Ponteach, or the Savages of America

by Tiffany Potter

  The musk bags or castor taken from these animals is of great use among druggists, but it is said are not so good in America as in Russia. The Indians also use them in many disorders. They dress themselves in mantles made of their skins, which after they have worn for some time become more valuable, for the long hair drops off, and the fur remains more fit for the hat-makers use than when raw or fresh taken.

  The industry, foresight, and good management among these animals is very surprizing, and scarcely credible to those who never saw them. When they want to make a settlement, three, four, or more assemble together, and first agree, or pitch upon a place where they may have provisions (which is the bark of trees, lilly-roots, or grass) and every thing necessary for erecting their edifices, which must be surrounded with water; and if there is neither lake nor pond convenient, they make one by stopping the course of some river or brook with a dam. For this end, they cut down trees above the place they are resolved to build it; and they always take their measures so well, as to make the tree fall towards the water, that they may have less distance to roll it when cut to pieces. This done, they float them down to the place appointed, and these pieces they cut bigger or less, longer or shorter, as the case requires. Sometimes they use the trunks of large trees, which they lay flat in the water; at others, they fasten stakes in the bottom of the channel, and then interweave small branches, and fill up the vacancies with clay, mud and moss, in such manner as renders it very tight and secure. The construction of their houses is no less artful and ingenious; they are generally built upon piles in their ponds at some distance from the shore, but sometimes upon the banks of rivers; their form is sound, with a flat roof; the walls are two feet thick, and sometimes more, and they are built of the same materials as their dams; every part is so well finished that no air can possibly enter; about two-thirds of the edifice is raised above the water, and in this they lodge, having the floor strewed with splinters, &c. to render the lodging comfortable, and they are very careful to keep it clean. They have generally three or four different avenues to each house, but all their doors are under water. As fast as they peel off the bark from the billets of wood laid up for their subsistence, they convey them to their dam to strengthen that, or else pile them on the tops of their houses, and fasten them there with mud. You will sometimes find eight or ten beavers in one house, at others not more than three or four, and be the number what it will they all lodge upon one floor.

  These animals are never found unprovided, by a sudden and unexpected approach of winter; all their business is completed by the end of September, and their stores laid in. They lay up their provisions in piles near their houses in such a manner that it keeps under the water fit for their use, the but-ends being fastened in the mud or clay at the bottom, so that the current cannot carry it away. When the snows melt and raise the stream, they leave their houses, and every one goes his own way till the season returns for repairing them, or for building new ones, which is the month of July, when they re-assemble, or else form new associations.

  The Ground-Beaver, as they are called, conduct their affairs in a different manner; all the care they take is, to make a kind of covered way to the water. They are easily known from the others by their hair, which is much shorter. They are always poor, the natural consequence of their idleness. The Indians never hunt these but out of mere necessity.

  The manner of hunting beaver is very simple and easy, for this animal has not strength enough to defend itself. The Indians hunt them from November to April, in which season their fur is the best. They either decoy them into traps, or shoot them; but the latter is very difficult, by reason of the quickness of their sight and motion; and should they happen to wound them mortally in the water, it is chance if they ever get them out.

  They lay their traps in the paths frequented by the beaver, and bait them with fresh cut poplar boughs, which they are very fond of, and ramble abroad for, notwithstanding their winter-store. Sometimes the Indians open the ice near the beaver-houses, at which opening one stands, while another disturbs the house; the beaver hastens upon this to make his escape at the opening, and seldom fails of having his brains beat out the moment he raises his head above water.

  The beaver which frequent the lakes, besides their houses in the water, have a kind of country-house, two or three hundred yards from it, and the Indians here hunt them from one to the other. When these animals discover an enemy of any kind, they hasten into the water, and give warning to their companions, by slapping the water with their tails, which may be heard at a considerable distance.

  The Musk-Rat resembles the beaver in every part, except its tail, which is round like a rat’s. One of these animals weighs about five or six pounds; during the summer season the male and female keep together, but separate at the approach of winter, and each seek a shelter in some hollow tree, without laying up any provision.

