Cirrus@Austlit

Author's note: 'The blackfellow, as I remember him, in my very early boyhoood days, was of stature tall and imposing, and in muscular and physical development robust and well-proportioned. With rum and gun, and more effectually by enforcing upon him our modes and habits of dress and living, we have so "improved" him that he has now nearly come to the vanishing point of racial existence. As neither a Longfellow nor a Sigourney is likely to arise among us (nor even a Fenimore Cooper) some one should undertake the task of doing something in the way of sentiment or romance. As the descendant of a brotherhood of Missionaries from the Fatherland (who only became agriculturalists and pastoralists after they had vainly done their best to christianize the savages) it may not be out of place for me to leave behind some record (romance it may be, but it is really historical) of the primitive race now fast passing away.' (From Preface)

Author's note: 'I may mention here that my unpublished poetry includes a much larger array of compositions than here given, which I must exclude from this collection, but which I fondly hope may see the light some day. The immediate prospect before me is the putting into form a few autobiographical sketches under the description of "Career of a Cornstalk." The carrying out of this will, however, depend upon health and the all-important consideration of means."

Content indexing in process.