Meanwhile Heimdall stands up, and with all his force sounds the Ghallar-horn to arouse the gods, who assemble without delay. Odin then rides to Mimir's Well,' and consults Mimir how he and his warriors ought to enter into action. The ash-tree Yggdrasil, begins to shake, nor is there anything in heaven or earth exempt from fear at that terrible hour. The Eser (gods) and all the heroes of Valhalla arm themselves and speed forth to the field, led on by Odin, with his golden helm aud resplendent cuirass, and his spear, called Gungnir. Odin (the All-Father) places himself against the wolf Fenrir; Thor (god of thunder) stands by his side, but can render him no assistance, having himself to combat the Midgard Serpent. Frey (god of peace and wealth and harvest) encounters Surtur (the guardian of Muspell), and terrible blows are exchanged ere Frey falls; and he owes his defeat to his not having that trusty sword he gave Skirmir. That day the dog Garm, who had been chained in the Gnipa cave, breaks loose.

He is the most fearful monster of all and attacks Tyr, and they kill each other. Thor gains great renown for killing the Midgard Serpent; but, at the same time, recoiling nine paces, falls dead upon the spot, suffocated with the floods of venom which the dying serpent vomits forth upon him.

The wolf swallows Odin; but at that instant Vidar advances; setting his foot on the monster's lower jaw, he seizes the other with his hand, and tears and rends him till he dies. Vidar is able to do this, because he wears those shoes for which stuff has been gathering in all ages, namely, the shreds of leather that are cut off to form the toes and heels of shoes. After this, the Loki

1 Well of wit and wisdom, beneath the ash-tree Yggdrasil.

do battle and kill each other, as if by mutual agreement. Then Surtur darts fire and flame over the earth, and the whole universe is consumed,

And like the baseless fabric of a vision

The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve;
And, like an insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind.1

TRADITIONAL SAYINGS OF VARIOUS TRIBES.2

One tribe relates that the earth was formerly molten fire, but after a time this matter became earth; but the fire still comes up out of the centre through the trees.

Originally the sun had nine brothers, all flaming hot like himself, so that the world was about to perish; but . the Coyote slew these brothers, and so saved mankind from burning up. The moon had nine brothers, all like unto himself, made of ice, so that in the night people went near to freeze to death. But the Coyote went away on the eastern edge of the world with his knife of flint-stone, and heated stones to keep his hands warm; then he laid hold of the nine moons, one after another, and slew them likewise, and thus men were saved from death by freezing. The rain is the falling tears of Indians sick in Heaven. It was the tears of all mankind, weeping for the loss of a good young Indian, that occasioned the flood, which drowned all the people except one couple.

The white goose is sacred among the Konkau; they

1 Shakespeare's Tempest, Act IV. Scene 1.

2 California Tribes, by S. Powers.

call it God's Bird. Its name, kó-i, is formed from its cry, kauh. They, and other tribes of the Maidu Indians, make beautiful robes of its down.

occur.

In the speeches of Indian orators there frequently occurs a prophecy of events to follow the invasion of the Whites, in which their entire destruction is made to Among the Modoc Indians there was a belief that their dead were about to be restored to life, and come to their assistance; and that at the same time the Americans would be swallowed up in the earth. This curious expectation prevailed not only among them, states Mr. Powers, but among the Yarok, Karok, Shastika, and in fact all other Northern Californian Indians, as far down as Lower Russian and American rivers, and perhaps farther. The Shastika said a crow imparted to them the information that all their dead were hovering about the top of Mount Shasta, waiting a favorable moinent to descend. The Karok prophets announced that the re-embodied dead of their tribe were already on the march from the East, and that myriads of pigmies were coming to overthrow the Americans.

CHAPTER XVIII.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS.

THE statements of the eminent author of the map here given are important in a general consideration of the character of the Indian people.1

The Indians, as individuals, have preserved a much greater degree of independence than is compatible with a more advanced state of civilization. They will hardly submit to any restraints; and it is well known that the nominal title of Chief confers but little power, either in war or peace, on their leaders, whose precarious authority depends almost entirely on their personal talents and energy. Yet we find the nominal dignity of chief, sachem, mingo, or king, to have beenbut with few exceptions amongst all the Indians—not only for life, but hereditary. But another institution, belonging to all the southern, and of which traces may be found amongst the northern nations, deserves particular consideration. Independent of political or geographical divisions, that into families or clans has been established from time immemorial. At what time and in what manner the division was first made, is not known. At present, or till very lately, every nation was divided into clans, varying in the several nations from three to eight or ten, the members of which respectively were dispersed indiscriminately throughout the whole nation. It has been fully ascertained that the inviolable regulations

1 An extract from a Synopsis of the Indian Tribes in 1830, by Hon. Albert Gallatin; vide Archæologia Americana.