  Scarce any thing among the Indians is undertaken with greater solemnity than hunting the Bear; and an alliance with a noted bearhunter, who has killed several in one day, is more eagerly sought after, than that of one who has rendered himself famous in war; the reason is, because the chace supplies the family with both food and rayment. So expert are some of the Indians at passing thro’ the woods and thickets, that they have run down the bears in autumn when they are fat, and then drove them with switches to their towns.

  The bears lodge, during the winter, either in hollow trees, or caves; they lay up no provision, and have no nourishment during this season, but what they suck from their own claws, yet they retain both their strength and fat without any sensible diminution.

  The bear is not naturally fierce, unless when wounded, or oppressed with hunger. They run themselves very poor in the month of July, and it is somewhat dangerous to meet them till this appetite is satisfied, and they recover their flesh, which they do very suddenly. These animals are very fond of grapes and most kinds of fruit. When provisions are scarce in the woods, they venture out among the settlements, and make great havock of the Indian corn, and sometimes kill the swine. Their chief weapons are their fore-paws, with which they will hug any animal they get into them immediately to death.

  The Elk is near as large as a horse, but resembles the deer, and, like it, annually renews its horns. The Indians have a great veneration for this animal, and imagine that to dream of it portends good fortune and long life.

  The elk delights in cold countries, feeding upon grass in summer, and moss buds &c. in winter, when they herd together. It is dangerous to approch very near this animal when he is hunted, as he sometimes springs furiously on his pursuers, and tramples them to pieces. To prevent this, the hunter throws his cloaths to him, and while the deluded animal spends his fury on these, he takes proper measure to dispatch him.

  The Catamounts and Wild-Cats are great enemies to the elk, and often make a prey of him. He has no other way to disengage himself from these, but by plunging into the water.

  On the south and west parts of the great lakes, and on both sides of the Mississipi, the most noted hunt is that of the buffalo.

  The hunters encompass as large a tract as they can, where they suppose the buffaloes are, and begin by setting fire to the grass and leaves, and so as the fire advances toward the center, they close up nearer and nearer, by which means they generally slaughter all that happen to be thus inclosed. The buffalo is a large heavy animal, has short, thick, crooked, black horns, and a large beard hanging from his muzzle and head, a part of which falls down by his eyes, and gives him a disagreeable appearance; the back is rounding, covered with hair; on the other parts of the body is a kind of wool. Those to the northward about Hudson’s Bay have the best wool upon them, and in the greatest abundance.

  There are in this country some Panthers, which prey upon almost every living thing that comes in their way. Their flesh is white like veal, and agreeable to the palate, and their fur is valuable.

  Here are likewise Foxes of various colours, black, grey, red, and white, who by their craft and
cunning make great havock among the water-fowl by a thousand deceitful capers, which they cut upon the banks of lakes and rivers.

  The Skunck or Pole-Cat is very common, and is called by the Indians the Stinking Beast, on account of its emitting a disagreeable savour to a considerable distance when pursued or disturbed. It is about the size of a small cat, has shining hair of a grey colour, with two white lines, that form an oval, on its back. The fur of this animal, with that of the Ermin, Otter, and Martin, make up what they call the small peltry. The Ermin is about the size of a squirrel, its fur is extremely white, its tail long, and the tip of it as black as jet.

  The Martin, or Sable, lives principally among the mountains, is as long as a common cat, but very slender; the fur is very fine and valuable.

  The Opposum is a remarkable animal in this country, having under its belly a bag or false belly, in which they breed their young. The young ones proceed from the teats to which they stick, as a part thereof, till they take life, and issue forth, or rather drop off. And to this false belly they fly for shelter and protection in case of any alarm.

  The Porcupine is as large as a small dog. Its quills are about two inches and a half long, white, and hollow, and very strong, especially on its back; they are exceeding sharp, and bearded in such manner, that if they once enter the flesh of a person, they quickly bury themselves, and occasion great pain.

