The telescope. (Columbia, S.C.) 1815-1818, July 23, 1816, Image 2
MI8CELLANY.
DSSCKIITION OF 'VHP. ST U AJT8?h(il IJ K AI /l'AK.
From the Journal of one of the olficer of the
?rmy, engaged in the luto expedition against
Ahsftn.
< This morning we found ourselves at the en
trant* of the StrxitH of Gibraltar (the. pillar* of
Hercules of the ancient*} having cape 8|>artcl on
one side ot' u* .\nd cape Slariiiul on (ho other.?
The morning was calm, the sky serene, anil the
unruffled fac? of the ureun presented a plane of
glassy smoothness. The struit before us seemed
a* a narrow defile scurcoly sufficient tu afford us
a passage. and, stretching the eye forward* wc
could far Ix'vond it, the sun sun rising out of
the sea and gilding at once the rocky shores of
Kurope and Africa. The scene was sublime and
beautiful; and the time, the tdace, the recollefc
tions which thev recalled, all conspired to 1111
me with enthuMu?iu. 'l'hu shores on either aide
presented a various and romantic scenery,
though of a harsh and forbidding cast t embra
cing only an immense pile of rocky mountains?
rising Itoyond or overnanging each other, and
dcMtituto of foliage, or allottling, at best, but a
tew parched shrubs?equally sublime, yet they
are equally wild, savage and sterile. On the
Spanish si*de,v,we could discern a few inisetable
huts built upon the rucks, or in the abysses be
tween them, and here ami thete a mouldering
pile, which might once have been the scene of
\*ur or the seat of festivitr : or a watch-tower,
trembling on the summit of tt precipice, atlded
variety to the scene. On the Itarhury coast, we
could discover nothing to embellish or enliven
the 44 giant rhudows'4 that seemed to envelop her
Muble mountains, except a distuut view of the
town of Tangier, and the smoke of u few strag
gling huts, that seemed to indicate u population
among those burning sands and precipices tlmt an
Amciirnn would almost shudder to look upon.
Such was the first glance that 1 obtained of
these oner rival, once powerful, but now degra
ded countries. It was one of the most exquisite
moment* of my life?such as we arc seldom per
mitted to taste { but which, when once en
joyed, we never forgot: A tedious and disagree
able voyage un? uccomplislnul, during which all
the element* seemed tu have conspircd against
us?in which the only variety was from the ex
perience of one difficulty to tnc anticipation of
another ; and in which' I cannot recal one a
greeable circumstance or pleasurable emotion,
nut this whs past, and we had gained the clns
hie shores of antiquity, and before us lav the
Greece, the Home, und the Carthage of other
days?those sacred ?|>ots from which were drawn
the origin of all that we know of religion, vur,
folity, or the fine arts. A few days would
ring us, too. to the scene of action and of glo.
ry. where we expected to reap some of the proud
est laurels that ever graced the American
wreath. The very thought of exploring the clas
sic ground that lay in pe.^pective before us, ami
of gleaning " reputation at the cannon's mouth,"
on the fields where the heroes of ancient story
toiled for the same harvest, was exstacy. Hut
how soon were these plonking anticipations to be
changed to the most bitter disapnoiutment!?
Peace was already hovering around us, and wait
ing the moment to blast our fond expectations !
The following lines from lord llvron's heuuti
ful but eccentric poem 44 t'hilde Harold," were
recalled to my utemury the moment I beheld the
strait?:
Through Calpc'* fttrait* survey tl>e Oeepy shore ,
Europe ami Afrir. on each other jjan- '
Kinds of the (tark^yed niaiil amithnkv Moor,
Alike beheld beneath pale llitate'i Maze;
llow softly l:i the Spanish shore die pl?\s,
Disclosing ro< k, ami slope, ami f??rc?t hniwp.
Distinct, t)im?nh darken tig wr'.ih her waning phase
But Mauritania's ginnt shadow* frown
Fi om mournim-cMI'lo coast descending down.
