The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-06 00:00:00

the eye, there is a want of mind—an absence of th(inght
—and an action wholly by itnpul-e, strongly expressed,
and which constantly recalls the simil.rity. A man
who appeared to be a chiet, with two or three others,
forced him,elf into the camp, bringing with hull his
arms, in spite of my order• to the contrary. When
shown our weapons, he bored his ears with his fingers,
and said he could not hear. " Why," said he, " there are
n.)ne of you." Countitlg the people around the camp, and
including in the number a mule which was being shod, he
made out 22. "So many," said he, showing the num-
ber, " and we—we are a great many ;" and he pointed
to the hills and mountains round about.. "If you have
your arms," said he, twanging his bow, " we have these."
I had some difficulty in restraining the people, particu-
larly Carson, who telt an insult of this kind as much as
if it had been given by a more responsible being. " Don't
say that, old man," said he ; " don't you say that—your
life's in danger"—speaking in good English ; and pro.
babl:/ the old Lean was nearer to his end than he will be
before he meets it. Several animals had been necessarily

left behind near the camp last night ; and early in th-e
morning, before the Indians made their appearance several
men were sent to bring them in. When I was begin-
❑ing to be uneasy at their absence, they returned with
information that they had been driven off from the
trail by Indians ; and, having followed the tarcks, in a
short distance they found the animals cut up and spread
out upon bushes. In the evening I gave a fatigued horse
to some of the Indians for a feast; and the village which
carried him off refused to share with the others, who

made loud complaints from the rocks of the partial dis-
tribution. Many of these Indians had lung sticks,
hooked at the end, which they used in hauling out
lizards, and other s►nall animals, from their holes. 'These
belong to the people•who are generally known under the
name of Diggers; and to these I have more particularly
had reference, when occasionally speaking of a people
whose sole occupation is to procure food sufficient to sup-
port existenoe.—Captuiu Freemont's Unifßd States' Ex-
ploring Expedition in Oregon and California.

AN INTERIOR IN THE BACK
WOODS.

Mr. Willoughby looked at the western sun, which was
not far above the dense wall of trees that shut in the
small clearing ; then at the heavy clouds which ad-
vanced from the north, threatening a stormy night ;
then at bis watch, and then at his note-book ; and,
after all, at his predicament—on the whole, an un-
pleasant prospect. But at this moment a female face
showed itself at the door. Our traveller's memory
reverted at once to the testimony of Ledyard and
Mungo Park ; and he had also some floating and indis-
tinct poetical recollections of woman's being useful
when a man was in difficulties, though hard to
please at other times. The result of these reminis-
cences, which occupied a precious second, was, that
Mr. Willoughby dismounted, fastened his horse to the
fence, and advanced with a brave and determined air,
to throw himself upon female kindness and sympathy.
He naturally looked at the lady as he approached the
door, but she did not return the compliment. She_
looked at the pigs, and talked to the children, and
Mr. Willoughby had time to observe that she was the
very duplicate of her husband ; as tall, as bony,
as ragged, and twice as cross-looking. " Mal-
viny Jane !"-- she exclaimed, in no dulcet
treble "be done a-paddlin' in that 'ere water !
If I come there, I'll —." " You'd better
look at Sophyony,-I guess !" was the reply. " Why,

what's she a-doin' ?" " I guess if yLtilook,
see !" responded Miss Malvina, coolly, as she passed
into the house, leaving at every step a full impression
of her foot in the same black mud that covered her
sister from head to foot. The latter was sainted with
a hearty cuff, as she emerged from the puddle ; and it
was just at the propitious moment when her shrill
howl aroused the echoes, that Mr. Willoughby,
having reached the threshold, was obliged to set
about making the agreeable to the mama. And he
called up for the occasion all his politeness. " I believe
I must become an Intruder on your hospitality for the
night, madam," he began. The dame still looked at the
pigs. Mr. Willoughby tried again in less courtly phrase.
" Will it be convenient for you to lodge me to-night,
ma'am ? I have been disappointed in my search for a
hunting party whom I had engaged to meet, and the
night threatens a storm." " I don't know nothin'
about it ; you must ask the old man," said the lady,
now far the first time taking a survey of the new
comer ; "with my will, we'll lodge nobody." Th;s was
not very encouraging, but it was a poor night for the
woods ; so our traveller preserved, and make so bold a
push for the door that the lady was obliged to retreat
a little, he entered, and said he would await her hus-
band's coming. And in truth be could scarcely blame
the cool reception he had experienced, when he beheld
the state of affairs within those muddy precincts. The
room was large, but it swarmed with human beings. The
huge open fireplace, with its hearth of rough stone,
occupied nearly the whole of one end of the
apartment ; and near it stood a long cradle, containing
a pair of twins, who cried—a sort of hopeless
cry, as if they knew it would do no good, yet could
not help it. The schoolmaster (it was his week) sat
reading a tattered novel, and rocking the cradle occa-
sionally, when the children cried too loud. An old
grey headed Indian was curiously crouched over a
large tub, shelling corn on the edge of a hoe ; but
he ceased his noisy employment when he saw the
stranger, for no Indian will ever willingly be seen
at work, though he may be sometimes compelled,
by fear of starvation or the longing for whisky, to
degrade himself by labour. Near the only window was
placed the work-bench and entire paraphernalia of the
shoemaker, who in these renions travels from he use to
house, shoeing the family and mending the harness as
he goes, with various interludes of songs and j k4n4 ever
new and acceptable. This one, who was a little, bald,
twinkling-eyed fellow, made the smoky rafters ring with
the burden of that favourite ditty of the west—
" All kinds of game to hunt, my boys, also th9,buck and doe,
All down by the banks of the river 0-h!-9.
and children of all sizes, clattering in all keys, completed
the picture and the concert. The super table, which
maintained its place in the midst of this living and rest-
less mass, might remind one of the square stone lying
bedded in the hostile', leaves of the acanthus ; but the
associations would be any but those of Corinthian ele-
gance. The only object which at that moment diversi-
fied its dingy surface was an iron hoop, into which the
mistress of the feast proceeded to turn a quantity of
smoking hot potatoes, adding afterwards a bowl of salt,
and another of pork fat, by courtesy denominated gravy;
plates and knives dropped in afterwards, at the discre'ion
of the company. Western Clearings.

SUDDEN DEATH IN A CHAPEL.—A thrilling sensation
was produced at Laura Episcopal Chapel, Bath, on Sunday morning.
During the offering of the prayer for the Parlament, Mr. Joseph
Gregory, one of the occupants of a pew near tae organ, was heard
by those near him to give two deep sighs, and was then seen to
lean hack insensible. An alarm being given by Mrs. Greg.l7, the
pew-opener, aided by Mr. Cottell, of the Market-place Bank, imit e.
diately went to his assistance, and the sufferer, amidst tip intense
sympathy of the congregation, was removed to the lobby at the top
of the gallery stairs ; uttering on the way thither one deep groan.
Both Dr. Cardew and Mr. Chilton, the surgeon, happened to be
present, and they rendered the most prompt medical aid; the latter
apirlied the lancet to either arm of the prostrate body, but with
scarcely any success. In the course of his sermon the Rev. E. Tot-
tenham alluded in appropriate terms to the event, and announced
that the object of the congr, gati•n's solicitude was then an inhAbi-
tvat of caQtter worm. --1/ffite matte•