o
have perished in this way far up in the woods."--_Life of George Copway,
written by himself_, p. 44.
APPENDIX E.
Page 184.--"_... on first deciding that it was a canoe._"
The Indians say, that before their fathers had tools of iron and steel
in common use, a war canoe was the labour of three generations. It was
hollowed out by means of fire, cautiously applied, or by stone hatchets;
but so slowly did the work proceed, that years were passed in its
excavation. When completed, it was regarded as a great achievement,
and its launching on the waters of the lake or river was celebrated by
feasting and dancing. The artizans were venerated as great patriots.
Possibly the birch-bark canoe was of older date, as being more easily
constructed, and needing not the assistance of the axe in forming it;
but it was too frail to be used in war, or in long voyages, being liable
to injuries.
The black stone wedges, so often found on the borders of our inland
waters, were used by the Indians in skinning the deer and bear. Their
arrow-heads were of white or black flint, rudely chipped into shape, and
inserted in a cleft stick. A larger sort were used for killing deer;
and blunt wooden ones were used by the children, for shooting birds and
small game.
APPENDIX F.
Page 195.--_"... the Christian mind revolts with horror."_
There is, according to the native author, George Copway, a strong
feeling in the Indians for conversion and civilization, and a
concentration of all the Christianised tribes, now scattered far and
wide along the northern banks of the lakes and rivers, into one nation,
to be called by one name, and united in one purpose--their general
improvement. To this end, one of the most influential of their chiefs,
John Jones, of Dover Sound, offered to give up to his Indian brethren,
free of all cost, a large tract of unceded land, that they might be
gathered together as one nation.
In the council held at Sangeeny, where were convened Indian chiefs from
lakes St. Clare, Samcoe, Huron, Ontario, and Rice, and other lakes, it
was proposed to devise a plan by which the tract owned by the Sangeenys
could be held for the benefit of the Ojebwas, to petition Government for
aid in establishing a manual-labour school, and to ascertain the general
feeling of the chiefs in relation to forming one large settlement at
Owen's Sound. At this meeting forty-eight chiefs were assembled.
There is much to admire in the simple, earnes
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