Newspaper Page Text
No. 48——Vol. V.]
From the Port Folio for Ap.'il.
LETTERS FROM THE WEST.
THE BACK WOODSMEN".
It is bat a few years since the immense
tract of country watered by the Ohio and
Mississippi, began to attract the attention of
our countrymen. The French had long
before form'd settlements on the Mississip
pi, and the Wabash, and on the Northern,
these insulated situations were so much
exposed to Indian hostility, and the disposi
tions of the inhabitants were so Uncongenial
with the habits of our people, (hat they
were first visited only by a few enterpri
sing traders. As the country became bet
ter known, report spoke goldenly of its fer
tility, and a casual reference to the map?
was sufficient to show the great commercial
advantages to be derived from the numer
ous and valuable streams which intersect it
in every direction. But there were many ob
stacles to its settlement. From a period short
ly after the Revolution to the time of the
embargo io 1807, there was no reason to
induce any class of citizens in the United
States to emigrate. All were fully and
! profitably employed at home. The san
guinary wars which spread desolation
throughout the European Continent, not
only opened markets for all of onr surplus
produce, but made u? the carriers of other
nations. Never did American enterprise
shine more conspicuously than in the im
provement of thpse advantages. The art
of ship building was brought to a perfection
unknown in any other country, our fl.ig
fl <ated in every part of the world; there
was no adventure, however novel or haz
ardous, which our merchants did not at
tempt, and our sailors displayed on every
occasion the skill and boldness which has
since made them conspicuous in the annals
of naral warfare. Happily, too, those en
terprises were generally successful. The
consequence was, that every man engaged
in commercial pursuits, found sufficient em
ployment fur his capital; while, the labour
ing classes received high wages, and the
farmer had always a ready marked and an
ample price for his produce. The flour
ishing state of commerce and agriculture
diffused life and spirit into every rank and
department of society. There was scarce
ly such a thing known as a man labouring
merely to support his family —no one was
satisfied unless he was growing rich, and
few were disappointed except by their own
improvidence. It wotfldbe useless to poiut
out Ihe great statesmen and lawyers who
have atiained their present eminence from
an obscure origin, or the wealthy mer
chants, farmers, and mechanicks who, from
the most abject poverty, have risen to opu
lence. Our country is full of such exam
ples ; and they stand a3 monuments of those
happy days when industry was uot only a
sure, but rapid guide to wealth.
Under such circumstances, few persons
were disposed to emigrate to anew coun
try ; and although some were tempted by
the great prospects of gain which the fer
tile regions in the West were said to offer,
many were discouraged by the unsettled’
state of the country, its reputed unhealthi
ness, and the vicinity of the Indian tribes.
To Europeans this part of America offer
ed no attractions. It was too remote, too
insulated, too harharons, and too entirely
uncongenial with all iheu habits, tastes and
feelings.
The first settlers of this country, there
fore, were men who'-e object was not gain,
Biit who appeared to have been allured by
the very difficulties which discouraged oth
ers They were hardy, enterprising men,
fond of change and familiar with fatigue;
who seern to have thought with Fi'z James,
“If a path be dangerous knovvnv
“ The danger’s s>“lf is lure alone."’
Col. Boon, the chief of these, and the first
white inhabitant of Kentucky died lately.
His name deserves to be recorded, not on
ly on account of bis dauntless courage and
eccentrick habits, but because his life and
achievements present a glowing picture of
the sufferings of those who subdued the
western forests. He stands forward too, as
a prominent individual of a class peculiar to
the United States. The American who
T takes a retrospective view of the early hi*;
imtory of his country, most regard wiihadmi
I ration the sturdy woodsman , who, as the pi
I cneer of civilization, first’ laid the axe to
I the tree, and made smooth the road foroth-
I ers; but he will find him annotated being,
I professing tastes and habits of his own, and
I voluntarily supporting incredible hardship,
I peril, and privation, without the usual in
* Centives or the ordinary rewards of courage.
In the year 1769, Daniel Boon, a respec
table farmer of - North Carolina, was led by
H a restless migratory spirit into the forests
j ot Kentucky, then an extensive wilderness,
k inhabited by numberless savage tribes, and
I a _ 9 yet unexplored by civilized man. Pas
| sirg the Alleghany Ridge whose hideous
precipices alone might have repelled a less
determined hand—guided only by the stars,
depending on game for subsistence, and on
their own vigilance and prowess for pro
tection, boon, with five adventurous com
panions, plunged into the. boundless contigui
ty of shade , and boldly cut the tie which
bound them to society. The mariner, when
he looks abroad upon the vast interminable
waste, may feel a depressing, yet awfully
*ublime sense of danger and solitude; but
THE MISSIONARY.
he has the consolation of knowing, that if
the solitude of the ocean be hopeless, its
dangers are few and easily surmounted;
they exist rather in idea than in reality.
