This book is set in ten point Times Roman type, and printed in an edition of two thousand copies. This is copy Nº 1308 A NARRATIVE OF THE CAPTIVITY AND ADVENTURES OF JOHN TANNER (U. S. INTERPRETER AT THE SAUT DE STE. MARIE) DURING THIRTY YEARS RESIDENCE AMONG THE INDIANS IN THE INTERIOR OF NORTH AMERICA PREPARED FOR THE PRESS BY EDWIN JAMES, M.D. Editor of an Account of Major Long’s Expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains Ross & Haines, Inc. Minneapolis, Minnesota 1956...

The story of John Tanner is the tragic and age-old story of a man who had no country, no people, no one who understood him, no place to lay his head. His Narrative , which is the story of his thirty years’ captivity among the Ojibways, was written a few years after he settled once more among the civilized whites. The material was written down and edited by Doctor Edwin James, and James’s foreword gives a hint of the almost insurmountable difficulties that surrounded Tanner’s attempt to establish

John Tanner, whose life and adventures are detailed in the following pages, is now about fifty years of age. His person is erect and rather robust, indicating great hardiness, activity, and strength, which, however, his numerous exposures and sufferings have deeply impaired. His face, which was originally rather handsome, bears now numerous traces of thought and passion, as well as of age; his quick and piercing blue eyes, bespeak the stern, the violent, and unconquerable spirit, which rendered

Recollections of early life—capture—journey from the mouth of the Miami to Sa-gui-na—ceremonies of adoption into the family of my foster parents—harsh treatment—transferred by purchase to the family of Net-no-kwa—removal to Lake Michigan. The earliest event of my life, which I distinctly remember, is the death of my mother. This happened when I was two years old, and many of the attending circumstances made so deep an impression, that they are still fresh in my memory. I cannot recollect the nam

First attempt to hunt—measles—trapping martins—emigration to Red River—death of my foster father and brother—arrival at Lake Winnipek. Early in the spring, Net-no-kwa and her husband, with their family, started to go to Mackinac. They left me, as they had done before, at Point St. Ignace, as they would not run the risk of losing me by suffering me to be seen at Mackinac. On our return, after we had gone twenty-five or thirty miles from Point St. Ignace, we were detained by contrary winds at a pl

Friendly reception among the Indians on the Assinneboin—Prairie Portage—Net-no-kwa’s dream, and its fulfillment—meet with Pe-shau-ba, a distinguished warrior of the Ottawwaws—journey to Kau-wau-koning, and residence there—return towards Lake Superior—war-party against the Minnetauks—mouth of Assinneboin river. After a few days, we started to go up the Red River, and in two days came to the mouth of the Assinneboin where we found great numbers of Ojibbeways and Ottawwaws encamped. As soon as we a

Elk hunting—beaver and buffalo hunting—endangered in killing a buffalo cow—Fall Indians—return to Rainy Lake—Swamp River and Portage—the Begwionusko River and Lake—honesty and good faith in the intercourse of the Indians—hospitality—sufferings from hunger—Red River—loss of packs—supposed dishonesty of traders—rapacity of the traders of the N. W. company—disasters following the loss of our peltries. In the Assinneboin river, at one or two days above the Prairie Portage, is a place called Ke-new-k

Medicine hunting—indolence of an Indian hunter, and consequent suffering of his family—relief from humane traders—a hunter amputates his own arm—moose chase—hospitality of Sah-muk, and residence at Rainy Lake—carcase of a buffalo cow watched by a bull—severe suffering from cold—my lodge, and most of my property, destroyed by fire. With the deep snow and thick ice, came poverty and hunger. We were no longer able to take beaver in traps, or by the ordinary methods, or kill moose, though there were

Failure of an attempt to accompany a war-party to the Missouri—removal to Elk River—joined in my hunting grounds by some Naudoways, from Lower Canada—hospitality of the Crees—practice of medicine—dispute with a Naudoway—band of Tus-kwaw-go-nees—Brine Spring, on Elk River—I receive a severe injury by falling from my horse—involved in difficulty by my foster brother—habits of the moose-deer—range of the moose, the elk, and the reindeer. At this place we remained until spring, when, at the commence

I receive a proposal from a chief to marry his daughter—theft and drunkenness—manner of pursuing the elk on foot—disease and great mortality among the beaver—second offer of marriage from an A-go-kwa—haunted encampment, called the “place of the two dead men”—Indian courtship—distressing sickness—insanity and attempt at suicide—gambling—several offers of young women in marriage—my courtship and marriage with Mis-kwa-bun-o-kwa, (the red sky of the morning.) The spring having now come, we returned

Preparation for a war excursion—herds of buffalo heard at a great distance—terrible conflicts among the bulls—observances of the young warriors—Ko-zau-bun-ziche-e-gun, or divination to discover the situation of an enemy—Jeebi-ug, or memorials of deceased friends to be thrown away on the field of battle; and the design of the custom—war-party broken up by the interference of a rival chief—stupidity of the porcupine—I save the life of my foster brother—Albino bears—Waw-be-no—marriage of Pi-che-to

