Jamaica, Vt. Solomon Goodell, ($863,54 having been received previously,) by D. Kellogg

Newburyport, Ms. Benjamin Balch, ($100 having been received previously,) for Benjamin Balch and Hannah Sigourney Balch, to be educated among the Cherokees or Choctaws, by D. Smith, Adm'r, New Haven, Ct. Mrs. Martha Kimberly, by D. Kimberly and I. N. Townsend, Ex'rs, New York city, Heman Averill, by Augustine Averill, Ex'r,

Salem, Ms. Mrs. Anna Dodge, ($1,200 having been received previously,) by M. Newman, Ex'r,

20 00

636

10

5.00 8 25

316 00

100 00

100 00

250 00

300 00

Watervliet, N. Y., A box, fr. ladies, rec'd at Seneca.

West Newbury, Ms. 3 prs. shoes, fr. G. Chase. Unknown, A small box, rec'd at Utica.

The following articles are respectfully solicited from Manufacturers and others.

Printing paper, to be used in publishing portions of the Scriptures, school-books, tracts, &e. at Bombay, and at the Sandwich Islands.

Writing paper, writing books, blank books, quills, slates, &c. for all the missions and mission schools; especially for the Sandwich Islands.

Shoes of a good quality, of all sizes, for persons of both sexes; principally for the Indian missions. Blankets, coverlets, sheets, &c.

Fulled cloth, and domestic cottons of all kinds.

James Gray, Richmond, Va., Treasurer of the Central Board of Foreign Missions, acknowledges the receipt of the following sums, from May 1st to July 8th, viz.

Staunton, Va. Rev. Mr. Kerr, 2; Byrd and Providence, Asso. 17,75; Prince Edward co. Fem. asso. college chh. 40; Mrs. Z. A. Cockran, 1; Union Sem. P. Harrison, 5; Augusta co. Hebron chh. 35, 13; Middlesex, Mrs. M. G. Brackton, 5; Mecklenburg, T. Brame, Jr. for miss. to China, 5: Shepherdstown, Presb. chh. 7,25; Charlestown, Presb. chl. 15; Richmond, Fem. asso. in 1st presb. chh. 242; gent. do. 400; av. of jewelry, 3,25; E. D. P. 50c. 1st chh. African miss. asso. 8.76; Clarkesville, Asso. 20; Lexington. By Dr. Leyburn, agent, 120, Fayetteville, N. C. Fem. frag. so. (of which to constitute Rev. S. COLTON an Honorary Member of the Board, 50;) for ed. of females in China, 250; Fem. juv. for. miss. so for Henry Augustus Rowland in Ceylon, 15; mon. con. 8; Hillsboro', Mon. con. 15; coll. 3,54; Greensboro', Mon. con. 33; Lexington, Mon. con and coll 35,17; Hawfields, Mon. con. and coll. 8, Rocky River, Asso. for S. E. Africa, 241,25, Phila. Asso. 30.75; Steel Creek, Asso. 62,25; Poplar Tent, Asso. 127,91; fem. benev. so. (of which to constitute Rev. JOHN ROBINSON, D. D. an Honorary Member of the Board, 50;) 55; Paro Creek chh. Asso. 28,60: Charlotte chh. (Of which to constitute Rev. A. LEAVENWORTH an Honorary Member of the Board, 50; and fr. members of his fam. and school, 14,94;) 92,50; Sugar Creek chh. Asso. (of which to constitute Rev. ROBERT H. MORRISON an Honorary Member of the Board, 50;) 116,72; mon. con. 10; Mallard Creek chh. Asso. (of which to constitute Rev. WILLIAM S. CHARR an Honorary Member of the Board, 50;) 95; Ramah chh. 10,81; Concord town, 35,51; Bethpage chh. 24 50; Thyatria, Asso. 38,46; Unity Lincoln, Asso. (of which to constitute Rev. J. H. ADAMS an Honorary Member of the Board, 50.) 73,45; Back Creek, Asso. (of which to constitute Rev. A. Y. LOCKRIDGE an Honorary Member of the Board, 50;) 100; Third Creek, Asso. (of which to constitute Rev. A. W. KILPATRICK an Honorary Member of the Board. 50;) 66,50; Bethany, Asso (of which to constitute Rev. S. FRONTIS an Honorary Member of the Board, 50;) 60,68; Tabor, Asso. 46,25; Iredell co. J. Young, 1; Concord chh. Asso. 26,93; Fourth Creek chh. 14,75; Centre chh. 35,41; Prospect ehh. 29,35; Milton, Mon. con. 20; coll. 26,33; a lady, 25; Orange, Miss S. Grimes, 5; Culpeper, Miss S. Hudson, 50c. Georgetown, D. C. Mon. con in Bridge-st. chh. 12,46; Washington city, Ist presb. chh. for support of a missionary to China, 111,12; Minor, Four ladies, 2,75; $2,928 00

