The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-08-14
VOL. Vino. 7.

, TIMBER IN the distance. Ardent, SAN
guine, and swift of foot, | shot far
ahead Of the Indians. According 10
my expectations, on reaching the
grove, found herd of buffaloes
lying in the shade. AS soon as I
came within gunshot, | fred and
killed one. All the herd appeared
tardy in starting, and | hastily re-
loaded and fired again, wounding
another. The dogs coming up, at
tackled the herd, when furious fight
ensuing, was forced for safety to
ascend slanting tree, which had
lodged against another. Seated
snugly among the bushes, I enjoyed
the fight finely for an hour or more,
during which time | shot away all
my bullets, killing seventeen and
wounding several others. But after
thus expanding all my means of de-
fence, the herd raging with unceas-
ing fury and madness around me,
anxious to gore and trample me, the
sun declining towards the western
hills, imagine my situation: several
miles from camp, hundreds of miles
from the land of my birth, with not
a human being to sympathize with
nc, thus beleaguered by host Of
enraged wild beasts! The dogs by
their incessant barking and swapping
aggravated the fury of the herd,
which continued paving, tearing up
the turf, and believing like distant
thunder. Another hour passed slow
} ly away, no sign of relief appearing,
the Indian hunters being hid in the
grass as snug as fees in sheepskin.
My situation now became as irksome
as before it had been agreeably ex-
citing. All my buoyant feelings de-
serted me. Sadness followed, sue
ceeded by state of mind almost
bordering on despair. Icannot pic
ture the agony | felt when the sun
was near setting, while the herd
were still expanding their rage in
the furious though fruitless attempts
to dislodge me. At length, howev-
err, they suddenly began to start off.
The condemned criminal could not
hear his pardon with more Joy than
listened to the distant bellowings
Of that herd, faint and fainter still,
receding till totally lost in the broad
: prairie. None nursed in security,
free from peril, can have any ade-
, quate conception of the mental suf-
, fering | endured in that last hour in
t which | was surrounded by my guard
of raging brutes !-Correspondent
Frankfurt ky.) Commonwealth.
II Proposition for Transporting
. a Mail, &C., To Oreg0n.-A propo-
Sition has been addressed to the
: Chairman of the Senate Committee
Oh Post Offices and Post Roads, for
carrying the United States Mail, by
!; ram, from Charleston, South Car
DINA, to Columbia river, Oregon
Territory, via Chagres and Panama.
The proposer, j. NJ. Woodward,
Esq, is ready to enter into con-
tract with sufficient security, to per-
, form this service in thirty five days,
, running time, carrying the mail to
and from Oregon every two months,
for the sum Of one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars per annum, paya-
bic quarterly, and will besides trans.
port on the route Ministers Pleni-
potentiary, Charges d. Affairs, bear
ers of dispatches, and mail agents
of the United States free of charge.
In his proposition he includes also
the following particulars -
| also propose to transport sup
plies of powder, and such other mu.
nitions of war, for the use of the ar
, my and navy, as can be cot across
!, the isthmus, at such reasonable
charge as may be agreed upon. /
will also bind myself to transport
ehigrants to Oregon and California,
at sixty dollars each Storage pas
sengers, including customary pro-
visions, OF water, fuel, bread, &c.
! | also propose to connect with this
mail arrangement a plan for supply
ing the Pacific squadron and the
"Army of Occupation" on that coast
with sailed provisions and bread
stufs as far as the circumstances
of the country will permit) packed
there upon the spot; and which, of
course, will not be liable to the OBJ
lection of being stale, rusty, ard
sour, which so commonly happens
to these articles when sent around
Cape Horn. Thus, not only fur
nishing to the army and navy whole
some articles of food, but to the peo-
pie of Oregon ready market for
their surplus produce, thereby giv-
ing them the means Of purchasing
the fabrics and products Of our own
and other countries.
"In this way" Mr.. Woodward
concludes, "the seeds will be plant
cd from whence shall spring great
commercial, agricultural, and man.