Boon and his companions could have no
such animating reflections. In a country
called (be *1 Bloody Ground,” from the ex
terminating character of its conflicts—
among the savage tribes continually at war
with each other, and agreeing in nothing
but their deadly enmity to the whites—cut
off from society—with scanty means of de
fence, and no hope of retreat—we scarcely
know whether to extol the coqrßge, or
censure the rashness of this gallant little
party. They continued in Kentucky until
the year 1775, leading a wandering life,
employed chiefly in exploring the country,
and frequently engaged iu conflicts with the
Indians. In 1775 Boon erected a fort at a
Salt Lick , on the Kentucky River, where
the town of Boonsborough now stands,
which was called Fort Boonsborough, and
to which he removed his family in the
same year: “My wife and daughters,” says
he, in his journal, “being the first white
women that ever stood on the banks of the
Kentucky River.” Here he was joined by
five families from North Carolina, and forty
men from Powell’s Valley. During the
ye.ars 1775-6-7,-Fort Boonsborough was
frequently attacked by the Indians, and sev
eral severe engagements took place, in
which the savages were always repulsed.
Boon’s settlement began now to exhibit
something like a permanent residence of
civilized men. The forest was levelled
around the Fort; fields were enclosed and
cultivated, and rustiek labours were min
gled with the business of war, and the
sports of the cbace. Their numbers were
now sufficient in general, to prevent sur
prise, and ia case of danger the fortress of
fie red a secure retreat. Nevertheless, in
January 1778. while Boon was engaged
with a party of 27 men in making salt ai
the Blue Lick, they were surprised and ta
ken by a large body of Indians, who were
on their way to attack the Fort, and con
veyed to Cmlicothe on the Little Miami,
then a considerable Indian town. In the
month of March following, Boon was carri
ed, with ten of his men to Detroit, where
the party was well treated by the British
Governour, Hamilton, as indeed they’ had
hitherto been by the ludian*, agreeably to
a stipulation made at the. time of their cap
ture- The gallant bearing of Bonn and iiis
skill in hunting, had, by this time, endeared
him to the Indians, so that although the
British officers offered a hundred pound!
sterling for him with the intention of set
ting him at liberty, they would not sell him ;
nor would they allow him to remain a pris
oner with his companions at Detroit, bat
took him back with them to Cbilicothe.
“ Here,” says his Journal, “ I was adopted
into the family of a chief as a son, which is
their custom, and permitted to hunt and
spend my time as I pleased. In June fol
lowing they took me to Sciola salt springs,
where we continued making salt for ten
days. On our return to Old Chilicolhe, I
was alarmed to see four hundred and fifty
Indians, the choicest of their warriours,
painted and armed in a fearful manner, and
ready as l found to march against Boonsbo
rough. I nbw determined to make my es
cape the first opportunity; there was no
time to be tost. On the 16th, before son
rise,! got off in the most secret manner, and
on the 20;h arrived at Boonsborough, a dis
tance of 160 miles, travelling which I had
but one meal. I found our fort in a bad
stale; all hands were engaged earnestly iD
repairing and fortifying it in Ihe best man
ner possible for the impending blow of (he
enemy, whose arrival was expected daily.
Some time previous to my capture, a re
enforcement of forty-five men arrived from
Uorth Carolina, and Colonel Brown with
one hundred from Virginia, and notwith
standing we had lost some in killed, and
others wounded, we considered onrselres
pretty strong, and determined to brave all
danger*. We were in waiting for the ene
my, when we got information that they had
postponed their march two weeks, in con
sequence of my escape from them. In ‘.he
mean time we had several skirmishes with
small parties of the IrdiaDS. On the Bth
of August, however, the ferocious Indian
army arrived, four hundred and forty-four
in number, under the command of Captain
Duqtiesne, eleven other Frenchmen, and
some of their own chiefs, arid marched
up within view of the fort with Bri(i*h and
French colours flying. They halted :nd
despatched a summons to me in his Bnttan
nick majesty’s name, to surrender the fort.
To this I returned for answer that I want
ed two to consider on it, which was
granted.” ,
“It was tiow a critical time with us. We
were a small number in the garrison,—a
powerful, cruel, and savage army before
our stockaded fort, whose appearance pro
claimed inevitable death, and even this was
preferable to captivity. It was soon unan
imously determined, that we would main
tain our garrison, nor yield it short of death.
