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National Intel'ligMT-f'T Wa*’ Ugbtevening-—the brutes nnd the, Ilk,* 1 • fowls gave signs that they thought it jj night, ari l .were 'retiring to repose, 1Extractor dibiter from S. risvoM% I when they ware recalled by the hurst-Emj. of Detroit) to Fraud* Guru- : mg_ forth of the light. Its effects upon.ner? Eoq* #tvtng an account qf the ] the Indians were great. Thyme whom 1total tctijtv?) MVP* a*l\pcamt at Dili oit^ and its onthu Indians.,.i| - ^eVeral months tills an'/u iptedp' noniciu'Ti w »« a subject of enquiry with Vi : Indians, as +nany stories hnd beei^iold them, partly by ignorant and 'bfcitly bydtrsi^iiFng persons, of terrible things which would Accompany that o vent, Xhe trlt;u defl aspect of cur national r Shirs with foreign powers at thatpoviod, thchitated the propaptiiii lt;f visionary and nwtul pr dun ions. Hun-^dreds cunic to me to consult on the m -jvet of the eclip c and iu threatened accompany merits and cunseijnencrs : some ferije parties camo in Ironi a distance un purpose to emq lire oh this subject. They knew that white people‘cou lit fore tel eclipses, and supposed weIhuat be able too, to predict the attendant circumstances at wind and weatherand every effect upon the earth. Most of them believe this faculty is given towhite peoplebj the Grejtt Spirit) v^hidi he has thought proper to deny t * Indians—and appear to have little notion ?th:it it (hpeuds upott calculation® u$mi'UAitutal principle**It has long (perhaps always,) been a gentfralj^timent ox Indians) that ad tolipse, particularly of the sun, is ah txpre:ssiij[J*.©r rather token, of the an* $er of the Great Spirit,—and the degree of his anger is indicated by themagnitude of the eclipse The expecttationof a total eclipse, therefore, was bulVicieut to prepare them for ifto reception of every extravagant tale and direful prognostication. ’ Among otherideas, that of war, bloody war, naturallyoccurred and was easily fouu nted, in conjunction with the Chen exiting cir-cu distances. It was not difficult tor a designing person of infiutftO* among them,to point oat to their uitisfactii.n, bowami win re, this calamity was to take place, and whose blood nktist b« shed. It it said, the Indians dale tteil general Manner cm the day of an c Hptrn, andhave since eintrtaiMcl u p*'mansiontfcn*t~«uch i phenomenon is peculiarly unHnumtte iu* /\mevioa*ts, and suffic* •r.-lt iu VflStll’C SllCCf.#:. U* iu .kiun* if th.-y strike ori that dny.— \»d it was g-iiv-r-tlly vi ported a sin rt time previous tothe late eblipoe, th.it an attack under i s auspices was igreod tube made upon this and other American pos'U m this quarter,llasides that of war, the mlncls rf the Indians were filled with other terrific anticipations. Some whole villages appeared impressed, that the d trkness ’would be equal to tnat of the darkest niftbr, and would Continue ter months,ar.d many ihmgmed it would be a dark year. i iiey expected the sun would beput nut IT that space oi t me, Unit vegetables aw 1 animats would perish, together with most In ti as who lived on til3 casual pr.oducw-of the chace. INutthe more general t xpvctsition was, thatit would be only a dark day , or as theyexpressed itv anight day. And thevsupposed the day would be productive of j the most 'dreadful storriis of wind, li.dl, and i.tlier elementary conciuhon. 1W-yoSd the power of man to descri e. I found but one Indian out of son s hundreds that came in from the wilderness,who appeared to post ess any just conception of the expected phenomenon. It wm the son of an intelligent chief howdead, who dec] .red tti t he had nofears, for he believed he had seen sui h a5hing when ahoy, and his fa-her taught vim it was caused by the nighi-suo (th ir ter hr for the moon) getting overthe day-sun, and thua si, j ping its lightfor a .short lime.Seeing th® g'^rral attention of the Indians thus eotod, nnd wishing to allay their painful apprehensions, as *d!prevent any possible consequentlt; b of a serious nature, 1 thought it my duty to instruct them as f ir aa tin y were capable of understanding, i -to the cause ami nabtfa lt;T nil eclipse—told them the day anti precise time of day vt wouldJ^pper.—its duration, apptbnranc**, See. and as to the dreadful a-ccompanyuu ius#»f st« rm and wind, 1 c.weouuteiu /icedtuch um cup- ctation, though SsiWietllHlg of tlie kind might t*he place as on o-thc-r cays—1bm .issnvedthem tir.-y would survive it, and expressed my hope oiseeing a clear sky on that day, that 1 might btdntM the phenomenon in all its grandeur, 'tndtne stafo in their gl'*rsurrounding it. They were thankful ter tin se assurances, aad some took cm-couragersveut, while ot-’i«is rfiiiainedfearful and perplexed.The eclipse made it: i appearance under every favorable cVrcnuiBtance that could be wisiied, and agreeable to all 1 had told the Indians. Thu day was re-iably fine, without a cloud or a gust wind. It commenced here about an ur warlitr than the calculations at e-v York and Albany. The disk ole sun was completely covered for the um of three minutes, the bt»ra appear-; ’.'ery brilliant within the clt; nipats cl e eclipse’s shadow on every side o’ a ka i's place—the greatest obscurant was equal to that of the clearestt ' * • . * W’d a «»*«rvw during t!i» y;veatest .'i irtness, Hf-|T*Trc(i thnughtbii, but hrVi thfir f/ u-v^cje. Others 1 X s to]/! r.Vti VP ‘Ad ? down with rfgltition. Some fel! on their knee* *jvl fir;ij«c*! : yhilo A Tew Afrnpped theAiS'eivcii in tkeir bfenketa iuul l.\y dowa to d*.e. ATier it wub itffen J^j^assofF without b:\r.n, al»d th^ dn y nrocecii o? usual) all Xtmk coiirAge suu! becatue very social. Bv the evvning oiitny Wf:re ready to b^r.funk, A k«ne*fel hotPU r 6x miiitiri iiod beeq or Aretl on vh it day, v/V/l Jt \vu: v*li :vtondvd k had tx g o i fcifeef. (oyernoir li’Ml Uudaivlvvd in reason to t ile its
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Washington National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser
Washington, Washington-DC, US
Wed, Sep 10, 1806
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USA 18 Aug 2021
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