  The savages make great use of these quills for ornamenting their cloaths, belts, arms, &c.

  The Moose is larger than a large horse, and is one of the deer-kind, every year changing his horns; the colour of this animal is a dark brown, the hair coarse. He has a mane like a horse, a dulap like a cow, a very large head, and a short tail. During the summer he frequents bogs and swamps; in the winter, the north sides of hills and mountains, where the sun will not melt the snow. Their common pace of travelling is a trott, but when hunted are very swift.

  It hath been sufficiently remarked, as we have travelled through this extensive country, that it every where abounds with fish, fowl, and variety of game, that in its forests are most kinds of useful timber, and a variety of wild fruit; and, no doubt, every kind of European fruit might be cultivated and raised here in great perfection. In a word, this country wants nothing but that culture an improvement, which can only be the effect of time and industry, to render it equal, if not superior, to any in the world.

  FINIS.

  APPENDIX B: EXCERPTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF PONTIAC’S CONSPIRACY (1763), ATTRIBUTED TO ROBERT NAVARRE

  Despite critics’ concerns about its process of composition (discussed in the introduction to this volume), The Journal of Pontiac’s Conspiracy is the surviving document that appears to reflect the most intimate access to Pontiac during the events of Pontiac’s Rebellion. The first excerpt printed here is the Journal-writer’s account of Wolf prophet Neolin, framed as a summary of Pontiac’s use of Neolin’s dream vision in his war council of 27 April 1763. The two speeches reprinted here represent the best available reporting of Pontiac’s efforts to motivate his fellow war sachems and the local French citizenry to war against the British, using Neolin’s vision as a central rhetorical foundation.

  The original text is in French. I have reprinted the standard translation of the document by R. Clyde Ford from the 1912 edition published by Clyde M Burton and Mary Agnes Burton.

  THE VISION OF NEOLIN, THE DELAWARE PROPHET, RELATED BY PONTIAC AT WAR COUNCIL (JOURNAL-WRITER’S SUMMARY) 27 APRIL 1763

  An Indian of the Wolf nation, eager to make the acquaintance of the Master of Life, – this is the name for God among all the Indians – resolved to undertake the journey to Paradise, where he knew He resided, without the knowledge of any of his tribe or village. But the question was how to succeed in his purpose and find the way thither. Not knowing anyone who had been there and was thus able to teach him the road, he had recourse to incantation in the hope of deriving some good augury from his trance. As a rule all the Indians, even those who are enlightened, are subject to superstition, and put a good deal of credence in their dreams and those things which one has a good deal of trouble to wean them from. This episode will be proof of what I say.

  This Wolf Indian in his dream imagined that he had only to set out and by dint of travelling would arrive at the celestial dwelling. This he did the next day. Early in the morning he arose and equipped himself for a hunting journey, not forgetting to take provisions and ammunition, and a big kettle. Behold him then setting out like that on his journey to Heaven to see the Master of Life.

  The first seven days of his journey were quite favorable to his plans; he walked on without growing discouraged, always with a firm belief that he would arrive at his destination, and eight days went by without his encountering anything which could hinder him in his desire. On the evening of the eighth day he halted at sunset as usual, at the opening to a little prairie upon the bank of a stream which seemed to him a suitable camping place. As he was preparing his shelter for the night he beheld at the other end of this prairie where he camped, three roads, wide and plainly marked. This struck him as singular, nevertheless, he went on working his shelter so as to be protected from the weather, and made a fire. While doing his cooking he thought he noticed that the three roads became all the brighter the darker it grew, a thing which surprised him to the point of fear. He hesitated for some time over what he should do, whether to remain in his present camp, or move and camp elsewhere; but as he pondered he recalled his incantations, or rather his dream, and that he had undertaken this journey from no other reason than to see the Master of Life. This led him to believe that one of the roads was the one he must take to reach the spot he desired. He concluded to remain where he was until the next day, when he would choose one of the three routes at random. However, his curiosity hardly allowed him time to reflect upon it before he abandoned his camp and set out along the road which seemed to him the widest. He continued in it for half a day without seeing anything to stop him, but, pausing a little to take breath, he saw suddenly a great fire coming out of the earth. This aroused his curiosity. He drew nearer to see what this fire was, but the closer he approached the more the fire appeared to increase. This frightened him and caused him to retrace his steps and take another road which was narrower than the first one.