We immediately began to collect what of
our horses and ‘cattle we coold and bring
them through Ihe posterns into the fort.
On the evening of the 9th, I returned an
swer, that vve were determined to defend
’ our fort while a man was living. “ Now,”
Os all the u wor jd, and preach the Gospel to every creature. —Jesus Christ.
Os all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports.- Washington.
mount ziqn, (HANcocf Bounty, Georgia.) Monday, mayh, 1824.
said F, to their commanding officer, who
stood attentively hearing my sentiments,
“ we laugh at all your formidable prepara
tions, but thank you for giving us notice
f\pd time to prepare ; yonr not
prevail; our gates shall ever deny you ad
mittance.” Whether this answer effected
their courage or not, I cannot tell, but con
trary to our expectations, they formed a
scheme to deceive u*, declaring it was their
orders from Governour Hamilton to take us
captives; but if nine of us would come out
and treat with them, they would withdraw
their forces, and return home peaceably.
The sound of this proposition was graiefui
to onr ears; and we agreed to the propo
sal.”
“ We held the treaty within sixty yards
of the garrison, fearing that treachery was
at the bottom of this manoeuvre : the arti
cles were formally agreed to and signed;
and the Indians’ told us it was customary
with them on such occasions for tw'o Indi
ans to shake hands with every white man in
the treaty, as an evidence of entire friend
ship; we agreed to this also, but were soon
convinced they were determined to take us
prisoners. They immediately grappled
with us, and although surrounded by hun
dreds of savages, we extricated ourselves
from them and got into the garrison all safe,
one man excepted, who w*s wounded. A
furious attack was now made on us from all
sides, and a constant heavy fire continued
between us day and night for nine days, du
ring which they attempted to undermine
our fort. VVe began a countermine which
they discovered, and, in consequence, quit
ted this project. They now began to tie
convinced, that neither their stratagems nor
*uperiour force was likely to overcome ns,
and on the 20th of August, the.y raised the
siege and depat ted.”
You must excuse this long extract, which
I think highly interesting from the evidence
it affords of the heroick character of our
woodsmen. Boon was the chief of these—
the. very prince of hunters. If many of the
heroes of Greece and Rome derived immor
tal fame from a single act of heroism, how
much more does Boon deserve it whose
whole life presents a series of adventures of
the same character as those whieh I have
related. Nor did he suffer and conquer
alone. His wife accompanied him to the
wilderness and shared his dangers. During
hi* captivity, under a belief that-he had
fallen a sacrifice to the ferocity of the sav
ige foe, she returned with her family to her
father’s house in North Carolina, braving
(tie toil and perils of a journey through a
wilderness of immeasurable extent and
gloom. She remained there until after the
siege, when Boon escorted her back to
Boonsborough.
——
A COM PEN L> OF
JEWISH ANTIQUITIES.
[To be continued weekly.]
Q,. How were the Levites employed who
were not on duly in the temple?
A. In administering justice, teaching the
people the law, and instructing the youth.
Q. Were the Levites consecrated with
any peculiar ceremonies?
A. At first they were washed and purifi
ed with water, and then set apart by the
imposition of hands; then two young bul
locks were offered, one for a sin-offering,
the other for a burnt-offering. But wheth
er these ceremonies were afterwards ob
served, is not known.
Q Had the Levites any peculiar dress?
A. They wore linen garments like the
priests, but made in a different fashion.
Q. Had the Levites any fixed residence ?
A They had no inheritance among the
tribe*; but forty eight cities were allotted
to them with their suburbs. In these they
lived when not on duty at the temple.
Q. VVho were the Nelhenims, and what
their office ?
A. Their business was to draw water,
carry wood, and bear burdens ;—in short,
to do all the labourious pari of service at
the temple. They had the name from
being given (nether) to the priests and Le
vites. The Gibeonites also performed
such services as a punishment for their im
posture, and according to the Rabbins, they
were always strangers who occupied this
station, and were never permitted to marry
a Hebrew woman.
Q. What was the offioe of a prophet ?
A There are three Hebrew words to
designate this office—The first is applied
to Samuel, the second to Nathan, and the
third to Gad. A prophet is one who has
revelations made to him of secret things,
either present or to come. Our word pro
phet, derived Irom the Greek, signifies to
foretel; but the Hebrew word has not so
limited a sense. Sometimes it is used in a
looser sense, as, when Aaron is said to be
Moses’s prophet. The title prophet , was
also given to the musicians who sang the
praises of God. Thus the sons of Asaph,
Heihan and Jeduthan are said to prophecy
with harps, psalteries and cymbals; and we
read that Saul met a company of prophets
coming down from the high place with
psaltery, harp, &c. and prophesied, and he
with thpm. And in the New Testament,
where it is said, “ Every woman prophesy
ing, &c. it cannot be understood of predict-
ing events , nor explaining Ihe scriptures by
divine inspiration—in which last sense, the
word, however, is used by the apostle Paul.
