Nacogdoches

“ Nearly eighty years after De Soto’s visit, on the borderline between tradition and history, came the ministration of Mother Maria de Jesus de Agreda, “the angel in blue,” teaching the Tejas tribes the Christian religion, in 1620. So great was the influence of this saintly woman that in 1690 the chief of the Tejas told Massanet that they wished to do as she had done, and even wanted to be buried in blue garments.
The first definite description of Nacogdoches and its aboriginal population is in the account of LaSalle’s visit here in 1685. ”

“ L. E. Griffith came to Nacogdoches from San Augustine about 1850 and was one of the builders of modern Nacogdoches. The park was dedicated to Dr. Griffith and the early pioneers of Nacogdoches.
INDIAN MOUNDS.—On the corner of the school campus at Mound and Arnold streets, was a large Indian Mound 150×75 feet and about fifteen feet high. On the corner opposite was a circular Mound about 75 feet in diameter. These Mounds were leveled to make room on the campus. One small mound still remains on the front lawn of the T. M. Reavley home. An oak tree of considerable size grows from the summit of it. ”

“ The Mexican general, Ahumada, who occupied Nacogdoches upon this occasion, was a genuine diplomat, and with the assistance and advice of Stephen F. Austin, who came to Nacogdoches with Ahumada, soon had the old town peaceful again. However, the man whom Ahumada selected as comandante here proved to be an unfortunate choice, and Colonel Jose de las Piedras soon aroused the hostility of the American settlers with his high-handed, arbitrary methods, as was the case with Col. ”

“ When the Spanish settlers began making their homes in the old Indian town, they found several mounds within the limits of the town, relics of the centuries of Indian occupation before the coming of the white man. Three of the larger of these mounds were located on what became the Nacogdoches University campus, now the high school campus. The importance of these mounds was not recognized by those who founded the university, and they were razed in an effort to level the ground of the campus. Only one now remains, on Mound street, so named because of these monuments to the antiquity of the town. ”

“ The planters of the Natchitoches area are threatening to organize a force of 250 men to go after slaves known to be in the Texas area of Nacogdoches and at Trinidad de Salcedo unless the slaves are returned. ”

“ But Nanahboozhoo did not long continue to look like a rabbit. As he was superior to other people he could change himself to any form he liked. He was most frequently seen as a fine strong young Indian hunter. He called the people his uncles. When he grew up he said to his grandmother, the old Nokomis, that the time had come when he should prepare himself to go and help his uncles, the people, to better their condition. This he was able to do, seeing he was more than human, for his father was the West Wind and his mother a great-granddaughter of the moon. ”

“ The Indians, though somewhat astonished at their great Toqui's mode of life, remembered the European education he had received, and dared not complain. Was not Nocobotha's hatred of the white men still equally ardent? Were not his words still full of love for his country at the council fire? Was it not he who had directed the invasion, and led the tribes on the path of liberty? Hence, Nocobotha had lost nothing in the opinion of the warriors. ”

“ Nanaboozhoo was looking everywhere for them, determined to kill them. A loon offered to show him where they were sleeping. He followed the loon till he found them, and then he made short work of them with his tomahawk and his war-club. But lo, and behold, no sooner were the gods dead than the waters of the great lake rose up in vengeance; they pursued Nanaboozhoo up on to the dry land, and he had to run for his life. He sought the highest mountain and climbed to the top of the highest pine-tree. Still the waters pursued him. They rose higher and higher. ”

“ The climate is not cold, but very wet. The traveller, in going from Kaffa to Doko, must pass over a high country, and cross several rivers, which fall into the Gochob.
“The language of the Dokos is a kind of murmuring, which is understood by no one but themselves and their hunters. The Dokos evince much sense and skill in managing the affairs of their masters, to whom they are soon much attached; and they render themselves valuable to such a degree, that no native of Kaffa ever sells one of them to be sent out of the country. ”

