The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Legend of Goat Island

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: A Legend of Goat Island

Author: Peter A. Porter

Illustrator: Cabell Breckinridge Porter

Release date: September 7, 2016 [eBook #53002]

Most recently updated: October 23, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by David Edwards, Jana Palkova and the Online

Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This

file was produced from images generously made available

by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A LEGEND OF GOAT ISLAND ***

"He wore his Sacred Order's gown,

A long loose robe of reddish brown."

A LEGEND

OF

GOAT ISLAND

Ascribed to FATHER LOUIS HENNEPIN, who visited

Niagara in 1678

BY

PETER A. PORTER

Sketches by C. BRECKINRIDGE PORTER

THE GAZETTE PRESS, NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y.

COPYRIGHT BY PETER A. PORTER 1900

A LEGEND OF GOAT ISLAND

It is told in Indian story,

Dim tradition of the race,

How, to God's eternal glory,

And through His all-saving grace,

Many a warrior's heart was stirred

To belief in His ever-living Word,

And the Faith that saves us all,

By a Priest, whose holy mission

Overcame their superstition

About the Island, which divides

Niagara's tumultuous tides,

At the brink of the mighty Fall.

Here is the story, as 'tis told

In one of the chronicles of old.

'Twas many a year ago, when o'er

The land on Ni-a-gáh-ra's shore

The Neuter tribe held sway.

On its western bank, above, but near,

Where rapids begin, in wild career

Toward the Fall, and down as low

As a bark canoe could safely go,

One of their villages lay.

In that village by the river,

Late one eve, when bow and quiver

Had been laid aside,

And the warriors were sitting

In the silence, deemed befitting

To an Indian's pride,

A stranger in their midst appeared,

Whose hoary locks and silvery beard

Were to their vision strange and weird.

He was a man of giant size,

Which found him favor in their eyes,

As, at his priestly garb amazed,

In silent wonderment they gazed.

He wore his Sacred Order's gown,

A long loose robe of reddish brown,

Across his shoulders, lightly flung,

The cape and cowl backward hung,

Around his waist a rope was twined,

A girdle and a scourge combined;

While from it, hanging loose and free,

Suspended hung the rosary.

He was the first of stranger race

They e'er had met with, face to face,

Though they knew that such-frocked men

Had visited their brethren.

When they saw him, brave and squaw

Viewed him with a reverend awe.

A wanderer, all alone he came,

He bore no weapons, gave no name.

He said his errand was to teach

The glories of the Life to be,

When, after death, men's spirits reach

The confines of Eternity,

And, as he spake in Indian speech,

They listened most attentively.

For he had dwelt for many a day

Mid Indian tribes, far, far away,

And thus had learnt the Indian tongue

From those whom he had dwelt among.

So, sullenly, they let him share

Their fire's warmth and frugal fare,

And then they suffered him to tell

His mission in the way he chose,

Though little cared they what befell

Their souls, so they but feasted well,

And were victorious o'er their foes.

Later on, as they were sitting

In the fire's cheerful light,

Shadows round them weirdly flitting,

As the moon rose into sight,

The stranger asked, in tones of wonder,

Whence that sound of endless thunder,

That dull, reverberating sound

That seemed to shake the very ground?

For answer, came the Chief's command,

"Be patient, you shall understand."

And, knowing Indian nature well,

He waited till they chose to tell.

Later yet, when chill and hoary

Lay the frost upon the ground,

And the moon in all her glory

Bathed in light the scene around,

The Chieftain rose, around him drew

The bison skin of tawny hue,

And signed to the priest to follow.

He led him through a dense dark wood

Where many a lofty pine tree stood,

Then through a winding hollow;

Whence, as they suddenly emerged,

The rushing rapids 'neath them surged

O'er many a rocky ledge.

Taking, down stream, their silent way

Toward the rising cloud of spray,

They reached the Cataract's edge;

And, from a jutting shelf of stone,

Saw Ni-a-gáh-ra, then unknown,

Save to the red man's Race alone.

Earth's grandest sight, conceived to be

The emblem of God's majesty.

Ne'er has the scene which 'neath them lay

Been chronicled aright,

For no one, in a fitting way,

By pen, nor pencil, can portray

The grandeur of that sight.