  After following this road the same length of time as the other he beheld the same spectacle, and his fear which had been quieted by the change of route was again aroused. He was once more obliged to turn about and take the third road which he followed for a day without discovering anything. Suddenly he saw before him what appeared to be a mountain of marvelous whiteness, and he stopped, overcome with astonishment. Nevertheless, he again advanced, firmly determined to see what this mountain could be, but when he arrived at the foot of it he no longer saw any road and was sad. At this juncture, not knowing what to do to continue his way, he looked around in all directions and finally saw a woman of this mountain, of radiant beauty, whose garments dimmed the whiteness of the snow. And she was seated.

  This woman addressed him in his own tongue: ‘Thou appearest to me surprised not to find any road to lead thee where thou wishest to go. I know that for a long while thou hast been desirous of seeing the Master of Life and of speaking with him; and that is why thou hast undertaken this journey to see him. The road which leads to his abode is over the mountain, and to ascend it thou must forsake all that thou has with thee, and disrobe completely, and leave all thy trappings and clothing at the foot of the mountain. No one shall harm thee; go and bathe thyself in a river which I shall show thee, and then thou shalt ascend.’

  The Wolf was careful to obey the words of the woman, but one difficulty yet confronted him, namely, to know how to reach the top of the mountain which was perpendicular, pathless, and smooth as ice. He questioned this woman how one should go about climbing up, and she replied that if he was really anxious to see the Master of Life he would have to ascend, helping himself only with his hand and his left foot. This appeared to him impossible,
but encouraged by the woman he set about it and succeeded by dint of effort.

  When he reached the top he was greatly astonished not to see anyone; the woman had disappeared, and he found himself alone without a guide. At his right were three villages which confronted him; he did not know them for they seemed of different construction from his own, prettier and more orderly in appearance. After he had pondered some time over what he ought to do, he set out toward the village which seemed to him the most attractive, and covered half the distance from the top of the mountain before he remembered that he was naked. He was afraid to go further, but he heard a voice telling him to continue and that he ought not to fear, because, having bathed as he had, he could go on in assurance. He had no more difficulty in continuing up to a spot which seemed to him to be the gate of the village, and here he stopped, waiting for it to open so he could enter. While he was observing the outward beauty of this village the gate opened, and he saw coming toward him a handsome man, clothed all in white, who took him by the hand and told him that he was going to satisfy him and let him talk with the Master of Life. The Wolf permitted the man to conduct him, and both came to a place of surpassing beauty which the Indian could not admire enough. Here he saw the Master of Life who took him by the hand and gave him a hat all bordered with gold to sit down upon. The Wolf hesitated to do this for fear of spoiling the hat, but he was ordered to do so, and obeyed without reply.

  After the Indian was seated the Lord said to him: ‘I am the Master of Life, and since I know what thou desirest to know, and to whom thou wishest to speak, listen well to what I am going to say to thee and to all the Indians:

  ‘I am He who hath created the heavens and the earth, the trees, lakes, rivers, all men, and all that thou seest and hast seen upon the earth. Because I love you, ye must do what I say and love, and not do what I hate. I do not love that ye should drink to the point of madness, as ye do; and I do not like that ye should fight one another. Ye take two wives, or run after the wives of others; ye do not well, and I hate that. Ye ought to have but one wife, and keep her till death. When ye wish to go to war, ye conjure and resort to the medicine dance, believing that ye speak to me; ye are mistaken, – it is to Manitou that ye speak, an evil spirit who prompts you to nothing but wrong, and who listens to you out of ignorance of me.