Extent and Boundaries of the Country. The line which separates the Sac and Fox country from that of the Sioux on the north, commences about twenty miles above Prairie du Chien, near the Mississippi river, and extends west indefinitely; on the southwest and south their country is bounded by the Missouri river and the State of Missouri; and on the east it is now bounded by a narrow tract of land, 40 or 50 miles wide, extending along the west bank of the Mississippi river, and which was purchased from them by the United States in 1832. Most of the country is prairie, the soil is fertile, and the climate healthful; the latitude being from forty and a half to forty-three degrees.

it is with them merely a matter of interest or convenience, the husband and wife separate when either party becomes disaffected, the wife taking the children. The wives of the same husband cook, eat, and sleep at separate places in the same lodge; and, instead of having any mutual interest or affection, they cherish envy and jealousy which often end in quarrelling, fighting, and expelling one or more of the number from the lodge. In these things the husband seems to take little or no interest. Probably not more than one third of the children survive the period of infancy. The men often eherish the most cruel jealousy toward their wives. While at Wah-pee-los, one of the principal villages, says Mr. Marsh, I learned that a man in cool blood murdered his wife a few days before and then cut off her nose and ears. The Indians are exceed

Habits and Employments-Condition of Females. From their winter hunt they return to their villages about the first of April, where they remain till the end of June, when, the planting and working of their fields being over, they start on their summer's hunt, (which lasts about forty days,) leaving a part of the old men and women to take care of their fields and villages. They then return, and the time from roasting corn till harvesting, they spend in feasting, dancing, and amusements. Having their corn gathered, dried, and packed, they bury a part for future use, and carry the remainder with them on their winter hunt, which lasts till January, when they assemble at some place and spend the time till April in idleness or revelry. They are generally strongly attached to their pagan rites and superstitions, and guard with jealous care against any change. The great object of their pursuit, and their principal employments are war and hunting. In the former they glory, and it is a distinction highly enviable, to which the young and ambitious strive to attain, to rank among the braves, so as to be able to wear the pole-cat's tail upon the calves of the legs and the shan-no-e-hun (small bells), and strike the post in the wardance, and tell over the number of enemies which they have killed or wounded in battle. While at their villages they spend the time in idleness or amusements. The women build the lodges, cultivate the ground, take charge of the corn and meat, bear the burdens in travelling, make mats, and perform all kinds of drudgery; which they do with much diligence, submitting with silence and apparent cheerfulness to their hard lot.

Polygamy is common, every Indian having as many wives as he can purchase and maintain. Sometimes five or six horses are given to the parents for a wife, the daughter being never consulted. They have no idea of the sacredness of the marriage relation. And as

if at such times the Indian cuts off the nose or ears of his wife, as is sometimes the case, no notice is taken of it; for they have no laws for the punishment of any crime, and even murder may be expiated by money or presents to the friends, which seems with them to atone for all crimes.

Religious Notions and Rites.-They are, says Mr. Marsh, very scrupulous with regard to their religious rites and ceremonies. Their most sacred thing is called meshaum, or great medicine bag; and consists of a parcel or bundle, in which are recorded by knots in strings, by stones, and other objects, and also by hieroglyphical figures, the names and wars of their gods in ancient times; also their religious belief or revelation, which they suppose was at first delivered to their ancestors, by Wesa kah, their tutelary god.* We-sa-kah is regarded in their mythology as the creator of the new world, after it had been destroyed by a flood. The Meshaum is held in high veneration; none are permitted to open or inspect it, except the one having particular charge of it. It is opened only in cases of invocations to the Great Spirit, in which dogs are often slain and offered in sacrifice. Some of the ordinances of the Meshaum are,

To fast every morning in the winter season. To fast ten days to obtain signal revenge upon an enemy.

To invoke and sacrifice every time a man has killed a bear or some choice game.

To give away property to the poor for the good of a relative gone to the land of shades.

It teaches also that the Great Spirit gave them the wild beasts for their sustenance; and requires them to be forgiving towards those belonging to their own family or Lation, if they have received any injury, but that revenge must be taken upon an enemy.

These are some of the most important things required by the Meshaum. It was formerly considered so sacred that it was death for a white man to open and examine it.

*We-sa kah is very probably Noah.

t The dog-feast is one of the most sacred feasts, and no Indian not belonging to the Meshaum or white person can witness it.

