No. 167.]

[1 of VOL. 25.

For the Monthly Magazine. Original LETTER on MEN and MANNERS

in NORTH AMERICA.

N the autumn of last year, five Indian chiefs arrived in the city of New York from the territory of Detroit, north-west of the river Ohio, accompanied by J. Schieffelin, esq. agent of Indian affairs, and Mr. Whitmore Knapp, interpreter. They were chiefs of the Ottawa, Chippwa, and Poutewetamy nations, and were thus designated, viz.

Abewdy; Matchipasquifican; of the

tawa nation.

Mangy; Chippawa nation. Kisses, of the Sun; Okia, of the Poutewatamy nation.

When I understood where they resided, I waited on them at their apartments, at Willis's boarding-house, in Barclay-street; and had their permission, through their interpreter, to make a portrait of each, which I did at Mr. Tyler's tavern, at Greenwich, to which place they accompanied me in a coach. They were on their way to the seat of government, to intreat, on the part of their several nations, the performance of some obligations, which had been previously promised, but not fulfilled. Their places of residence, generally considered, were 1400 miles distant, north-west from the extremity of the Pennsylvania state. They were all robust well-built men, and the shortest was five feet ten inches in stature: they informed me that they travelled by the appearance of the moss on the trees, which on the north side of the bark is very visi ble, and often pendant, but on the south side is full. The Poutewatamy chief was to be the speaker of the party at the great talk, as they phrased it; and I likewise found that he had his speech by heart, like many of our European orators. This chief was only 22 years of age, of a lofty and commanding demeanor; his eyes were full of animation and fire, yet attempered by an obliging spirit. I understood that he had been elevated to his dignities for his prowess in battle, when fighting against General Sinclair; MONTHLY MAG. No. 167.

he possessed exclusively a sort of coronet of red feathers, gathered from paroquets, the colour of which was singularly bril liant. I learned from their interpreter, that several of their wives, or squaws, were very beautiful, and that their conduct was friendly and tractable. When I had made a rough outline of the first portrait, they surveyed it with great astonishment, and were extremely eager to have likenesses of each-other, which, on obtaining, they Jaughed immoderately, and even danced with gladness. They explained the uses of the watch, in signifying, by gesture, that at any hour, A. M. the sun was rising; and, at any hour, P.M. that the sun was declining. There being a severe frost at that time, I enquired if they were not cold, by going so bare and thinly clad, in various parts of their bodies; they answered this question, by asking me if my face was not cold, and, on my replying in the negative, they said they were all face! They smoked much, but ate and drank moderately. Each made a bargain with me, while I drew them, that I would send a copy of his portrait to the seat of government, that they might take it to their own nation. Two of them wore long silver crosses, one on his bosom, and the other behind: they were of the Roman Catholic persuasion, and had been converted by some French priests: two of them wore a silver medal, with the head of his Britannic Majesty, on one side, and the arms of England on the other; and they likewise had a large oval piece of silver, with the arms of the United States, on one side, and General Washington and an Indian chief, in conference, on the other. These chiefs, or sachems, wished to bring their squaws with them, but the interpreter would not permit them. They live at their villages, or castles, or wig-wams, on bear's flesh, and venison, and buffaloes; the men hunt, and the women till the ground for their corn, which is all the agriculture they pursue. The Americans in the neighbourhood of Detroit trade with the Indians through the British lines, as the States will not al