nor on the
earth, a single woman. The song-sparrow, and the mocking-bird, and the
dove, and the crested wren, and the spotted lynx, and the gorgeous
woodpecker, and the fish with shining scales, and all the other
beautiful creatures that have since lived, and now live, were then
upon the earth, even in greater numbers, and possessed of greater
beauty than now; but woman, more beautiful than any, the most glorious
thing that walks the earth, lived not then. It was soon that these
Indians found out their wants, and began to provide themselves with
food and clothing by means of hunting. They built themselves canoes,
and made them bows and arrows, wherewith they took the spoils of land
and water; and they set springes for birds, and traps for those
creatures which live alike on the land and water. And they cultivated
the various plants which they found growing spontaneously--corn, and
tobacco, and roots; and gathered ripe grapes, and abundance of
delicious berries. They lived well enough, and had they been wise
would have sought no further; but they took it into their heads, that
they could not live without women. So, led by the gloomy and solitary
feeling of a vacant heart, they left the cabins which they had built,
and wandered forth in search of the coveted objects. That their chance
of success might be greater, they agreed to separate, and each to
travel on different paths, and so they parted. One went towards the
clime of the snows, another towards the land of the summer winds, the
third sought the distant east, the fourth bent his steps towards the
mountains of the setting sun, the fifth descended into the bowels of
the earth, and the sixth climbed a sunbeam. Before they separated,
they agreed that those who were living when the Moon of Grapes again
came round, should repair to the same great tree in the shade of which
they were then sitting, and there, while the pipe of friendship was
passing around, recount their adventures.

The Moon of Grapes again came round, and found, upon one of its
pleasantest days, these six Nanticokes sitting beneath the great tree,
on the bank of the river which gives its name to the tribe. With them
sate six beautiful women, and laughing, and sporting, and rolling
about on the green and grassy sod at their feet, lay six beautiful
children. The six Indians and their wives appeared very happy, and
while they passed the pipe about, laughed and talked very loud and
joyfully, and were very,