the Master of Life, who is also called the Holder of
Heaven, to the earth, the better to prepare it for the residence of
man, and to teach the tribes the knowledge necessary to their
condition, as well as to rid the land of giants and monsters. Having
accomplished this benevolent labor, he laid aside his heavenly
character and name, assuming that of Hiawatha; took a wife, and settled
in a beautiful part of the country. Hiawatha having set himself down to
live as one of them, it was his care to hold up, at all times, the best
examples of prudential wisdom. All things, hard or wondrous, were
possible for him to do, as in the case of the hero of the Algonquin
legend, and he had, like him, a magic canoe to sail up and down the
waters wherever he wished.

Hiawatha, after he had performed the higher functions appertaining to
his character, settled down in the Iroquois country, and was
universally regarded as a sage. He instructed the tribes how to repel
savage invaders, who were in the habit of scourging the country, and
was ever ready to give them wise counsels. The chief things of these
good counsels to the tribes were to attend to their proper vocation, as
hunters and fishermen, to cultivate corn, and to cease dissensions and
bickerings among themselves. He finally instructed them to form a
general league and confederacy against their common enemies. These
maxims were enforced at a general council of the Iroquois tribe, held
at Onondaga, which place became the seat of their council fire, and
first government. This normal council of Iroquois sages resulted in
placing the tribes in their assembled, not tribal capacity, under the
care of a moderator, or chief magistrate of the assembled cantons,
called Atatarho.[72]

Tradition recites many particulars of the acts of Hiawatha. It is
preserved in their recitals, that after his mission was virtually
ended, or, rather, drawing to a close, how he proceeded, in great
state, to the council, in his magic canoe, taking with him his favorite
daughter. With her he landed on the shore of the lake of Onondaga, and
was proceeding to the elevated grounds appointed for the council, when
a remarkable phenomenon appeared in the heavens, which seemed, in its
symbolical import, to say to Hiawatha: "Thy work is near its close." A
white bird, the bird of Heaven, appeared to come as a special messenger
to him and to his daughter, appearing as a small speck high in the
higher atmosphere. As it de