But prophesying here probably refers to
their taking part in the musick of the church,
in which all, without distinction of sex, were
permitted to join; and in this sense the
meaning coincides with that in the Old
Testament.
Q.. What qualifications were required in
a prophet?
A. The qj°st essential was piety. This
is the constant opinion of all the Jewish
doctors. And the words of the apostle Pe
!er agree with this opinion, where he says,
“Holy men of God spake &c. But this
rule is not without exceptions ; for on some
special occasions the spirit of prophesy was
communicated to bad men, as tn Balaam.
It may, however, be affirmed, that none but
pious men were employed to write the ca
non of Scripture. The Rabbins say the
prophet must be in a proper frame to re
ceive the Divine afflatus, i. e. composed,
tranquil, not oppressed with grief, &c.
Q. How many different ways were com
munications made to the prophets?
A. In divers manners, says the apostle—
1, In dreams. 2, By visions. 3, By voices.
4, By immediate suggestion.
Q. W!*’ was the school of the prophets?
A. This seems to have been an in9tilu
tion in which a number of young men, cal
led the sons of the prophets, were assem
bled, and superintended by some prophet
of distinction. It is not probable that all
the pupils of these schools were divinely
inspired; still it is not incredible that pro
phets were commonly selected from these
schools. To this Amos seems to allude
when he speaks of it as a remarkable thing
that he was taken to be a prophet, though
he wa9 not of the sons of a prophet, but a
herdsman. That some of these scholars
were inspired, is evident, from what they
said to Elisha, both at Bethel and Jericho,
respecting the ascension of Elijah.
Q. What was the employment of the
sons of the prophets, anti how were they
supported ?
A. We know they practised sacred mu
sick, and probably they studied the law dai
ly, and made transcripts of it under the di
rectiou of some inspired prophet. They
were very numerous, lived in common,
were very abstemious, laboured much, and
doubtless were given to devotioo. The
chief seats of these schoolg were at first at
Bethel, Jericho,Gilgal,Naioth in Rama, (or
on the hill) and probably afterwards at Je
rusalem. ,
Q, Did the sons of the prophets bind
themselves to lead a life of celibacy ?
A. No—For it is certain that several of
the inspired prophets were married; and
it was the widow of one of the sons of the
prophets, whose oil was miraculously sup
plied by Elisha. Huldab, the prophetess,
who dwelt in thp college of Jerusalem, was
the wife of Shallum, who was probably one
of the sons of the prophets.
Q. Who were the Scribes?
A. They were probably of two kinds—
civil and ecclesiastical —the first employed
in recording civil transactions, the latter in
transcribing and explaining the law. These
are frequently mentioned in the New Tes
tament. At the period of our Saviour’s ad
vent, they seem lo have been the most
learned ol the nation, and expounded the
law to the people—hence they were called
sometimes doctors of the law. They are
also called lawyers for the same reason. It
is probable that an inferiour order of scribes
were employed as schoolmasters. These,
the Rabbins inform us, were chiefly of the
tribe of Simeon. It is said that a key was
delivered to the Scribes upon their enter
ing their office, as a sign of their ability to
unlock the treasures of knowledge. Their
origin was as early as Ezra, who is denomi
nated a ready Scribe in the law of Moses.
Ezra vii. 6.
Q. What was the import aDd origin of
the title, Rabbi ?
A. This title came into use before the
time of our Saviour. The first person dis
tinguished by this title was Simeon, the son
of Hillel, who succeeded his father as Pre
sident of the Sanhedrim. His title was
Rabbin. There was no small ceremony in
conferring this title. When any one had
gone through the schools, and was consid
ered as entitled to this degree, he was pla
ced in a chair somewhat elevated, and a
key, and a table book were delivered to
him. The first, as a symbol of his author
ity to teach, was worn by him afterwards
and buried with him when he died. The
table-book was a symbol of his diligence in
study. The next ceremooy was the impo
sition of hands, which was done by persons
deputed by the Sanhedrim. Maimonides
says this lat ceremony was not essential,
and was often omitted. The last thing wa
to proclaim the person by bis Dew title of
Rabbi. He was then addressed by such
words as these—“ Thou art ordained, and
hast power,”
Q,. Why did ihe Jews address Christ by
this title?
