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CHAPTER X.
Military arrangements, Amusements, Customs, Extent of the Empire, & Forts.
The customs and amusements of a nation evince the state of society which exists among the people. When the two Empires of Sciota & Kentuck had commenced their new career on the plan which was formed by Lobaska, they adopted this as a true maxim, that to avoid war it was necessary to be in constant preparation for it. It was the wise policy of the two governments to make such military arrangements as never to be surprised by an enemy unprepared. In every city, town & village the people were required to provide military implements & to deposit them in a secure place. These magazines were to contain a sufficient quantity of arms to furnish every man who should be destitute. [In order that every man might have sufficient skill to use them to advantage, great pains was taken to prepare him by teaching him the art of war.] The knowledge of military tactics as it was then attainable, was likewise defused among the people. Young men from sixteen to twenty years old, were required to take the field four times in each year, & to spend sixteen days during each time in learning the military art & in building fortifications. And every able bodied man was required to spend eight days in each year in the same employment. In consequence of these regulations a revelry existed among the different sections of the empires to exceed each other in skill & dexterity in military maneuvers. Hence it was a general custom in every part of the country for different bodies of men to meet [to engage in feigned battles] once every year, in order to make a display of their improvements in the art of war. Premiums were given to those who were the most expert in shooting the arrow or in managing the spear & the sword.
Their amusements were generally of the athletic kind, calculated to improve their agility & strength, & prepare them for warriors. Wrestling, slinging & throwing stones at marks, leaping ditches, fences, climbing trees, and precipices were some of their most favorite diversions. And as they took great pains to perfect themselves in these exercises it would astonish spectators of other nations to observe the improvement they had made in the extraordinary feats of agility & strength which they exhibited.
Other diversions, which had no tendency to fit them for war, they seldom practised, except when in the company of women. Being taught by their religion the social virtues they manifested a great regard for the rights of the other sex & always treated them with attention, civility & tenderness. Hence it was curious to observe that [when in the company of women] they easily exchanged the [warriors] rugged [& bold] attitude of the bold warrior for the complaisant [&tender] deportment of the affectionate gallant. The amusements which were pleasing to the female mind were equally pleasing to the men whenever they held their social meetings for recreation. These meetings were frequent among the younger class of citizens, whether married or single. Various kinds of amusements would frequently be introduced at such times for their mutual entertainment, but that which held the most conspicuous place was dancing. But their manner of dancing was different from that of the polished Europeans. Gracefulness and easy attitude were not so much studied in their movements as sprightliness & agility. Those tunes which admitted the greatest display of activity and sprightliness were generally the most [pleasing &] fashionable. Hence those bodies were formed for the quickest, if they kept time with the music were the most admired.
In small assemblies it was fashionable to amuse themselves [with] at playing with pieces of parchment. This they denominated the Bird Play. Each piece was of an oval form & of convenient length & width, & on each is portrayed the likeness of a bird. All the birds of Prey that came within their knowledge, have the honor of being represented on these pieces of parchment . On the other pieces are portrayed other birds of different kinds. The whole number of the pieces amount to about sixty. These are promiscuously placed in a pack & dealt of to the company of players whose number does not exceed six. The person then who has the greatest number of carnivorous birds, by a dextrous management, may catch the greatest number of the other birds & thus obtain the victory.
During these interviews of the different sexes, & even in their common intercourse with each other they are always very cheerful & sociable & often display that fondness & familiarity, which in Europe, would be considered indicative of a lascivious character. But in this country are considered as harmless, as what good manners required. Nothing rude, nothing indecent or immodest according to their ideas of the meaning of these terms, are admissible in company, & absolute lasciviousness would meet the most severe reprehension.