The Priest, as by the view amazed,

Long at the Falls and Rapids gazed,

But not a word he spoke,

Then crossed himself, as if in awe,

And 'twas a holy sight he saw.

At last he turned him to his guide,

Who stood, like statue, by his side

And thus the silence broke:

"For two years past I've often longed

This wondrous sight to see,

And memory has oft been thronged

With stories told to me

By one, upon whose brow I traced

God's holy Cross, a chief

In whose narration I have placed

An absolute belief.

The glories, which I now behold,

In words, somewhat like these, he told:

'Towards the Sun's ascending beam,

Whoe'er his journey takes,

Will reach a broad and rapid stream

Which joins two mighty lakes.

Midway in this river's course

A wondrous fall is found

Where, with an overwhelming force

The waters, rushing in their might,

Plunge downward o'er a fearful height

With a stupefying sound.

Right at the precipice so steep,

Where the river takes this awful leap,

Is placed an Island, small in size,

But like an earthly paradise,

For lovelier spot is nowhere found

Than this, our Indian burial ground;

Where none, unless with honor crowned,

Can ever be interred.

None but brave men e'er can reach

It's wooded shore and rocky beach,

Whereon the sound of human speech

Is scarcely ever heard.

For on this Isle deep-buried lie

The bones of many a Brave,

And Indian chiefs invariably

Ask this spot for their grave.

Thus it has been, in days of yore,

And it is my earnest prayer,

That, when this mortal life is o'er,

And my soul is on the other shore,

My bones may be buried there.

That Ni-a-gáh-ra's mighty roar

So solemn, grand and deep,

May be my dirge forevermore

As 'twixt its Falls I sleep.'

"Since he told me I've often prayed

That hither I might be led,

And to my vision be displayed,

In its scenic majesty arrayed,

The fairest spot God ever made,

This Island of the dead."

The Chief assented, "All you heard

Was true to the minutest word;

But one more fact I must unfold

Ere all the Island's tale is told,

Note its wondrous situation,

'Tis our Spirit's dread abode;

'Tis a spot that, since Creation,

Coward's foot has never trod.

None but warriors can reach it,

Others, should they dare to try,

So our old traditions teach it,

As they touch its soil, they die."

"All that is false," the Priest replied,

"Whoever taught you that has lied;

Strong words, I know, but justified,

For God alone, who gave us breath,

Has power over life and death."

The Chief declared, "His faith is best

Who dares to put it to the test.

I judge men's faith in but one way,

'Tis what they do, not what they say.

If you believe that you'll survive,

I'll take you there tonight,

And, if you tread its shore alive,

Will own that you are right;

Then, I'll believe in what you preach,

And worship Him of whom you teach."

The Priest responded, "Now 'tis clear,

Why I have been directed here.

Your sacred Island is to be

My means of proving conclusively

To Indian Tribes forevermore

The power of Him whom I adore.

An early proof is all I crave,

For never yet did Indian brave,

Who'd traveled far to deal the blow

Of death to his relentless foe

With greater joy await the hour

That placed his victim in his power

Than I impatiently await

The moment yonder Isle I reach,

And thereby clearly demonstrate

The holy precepts that I teach.

So come, tho' here I fain would stay

My beads to tell and prayers to say,

I'll worship God on the Island's shore

After the test you name is o'er."

A look of wonder and surprise

Shone in the Indian Chieftain's eyes,

His sole reply, "So let it be,

Your death shall pay the penalty."

In perfect silence back they went,

Each on the coming voyage intent.

When the village they had reached,

To where his bark canoe lay beached

The Chieftain turned aside.

(The bison skin, he flung therein),

Quickly he launched it, in he leapt,

And, waiting till the Priest had stept

Into his place, he bade him kneel,

So the bark might ride on even keel,

Then pushed it out on the tide.

Swiftly it darted from the land,

Propelled by strong and fearless hand,

Over the dangerous current flies,

As the Chief the paddle rapidly plies,

Until, the wildest portion crossed,

The frail canoe is no longer tossed

By curling waves, but floats, awhile,

On the quiet stream above the Isle,

Towards whose beach it slowly glides

For weal or woe, as its voyage betides.

The Priest stood up, above his head

The holy Cross he raised,

And the words of the "Misereri" said

As heavenwards he gazed.

The bark meanwhile,

Has reached the Isle,

A moment more,

And the test is o'er.

