It is a singular destiny, my dear son, which brings us together in
this wilderness. In thee I behold a civilized man who makes himself a
savage; in me thou seest a savage man, whom the great Spirit, as
appears evident from his plans, would have civilized. Entering on the
career of life at the two opposite extremes, thou art come to repose
thyself in my place, and I have been situated in thine.
Thus we must have had objects in view which were totally different.
Who has gained or lost the most by this change is known only to the
genii, the least wise among whom possesses more knowledge than all the
men in the world united.
At the next moon of flowers it will be seven times ten snows and
three snows more since my mother gave me to the world on the banks of
the Meschaceba. The Spaniards had just begun to make settlements at the
bay of Pensacola, but no white person yet inhabited Louisiana.
I had hardly numbered seventeen fallings of the leaves when I marched
with my father, Outalissi the warrior, against the Muscogules, a
powerful nation of the Floridas. We joined our allies, the Spaniards,
and a battle was fought upon one of the branches of the Mobile.
Neither Areskoui nor the Manitous were propitious. The enemy were
triumphant. My father was slain in the engagement, and I was twice
wounded in his defense. Oh, that I had descended to the land of
shadows, that I might have escaped the miseries which awaited me on
earth! But the spirits had ordained otherwise; and I was led away by
the remaining fugitives to St. Augustine.
In this town, lately built by the Spaniards, I ran the risk of being
carried off to work in the mines of Mexico. But an old Castilian named
Lopez, touched with my youth and simplicity, offered me an asylum, and
introduced me to a sister with whom he lived as a bachelor. This worthy
couple imbibed for me sentiments of the most tender regard. They took
the greatest care of my education; and procured me the best instructors
in the various branches of science.
But after having passed thirty moons in this manner, I began to be
disgusted with social life. I grew pale and emaciated. Sometimes I
stood for whole hours immovable, contemplating the far distant forests,
rising into mountains to the clouds. Sometimes they found me seated on
the banks of a river, regarding its gentle current in melancholy
silence. I painted to myself the woods through which this stream had
passed, and my soul longed for solitude.
Being unable any longer to resist the desire of returning to the
desert, I appeared one morning before Lopez in my savage dress, holding
in one hand my bows and arrows, and in the other my European garments.
These I returned to my generous benefactor, at whose feet I fell,
shedding a torrent of tears, accusing myself of ingratitude, and
stigmatizing my name with opprobrious epithets. At length I cried, “Oh,
my father, thou thyself knowest that unless I enter again upon my
wandering life after the Indian manner, I certainly shall die.”
Lopez, struck with astonishment, would have dissuaded me from my
purpose. He represented to me the risks I should run, of falling into
the hands of the Muscogules, from whom I had so narrowly escaped. But
seeing I was resolved to encounter every danger, clasping me in his
arms, with tears in his eyes, he exclaimed, “Go, magnanimous child of
nature! enjoy this invaluable independence of man, which Lopez has no
wish to rob thee of. Were I a few years younger, I would myself
accompany thee to the desert (where I also have a sweet remembrance)
and restore thee to the arms of thy widowed mother.
“When thou art in the forests, think sometimes of that old Spaniard
who afforded thee hospitality; and recollect often that duty requires
of thee to love thy fellow-creatures; in favor of which principle, the
first experience thou hast had of the human heart has given thee a
striking proof.” Lopez concluded with a prayer to the God of
Christians, whose religion I had hitherto refused to embrace, and we
parted with sobbings.
Punishment for my ingratitude was not long delayed. Through want of
experience, I lost myself in the woods, and was taken by a party of
Muscogules and Seminoles, as Lopez had predicted. They soon discovered,
by my dress and the feathers on my head, that I belonged to the tribe
of Natchez. On account of my youth, they bound me but slightly.
Simaghan, the chief of the party, demanded my name. I replied, “My
name is Chactas, son of Outalissi, son of Miscou, who have taken more
than a hundred scalps from the Muscogule heroes.” Simaghan answered,
“Chactas, son of Outalissi, son of Miscou, rejoice; thou shalt be
burned in the great village.” I retorted, “That is bravely said!” And I
began my death song.
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