When a young man wishes to settle himself in a family state, he proclaims it by wearing a red feather in his cap. This is considered as an admonition to the young women, who would not receive him for a husband to avoid his company. Whereas those whose inclinations towards him are more favorable admit his attention, from this number he selects one as the object of his addresses. He obtains an interview & proposes a courtship. If the proposition accords with her wishes, they then agree on a time, when he shall make known the affair to her parents, whose approbation being obtained he is then permitted to visit her ten times in sixty days. At the expiration of this time, the bargain for matrimony must be finished. Otherwise there must be a final termination or a postponement of the courtship for the term of one year: [The parties are at liberty, during the postponement to] But if the parties are pleased with each other, the contract is made & the time for the performance of the nuptial ceremonies is appointed. An entertainment is provided,, friends are invited, & the Bridegroom and Bride present themselves in their best apparel. The company form a circle & they take their stand in the center. The father of the Bride speaks, "For what purpose do you present yourselves?" They answer, "To join hands in wedlock. Our hearts are already joined & we have made a solemn covenant to be true and faithful to each other." The company then all exclaim: “Blessings will attend you, if ye fulfil, but curses if ye transgress." They are then conducted to a log round which, a Rope is tied. The Bridegroom takes hold of one end of the rope & the Bride the other, & being commanded to draw the log into the house, they pull in opposite directions with all their might. Having worried themselves for some time to no purpose, to the great diversion of the company, the parents of both parties step forward, & giving them a severe reprimand command them to draw in the same direction. They instantly obey, & the log is easily drawn to its destined place. The rest of the time is spent with with great cheerfulness & merriment. They partake of the entertainment & conclude with customary amusements.
The Bridegroom & Bride are now desirous to form a family by themselves. If there parents are of sufficient ability they furnish them with a convenient house and such furniture as will be required for family use & such other property as they need, to enable them to obtain a comfortable living. But if their parents are poor they receive assistance and contributions from relations & neighbors & are placed in such a situation that with proper industry & economy, they can live above indigence & enjoy life agreeably. At the time they enter their new habitation, they are attended by a Priest & by their relation & friends. They kneel in the center of the room, & the priest places his right hand on the head of the Bridegroom & his left on the head of the Bride. After explaining and enjoining in the most solemn manner, the various duties of the marriage state he concludes his injunctions with these words: "My dear children. I conjure you. [as you regard your own peace & felicity, as you would wish to acquire wealth and respectability, & set an example worthy of imitation, that as you are now yoked together] to draw in the same direction." They then rise and he presents each with a piece of Parchment on which is written. Draw in the same direction, all the duties of the conjugal state, in their opinion, are comprised in this [injunction] command.
[As the Priests & the Censors were [vigilant & careful] to see that parents restrained the vices of their children & instructed them in the knowledge of their religious principles, the effects were very conspicuous parents]
Having been early taught to [restrain the] govern their passions & to regard the practice of virtue as their greatest good, it was generally the case, that love, friendship & harmony existed in families. [& when parents were treated by their children with great tenderness & respect --] Parents manifested an anxious solicitude for the future welfare & respectability of their children, & in their turn children treated their parents with respect & reverence. Nor did they forsake them in old age, but provided liberally for their support. But we are not to suppose that in the most virtuous age of the nation, all were virtuous. Far from this. But with such punctual exactness were the laws executed, in the most prosperous state of the nation, that vice & impiety had but few advocates & the wicked were ashamed of their own characters. Though every vice was prohibited by law, yet the penalties were not severe. Murder alone was punished with death, with respect to other laws, they were calculated to wound the pride of & ambition of the transgressor, & produce shame & regret
Adultery is punished by obliging the culprit to were a pair of Elk-horns on his shoulders six days & to walk through the city or village once each day, at which times the boys are at liberty to pelt him with rotten eggs. The thief is compelled to make ample restitution. For the third offence he is covered with tar & feathers & exhibited as a spectacle for laughter & ridicule. Pugilists or boxers, if they are equally to blame for fighting are yoked together at least one day, & in this situation are presented to the view of the multitude. They must were the yoke until the quarrel is settled. Such being the nature of their penal laws & such the punctuality of executing the penalties on offenders, that crimes were far less frequent in this country than in Europe where the laws are more severe, & offenders more often escape punishment. Though learning, civilization & refinement had not arrived to that state of perfection in which they exist in a great part of the Roman Empire, yet the two Empires of Sciota & Kentuck during their long period of peace & prosperity were not less happy. As luxury & extravagance were scarcely known to exist, especially among the common people, [an happy equality was] hence there was a great similarity in their manner of living, their dress, their habits & manners. Pride was not bloated & puffed up with enormous wealth. Nor had envy fuel to inflame her hatred & malice. As the two empires were not displeased with each others prosperity & happiness, [& the two governments had no thirst] nor jealous of each others power, & as the governments were not infected with thirst for conquest peace of consequence waved her olive branch & the maligned passions lay dormant. As avarice & corruption did not contaminate the ruling powers nor bribery infect the seats of justice the people felt secure in the enjoyment of their rights, & desirous to raise up families to partake of the same blessings which they enjoyed.
