confederated tribes were distinguished at the early period of 1609—the epoch of the first settlement of the Dutch emigrants on Manhattan—as the "Five Nations," and had assumed for themselves the credit of being a nation of "Ongua-honwa," i. e. "a race of men surpassing all others." An attentive perusal of the early history of the Five Nations will show it was a character to which they were, in many senses, well entitled.
As an introduction to our story, it is necessary to inform the reader that these nations were governed, each by a Chief, who, though exercising the right of kings in their respective nations, in consequence of their confederation were under the government of one great Chief, or "Sakamo," whose power extended over the whole. Besides these Sachems—a term equivalent to that of Monarch—each nation had its veteran and youthful warriors and its councillors. These offices and honors were the rewards of great military prowess, or extraordinary political attainments, and were conferred by the unanimous consent of the nation. It stimulated to active exertion each male member of the confederacy; and hence the Five Nations boasted a more powerful race of warriors, and a greater page: iv-v[View Page iv-v] number of wise men, than any other nation of Indians on the North American Continent.
The Indians, like all other human beings, are proud of titles of distinction; and thus we find in each nation, tribes or families who, according to their talents or their prowess, have conferred on them the distinctive appellations, that, translated into English, signify—"The Eagle," "The Tortoise," "The Bear," "The Tiger," "The Wolf," "The Snake," "The Squirrel," &c. Thus, when a sachem or warrior have conferred on them either of these distinctive appellations, every member of his tribe have the honor of the name bestowed upon the head or chief of their tribe.
When the Dutch colony first settled itself among these warlike nations, they found the great Tortoise their ruling Monarch, and he was justly esteemed one of the most prudent and formidable warriors of the Five Nations. He was one of the most active, enterprising and fearless heroes of the age. His fame not only reached the extremes of North America—in which he was the dread of his enemies and the idol of his nation—but had been reported to the monarchs of France and England, who became anxious to see this North American prodigy of wisdom and successful valor at their respective courts. Embassadors were sent with special invitations from both sovereigns to the great king of the Five Nations, soliciting a friendly visit from their transatlantic brother—which, though not at that time complied with by this formidable chief, their European majesties had some time after the honor and gratification of receiving. He spent seven years in those kingdoms.
The circumstance thus hinted at, though it forms but a small part of the design of the following tale, is notwithstanding so interwoven with the history of the Five Nations, that it has been deemed necessary to notice it thus incidentally.
DIEDRICH LANSING, the hero, and KATRINE VAN DERVEAR, the heroine of the story, were the descendants of the first Dutch settlers on the Mohawk River, and in the midst of these magnanimous Indians, with whom they had entered into friendly relations.
At the head of these Dutch settlers stood the amiable and truly Christian Father, CORLEAR, venerated by his countrymen, and honored ored by his allies. This benevolent man, influenced by a spirit similar to that of the great founder of Pennsylvania, entered with good faith into a treaty with the Five Nations, and purchased from them at a fair price as much land on the Mohawk River as would serve this little detached colony for planting, and for the settlement of a village—now known as Schenectady.
The vicinity of this Dutch village to the Mohawks' town at Canajoharie, the residence of the great war chief, occasioned the frequent intercourse between the inhabitants of both; and from the inflexible honesty of these settlers, and the sound and discriminating judgment of the Mohawk chief, an intimacy, growing into a friendship as sincere as it was lasting, appeared to be the natural result of so much honest and artless simplicity as was prasticed between them. Corlear was distinguished among the Mohawks as the great Sachem of the Dutch settlers at Schenectady, and together with the exemplary Divine—the pious CONRADE—were esteemed by the natives as the "Ongua-honwa" of the whites. The friendship growing out of their agreeable intercourse appeared to be the means of awakening in the mind of the great warrior chief a thirst for useful knowledge, which, under the judicious teachings of the Dutch minister, paved the way for this distinguished personage to visit Europe for its gratification.
In the course of a few years after their first settlement of Schenectady, the Dominie, as the minister was called, had succeeded in organizing a school in which he labored to instruct the children of his parishioners in the necessary branches of reading, writing and arithmetic, and their civil and religious duties; and his neighbors, the Mohawks, were so well pleased with his method, and desirous, withal, of having their children taught by their esteemed father, that the sons of the most distinguished braves were received under his charge.
Diedrich and Katrine both received their first instructions from the venerable Conrade, who was their sponsor. In this patriarchal school were taught, also, most of the individuals, whether European or native, whose names and deeds are recorded on the pages of this work. The good Dominie lived to see the happy fruits of his labors, in the truly correct conduct of all his youthful charge; and also the page: vi-vii[View Page vi-vii] permanent impression of civilization on the mind of the great chief, AS-TO-RO-GA, and of the son and daughter of the second most distinguished warrior of the nation, the far famed BLACK KETTLE. He was, however, soon called to the reward of the righteous, and the event decided the great chief in his intention to visit Europe. He summoned the grand council of the nation, abdicated his claims to royalty in favor of his estemed brother soldier, Black Kettle, and soon after departed for England, accompanied by an early friend of his nation, carrying with him the best affections of his people, and those of the entire white population of Nieu Nederlandts.
The character and martial prowess of their late chief was still held in the highest veneration by all the families of the confederacy, whose astonishment was extreme, that a warrior whose military achievements were carved on the bark of a thousand trees, from the banks of the Hudson to the shores of lakes Ontario, Huron and Michigan; whose conquests had struck terror into the hearts of the distant Adirondachs, Quatoghies, Uttewas and others, insomuch that the single name of the GREAT TORTOISE OF THE MOHAWKS, proved an effectual barrier against the inroads or approaches of all the hostile tribes of North America, should experience so great and marvellous a change. But he who had led through so many hazardous yet successful campaigns, and had acquired for his people a name unequalled in the annals of nations—who so lately had been burning and thirsting for a warrior's honors, and like the great Macedonian, had almost wept "because there were no more worlds to conquer"—had at last conquered himself, and renounced all the pomp, fame and glory of this world, earnestly contending for another and better, which would never fade nor have an end.
The Indians are emphatically a race of contemplative beings.—They reflect much and deeply before they decide, but when they do determine, they most commonly remain firm to their purpose.—On the present occasion, their thoughts were bent on bestowing an appropriate name upon their late chief—changing it from the "Great Tortoise," whose movements were confined to the land and water, to that of the "GREAT AMERICAN EAGLE," which is considered as the only bird that can look the sun in the face without blinking, and which, on leaving the earth, soars higher in the heavens ens than any of the feathered tribe. It was therefore decided to apply to him the name and qualities of that bird; and henceforth, in the continuance of these pages, the name of "The Eagle" will occasionally claim the consideration of the reader, as the friend and companion of our hero and heroine, and as an instrument for the moral improvement of his yet beloved nation.
With these explanations, we leave our friends to make their way through the incidents of the story, fondly hoping that they will find an agreeable entertainment, not unmingled with profit.
THE AUTHOR.
Season of Flowers, 1857.