New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-06-19
Caiifsrnia Enisrssss-rAe ssuth.weStsru
Indians, their Country and Cesditieu.
We bud IN NE HoIg SPrfEgs INiss Gafefif.
the following letter dated.

Indians, their Country and Condition.
We End in the Hoily Sprays Miss, Ga-etse.
the following letter dated
LITTLE REyrs Sxxf~orx NATION April ..
DxAs GArxrrx; After q close chase track Of TIE
Elephsn, fog the Sst two week. have reached th.s
point whcn Is uesr two hundred miles west Of Fort
smith Most Of the road thus far has been the worst
il has ever bccn my fortune to travel Il Wa no
thins unusual 70 ten Or dozen wagons mired down
Ia les than bali mile. and portion Of the road wa
a. hoeey ,hs, IL necessary % unhiich the mules
from our wagons and drag them through ~ man
strength The road something better. our COM
DAny HAVING ahandonei The road cut cat - Govern
rient sni taken AZ Old trsce leading 20 The Great Plains
Nhich sre row but lew days ahesd Of as ia car
uP from fori smith 20 this int on the ian We nsd
oonsidersoe snow storm our tent esins covered VIA
isrge fskes We have hSi seversl heavy rams. IA a
dinon 20 the snow and iross which produced cons'd
cradle colds IN camp but al appear 70 b. vel OF them
pu'scnt
In travelling thus far have passed through the Che
rokeC, Choctsw. ChickAssw, Greek and Seminole IA
tons Suo and that many 81 these wandering tribes Of
the family Of Adam in advanced STATE OF i'm
provernent and civilization Nsny OF them appear
be- engaged agricultural pursuits. and siucnt
and easy Circumstances appears ths nature. in The
Arrangement 81 the country In possession OF the
tribes ct Indians trying her best 10 MAKE place
for abode. part OF portion Of which could ~
objected a. by fault fndng man The rivers, the
valleys the prsrics and the mountains. al appear 10
have heen plsnncd BY dame Nature 10 assist man IN
contemplating the works OF Him who rs snd governs
al things and preparing him for the euioymen, OF nat
bliss which promised only % The true and faithful be
yond the grave
Uncle sam. in giving this splendid country for the
country OF these tribes East OF the Mississippi got
badly cheated. Snd would give the smsl por.
on have seen in my travels this place for all they
owned our side OF the Big Drunk they call The
Mlss.sipp River
The Choctsws. from what | could earn In passing
81 r.ft,p
ration than sny OF the tnbcs our route. They
have large number OF SCHOOLS interpreted through
out their whole country and many OF the Indians are
men Of good. practical English educsions They pub
ish respectable paper n noakvile IN the Nation
portion in the Choctsw language and the balance in
English They have code Of laws. which they ngidly
enforce. can bear testimony day alter We
ed terry through thsr Nation, two Indians were tried
before one of the Chiefs, tor horse stealing found
guilty and stripped. tied up. and given 40 lash's well
laid their NAKED backs the whole TRANSACTION oee1
pyng about ~ hours The poor fellows were almost
dead when released. and taken 20 the tent OF
humane Californian. and their wounds whi,h were
CHASTITY for the whip, rubbed over with sweet OIL
They appeared grestiul tor the kindness OF the Cahor
mans but bresihed vengeance against the Chief and
Sheuf.. IL would have amused you, w. Od;cf@ 70
have the imperturbahlc old chief Win suck
scoring the stripes, ~ they were gwen N ~ ne
caused the sheriff halt moment, and then or Tered
HIM % lay ON ten more tor good measure Sueh Is the
summary mode of Indian Justice.
The Cherokocs ~ nation. are not A. lar adv Anced
I 4
found many refined and well educated halt breeds and
quarterunss among them.
The Chi,k asaws We saw but little Of We passed
through but small portion OF their country lhey,
however appear 90 be- rapidly improving IN agtcuitu'
raj pursuits Their country, however, is the Inost de-
lghriul on the globe.
The Creeks and seminolcs powerful tribe, mus
terng probably eight ten thousand warriors They,
too are improving rapidly in all that teuds TO peace of
civilization some of the largest and most athletic men
have ever seen belong 90 these tfiscs Government
building mission near North tsnadinn when
Will cost SjOOoO and IN few years All OF the uibes
whose country have yet Travelled through VIII hsNe
abandoned the rowing lite OF the Red Man and settled
down ON their rich and terrible bottoms and prAfes az
an agricultural people Many OF those whose hnis We
passed on the road are am informed strict ob.e'ver
of the sabbath others still work on that day The In
dans appear remarkably peaceaole ana tHendy, ana
could WHISKY that bane of all social happiness and that
DESTROYER the Red Man he kept out OF the Nation, IN
few wears a man might travel through all the tribes.
from Fort Smith TO the Pacific, without tear or moes
taton IL Il only when drunk, in their drunken rev
els that they commit depredatOns against tho White
Man and how could we expect anything better from
savage when the Of articles m ikes very de-
mons Of the most refined and civilized
Several OF the Cemanches have been down 10
trading post near this place ind state that they are dis
posed be- friendly and trade with us on our route
A We have nothing to trade We shall treat them win
All due ciyiity, but watch them closely as they are
great thieves we'll as murderers.
Our teams IN good II not better order thSn
when we LETT, AS has been generally very cheap
during our trp sometimes but two dimes per bushei
From this point shall hnd more corn, ~ the
Csmanches raise nothing
In leaving Fort Smith our company, which then
numbered 100 men, started ON the road aiey cut out
by uncle Sam. but after travelling that Tor two weeks
and getting but 80 miles from the Fort 80 OF us cut
through the mud 10 the old road where found II 90
much better that hsye 0utraveled the rest OF our
company. and are fearful they will not oysrtaks us
again We travel under strict military discipline keep
ing guard OF IS out every night We have lost none
Of our teams although numbers OF others have been
less fortunate. -
our company at present consists Of 20 men, 70
OF whom are well educated refined and honora-
Bile gentlemen We have lawyers doctors, printers,
dentists, dsguerreotypsts, landscape painters gun.
smiths blscksmths wsgOBers and all oter usdss ana
professions in company. The consequence 49, Inc
company being composed Of such good material gener
ally, get along without the peace and harmony OF
the same being Ina ths least disturbed. Many other
companies have become disorganzed and scattered.
We calculate resting every Sabbath, and having
two good preachers along We will have preaching reg
ulary. Ny next, probably, will be from santa re or
San Francisco. Adleu, r.