We can now trace the causes of their increase & prosperity. To a religion, which presented powerful motives to restrain vice & impiety, & encourage virtue. To the diffusion of a competent share of learning & knowledge to enable the people to understand their rights & enjoy the pleasures of social intercourse. To the establishment of political institutions, which guarded property & life against oppression injustice & tyranny, to the knowledge which the people obtained of agriculture & the mechanical arts & their habits of industry & economy. To the mild nature of their laws & the certainty of executing the penalties upon transgressors, and to such an equality of property as to prevent the pride of wealth & the extravagance of luxury. To such causes may be ascribed the rapid increase of population & the contentment & felicity which extended throughouy every of the country. We might add likewise the long peace that continued & the friendly intercourse that existed between the two rival Empires. A peace which had no interruption for the term of near five hundred years. During this time their villages & cities were greatly enlarged, new settlements were formed in every part of the country which had not been inhabited, & a vast number of towns were built, which rivaled as to number of inhabitants, those which existed at the time their imperial governments were founded. Their settlements extended the whole length of the great river Ohio to its confluence with the Mississippi, & over the whole country on both sides of the Ohio river, which are watered by streams which empty into it. And also along the great Lakes of Eri & Michigan & even some settlements were formed in some part of the country which borders on Lake Ontario. Such was the vast extent of the country which they inhabited, & such the fertility of the soil that many millions were easily fed & supported with such a plenty & competence of provision, as was necessary for their comfort and happiness.
During the time of their rising greatness & tranquility their policy led them to fortify their country in every part, the interior as well as the frontiers. This they did partly for their own safety, provided a war should take place & they should be invaded by an enemy, & partly to keep alive [a military] & improve a warlike spirit & the knowledge of military tactics. Near every village or city they constructed forts or fortifications. Those were generally of an oval form & of different dimensions according to the number of inhabitants who lived in the town. The Ramparts or walls, were formed of dirt which was taken in front of the fort. A deep canal or trench would likewise be formed. This would still increase the difficulty of surmounting the walls in front. In addition to this they inserted a piece of timber on the top of the ramparts. These pieces were about seven feet in length from the ground to top which was sharpened. The distance between each piece was about six inches through which they could shoot their arrows against an enemy. Some of their fortifications have two ramparts, which run parallel with each other built in the same manner, with a distance between of about two or three perches. Their Gates are strong & well constructed for defence. Within these forts are likewise a number of small houses for the accommodation of the army & inhabitants in case of an invasion, & likewise a storehouse for the reception of provision & arms, A country thus fortified, containing so many million of inhabitants, hardy & robust & with habits formed for war, might well be supposed as able to defend themselves against an invading enemy. If they were beat from the frontier, they could still retreat back to the fortifications in the interior & their make a successful stand. But what avails all the wisdom, the art & the works of men. What avails their valor, their strength & numbers when the Almighty is provoked to chastise them & to execute his vengeance in their overthrow & destruction.
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