Visit to several Assinneboin villages, in pursuit of stolen horses—peculiar customs—I seize a horse belonging to an Assinneboin—war excursion to Turtle Mountain—battle at a village of the Mandans—doctrines of the Shawnese prophet—drunkenness, and its effects. I had been at home but a short time when I heard that the Assinneboins had boasted of taking my horse. As I was preparing to go in pursuit of them, an Ojibbeway who had often tried to dissuade me from my attempt to recover him, gave me a ho

Presence of mind and self-devotedness in an Indian mother—Indian warfare—conversation of a chief—winter hunt on the Begwionusko River—medicine hunting—customs, in cases of manslaughter—symbolic, or picture writing—death of Pe-shau-ba—disaster at Spirit Lake, and death of the Little Clam. Within a few days after this drunken quarrel, Ta-bush-shish was seized with a violent sickness. He had for many days a burning fever, his flesh wasted, and he was apparently near dying when he sent to Wa-me-gon-

Rapacity of the traders—revelation of Manito-o-geezhik—pretensions of As-kaw-ba-wis—credulity of the Indians—colony at Red River, planted by the Hudson’s Bay traders—large war-party assembled at Turtle Mountain—want of discipline. Mr. Henry had traded ten years at Pembinah. He was succeeded by a Mr. M’Kenzie, who remained but a short time, and after him came Mr. Wells, called by the Indians Gah-se-moan, (a sail,) from the roundness and fulness of his person. He built a strong fort on Red River,

Superstitions of the Indians—violent and unjust prejudice—family misfortunes—remarkable tenacity of life in the otter, and some other small animals—disturbances between the Hudson’s Bay and North West Fur Companies. In the evening after this affair, the chiefs walked through the village and addressed all the people. The amount of what they said was to direct, that instead of remaining longer to quarrel with and destroy each other, we should all move on the following morning towards the Sioux cou

Suffering of the Ojibbeways from hunger—persecutions of Waw-be-be-nai-sa, and unkindness of my Indian relatives—journey to Detroit—Governor Cass—Council at St. Mary, on the Miami. All the men who were still able to walk now determined to start after buffalo, which we knew could not then be very near us. For my own part, I chose to remain, as did one good hunter besides, who knew that the prospect of getting buffaloes was not good. We remained behind, and in a short time killed five moose, all th

Journey to Kentucky—hospitalities of the whites—return to Detroit—Jackson—St. Louis—General Clark—return to the Lake of the Woods—Col. Dickson—second journey to St. Louis, by Chikago and Fort Clark—kindness of the Potawattomies. About the time of the conclusion of the council, Gov. Cass called me to dine with him; and as many gentlemen asked me to drink wine with them, I was, after dinner, scarce able to walk home. A few days afterwards the interpreter told me the governor had a curiosity to kno

Transactions of the agents and clerks of the American Fur Company, in the country about the Lake of the Woods—treachery of an Indian woman—misfortunes attendant on an attempt to bring my children from the Indian country. Being now destitute of employment, I engaged to Mr. Stewart, the agent of the American Fur Company, to go with the traders into the Indian country. This I preferred to remaining with the Indian agent, though he again proposed to hire me for a striker in his smith’s shop. For my

Waw-be-zee—Great Swan. Mah-nah-be-zee—Smaller swan, not common. Their cry resembles the voice of a man. The word means ugly or ill looking swan. Ne-kuh—Brant, ne-kug, pl. Pish-ne-kuh—A smaller brant. Wa-wa—Goose; Wa-waig—Geese; Waw-be-wa-wa—White goose; Waw-be-wa-waig—White geese. An-ne-nish-sheeb—Duck and mallard. Tah-gwaw-ge she-sheeb—Fall duck, red neck. Mah-to-gun she-sheeb—Scrapper bill duck. Scah-mo—Wood duck. Wa-weeb-ge-won-ga—Blue wing teal, (swift winged.) Ke-nis-te-no-kwa sheeb—Cree wo

Here, it must be acknowledged, we enter a barren field, offering little to excite industry, or to reward inquiry. Without literature to give perpetuity to the creations of genius, or to bear to succeeding times the record of remarkable events, the Americans have no store house of ancient learning to open to the curiosity of the European race. They have probably never thought like the Arabs, that the cultivation of their language was an object of importance; and though the orator must at times ha

Of a subject so imperfectly understood as that now before us, little can be said, without some risk of falling into error. It is probable that the threefold division, long since made by Mr. Heckewelder, of the Indian languages, spoken within the territory of the United States, may be well founded; and every advance of discovery has but confirmed the views respecting the character of these languages, which were long since elicited and announced in the correspondence between Heckewelder and Mr. Du