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Chapter 5
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· 129 · CHAPTER 5 Having slept none the previous night, as the sun went down,we all wrapped our blankets about us, and lay down to sleep.At midnight’s hour, the old man shook my arm, saying,“Kebawin?” (Are you asleep?) “Yes,” I replied, “until you shook me.” He sighed, and then said, “Young chief, I can not understand how one of all our race can sleep when he recalls how awshkontay nebesh (firewater), that alluring jangendjiged (enemy) brought among us by the whites, is destroying kwiwizens and oshkinawe (our boys and young men), as well as akiwesi (our old men), and laying waste quanotchwin (the fairest) of ki aukee (our land). When a child you must have seen Kazell,1 odawnissan (the daughter) of Chief Osheabe, sometimes called by white men, Benneck, one of the chiefs of whom I spoke that visited Washington with kinosse (your father). That old chief and his wife died when Kazell was but twelve years old.They left her at the 1.Kazell,the chief’s daughter referred to,had many warm admirers among young white men near Tippecanoe, Ind., where her father lived, who sought her hand in marriage; all of whom she rejected. One of them was so infuriated by her determination not to marry him that he shot at her with murderous intent, wounding her in the right side. Her only daughter now lives with the Pokagon band in Michigan, and well remembers hearing her mother relate the circumstances connected with the tragical affair. · 130 · Simon Pokagon 2. Indian Whisky: The most profitable and the most ruinous trade Mackinaw ever had was in whisky.A well-known recipe among the traders was:“Take two gallons of common whisky,or unrectified spirits,to thirty gallons of water,add red pepper enough to make it fiery, and tobacco enough to make it intoxicating.” Its cost was not more than five cents a gallon. Thousands of barrels were sold there every year; the price there generally was fifty cents a quart by the bottle. It is estimated that over half the fish caught and fur sold there for thirty years was paid for by the above compound, and that more than half of the annuities the Indians received from the United States was expended to purchase it. The most wealthy and respectable traders on the island were not ashamed to deal in it. Think of it! A short time ago I stayed all night at the old Astor house on the island, which now is run for a hotel. The old Astor books are still kept there as relics of early days. In the books of 1817 and 1818 and so on, I found the invoice for whisky exceeded that of all other goods. The handwriting is the plainest I ever saw. As I was examining them, I thought in my heart, if these books are ever required in the supreme court of Heaven as evidence against the white man for dealing out “ishkotewawbo” to the red man, no experts will be necessary to read them. Catholic school near South Bend, Ind.Twelve thousand dollars fell to her from her father’s estate.At the tender age of fourteen, she gave her odaw (heart) and onindjimaw (hand) to a French Indian.He was much older than she, and a fine looking fellow; but in less than five years he squandered all Ojonia (her money), drinking firewater. He abused her most shamefully. It broke her young, confiding odeima (heart); the sunshine in nishkinma (her face) went out; her merry bapiwin (laugh) no more was heard; her oshkinjigomag (eyes) grew dim; her onowamag (cheeks) grew pale; her long raven winisissimag (hair), reaching to aukee (the ground), fell off; her tchitchag (soul) in abitatibikad (the midnight) of kashkendam (sorrow wept). One kind act alone her drunken onobemina (husband) did for her: nissabawe (he drowned himself)! It does pain ninodaw (my heart), when I consider that there is not one chance in gotwock (one hundred) for Loda, or any of our girls, to marry a young man of their tribe or people, who will not get drunk and abuse them! Do think of it! Oshki ogimaw (young chief), let me tell you some things I have seen in my time at some of our trading posts—even at Mishinemackinong (Mackinaw Island) whereAstor got rich, and we very poor.”2 “Say on,” I said.“Well,” said he,“nin giwab (I have seen) some of our people on the island...