He Is A Self-Made
And Self-Educated Man, And By His Own Energy, Industry, And Perseverance,
Has Raised Himself
To the position which he now holds; and if his manners
have not all the finish of polite society, and
If he does sometimes say
"Me and the governor," his energy is not less to be admired.
Another member of the government appeared in a yellow waistcoat and brown
frock-coat; but where there were a great many persons of an inferior class
it was only surprising that there should be so few inaccuracies either in
dress or deportment. There were some very pretty women, and almost all
were dressed with simplicity and good taste. The island does not afford a
band, but a pianist and violinist played most perseveringly, and the
amusements were kept up with untiring spirit till four in the morning.
The governor and his family behaved most affably to their guests, and I
was glad to observe that in such a very mixed company not the slightest
vulgarity of manner was perceptible.
It may be remarked, however, that society is not on so safe a footing as
in England. Such things as duels, but of a very bloodless nature, have
been known: people occasionally horsewhip and kick each other; and if a
gentleman indulges in the pastime of breaking the windows of another
gentleman, he receives a bullet for his pains. Some time ago, a gentleman
connected with a noble family in Scotland, emigrated to the island with a
large number of his countrymen, to whom he promised advantageous
arrangements with regard to land. He was known by the name of Tracadie.
After his tenants had made a large outlay upon their farms, Tracadie did
not fulfil his agreements, and the dissatisfaction soon broke forth into
open outrage. Conspiracies were formed against him, his cows and carts
were destroyed, and night after night the country was lighted by the
flames of his barns and mills. At length he gave loaded muskets to some of
his farm-boys, telling them to shoot any one they saw upon his premises
after dusk. The same evening he went into his orchard, and was standing
with his watch in his hand waiting to set it by the evening gun, when the
boys fired, and he fell severely wounded. When he recovered from this, he
was riding out one evening, when he was shot through the hat and hip by
men on each side of the road, and fell weltering in blood. So detested was
he, that several persons passed by without rendering him any assistance.
At length one of his own tenantry, coming by, took him into Charlotte Town
in a cart, but was obliged shortly afterwards to leave the island, to
escape from the vengeance which would have overtaken the succourer of a
tyrant. Tracadie was shot at five or six different times. Shortly after my
arrival in the island, he went to place his daughter in a convent at
Quebec, and died there of the cholera.
One day, with a party of youthful friends, I crossed the Hillsboro' Creek,
to visit the Indians. We had a large heavy boat, with cumbrous oars, very
ill balanced, and a most inefficient crew, two of them being boys either
very idle or very ignorant, and, as they kept tumbling backwards over the
thwarts, one gentleman and I were left to do all the work. On our way we
came upon an Indian in a bark canoe, and spent much of our strength in an
ineffectual race with him, succeeding in nothing but in getting aground.
We had very great difficulty in landing, and two pretty squaws indulged in
hearty laughter at our numerous failures.
After scrambling through a wood, we came upon an Indian village,
consisting of fifteen wigwams. These are made of poles, tied together at
the upper end, and are thatched with large pieces of birch-bark. A hole is
always left at the top to let out the smoke, and the whole space occupied
by this primitive dwelling is not larger than a large circular dining-
table. Large fierce dogs, and uncouth, terrified-looking, lank-haired
children, very scantily clothed, abounded by these abodes. We went into
one, crawling through an aperture in the bark. A fire was burning in the
middle, over which was suspended a kettle of fish. The wigwam was full of
men and squaws, and babies, or "papooses," tightly strapped into little
trays of wood. Some were waking, others sleeping, but none were employed,
though in several of the camps I saw the materials for baskets and bead-
work. The eyes of all were magnificent, and the young women very handsome,
their dark complexions and splendid hair being in many instances set off
by a scarlet handkerchief thrown loosely round the head.
We braved the ferocity of numerous dogs, and looked into eight of these
abodes; Mr. Kenjins, from the kind use he makes of his medical knowledge,
being a great favourite with the Indians, particularly with the young
squaws, who seemed thoroughly to understand all the arts of coquetry. We
were going into one wigwam when a surly old man opposed our entrance,
holding out a calabash, vociferous voices from the interior calling out,
"Ninepence, ninepence!" The memory of Uncas and Magua rose before me,
and I sighed over the degeneracy of the race. These people are mendicant
and loquacious. When you go in, they begin a list of things which they
want - blankets, powder, tobacco, &c.; always concluding with, "Tea, for
God's sake!" for they have renounced the worship of the Great Spirit for a
corrupted form of Christianity.
We were received in one camp by two very handsome squaws, mother and
daughter, who spoke broken English, and were very neat and clean. The
floor was thickly strewn with the young shoots of the var, and we sat down
with them for half an hour. The younger squaw, a girl of sixteen, was very
handsome and coquettish.
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