it be divided among his nearest relatives and friends, but on no
account incumber his spirit with heavy and useless articles."

AMPATO SAPA.

Nothing, M. Verdier says, can be more picturesque and beautiful than
the cascade of St. Anthony, so renowned in the topography of the
western world. The irregular outline of the Fall, by dividing its
breadth, gives it a more impressive character, and enables the eye
more easily to take in its beauties. An island, stretching in the
river both above and below the Fall, separates it into two unequal
parts. From the nature of the rock which breaks into angular, and
apparently rhomboidal fragments of a huge size, this fall is
subdivided into small cascades, which adhere to each other, so as to
form a sheet of water, unrent, but composed of an alternation of
retiring and salient angles, and presenting a great variety of shapes
and shades. Each of these forms is in itself a perfect cascade. When
taken in one comprehensive view they assume a beauty of which we could
scarcely have deemed them susceptible. Few falls assume a wilder and
more picturesque aspect than these. The thick growth of oaks, hickory,
walnut, &c. upon the island, imparts to it a gloomy and sombre
aspect, contrasting pleasingly with the bright surface of the watery
sheet which reflects the sun in many differently coloured hues. All
travellers have spoken of it as possessing wonderful beauties, and the
poor unenlightened Indian, who ascribes every thing of an imposing, a
sublime, and a magnificent character, every thing which has phenomena
he cannot comprehend to a superior being, and who fancies a governing
spirit in every deep glen in the wilderness, has associated many of
his wild and fanciful traditions with this singular spot. The
following favourite tale of, the Dahcotah is not the only tradition
connected with this romantic spot.

An Indian of the Dahcotah nation had united himself early in life to a
youthful female, whose name was Ampato Sapa, which signifies, in the
Dahcotah language, the _Dark-day_. With her he lived for many years
very happily; their days glided on like a clear stream in the summer
noon. There were few husbands and wives who enjoyed as much nuptial
happiness as fell to the lot of this Indian couple. Among that people
the duties allotted to the female sex are both laborious and
incessant; with Ampato Sapa, they were ameliorated by the kindness of
her husband, who, in defiance of the