The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-08-08


| some toll Of life, aud a desnltory an,
nccarious existence. will only con
descend In carry his gun. take care
of his horse. and hunt rs neecssit,
may compel him. During tbe tim,
the interpreter was with these In
dians the measles prevailed and car.
ried off great numbers of them, IL
different tribes. They often ex.
pressed 10 him "a very low opinion al
the white people who introduced
this disease amongst them, and
threatened to kill them all. at the
same time observing. thai they
would not hurt him. but send him
home down the Missouri. When
their relations nr children. nf whom
they are passionately fond, were
sick, they were almost constantly
addressing their manitou, drum
ming. and making IA great mise
and at the same time they sprinklej
them with water where they com
planned Of pain and when the In
terrreter was sick. they were perpe-
tually wanting to drum and con
jure him we'll. lie spoke 10 them
of that God and Saviour whom
white people adore but they call.
ed him IA fool, saying that he never
came To their country, or did any
thing for them. So vain we're they
in their imaginations, and their fool
ish heart Was darkened."
The winter is extremely severe in
these attitudes.
" We arc suffering" says the au-
thor. j" great privations at the set
Element. Very little bulTaIoe mca,
has been obtained from the plains
and our principal subsistence is from
grain boiled into soup. Few have
either pepper, salt, or vegetables -
One Of the Swiss was lately frozen
to death on the plains and n Men
ron settler returning to the colony
with n horse sledge Of provisions,
persisted alsU from the severity of The
winter.
Feb. l4.-Iimcs do not wear d:
more favorable aspect, aud most o
the settlers are upon an allowance oi
n pint of wheat each day. Some
times few fish are taken with nets
from under the ice, which are put
down by making holes fifteen 81
twenty feet from each other. and al
fixing the net line to a pole IT this
length, by which the net Is drawn il
the water from one opening e
the other, TIL it is easily Set
The firsh that are caught ar,
Il species Of pike, perch and her
ring called gold eyes, and for which
an oxorbitant price is frequently
paid. The northern Indians angl,
for fish in winter, by cutting r0nnt
holes in the ice about foot or tWu
in diameter, and letting down bait.
ed hook. This is always kept II
motion to prevent the water fro II
freezing, and to attract the fish e
the spot. Immediately after they
take a fish they scoop out the eyes
and swallow them thinking them a.
great a delicacy as the EaropcaI
does the oystor.
"The Sioux like tho Tartars
sometimes offer water rs a symbo
ofpeace and safety 10 a stranger or o
pardon to an offender, which strongi,
c0rroboratcs the idea that they wer'
originally from Asia. Some time ag'
was informed by an officer who hat
numbers Of them under his inlluenC,
in the American war, that n Sioux
Indian WAS doomed to die for an of
fence which he had committed, and
taking his station before the tribe
and drawing his blanket over his
face in expectation of the fatal shot
the Chief stepped forward and pre-
scented some water to him as "A token
Of pardon, when he was permitted
again to Join the party. They con
slider it also as "A very had omen, IN
common with the Tartar9, to cut q
stick that has been burnt by fare,
and with them they conslgn every
thing to destruction, though it be
tlicir canoe, as polluted fit be 5prin-
killed. with the water OF animals. --
And it is a remarkable fact, that
the laws of separation and nnclean-
ness, being forty days for male
child, aud eighty for a female, OBJ
served by these Indians, exactly cor
respond with the Lcvitical law i'm
posed upon the Jews in the birth OF
their children.
" They are truly barbarous, like
the indians in general towards THEN
captive enemies. The following
........,-, ....... al ,,oI.faI o.. me IA y