Some years ago a white man seeing one hang upon a tree, was led by curiosity to take it down and examine it in the absence of the Indians. As soon as he took it down and opened it the children began to cry to see their father's Meshaum profaned in such a manner. When the Indians returned and found out what had been done, they pursued after the man, and he was obliged to leave the country in order to save his life.

The names of their gods are We-sa-kah, god of the earth; Nah-pat-tay, brother of We-sa-kah, who being slain by the gods of the sea, We-sa-kah sent him to the land of shades, or Che-pah-munk, where he still exists as chief of the shades; Mah-she-ken-a-peck and Nah-me-pa-she are gods who inhabited both land and water. The Ai-yam-woy are men of terrible size or giants, a race of supernatural beings descended from the gods of the

sea.

Besides these inferior deities they recognise a supreme being whom they call Ka-shuhmah-na-too, Great Spirit.

The Meshaum contains the following tradition respecting the early period of the world.

In process of time the Great Spirit address ed the spirits on earth in the following manner. "Spirits of my breath, I have created you all to enjoy the earth and wide-spreading waters, and with you I shall now make a division of them. We-sa-kah shall possess the dry land, and Nah-me-pa-she and Mah-she-ken-a-peck the waters. But We-sa-kah shall be chief, and you shall obey him in all things, for to him I have given my terrestrial sphere to make war and peace with whomsoever he will."

The Meshaum gives the following account of the flood. The Ai-yam-woy, or giants, having slain the brother of We-sa-kah, he prepared himself with the great spear, and went with the speed of an eagle to fight the murderers of his brother. He met and slew them. This occasioned a war with the gods, which lasted for a long time. The gods of the sea having the great deep at their disposal, resolved upon destroying We-sa-kah and his race, even at the loss of their own lives. A great council therefore was called for the purpose, and all the chiefs were assembled and agreed upon the destruction of the world by a flood. We-sa-kah hearing of this fasted for ten days. At the end of the tenth day his voice reached the Great Spirit; his prayer was heard and answered; and mankind, the beasts, and birds, etc., were preserved. Then the waters began to overflow the plains, and We-sa-kah fled before them with his family until he reached a high mountain. But the water soon overtook them, and he built a great raft, upon which he put all kinds of creatures, and then let it loose, so it floated upon the surface of the great waters. After a long time We-sa-kah began to be sorry and fasted ten days. At the end of the tenth day he dreamed that he saw dry land. Awaking out of sleep he sent down the tortoise, but he returned without any clay; he then sent down

the muskrat, and he brought up clay between his claws, out of which We-sa-kah formed the dry land. Then mankind and all the creatures which had been preserved were spread abroad upon the face of it. They now lived in peace and happiness because there were no Ai-yamwoy, or any spirits of destruction, to trouble them, having all been exterminated by the flood.

We-sa-kah was now sole chief of the earth and mankind were his children. At length the people became very numerous and unable to remain together. They then separated under their fathers Sauke, Mask-qua-ke, (Red Fox,) and Ash-e-kan. The two former are the fathers of what are now called the Sac and Fox bands.

Future State.-If an Indian fulfils during his life-time the requirements of the Meshaum, he believes that at death he shall go to Chepah-munk, or the happy land; but if bad he will not be able to cross the bridge which is no wider than a man's foot and leads over the Mah-na-sa-no-ah, or river of death. This is a bottomless river; and if the man has been wicked, he is attracted by it and plunges in; but if good, it has no power over him, he passes in safety, where he enjoys everlasting happiness. But let it ever be remembered that holiness never enters into the Indian's idea of goodness; and with regard to badness, it is not impurity in the sight of him who cannot look on sin. Che-pah-munk, or the happy land, is situated far at the west, and abounds in game of all kinds and whatsoever is pleasing to the sight or taste.

Manner of Treating the Dead.-When a person dies, his face is painted red, his best clothes are put on, and all is prepared thesame as for a journey. With the corpse is buried the implements of hunting, etc., as the Indians suppose that all of these things are needed in the future world. About two years ago Ke-o-kuck, the head chief, lost his nephew. A paling of stakes was made around the place where the remains were to be deposited. The corpse was then placed in a sitting posture, after having been dressed in the usual style, (but was not buried) with his rifle, knife, etc., all by his side. Ke-o-kuck then led up one of his best horses, put the reins into the hands of the dead, and shot the horse. A white man being present, asked him why he did that? "Because," said he, "I do not want to have him go on foot," meaning to the west. They have no idea of a judgment after death or a future resurrection. Their dead are buried with the head towards the west.