The Priest stepped boldly on the sod,

To prove the power of his God,

And, kneeling on the shore,

Poured forth a psalm of praise to Him

Whom Cherubim and Seraphim

Continually adore.

Then, rising, he addressed the Chief

Who, sitting in the bark canoe,

Felt more of wonder than of grief

At seeing that his old belief

Was wholly false, for now he knew

That all the Priest had said was true.

"I tread this Isle alive, and show

Your Spirit's boasted power

To be but falsehood; will you now

Fulfill your solemn Chieftain's vow,

And own that God, by whom I'm sent

To teach you, is omnipotent,

In this auspicious hour?"

As by the issue stupefied,

The Chieftain doubtingly replied,

"I little thought you now would be

Alive to claim my fealty;

But further proof you yet must give

Before I can fully agree,

Although you tread the Isle, and live,

You have proved conclusively

That the Spirit I've adored so long

Is powerless, and my worship wrong.

Perhaps that Spirit, seeing you cared

So little for death, your life has spared

Thus far, but if you long remain

On the Isle, you surely shall be slain.

So, if you heed my advice, return."

Haughtily spake the Priest, "I spurn

Your advice, so artfully given.

Daring your Spirit, I have shown

The power of death belongs alone

To Him, who on the great white Throne,

Dwelleth forever in Heaven.

Now, ponder well before you speak,

Then tell what further proof you seek."

Answered the Chief, "I leave you here,

With none to aid you, naught to cheer,

And when tomorrow's sun

Is high in the heavens, I'll come again.

If, then, I find you have not been slain

By my Spirit's might,

For your act tonight,

Your victory will be won."

The Priest replied, "I'll give anew

This proof, that all my words are true;

But, do not come till another day

In its rapid flight has passed away.

When, next, the rays of the setting sun

Illumine the Falls, as the day is done,

Go to the spot where tonight we stood,

Close to the edge of the headlong flood,

At that hour, and at this edge

Of that same Fall, on the rocky ledge

Of the Island's shore, I'll take my stand

That you, and all your warrior band,

May see that I live; and then to show

That faith in your Spirit you disavow,

Kneel down, and there, beside the Fall,

In the name of God, I will bless you all.

Then, at this hour, tomorrow night,

In yonder moon's effulgent light,

Bring your bark to this spot once more,

And take me back to the other shore.

Now go, and leave me, despite your fear,

Alone with my Maker, who led me here."

The Chief, where the quiet waters lay,

Up stream, pursued his homeward way,

To wait the close of another day.

The Priest, beneath those lofty trees,

In adoration fell on his knees.

All night long, on that wonderful sod,

Where never before had white man trod,

He wandered, ceaselessly praising God

For the mercies to him granted.

Oft, in worship he bowed his head,

His beads he told, his prayers he said.

And, 'mid those graves of unknown dead,

O'er whom no burial rites were read,

The "Nunc Dimittis" he chanted.

All next day, in the forest's shade,

In solitude, he watched and prayed.

And that evening, at the hour

When, in lands where Christians dwell,

From each old cathedral tower

Rings aloud the Vesper bell,

The aged Priest his way did wend

Toward the setting sun,

To where, at the Island's western end

The greater waves of rapids descend,

And the swifter currents run.

Adown the slope he made his way

'Mid bushes wet with driven spray,

Until he reached the rocky ledge,

Close to the Cataract's eastern edge.

While he stood there, in the blaze

Of the setting sun's departing rays,

The spray-cloud hovered low,

And, as it settled above his head,

Across it, in gorgeous colors spread,

Appeared the sign of the promise made

By God to man, as the Flood He stayed,

The evanescent Bow.

When the sun in splendor sank

Behind the fir trees tall,

Gazing toward the farther bank,

With a joy no pen can e'er describe,

He saw the Chief and warrior tribe

At the other end of the Fall.

The Chief, who saw him as he moved

From out the forest's shade,

And realized that again he'd proved

The truth of all he said,

Knelt, so the Priest might comprehend

That faith in his Spirit was at an end.

The warriors knelt beside their Chief,

Thus emphasizing their belief.

The Priest was there by God's own will,

A holy mission to fulfill.

