the complete poetical works-第66节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



in　

the　cornfield。　　It　is　considered　as　the　image　of　an　old　man

stooping　

as　he　enters　the　lot。　　Had　the　chisel　of　Praxiteles　been　employed

to　

produce　this　image；　it　could　not　more　vividly　bring　to　the　minds

of　

the　merry　group　the　idea　of　a　pilferer　of　their　favorite

mondamin。　。　

。　。



〃The　literal　meaning　of　the　term　is；　a　mass；　or　crooked　ear　of　

grain；　but　the　ear　of　corn　so　called　is　a　conventional　type　of　a　

little　old　man　pilfering　ears　of　corn　in　a　cornfield。　　It　is　in

this　

manner　that　a　single　word　or　term；　in　these　curious　languages；　

becomes　the　fruitful　parent　of　many　ideas。　　And　we　can　thus

perceive　

why　it　is　that　the　word　wagemin　is　alone　competent　to　excite　

merriment　in　the　husking　circle。



〃This　term　is　taken　as　the　basis　of　the　cereal　chorus；　or　corn

song；　

as　sung　by　the　Northern　Algonquin　tribes。　　It　is　coupled　with　the



phrase　Paimosaid；a　permutative　form　of　the　Indian　substantive；　

made　from　the　verb　pim…o…sa；　to　walk。　　Its　literal　meaning　is；　he



who　walks；　or　the　walker；　but　the　ideas　conveyed　by　it　are；　he

who　

walks　by　night　to　pilfer　corn。　　It　offers；　therefore；　a　kind　of　

parallelism　in　expression　to　the　preceding　term。〃　　Oneota；　p。

254。





Pugasaing；　with　thirteen　pieces。

This　Game　of　the　Bowl　is　the　principal　game　of　hazard　among　the　

Northern　tribes　of　Indians。　　Mr。　Schoolcraft　gives　a　particular　

account　of　it　in　Oneota；　p。　85。　　〃This　game；〃　he　says；　〃is　very　

fascinating　to　some　portions　of　the　Indians。　　They　stake　at　it

their　

ornaments；　weapons；　clothing；　canoes；　horses；　everything　in　fact　

they　possess；　and　have　been　known；　it　is　said；　to　set　up　their

wives　

and　children　and　even　to　forfeit　their　own　liberty。　　Of　such　

desperate　stakes　I　have　seen　no　examples；　nor　do　I　think　the　game



itself　in　common　use。　　It　is　rather　confined　to　certain　persons；

who　

hold　the　relative　rank　of　gamblers　in　Indian　society；men　who

are　

not　noted　as　hunters　or　warriors；　or　steady　providers　for　their　

families。　　Among　these　are　persons　who　bear　the　term　of

Iena…dizze…

wug；　that　is；　wanderers　about　the　country；　braggadocios；　or　fops。





It　can　hardly　be　classed　with　the　popular　games　of　amusement；　by　

which　skill　and　dexterity　are　acquired。　　I　have　generally　found

the　

chiefs　and　graver　men　of　the　tribes；　who　encouraged　the　young　men

to　

play　ball；　and　are　sure　to　be　present　at　the　customary　sports；　to



witness；　and　sanction；　and　applaud　them；　speak　lightly　and　

disparagingly　of　this　game　of　hazard。　　Yet　it　cannot　be　denied

that　

some　of　the　chiefs；　distinguished　in　war　and　the　chase；　at　the

West；　

can　be　referred　to　as　lending　their　example　to　its　fascinating　

power。〃



See　also　his　history；　Condition；　and　Prospects　of　the　Indian

Tribes；　

Part　II；　p。　72。　





To　the　Pictured　Rocks　of　sandstone。　

The　reader　will　find　a　long　description　of　the　Pictured　Rocks　in　

Foster　and　Whitney's　Report　on　the　Geology　of　the　Lake　Superior

Land　

District；　Part　II。　p。　124。　　From　this　I　make　the　following

extract：



〃The　Pictured　Rocks　may　be　described；　in　general　terms；　as　a

series　

of　sandstone　bluffs　extending　along　the　shore　of　Lake　Superior

for　

about　five　miles；　and　rising；　in　most　places；　vertically　from　the



water；　without　any　beach　at　the　base；　to　a　height　varying　from

fifty　

to　nearly　two　hundred　feet。　　Were　they　simply　a　line　of　cliffs；

they　

might　not；　so　far　as　relates　to　height　or　extent；　be　worthy　of　a　

rank　among　great　natural　curiosities；　although　such　an　assemblage

of　

rocky　strata；　washed　by　the　waves　of　the　great　lake；　would　not；　

under　any　circumstances；　be　destitute　of　grandeur。　　To　the

voyager；　

coasting　along　their　base　in　his　frail　canoe；　they　would；　at　all　

times；　be　an　object　of　dread；　the　recoil　of　the　surf；　the

rock…bound　

coast；　affording；　for　miles；　no　place　of　refuge；the　lowering

sky；　

the　rising　wind；all　these　would　excite　his　apprehension；　and　

induce　him　to　ply　a　vigorous　oar　until　the　dreaded　wall　was

passed。　　

But　in　the　Pictured　Rocks　there　are　two　features　which

communicate　

to　the　scenery　a　wonderful　and　almost　unique　character。　　These

are；　

first；　the　curious　manner　in　which　the　cliffs　have　been　excavated



and　worn　away　by　the　action　of　the　lake；　which；　for　centuries；

has　

dashed　an　ocean…like　surf　against　their　base；　and；　second；　the　

