Charles R. Hicks, an intelligent, pious Cherokee, about fifty years old, who had been several years an active member of the Rev. Mr. Gambold's church. He expressed the most anxious wish to have the gospel preached faithfully to all his countrymen.

Talbot. Had he any share in the govern

ment?

Cornelia.

in the nation.

Yes; he was the second chief

Jerome. A kind of Vice President, cousin. Talbot. How many chiefs have the Cherokees?

Cornelia. One in every town, elected by the inhabitants to manage all their concerns. Talbot. Are their towns large or small? Cornelia. They are from fifteen to thirty miles in length.

Talbot. The whole country is not larger than some of the New England States.

Cornelia. It is not much more than one third as large as Maine, which contains thirty two thousand square miles.

Andrew. It is larger than Vermont.

Cornelia. Yes; that State has only ten thousand square miles.

Andrew. How many in Massachusetts ?
Cornelia. Seven thousand and eight hun-

dred.

Jerome.

Where did Mr. Cornelius go,

when he left Chickamaugah?

Cornelia. He went to attend a large Indian council at the Etowee river, distant about seventy miles.

Andrew. Did he go alone?

Cornelia. No; a lad belonging to the school accompanied him as interpreter, and Mr. Hicks attended the council. In about ten days, Mr. Cornelius returned to the station, having had a very pleasant interview with all the members of the council. While on this journey, he laid upon the ground with only a blanket four nights, and two more upon the bare floor of an Indian hut; the Sabbath he was away he spent in the woods with only John Brown.

Andrew. Who was John Brown?

Cornelia. A fine, modest, intelligent youth of fifteen, who attended Mr. Cornelius as interpreter. His father was a chief of influence, and very friendly to the missionaries.

Andrew. What sort of meeting is a council, cousin?

Cornelia. A variety of meetings for very different purposes are denominated councils; an Indian council is composed of chiefs and warriors, who make and enforce laws, rectify whatever is wrong among the people, and de

cide upon the expediency of making war, or granting peace. At Etowee they heard Mr. Cornelius' address with the most profound attention; after he closed, they consulted together, and expressed their approbation in due form. They selected Kun-na-ta-cla-gee, or the Ridge, to proclaim the result of the council; he was a most eloquent man, and spoke in a loud voice, with much animation, standing in the centre of a large circle of chiefs and captains.

Delia. When did Mr. Cornelius leave the station?

Cornelia. He pursued his agency to the south early in November. All the time he remained with the missionaries, he preached as he had opportunity, and took hold of every kind of labor with the greatest zeal, and manifested as deep interest in the prosperity of the mission, as though he had been stationed there for life.

Andrew. What became of him?

Cornelia. He travelled through several tribes of Indians on his way to the south, and while in the Chickasaw nation, he met a party of Cherokees, who were returning from the Arkansas country, with the design of removing their families thither; he conversed

freely with them upon the subject of schools in the new country.

After conferring awhile among themselves, the interpreter said to Mr. Cornelius, ‘They say they want schools badly.'

The Cherokees had been engaged in war with the Osages some time, and on this occasion displayed many trophies of victory. But nothing so deeply affected Mr. Cornelius as a little Osage girl, no more than five years old; when he inquired after her parents, with much self complacency, they presented him both of their scalps.

Nelly came running down the steps into the garden, ringing the bell for tea, and with reluctance the children followed Cornelia into the house unwilling to wait for another opportunity to hear further about the little captive.

CHAPTER II.

Nelly had obtained leave of her mistress to carry the tea things into the garden, and have the family drink tea in the bower the next holiday, and when the time came, all were delighted to find a table and settee in addition to the former furniture. O cousin,' said Delia, 'I am very impatient to hear what became of the little Ösage girl.'

Cornelia. Mr. Cornelius wished the owner of the child to carry her to Mr. Kingsbury's and allow her to remain with the mission family to be educated; after assuring him, that by doing so, he would incur no expense, the man consented; he had paid a horse for his captive, and to prevent the possibility of his ever claiming the child, Mr. Cornelius thought best it should be redeemed, and wrote to Mr. Kingsbury and Dr. Worcester upon the subject, and when he arrived at Natches, a wealthy benevolent lady became so deeply interested in behalf of the child, that she generously paid a hundred dollars for her ransom. Talbot. How long before she was received by the missionaries?