It in true I did lint see tlio moon nlaving
" nn the Spanish side," nor could I disco
ver atiimi): her hide?<'i* ami barren precipices the
4i nln/ie and/ore*/ brown." But an this narf of
?be story was tlixdoml to his l<?t;?lt>lti|? by the
moon, it must bo considered ah iru're mom miliar,
Poets, however, must be allowed their liceuse.
and a? their duty is rather to |il?itK<r dun to iu
Htruct, wo must permit them sometimes to ?l?>\i.
ate, from the tedious path of painful narration in
search of pleasing image* to lieijihten the tints of
nature wtmre they are too inanimate?to soften
what it* ru^ed, and supply what is deficient:
?in shorfciike Orpheus, lie may melt the rocA**,
and, like Orfa Quixotte, build castles iu the air.
Now if Lord Byron hud been, like me. a plain
soldier " little versed in tl*o set phrasA of prace,"
and bound?by the rules and article* of war?to
apeak the words of truth and soberness, lie
would not have called u declivity u " slope,"
,uor have dignified a few sun-burnt ami almost
leafless herb* with the title of *4 forest brown.*'
But we must not cavil at a flight deviation in
one who is always candid, and generally cor
rect?who is frequently instructive, anil ever
pleasing.
A pleasant breeze sprung up about nine o'
clock, and, being aided by the current which Hot*
into the Mediterranean, we were driven rapidly
along. On our left we passed Tarifu, formerly
aplarpof great strength and importance, but
now ilie retreat) only of a few fishermen and
goatherds* At thin place, which is the narrow
est part of the Straits, the distance acrosa can
not be more titan Ave leagues. Along the Span
fob count, at regular distances, there are watch
towers erected, for the purpose of communica
ting. information, by signal, upon the approach
of an Algerine corsair or suuadron. These re
sembfo in appearance the light-houses on our
coast. The towering cliffs of Oibrallar had for
some time been in sight, but it was not until wc
had reached tho extremity of the Strait* that we
began to distinguish it* features and to rccal die
n lOHMi of the celebrated places by which it is sur
roiityftd. On our right was Ceuta point, which,
being like Gibraltar a rocky promontory, pro
jecting into the sea, and joine<i to the continent
of Africa by a narrow neck of land, haa former
ly vied with it ill strength and importance, 'litis
place was fir** fortified by the Romans, who held
it far a long time, and wider whose government i
(??c town incrcated in wealth and conscience. I
On tl?c decline of that enmirc U fell under the
dominion of the Goths attel Moor*, from whom
it wan taken in the year 1414, by John I, of
1'ortuual. When the throno of Portugal was u
surped, in 1578, by Spain, Ceuta became, of
course, u Hrmnish "garrison > and, though the
crown was afterwards recovered by the uuke of
Hrauan/Ji, and Portugal re-established, as a dis
tinct sovereignty, thin place remained in the
hands of the Spaniard*, who* I believe still hold
it. It was from this place thut the first descent,
that we read of, wan made by the Moor* upon
Hpuin, under TcrifEbn/.area, who, having ra
vaged the enemy's country, took possesion of
MousCaloe, to which In* follower* gavo the
name of (libel Tarif, in honor uf their chief.?
Hence wo have Gibraltar.
Looking into the bay to our lefh we could dis
tinguish, at die head of it, th* town of Algesi
cs, seven or eight miles distant; This plscc
wan built by tho Saracens, and dekignatea tlte
8|?ot where thoy first landed in 8pain, in tho
year 7M. Under tho Moor* it became a place
of great importance, and wan, consequently,
strongly fortified and garrisoned. Though frt
queutly besieged by the warlike kingv of Ca>
tde, it never could be taken until tho year, 1344,
when most of tho sovereigns in Kurope interest
ed themselves in the siege, by affording succour*
to the Christian army, under Alonxo VI, ofCa*
tile. This siege is |>articularly remarkable, as it
is sniti that tho first use of canuop was made b;
the Moors upon tho besiegers on this occasion.
To the northward of Algciiiras,u|)or?the banle
of the river Gaudaranque, are tlio venerable
ruins of Carteia, mentioned bv ancient historians
under the names, Carteia, lleraclia and Calpe
Carteia. Of this celebrated city, which is said
to have been huilt upon by the PhoMiicians,
scarcely one stone remains lipon another to mark
the spot where it stood. It was once taken and
destroyed by HunnilMil, but when Scipio obliged
tho Cartha^eninns to <|uit Spain, wus rebuilt by
tlie Itomans. It was here thut Cneius I'ompey
sought a refuge after the incmorublo battle of
Munda.
We were moving rapidly towards Gibraltar,
with u fine breeze, and standing in close to point
Kuropa, the most southern end of the rock, we
rodo into the bay and came to an anchor under
the batteries. Among the flogs displayed from
the vessels in |Hirt, we discerned a number of
Americans. There was a British squadron at
unrhor, consisting of a seventy-four, and seve
ral frigates and smaller vessels. Among them
was the Undaunted, the vessel that carried Ho*
nupartB to Elba.
TIIR Cllt'.ROKF.K INDIANS.
We arc indebted to the kindnesn of Dr. Jtifth
ill for permission toupublish the following letter,
which is well worthy of a perusal. The copy re
ceived, in the hand-writing of a joung Cherokee.
44 There in no doubt, says Mr. Meiga, of these
people beiiiK capable of receiving the highest im
provement. why should there be any doubt
of it, if we believe* the Jesuits' success in Par**
guay ??Vol.
Wamnihotow, M*v 4,1816.
I have been here several week# with a depu
tation of Cherokee chiefs, on business of moment
tn their nation \ they have succeeded In their
mission much to their satisfaction, in setting tiie
boundurv lines between them and the Creeka ;
this had Income necessary to designate the land*
acquired by Jackson's treaty, so called.
Ill the year 18091 had a census taken of the
number of the Cherokee nation, which amount to
12,377. The number of males and female:* were
nearly equal?they have considerably increased
since that period, so that including a colony of
Cherokee* that went to settle on the river Ar
kansas, their number is about I I,.100 souls?
those who emigrated to Arkansas, as well as
those on their ancient grounds, have made con
siderable advances in acrpiirin^ (he useful arts,
particularly in the manufacture of cotton and
woollen eloth. They iai*e the cotton, and the
indigo for dying their yam t the* arc pood wea
vers. and have at this time upwards of :50ft looms t
moat of the looms are made by thenar I \ es ; they
have more than .'>00 ploughs?this greatly in
creased the tillage of their lauds; they have
large stocks of black rattle and horses, swine
and some sheep j they have domesticated poul
try in plenty ; and huviiig now an abmulanco of
the necessaries of life, their* population propor
tionality iucreaxns. By means of some schools,
many of their )ouug people read and write. A
ureat pajt of the men nave adopted our modes of
diens ; and the female* without exception dress
in the habits of the w hite people. Home of them,
who ar? wealthy, are ricfily dressed". They are
remarkably clean and neat In their persons i this
may lie accounted for my their universal' prac
tice of batbing in their numerous transparent
streams of water which in almost every directi
on run through their country. Men, women and
children practice bathing, which undoubtedly
contributes to their health. All can swim, and
this is often of great convenience, as no river can
impede their way in travelling. When the fe
l males bathe, they are never exposed s any im
proper conduct towards thcin would held in de
testation by all. 8ir.ee I have been first in that
nation, a young white man solicited the hand of
a young Cherokee woman. 8he refused his of
fer, and objected, as a principal reason, that he
was not clean-in his appearance; that he did
not as the Cherokees do?bathe himself in the
rivers. Ablution with theso people was former
ly a religious rite. It is not now viewed by tltcm
in this light, but it is nearly allied to a moral
virtue, ft is unfortunate for these jieople that
they should bo held in contempt by people who
in no one respect o'ro better than they, and
have no advantage of them except in the color of
the skin \ and whether this ought to be so con
sidered, is problematical?for we have seen sa
vages with white skins.
1 have not been an inattentive spectator in
viewing theso people in various situations \ in
their forests, in their houses, in their schools,
and in their.public councils. The progress of
their children in their schools has \?en as great
as that of any oilier children, in ac<piiring the
knowledge of letters and of figures.
* Naturo given them the ficefct forms) and can
wo prcromo that God hi* witdhehf(from them
correspondent intellectual and mental power* of
mind r No man who has hatl public business to
transact with them, can have a doubt of the ca
pacity of their minds* Their. hospitality in their
house* ia every whore acknowledged t their bra
very in the field ia alao acknowledged by thoae
who acted with them in the lato war against the
Hostile Creeks. It will be* acknowledged,. that
where hospitality and bravery reside! they are
not aolitary virtues. ' -v
Ought such a people to be commledfcl as part
of the great family of man, or ough Abey to be
connidered aa having had ? distinct ?Tgln, and
to Inure been created en an inferior stale, inca
itable of every valuable improvement ? 'Pliey
have already been raised from a state or hunter*
to tliat of herdsmen.and cultivatora of the noil.
More titan 40,000 of these red people (so they
call themselves) are living on the aoutli and east
side of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Heaven
has placed these people under the guardianship
of the I'nited States, with many more north and
west of those rivers, not accidentallv or fortuit
ously. Heaven has actually placed them within
tlic limit* and jurisdiction of oar government.?
I presume it will iiuvcrbe a question of cold cal
culation witii our government, whether we sliall
avail ourselves of the value of the many thou
*andK of those huninn beings, and thereby add
strength to the republic j or by a vindictive poli
cy consign them to, and hasten their descent to,
utter extinction.
I liave lately seen a number of letters under
the signature of Aincricanu*, published in the
Democratic Press, Philadelphia. Ainericanua
has descended from Uie high ground to which his
signature would seem to entitle him. It inav
be sport to the writer, to aim his deadly arrow's
*t the very existence of a large portion of the hu
nau race, iust emerging fi-omtarbarity to civi
lijtation. In some of the Indian tribes, civiliza
tion is considhrahly advanced already, aome in
dividuals of which- tribes are very decent and
, veil informed ; men whose minds and aenti
nonts are too much refined to deacend to lan
guage used by that writer, and illiberally ap
plied to the Indian women without any qualifica
tion or discrimination ? Draggletaifed; dirty,
filthy, blanketted squaws." What a tissue of
vulgarity, rudeness, cruelty, and injustice J
Again?" You cati.no more convert an Indian
into a civilized man, than you can convert a ne
?r? >?to a white man i the animal configuration
aiul propensities are different." ThiMoet de
clamatory obsfrtpHon, though not quite ao vul
gar as the flrat (a equally *s voW of credibility.
That there aw some Indiana who are well in
formed, and of decent, handsome manners anil
deportment, is well known. And as t*> utiimai
configuration, if there is a difference, it will be
foUild in favor of the Indians j and, if a, stntua
>y should want models for the humnn figure, he
will find the most perfect amongst the southern
Indian tribes south of the Ohio river. There is
ill! occasion to go to Greece or ltdfe for models
for the sculptor ; and if propeiisitlifc have any
analogy to configuration, the Indian musl haw:
the best. Americanu* is animated on subject
of physiognomy. On this subject, facts are Inst
ter than declamation, \baut now half ul* the
t;herokce nation are of mi.veil blood bv inter
marriages with the white people. Many of t(fc?e
are as white as any of our citizens. There are
some of tho aboriginal Cherokee* who have ne
ver used any particular care to guard their, faces
from the action of the kiiii who have ^immI com
plexions. ^ rin-re is nothing in uaturo yet disco
vered to give these |>eoplc a distinctive, intrin
sically distinctive charucter, Irom the great cha
racter of wan.
If by dissection it can be proved that there is
any error,any defect in the nervous system, and
that the brain receives no impressions except
such as are distorted and vicious *nd barbarous,
then I will acknowledge tfiat the Indian may
bwvo propensiuMW. different from the Europeans
and there descendants in this country, anu that
they are not entitled to tlie common eharactcr,
which we in our pride, accord to human nature.
I have frequently attended at the school* for
the instruction of ia Indian children?seen
them by classes g<) through their exercises. On
these occasions I have seen tears of joy steal
cheeks of benevolent men, men who rejoice at
the diffusion of knowledge amongst those long
lost part of the human rare.
The Cherokee* universally believe in the being
of God j they call him the great .Spirit; they men
tion him with rovercnce?with thein, his attri
butes are power und goodness. They never
profane the name of God in tJleir own language.
They have no sut of words that they can
combine to profane thu name of God. There it>
no doubt of these jieoplo being capable of
receiving the highest improvement. Khali we
consign some hundred thousand ?f those pcoplo
whom Providbnce has placed under our rare
to eternal night and oblivion, without an efthrt
to preserve thorn! If Americanus could nee these
people as I have done in tho course of fifteen
years, he would not consider them as un worth v of
cultivation and in a few years of being blended
und incorporated with us m a part of our rising
empire? lie would ssy, thrse are our long-lost
brothers?wo will have patience with them
when they go astray, we will biing them back,
and'point out to diem the rou?' v.id show them
the value of civilisation, it will make them hap
py, and will add to the strenth of the republic.
1 have often compared them to the condition of
a foundling laid at the door of charity, on which,
if we turn oor backs, he will perish > but if we
take him in, he may one day help to defend the
buuse. l(. J. MK1GB.
MEMORANDA M\I)K IN P.UHOVR.
1815-16.
Go to Waterloo, and St. Jnnn, half a fondue
farther on the road to Charleroi, take n conduc
tor, .111 intelligent peasant who served an an an*
Mutant in the buttle, and who findn fitll employ*
merit in Ioh present occupation from the vast I
number of MrangerH, especially KuglUh who vi- j
sit the battle ground. Visit chateau of llouxo*:
mont'on the ltritiftti rijjlit- wing, nearly demo*'
liihed by artillery and codflogration, fgiiido snyi,
the French made a lodgment in IKo garden, vui
VT
%?? ?mpWo
nub I ?* 0fl andburn
?,th- ;">? WtW. d?
auw.
ESSAS^^?"
Thffifefc? wl,lch wcr J^ed i<> it.
n?tf nwd quarters of Honanarto wor.
S dSrtoTthln *1? rC*r' *"* ^J>riticf|M
.Iri Si SlL0"00."""" "?>>? a'h
small farm
niilo from
"?? near ncno All
W^SKris
ssw:?tSSl
nun and retaken with immense slaughter
?"??ft* *n,0'l h?U"w way parallel w
llritishline, most dfeHperately f?ud,t f.
riW^ ,a8t ^ ,h? ftritislf o
the liritifth height before the left winir
long but a very weak sparse hedge, Hca?i
itC'd""* "|? w|,o|? ?
pobition there wciti no rumparts,but a liti
before some
cannon. I he ascent was ho slight and u
that the French cavalry could chargo aft
feS!IVnS9 ?Cept <,Ctl'
between die two armies was some obstr
^lUlwt rrnmn?',er*b,? t* 4?lM?Ve,,t<??? ]
^ b^ail JS2?Uv^n* or *,v?ncing.
ho7ev?^wf.tff* "\*Ln rotd frorn ?'?
now ever, which passed through the Brttis
!?.!."?v'r/ tS ?X!
