true, as fiery, and as fatal, as that of the most
exalted hero of romance. They, indeed, live poetry; it should be ours to
write it out for them.

Mrs. Eastman's aim has been to preserve from destruction such legends
and traits of Indian character as had come to her knowledge during long
familiarity; with the Dahcotahs, and nothing can be fresher or more
authentic than her records, taken down from the very lips of the red
people as they sat around her fire and opened their hearts to her
kindness. She has even caught their tone, and her language will be found
to have something of an Ossianic simplicity and abruptness, well suited
to the theme. Sympathy,--feminine and religious,--breathes through these
pages, and the unaffected desire of the writer to awaken a kindly
interest in the poor souls who have so twined themselves about her own
best feelings, may be said to consecrate the work. In its character of
aesthetic material for another age, it appeals to our nationality;
while, as the effort of a reflecting and Christian mind to call public
attention to the needs of an unhappy race, we may ask for it the
approbation of all who acknowledge the duty to "teach all nations."

C. M. K.

NEW YORK, _March_, 1849.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION

MOCK-PE-EN-DAG-A-WIN; OR, CHECKERED CLOUD, THE MEDICINE WOMAN

RED EARTH; OR, MOCKA-DOOTA-WIN

WENONA; OR, THE VIRGIN'S FEAST

THE DAHCOTAH CONVERT WABASHAW

THE DAHCOTAH BRIDE SHAH-CO-PEE

THE ORATOR OF THE SIOUX OYE-KAR-MANI-VIM

THE TRACK-MAKER ETA KEAZAH; OR, SULLEN FACE TONWA-YAH-PE-KIN

THE SPIES THE MAIDEN'S ROCK; OR, WENONA'S LEAP OECHE-MONESAH

THE WANDERER TAH-WE-CHUT-KIN

THE WIFE WHA-ZEE-YAN

ANOTHER OF THE GIANT GODS OF THE DAHCOTAHS

STORMS IN LIFE AND NATURE; OR, UNKTAHE AND THE THUNDER BIRD HAOKAH OZAPE

THE DANCE OF THE GIANT U-MI-NE-WAH-CHIPPE; OR, TO DANCE AROUND

INTRODUCTION.

The materials for the following pages were gathered during a residence
of seven years in the immediate neighborhood--nay--in the very midst of
the once powerful but now nearly extinct tribe of Sioux or
Dahcotah Indians.

Fort Snelling is situated seven miles below the Falls of St. Anthony, at
the confluence of the Mississippi--and St. Peter's rivers--built in
1819, and named after the gallant Colonel Snelling, of the army, by whom
the work was erected. It is constructed of stone; is one of the
strongest Indian forts in the United States; and being placed on a