His human voice, in that grand roar,

Could not have reached the other shore,

No matter how he had striven,

Yet he spake the Word,

Though it was not heard,

And he raised his hands,

As our God commands,

And lifted his eyes to Heaven;

Thus, in the way the Church decrees

To suppliants, tho' afar, on their knees,

Was the Benediction given.

The Priest was with emotion thrilled,

His mind with sacred thoughts instilled,

And, in imaginative mood,

Again in a holy Church he stood,

(It was three long years since he

Had stept within a Sacristy).

A wondrous Church it was, indeed,

By Nature's changeless laws decreed,

Tho' man reared not the structure fair,

All churchly attributes were there.

The gorge was the glorified Nave,

Whose floor was the emerald wave.

The mighty Fall

Was the Reredos tall,

The Altar, the pure white foam,

The azure sky,

So clear and high,

Was simply the vaulted Dome.

The column of spray,

On its upward way,

Was the smoke of Incense burned;

The Cataract's roar,

Now less, now more,

As it rose and fell,

Like an organ's swell

Into sacred music turned.

While, like a Baldachin, o'erhead

The spray-cloud, in its glory, spread

Its crest, by the setting sun illumed,

The form of a holy Cross assumed.

The vision gone, the Priest once more

Stood, simply on the Island's shore.

Slowly he climbed the bank again,

And into the forest passed,

His body weak with cold and pain

From his long and sleepless fast.

Little he cared for the food and rest

His mortal being craved,

He only thought, how, at his behest,

The Chief and warriors had confessed

Belief in God, and had been blest,

And their souls might thus be saved.

Again, amongst the trees he knelt,

Expressive of the joy he felt.

In worship, loud, his voice he raised,

His tones through the forest rang,

As the ever-living God he praised,

And the "Jubilate" sang.

The twilight passed, but the aged Priest

From his adorations had not ceased;

The darkness came, but his only thought

Was praise of Him whose word he taught;

The moon arose, and found him there,

Still in the attitude of prayer.

But when in the Heavens, high and clear

She stood, and midnight's hour was near,

He rose and went to the rocky beach,

Where alone the Island one may reach.

Soon the Chief, in his birchen bark,

Came swiftly over the waters dark,

And reaching the Island's shore

Cried, "As God's follower, receive

An erring man. I now believe

In Him, forevermore."

As the Priest to meet him came

He said, "Baptize me, in His name."

The Priest bent down to the river's bed

And dipped his hand in the wave,

Then bade him kneel, and on his head

Poured the water, and joyously said,

"Your soul I hereby save.

First convert of the Neuter race,

Upon your forehead, thus, I trace

The Cross's holy sign;

And thereby, as you now believe

In God's omnipotence, receive

You into His Church divine.

And, in the Faith you have confessed,

I bless you, and you shall be blest."

But meanwhile many a bark canoe,

Bearing those Neuter warriors true

Was rapidly coming down the tide,

Along the path, where the waves divide.

As the Isle these warriors reached,

Their frail canoes they safely beached,

Then stepped to the Chieftain's side;

Beneath that grand primeval wood

In awe-felt silence, there they stood.

It was a noble sight, and good,

For the Priest, in his holy pride.

For of the bravest of the land

Was that converted warrior band,

All firm in their new Belief;

And, on this wondrous Island's sod,

Before that holy man of God,

Knelt their baptizéd Chief.

"... The Island, which divides Niagara's tumultuous tides, At the brink of the mighty Fall."

"And, from a jutting shelf of stone, Saw Ni-a-gáh-ra, then unknown, Save to the red man's Race alone."

"The Priest stood up, above his head The holy Cross he raised."

"Thus, in the way the Church decrees To suppliants, tho' afar, on their knees, Was the Benediction given."

"While, like a Baldachin, o'erhead The spray-cloud, in its glory, spread."

"... On this wondrous Island's sod Before that holy man of God, Knelt their baptizéd Chief."

Of this "Legend" 100 copies were printed for private distribution

only. This copy is No. ..............., and is presented to

..........................................................

with the compliments of

..........................................................

coupled with the suggestion that it is not intended

for general publicity.

Transcriber's Notes:

Punctuation errors repaired.

Page 7 gound replaced with ground

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A LEGEND OF GOAT ISLAND ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

A LEGEND OF GOAT ISLAND

A LEGEND OF GOAT ISLAND

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE