prominent feature, is Rock Island, on the southern point of which,
elevated upon a parapet of rock, is Fort Armstrong. The region around is
healthy and amazingly fruitful. The grape, the plum, the gooseberry and
various other native fruits abound,--the wild honeysuckle gives its
perfume to the air, and a thousand indigenous flowers mingle their
diversified hues with the verdure of the plain. But all this fertility
of soil and scenic beauty has produced no ameliorating effect upon the
savages. The Sauks of Illinois, when first visited by the French
missionaries were as they are now. They are still savages, as much so as
the Osages, Comanches and Seminoles, and not superior to the wandering
Chippeways."

The civil polity of these two tribes bears much resemblance to that of
the north western Indians generally. The peace chiefs are partly
elective and partly hereditary. The son succeeds the father by the
assent of the tribe, if worthy of the office, and if not, a successor,
of a more meritorious character, is chosen by them from some collateral
branch of the family. There is a legend among them relating to the
relative rank of their chiefs, which, although perhaps purely
figurative, may not be uninteresting to the reader. They say that a
great while ago, their fathers had a long lodge, in the centre of which
were ranged four fires. By the first fire stood two chiefs, one on the
right, who was called the great Bear, and one on the left, called the
little Bear: these were the village or peace chiefs: they were the
rulers of the band, and held the authority corresponding to that of the
chief magistrate. At the second fire stood two chiefs: one on the right,
called the great Fox, and one on the left, called the little Fox: these
were the war chiefs or generals. At the third fire stood two warriors,
who were called respectively the Wolf and the Owl. And at the other
fire, two others who were the Eagle and the Tortoise. These four last