“ I have just come from Nagode,' said he, in broken English; adding, 'Stand back, Kafir!'
'Oh ho!' I exclaimed, as the epithet warned me at once of enmity; and grasping his reins, 'What news have you from that quarter?' I asked.
'Only that the faithful have risen at last, and not one of the accursed Ghora Logue (i.e., white people) will be left alive—not even the youngling at its mother's breast, and all in Jubbulpore shall perish too!' he added through his clenched teeth, while his eyes blazed with fury, and he attempted to draw his sword ”

“ Sometimes when the lightning's flash set a tree on fire they would have it for a little while, but they did not seem to be able to keep it going, and they were often very cold and generally had to eat their food without cooking it.
"Nanahboozhoo was then still living with his grandmother, Nokomis, and was sorry to see that she often suffered from the cold and that the food was miserable because it was not cooked. So he set his wits to work and decided that something must be done. As he should now have to deal with the Muche Munedoos, evil spirits, he had to be very careful. ”

“ Instead of directly asking how it was done, he preferred—it was just like Manabozho—to deceive his grandmother and come at the knowledge he desired by a trick.
"Noko," said he, "while I take my drum and rattle, and sing my war-songs, do you go and try to get me some larger heads, for these you have brought me are all of the same size. Go and see whether the old man is not willing to make some a little larger." ”

“ As quoted by Buchner, Krapf, the missionary, in speaking of one of the Abyssinian tribes, says, "The Dokos are human pygmies; they are not more than four feet high; their skin is of an olive-brown. Wanderers in the woods, they live like animals, without habitations, without sacred trees, etc. They go naked, nourishing themselves by roots, fruits, mice, serpents, ants, honey; they climb trees like monkeys. Without chief, without law, without arms, without marriage, they have no family, and mate by chance like animals; they also multiply rapidly. ”

“ The Lady Noggs was no longer bored; she played for a long time with her treasure-trove, decking herself with the ornaments and wishing that she had a mirror to see the effect. So long did she play that the countess, after forcing open her empty jewel-case with a screw-driver, and locking her bedroom door, was coming down to dinner with the other guests, when she reached the castle. She went up to her room by a back staircase, hoping to reach it unobserved, but Miss Caldecott was expecting her, caught her, scolded her severely, and sent her to bed at once without any supper. ”

“ Beresford Caldecott poured into the tumbler. He added to it a complimentary dash of water with a trembling hand, and turned to hear the Lady Noggs saying: "His name is Mr. Beresford Caldecott in England; but that's what they called him in Arizona. He shot people in saloons. Tinker says they do." ”

“ It is so delightful, so delightful, that I desire nothing better," said Vera Doukhova, with the usual expression of fright in the large, kind, round eyes fixed on Nekhludoff, and twisting the terribly thin, sinewy neck, surrounded by the shabby, crumpled, dirty collar of her bodice. Nekhludoff asked her how she came to be in prison. ”

“ And though Nekhludoff entertained the best sentiments toward his sister, and he concealed nothing from her, he now felt estranged from her, and was glad to be rid of her. He felt that the Natasha of old was no more; that there was only a slave of an unpleasant, dark, hairy man with whom he had nothing in common. He plainly saw this, because her face became illumined with peculiar animation only when he spoke of that which interested her husband—­of the distribution of the land among the peasants, and of the inheritance. ”

“ Invitation to visit the Negoos.—​Karissa and his firelock.—​Some account of the countries to the south of Shoa.—​Distances.—​A reputed cannibal people.—​Other absurd rumours.—​Probable truth.—​Of the Doko: not dwarfs but monkeys.
August 24th.—Early this morning, Tinta appeared at my house. He had returned from Ankobar the night before, and had brought an invitation or command, that if I were able I should visit the Negoos at Debra Berhan, on the 24th of September, upon which day a great national festival is held in honour of the anniversary of the discovery of the Cross by the Empress Helena. ”

