James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo. Among his most famous works is the Romantic novel The Last of the Mohicans, often regarded as his masterpiece. | THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS A Narrative of 1757 by James Fenimore Cooper Prepared and Published by Ebd INTRODUCTION It is believed that the scene of this tale and most of the information necessary to understand its allusions are rendered sufficiently obvious to the reader in the text itself or in the accompanying notes. Still there is so much obscurity in the Indian traditions and so much confusion in the Indian names as to render some explanation useful. Few men exhibit greater diversity or if we may so express it greater antithesis of character than the native warrior of North America. In war he is daring boastful cunning ruthless self-denying and self-devoted in peace just generous hospitable revengeful superstitious modest and commonly chaste. These are qualities it is true which do not distinguish all alike but they are so far the predominating traits of these remarkable people as to be characteristic. It is generally believed that the Aborigines of the American continent have an Asiatic origin. There are many physical as well as moral facts which corroborate this opinion and some few that would seem to weigh against it. The color of the Indian the writer believes is peculiar to himself and while his cheek-bones have a very striking indication of a Tartar origin his eyes have not. Climate may have had great influence on the former but it is difficult to see how it can have produced the substantial difference which exists in the latter. The imagery of the Indian both in his poetry and in his oratory is oriental chastened and perhaps improved by the limited range of his practical knowledge. He draws his metaphors from the clouds the seasons the birds the beasts and the vegetable world. In this perhaps he does no more than any other energetic and imaginative race would do being compelled to set bounds to fancy by experience but the North American Indian clothes his ideas in a dress which is different from that of the African and is oriental in .
