Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

AN INDIAN STORY:
Founded on Fact:
Sombruna was daughter of Norack the brave,
For his years and his courage held high
With hatchets and tomahawks deck'd was his cave;
His sons were all warriors ; and each, as his slave.
Obeyed the least glance of his eye
Sombruna was short, but so graceful her air,
It made the heart throb to behold her :
As ebony black was the shine of her hair.
Her cheeks were tattooed, and the skin of a bear,
Hung carelessly over her shoulder.
Sombruna was happy : for Tonkey, the son
Of a Cherokee chief. young and tall.
Had sigh'd and had knelt, till her heart he had won,
As she sat by the side of the waters that run
O'er the rocks of Niagara fall.
Tho' her Tonkey was kind, tho' he Tonkey was true,
Yet at times he drank deep of the bowl:
One day, overcome by its powers, he withdrew
To sleep off its fumes, in his safe moored canoe,
Whilst Sombruna watched over her lov'd soul.
Her charms, too alluring, a passenger say,
As she trod the green banks of the deep;
And proffer'd his love to the beautiful squaw :
She scorn'd his embraces forbidden by law,
And ran to rouse Tonkey from sleep
Sombruna ran swift, but her speed was in vain,
The stranger ran swifter before.
Loos'd the rope that made fast the canoe to the plain,
Down the stream her dear Tonkey now drifted amain.
Whilst Sombruna wept loud on the shore.
Now, struck with new horror, she utter'd a scream.
As towards the rough cataract's verge
She beheld the canoe gliding down the full stream,
She beheld Tonkey roused, like a man from a dream,
By the thundering roar of the surge.
Tonkey seiz'd his strong paddle, but seiz'd it too late!
All his strength, skill and art, were too slow ;
So he waved a farewell to his agonized mate,
Coolly laid himself down, and submitting to fate,
Was plunged in the deluge below.