Unlike the Ottawas they believe that the soul leaves the body immediately after death, but that it cannot pass the narrow bridge until the friends have thrown goods for the dead, as it is called, i. e. made a feast and given away goods to the poor; but that it wanders round in a state of unhappiness, or comes back and troubles the friends-perhaps is the occasion of the death of other friends or else of misfortunes. After this is done it passes the bridge in safety, if good during life, and enters the

happy land. The land of shades, Che-pahmunk, where Nah-pah-tay is chief, is not the dwelling of the Great Spirit; nor do they suppose that they shall ever dwell in his immediate presence, but in a terrestrial paradise. They are also taught from childhood that the soul of a departed relative who has been murdered cannot rest until his friends has revenged his death. This, therefore, is constantly present to their minds, and regard for that friend and desire for the rest of his soul keeps them in a constant state of disquietude, until revenge is taken. To forgive an injury done by an enemy is no part of their religion. Sacred Time.-The Sac and Fox Indians have no knowledge of the Sabbath, nor tradition respecting it; or that any one portion of time is to be regarded as more sacred than another. But wice a year, in the winter and autumn, the precise time to be ascertained by inspecting the entrails of the deer, they have sacred feasts, at which the most choice things are sought for and reserved to eat, and the most sacred songs to be sung, such as are not used on other occasions. There is also a feast of thanksgiving after the corn becomes fit for roasting. So scrupulous are they in respect to it, that even a child will not eat corn or beans, although he may be hungry, till after the feast is held.

Their feasts are attended with great formality and seriousness, and are regarded as religious worship, offered to the Great Spirit. Still they exert no perceptible moral influence, either to restrain from doing wrong, or to lead to do what is right in the sight of God. One Indian seen intoxicated the day before, went in, a welcome guest, and partook of a feast which Mr. Marsh witnessed, and was extremely scrupulous in the observance of all the ceremonies.

Virtues and Vices-They are kind and generous to strangers and friends, always dividing their food with them, if it is the last fowl, when they come to visit them.

The more temperate and steady regard lying as very bad. Many of them are honest and trust worthy, especially when any thing is committed to their charge. Generally they are addicted to intemperance both old and young. A few years ago it was seldom that any were seen drunk, excepting some of the old men; but at the present time there is little difference in respect to old or young, men or women. This vice is evidently gaining ground among them. Many are addicted to lying, stealing, and dishonesty. They are licentious, and the men are extremely indolent, excepting the three or four months occupied in their fall hunts. They are also extremely proud and haughty, particularly the braves, who

are

highly esteemed, and are vain and extravagantly fond of amusements of all kinds, such

as card-playing, gambling, frolicking, dancing, etc.

In order to attain to a rank among the braves, it is necessary for a young man to kill some person, and the wantonness with which they will take life from a helpless or wounded enemy, or even from a little child, is horrible. A young man having heard much about the satisfaction of being a brave, he thought that as soon as he should kill an enemy he should be very happy. Accordingly, when engaged with a war party, he attacked a little child who run into the bushes to get away from the enemy. He pursued after it; the child earnestly entreated him to spare his life; but disregarding its entreaties, he struck him with a spear in the breast which the little creature endeavored in vain to remove as long as he could, but soon fell and expired. The young man instead of feeling very happy, as he anticipated, after killing the child was exceedingly wretched, and could not free his mind from the dreadful impression. The image of the child seemed constantly before him;-his pleas for life and his efforts to extract the spear constantly haunted his imagination. He went and told the chief his feelings, who replied he well knew how he felt, and that it was the shade of the child that troubled him; and that, on his return home, he must run round the town three times, wash himself, and then the shade would leave him and he would feel better.

This it is said is a custom of war, when they return to camp within the town, to go round it three times, and then they suppose that the shades of the enemies whom they have killed will leave them.

In some respects, at least, these Indians are 'without natural affection.' In the fall of 1821, says my informant, who was an eye-witness, a few lodges of Sacs were encamped upon the Des Moines, about ten miles from its mouth. At this place there was an Indian who had an aged, infirm, and blind mother. He said that she was of no use to him, and he had been troubled long enough with her. It was now late in the fall and the weather had become cold. Just before departing on his hunt, he went out upon the bank of the river, set some stakes in the ground, and put a mat against them so as to break off the wind. Here be put his poor old mother, without food or fire, and then put off in his canoe up the river. Whilst in that sad, forlorn condition, she was continually crying for bread, being helpless; but the hearts of the Indians, as hard and unfeeling as that of the undutiful son, were unmoved by her entreaties, and they talked about knocking her in the head, because her cries annoyed them so much. In this condition she remained until she actually starved to death within a few rods of four or five lodges!