“ Nocobotha addressed the audience in his turn. "Chiefs of the great Patagonian nations, as you see, the God of our fathers is with us, and He wishes our land to become free again. The sun, when it sets, must not see a Spanish flag waving in Patagonia. Courage, brothers! The Incas, my ancestors, who hunt on the blessed prairies of the Eskennam, will joyfully receive among them those who may fall in battle. Each will proceed to his post! The cry of the urubú, repeated thrice at equal intervals, will be the signal for the assault." ”

“ He is a little boy, but as soon as he is outside he increases in size. He enters a ravine, and when he comes out at the opposite end he is a full-grown man. Later every one sees him; his body is bright and beautiful. When pursued by his sister, he crosses a valley at a step, springs from one mountain to another, and early in the morning reaches the first house, the home of two women, who have the power of making themselves young.
The Modocs have lost the name of Gáukos’ elder sister, and they do not know the meaning of the name of the younger sister, Lĭsgaga. ”

“ Massea went around with a scraper and scraped the other Indians.
By and by the fire went down, and Docas went off to play. By that time the Indians were tired out.
“Look at them! There they go!” cried Docas to Heema. Massea and the other men had jumped over the fire at the door and were running down to the river.
Heema and Alachu came running.
“Now father’s in the water!” cried Docas. A moment later he added, “See, he has come up out of the river. They are going to lie down in the sun to get warm and dry again. Let’s go down and play in the sun near them.” ”

“ See that everything he likes is prepared in the kitchen; that his linen and clothes are always clean; that, when visitors happen in, you dress him properly: otherwise he will come forth in his old dressing-gown, for he often forgets now whether it is a festival or an ordinary day. Do not take your eyes off him, Yavdokha. I will pray for you in the other world, and God will reward you. Do not forget, Yavdokha. You are old—you have not long to live. Take no sins upon your soul. If you do not look well to him, you will have no happiness in the world. ”

“ But," she continued, casting a scrutinizing glance, "N'yau! indego Manabozho! hub! ub! ub! ub! Oh, I am afraid you are Manabozho!" He burst out into a laugh to quiet her fears. "Ha! ha! ha! how can that be? Has not the old earth perished, and all that was in it?" "Impossible! impossible!" "But, Noko," he continued, "what do you intend doing with all that cedar cord on your back?" "Why," said she, "I am fixing a snare for Manabozho, if he should be on this earth; and, in the mean time, I am looking for herbs to heal my son. I am the only person that can do him any good. ”

“ Nekhludoff listened, and at the same time kept looking around him—at the low bedstead with its straw mattress, the window and the dirty, damp wall, and the piteous face and form of this unfortunate, disfigured peasant in his prison cloak and shoes, and he felt sadder and sadder, and would have liked not to believe what this good-natured fellow was saying. It seemed too dreadful to think that men could do such a thing as to take a man, dress him in convict clothes, and put him in this horrible place without any reason only because he himself had been injured. ”

“ Tcoóks said: “I am afraid of Ndúkis. He can beat everybody by getting up early. That is the kind he is. If you go around digging roots, he will be watching you. He won’t want you, but he will be mad. That is his way.”
The next morning, when the girls started off, they said: “We are going to Mlaiksi.”1
“Why do you go there so often?” asked their mother. “You had better not go to-day, you might meet Ndúkis.” [197]
“We will go where we like,” said the elder sister. “We are not afraid; Ndúkis can’t hurt us.”
They started early, but Ndúkis was on the mountain, watching for them. ”

“ There was a considerable quantity of goods stored in Michel Cadotte's storehouse, which was located on the shores of the lake, and some of the most foolish of the Indians, headed by Nig-gig (The Otter) —who is still [4] living—proposed to destroy the trader's goods, in accordance with the prophet's teachings to discard the use of everything which the white man had learned them to want. The influence of the chief Mons-o-ne at first checked the young men, but the least additional spark to their excitement caused his voice to be unheard, and his influence to be without effect. ”