equally　curious　manner　in　which　large　portions　of　the　surface

have　

been　colored　by　bands　of　brilliant　hues。



〃It　is　from　the　latter　circumstance　that　the　name；　by　which　these



cliffs　are　known　to　the　American　traveller；　is　derived；　while

that　

applied　to　them　by　the　French　voyageurs　（'Les　Portails'）　is

derived　

from　the　former；　and　by　far　the　most　striking　peculiarity。



〃The　term　Pictured　Rocks　has　been　in　use　for　a　great　length　of

time；　

but　when　it　was　first　applied；　we　have　been　unable　to　discover。　

It　

would　seem　that　the　first　travellers　were　more　impressed　with　the



novel　and　striking　distribution　of　colors　on　the　surface　than

with　

the　astonishing　variety　of　form　into　which　the　cliffs　themselves　

have　been　worn。　。　。　。



〃Our　voyageurs　had　many　legends　to　relate　of　the　pranks　of　the　

Menni…bojou　in　these　caverns；　and；　in　answer　to　our　inquiries；　

seemed　disposed　to　fabricate　stories；　without　end；　of　the　

achievements　of　this　Indian　deity。〃　



Toward　the　Sun　his　hands　were　lifted。

In　this　manner；　and　with　such　salutations；　was　Father　Marquette　

received　by　the　Illinois。　　See　his　Voyages　et　Decouvertes；

Section　V。　









*************





THE　COURTSHIP　OF　MILES　STANDISH



I



MILES　STANDISH



In　the　Old　Colony　days；　in　Plymouth　the　land　of　the　Pilgrims；

To　and　fro　in　a　room　of　his　simple　and　primitive　dwelling；

Clad　in　doublet　and　hose；　and　boots　of　Cordovan　leather；

Strode；　with　a　martial　air；　Miles　Standish　the　Puritan　Captain。

Buried　in　thought　he　seemed；　with　his　hands　behind　him；　and

pausing

Ever　and　anon　to　behold　his　glittering　weapons　of　warfare；

Hanging　in　shining　array　along　the　walls　of　the　chamber；

Cutlass　and　corselet　of　steel；　and　his　trusty　sword　of　Damascus；

Curved　at　the　point　and　inscribed　with　its　mystical　Arabic

sentence；

While　underneath；　in　a　corner；　were　fowling…piece；　musket；　and

matchlock。

Short　of　stature　he　was；　but　strongly　built　and　athletic；

Broad　in　the　shoulders；　deep…chested；　with　muscles　and　sinews　of

iron；

Brown　as　a　nut　was　his　face；　but　his　russet　beard　was　already

Flaked　with　patches　of　snow；　as　hedges　sometimes　in　November。

Near　him　was　seated　John　Alden；　his　friend；　and　household

companion；

Writing　with　diligent　speed　at　a　table　of　pine　by　the　window；

Fair…haired；　azure…eyed；　with　delicate　Saxon　complexion；

Having　the　dew　of　his　youth；　and　the　beauty　thereof；　as　the

captives

Whom　Saint　Gregory　saw；　and　exclaimed；　〃Not　Angles；　but　Angels。〃

Youngest　of　all　was　he　of　the　men　who　came　in　the　Mayflower。



　　Suddenly　breaking　the　silence；　the　diligent　scribe

interrupting；

Spake；　in　the　pride　of　his　heart；　Miles　Standish　the　Captain　of

Plymouth。

〃Look　at　these　arms；〃　he　said；　〃the　warlike　weapons　that　hang

here

Burnished　and　bright　and　clean；　as　if　for　parade　or　inspection！

This　is　the　sword　of　Damascus　I　fought　with　in　Flanders；　this

breastplate；

Well　I　remember　the　day！　once　saved　my　life　in　a　skirmish；

Here　in　front　you　can　see　the　very　dint　of　the　bullet

Fired　point…blank　at　my　heart　by　a　Spanish　arcabucero。

Had　it　not　been　of　sheer　steel；　the　forgotten　bones　of　Miles

Standish

Would　at　this　moment　be　mould；　in　their　grave　in　the　Flemish

morasses。〃

Thereupon　answered　John　Alden；　but　looked　not　up　from　his

writing：

〃Truly　the　breath　of　the　Lord　hath　slackened　the　speed　of　the

bullet；

He　in　his　mercy　preserved　you；　to　be　our　shield　and　our　weapon！〃

Still　the　Captain　continued；　unheeding　the　words　of　the

stripling：

〃See；　how　bright　they　are　burnished；　as　if　in　an　arsenal　hanging；

That　is　because　I　have　done　it　myself；　and　not　left　it　to　others。

Serve　yourself；　would　you　be　well　served；　is　an　excellent　adage；

So　I　take　care　of　my　arms；　as　you　of　your　pens　and　your　inkhorn。

Then；　too；　there　are　my　soldiers；　my　great；　invincible　army；

Twelve　men；　all　equipped；　having　each　his　rest　and　his　matchlock；

Eighteen　shillings　a　month；　together　with　diet　and　pillage；

And；　like　Caesar；　I　know　the　name　of　each　of　my　soldiers！〃

This　he　said　with　a　smile；　that　danced　in　his　eyes；　as　the

sunbeams

Dance　on　the　waves　of　the　sea；　and　vanish　again　in　a　moment。

Alden　laughed　as　he　wrote；　and　still　the　Captain　continued：

〃Look！　you　can　see　from　this　window　my　brazen　howitzer　planted

High　on　the　roof　of　the　church；　a　preacher　who　speaks　to　the

purpose；

Steady；　straight…forward；　and　strong；　with　irresistible　logic；

Orthodox；　flashing　conviction　right　into　the　hearts　of　the

he