A. Vitringa supposes our Lord had taken
the degree in the Jewish schools, and that
this gave him a right to teach in the sya
gogues or temple. But Mr. SeldeD ia of a
different opinion, and supports it by very
[Price $3 50 per ann.
convincing arguments;
was not educated in the rabbinical school. “
2. He expresses a decided disapprobation
of this title, and'charges his disciples not to
assume it.
Q. Who were the Nazarites?
A. They were persons devoted to God in
a peculiar manner, and were of two sorts—
1. Such as were consecrated to God by
their parents, from their infancy, or even
before they were born. 2. Such as volun
tarily consecrated themselves to God, and
submitted to restrictions imposed on them
by the law.
Q. By what circumstances were they
distinguished ?
A. They suffered their hair to grow
without polling or shaving it. 2. They
drunk no wine or strong drink. 3. Tftey
carefully avoided all ceremonial unclean
ness, especially the touching of a dead body.
Numb. G..
Q lo what respect did the native Naza
rite differ from the votive ?
A. The latter, during the time of his
separation, was bound to much greater
strictness than the former. He was net
even permitted to enter a house that con
tained a corpse ; but if by accident he came
in contact with a dead body, he shaved his
head on the seventh day, and on the eighth
day he offered a burnt-offering and a sin
offering for his purification; after which
he began again the accomplishment of his
vow. Men as well as women might take
the vow of a Nazarite.
Q. What 9ects existed formerly among
the Jews ?
A. In the New Testament we read only
of that of the Pharisees and that of the Sad
ducees: but Philo, Josephus, give a
particular account of another, viz. Essenes.
Q. By what peculiarities were the Phar
isees distinguished ?
A. This sect took its name from the He
brew word signify ing to “ separate ,” because
they separated themselves from the other
Jews, because of their pretence to greater
sanctity and purity. Their origin cannot
be traced with precision, but probably they
took their rise when traditions began to be
multiplied, to which they were supersti
liously attached. They received us inspir
ed all the books of the Old Testament, but
greatly obscured and perverted thpir mean
ing by their glosses nod traditionary laws.
They believed in the doctrine of the di
vine decrees, in the resurrection of the
dead, in Ihe transmigration of souls, in the
merit of good works, in works of superero
gation, Sic. They were rigidly exact in
the observance of the ceremonial law—
practised various ablutions—prayed and
lusted often-avoided the company of sin
ners, by whose conversation they thought
themselves polluted. They affected great
dignity and severity io their deportment,
distinguishing themselves by unusually long
robes and broad phylucteries. They as
sumed the most honourable seats in the
synagogues, sat at feasts, anil were fond of
the title of Rabbi and of complimentary
addresses in the markets. They were
greatly reverenced by Ihe people for their
apparent sanctity ; but our Saviour stript
them of their deceitful disguise and exposed
them in their true character. They had
great influence iu the nation a century
before our Lord’s advent, so that the civil
rulers of the Jews courted their favour
with assiduity. Though they were numer
ous, we are not to suppose the common
people were numbered among them: they
were generally learned, and had appropri
ated to themselves the office of explaining
(he law and teaching the people. The
scribes and lawyers were therefore for the
most part Pharisees in our Saviour's time,
and are therefore commonly classed with
them in his discourses to them. They were
very zealous in making proselytes, but in
stead of reforming them they made them
worse than themselves.
Q,. What were the phylacteries which
they wore ?
A. They were long narrow pieces of
parchment on which certain passages of
scripture were written, commonly taken
from Exod. 13, 1 —10; Deut. 6, 4—lo,
and 11, 12 13. These cases of parchment
were made very neatly, and stood erect on
square bottoms, and were tied to their
foreheads and on tbeir left arms, in memo
ry of the law. Indeed they seem to have
been commanded to wear them, (See Deut.
6,8) and the reproof of the Pharisees for
wearing them was not in fact the wearing
them simply, but for their pride and affec
tation in enlarging them beyond the com
mon size.
What is the effect of the Gospel amoDg
Pagans? The late Chief Justice at Sierra
Leone stated at a quarter session a little
time before he died, That, ten years ago,
when the population of the colony was only
4000, there were 40 cases on tbe calendar
for trial; aDd now that (he population was
upwards of 16,000, there were only fix
cases on the calendar. He congratulated
the magistrates and grand jury on tbe moral
improvement of tbe colony. There was
not a single casu from any of the villages
under the superintendence of a missionary
or a schoolmaster. And yet there are men
who deny (Hat any good is effected by mi*-
sionary labour among the heathen !