Fwnefc 'a ,t*k?n or rfl. I
J2 wL,ero Prince of Oranr
fsstiaiMsrawS
KiKESSB? SStiSi i.1'
first turned hl&ck^ 'Ifc
tween his station and English line) also,
the Knglish and llrfrtoveSan cavalry mad.
famous and unprecedented charges on I
cavalry ) they were in two lines t nine s
Hive timca they advanced In rotation, tht
line charging uh noon as the swords of th
weie heard to clutdi, who retired to the i
reform and renew in their turn the same .
Iiieces 5 y ,itvra,,y c"t tiie Fren
After the battle the field was covered w
ltd H<|uart>ti ol the French literally piled 01
other, and with ttiouHindsof wounded cr\
agony " companion for the love ef Ood
me .he; this my conductor repeated in Fi
in a tone of horror which perfectly convinc
?t wan the echo of a terrible-reality forciW
Srt3.b: mem0ry- Near th? termii
01 Ute battle arose a most serious false i
whid. redoubled the miseries or the engage
A cry of Freuch victory was caused ly,
3* Pr^??rs being inarched tollr
with colorsdisplayed, or as some sunt>o
k.,?l ftt,' Kr.nct,. S cZE
stove their liquors and destroyed provision
w.U,inhabitant. aed ?,^"2 '
to Brussels, whisli was loaded with wre
sssrsftir*cru rhtd to death in u>
fusion. tor tins some of the oumn>imiflri?* v
SfearaEfeai.
m f j j. J?0** ** the French could be -
sed, during this time all the latter and mini
the former were compelled for wantofsbelt*
t'l^wirJI **p>*ed on the field ofbu
tliey were, however, humanely supplied w
much provisions and water aswulS Vproc
?J f1" />orfectiJr *?" informed, though si.
Vu fi k mU' T *"** inform ml French
KiiglUh officers, that Lord Wellington, nut
stunding his uniform and unparalfel succei
exceedingly unpopular in the amy, both
officers amf men. This is attributed to hi,
bending pride and unyielding severity "
cominwfcarait.iiow theWin tlio world, wa
tremely faulty when tliey were in ttpain. I
teen rrencli I. ommissnries were bribed to <
over to thnm, but tlie defect was found to
not in the system, which was sui>erior tc
French, but in its exeoittion. The soldier*
often starving from the negligence and pe
tiun of unprincipled commis?arieA t innlea
hwjglnflr an tliey deserved, Lor* WeHIr,
IwJ soldiers hung by doaens for touching
Hlightest food, <>f Hie inhabitants. This ca .
the greatest discontents, and Lord Hill op <
pronounced his general order against the irr
jnrities ol the troops, a libel on the army. )
iriJhlP? ? '??tw|th employing R few Scotch ?
!it? fl l! '' niostliloody and df
rate fighting, and favoring some Knglish c
officered by noblemen, which, from nft figh
^-im" ?oW,er8.? v?7 ?ptlv termed inv,
i , 11,0 ,>eJt opinion Is that I^>rd Wellin
hoa been, wuialled, perhaps surptHsed, in ge
in gr??d "Unt^c
In France could not procure pornmvo
Jndh.nIh?n |?***n,ir,e a,,y theirfortifico
and in the only instances where myself or
friendI requested permi?slon of the command
we met such pbiuted refusals au preventnl
making a similar request a?ain. Tlie same
ficnlty occurred in Ifollanif, and the Rnrop
offleeraofgovcrnmei.t irr general haveajea
\tvto ie a very strongly Unified placc, n
of tho works are by Vauhsn, the remsindet
the time of (Juisf. 'rhe Moselle and BeiUc
round the city, can be introduced into the di
and make great inundations, for this puri
t it v itsrof a hrge pfind, fyur leagues dUt