ntinually, and their
frisky companions, the women, were any thing but a cup of composing
drink. At length the Great Spirit, seeing how the poor Indians were
afflicted, mercifully withdrew the greater part of the musquitoes,
leaving a few as a memorial of the pest which had formerly annoyed
them. The Kickapoos petitioned that the women should also be taken
away from them, and their old appendages returned--but the Great
Spirit answered, that women were a necessary evil, and must remain.

THE HILL OF FECUNDITY.

A TRADITION OF THE MINNATAREES.

At the distance of a sun's journey from the creek, called in the
tongue of the white people the Knife Creek--which divides the larger
and smaller towns of the Minnatarees from each other by a valley not
much above four bowshots across--there are two little hills, situate
at a small distance from each other. These hills are famous,
throughout all the nations of the west, for the faculty they once
possessed of imparting relief to such women as resorted to them for
the purpose of crying and lamenting for the circumstance of their
having no children. It was there, that, if they were careful to say
proper prayers, and to use the proper lamentations, the reproach of
barrenness was removed; and those, whose arms had never enfolded a
babe of their own, whose ears had never listened to the innocent
prattle of children born of their own bodies, might enjoy that
greatest of human happinesses; might feel the exquisite pleasure
which arises, when the little creatures press to their knees, or draw
the food of life from their bosoms.

Once upon a time, many years ago, there was among the Minnatarees a
woman, whose name was Namata-washta, or the Pretty Tree. It had been
her misfortune to be married, when little more than a child, to a very
proud and bad man; who soon came to use her with great cruelty and
injustice. She was a very strict and devout worshipper of the Great
Spirit, and never failed, whether in the field or in the cabin, by
night or by day, to offer up prayers and a portion of every
acquisition to the Being who bestowed it upon her. The Great Spirit
saw her goodness, and loved her. He made her corn to grow much larger
than that of any other woman in the village; and the produce of her
garden was always much earlier and better. But she was a barren woman,
and thence resulted her misery. For seven weary seasons had she lived
in the lodge of her husband; and while his seven