University of Virginia Library

1. CHAP. I.

NOT long after this, being at a certain
place, the Captain was accosted
by a stranger in the following manner:
Captain Farrago, said he, I have heard
of a young man in your service who talks
Irish. Now, Sir, my business is that of
an Indian treaty-maker; and am on my
way with a party of kings, and half kings
to the commissioners, to hold a treaty.
My king of the Kickapoos, who was a
Welch blacksmith, took sick by the way,
and is dead. I have heard of this lad of
yours, and could wish to have him a while
to supply his place. The treaty will not
last longer than a couple of weeks; and
as the government will probably allow
three or four thousand dollars for the treaty,

it will be in our power to make it worth
your while, to spare him for that time.
Your king of the Kickapoos, said the Captain;
what does that mean? Said the stranger,
it is just this: You have heard of the
Indian nations to the westward, that occasionally
make war upon the frontier settlements.
It has been a policy of government,
to treat with these, and distribute
goods. Commissioners are appointed for
that purpose. Now you are not to suppose
that it is always an easy matter to catch a
real chief, and bring him from the woods;
or if at some expence one was brought,
the goods would go to his use; whereas,
it is much more profitable to hire substitutes
and make chiefs of our own: And
as some unknown gibberish is necessary,
to pass for an Indian language, we generally
make use of Welch, or Low Dutch,
or Irish; or pick up an ingenious fellow
here and there, who can imitate a language
by sounds of his own, in his mouth,
and throat. But we prefer one who can
speak a real tongue, and give more for
him. We cannot afford you a great deal
at this time for the use of your man; because
it is not a general treaty where
20,000, or 30,000, dollars are appropriated
for the purpose of holding it; but an occasional,
or what we call a running treaty,
by way of brightening the chain, and holding
fast friendship. The commissioners
will doubtless be glad to see us, and procure
from government an allowance for
the treaty. For the more treaties, the
more use for commissioners. The business
must be kept up, and treaties made if there
are none of themselves. My Pianksha,
and Choctaw chiefs, are very good fellows;
the one of them a Scotch pedlar that talks
the Erse; the other has been some time
in Canada, and has a little broken Indian,
God knows what language; but has been
of great service in assisting to teach the rest
some Indian custom and manners. I have
had the whole of them for a fortnight past
under my tuition, teaching them war
songs and dances, and to make responses
at the treaty. If your man is tractable, I
can make him a Kickapoo in about nine
days. A breech-clout and leggins, that I
took off the blacksmith that died, I have
ready to put on him. He must have part
of his head shaved, and painted, with feathers
on his crown; but the paint will rub
off, and the hair grow in a short time, so
that he can go about with you again.

It is a very strange affair, said the Captain.
Is it possible that such deception
can be practised in a new country. It astonishes
me, that the government does
not detect such imposition. The government,
said the Indian treaty-man, is at
a great distance. It knows no more of
Indians than a cow does of Greek. The
legislature, hears of wars and rumours
of wars, and supports the executive in
forming treaties. How is it possible for
men who live remote from the scene of
action, to have adequate ideas of the nature
of Indians, or the transactions that
are carried on in their behalf. Do you
think the one half of those savages that
come to treat, are real representatives of
the nation. Many of them are not savages
at all; but weavers, and pedlars, as I
have told you, picked up to make kings
and chiefs. I speak of those particularly
that come trading down to inland towns,
or the metropolis. I would not communicate
these mysteries of our trade, were it
not that I confide in your good sense,
and have occasion for your servant.

It is a mystery of iniquity, said the
Captain. Do you suppose that I would
countenance such a fraud upon the public?

I do not know, said the other; it is
a very common thing for men to speculate,
now a-days. If you will not, another will.
An 100 dollars might as well be in your
pocket as another man's. I will give you that
for the use of your servant, for a week or
two, and say no more about it. It is an
idea new to me entirely, said the Captain,
that Indian princes, whom I have seen
escorted down as such, were no more
than trumpery, disguised, as you mention;
that such should be introduced to
polite assemblies, and have the honour to
salute the fair ladies with a kiss, the greatest
beauties thinking themselves honoured
by having the salutation of a sovereign?
It is so, said the other; I had a red headed
bricklayer once, whom I passed for a
Chippawaw; and who has dined with
clubs, and sat next the President. He
was blind of an eye, and was called blind
Sam by the traders. I had given it out
that he was a great warrior, and had lost
his eye by an arrow, in a contest with a
rival nation. These things are now reduced
to a system; and it is so well known
to those who are engaged in the traffic,
that we think nothing of it.

How the devil, said the Captain, do

you get speeches made, and interpret them
so as to pass for truth. That is an easy
matter, said the other; Indian speeches are
nearly all alike. You have only to talk
of burying hatchets under large trees,
kindling fires, brightening chains; with a
demand, at the latter end, of blankets for
the backside, and rum to get drunk with.

I much doubt, said the Captain, whether
treaties that are carried on in earnest,
are of any great use. Of none at all, said
the other; especially as the practice of
giving goods prevails; because this is an
inducement to a fresh war. This being the
case, it can be no harm to make a farce
of the whole matter; or rather a profit
of it; by such means as I propose to
you, and have pursued myself.

After all, said the Captain, I cannot
but consider it as a kind of contraband
and illicit traffic; and I must be excused
from having any hand in it. I shall not
betray your secret, but I shall not favour
it. It would ill become me, whose object
in riding about in this manner, is to give
just ideas on subjects, to take part in such
ill-gotten gain.

The Indian-treaty man finding it in vain
to say more, withdrew.