The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-23


mails they select and to the panic stricken ranch
ero who fails to make precpitatc retreat, as they
invariable kill such men as oer the slightest imped
ment to their operations, and take prisoners The
women and children, whom they hold Ia bondage Of
the most servile character. They are sometimes abb
sent from their tribes for two years. before their sue
cess is sufficient to justify their credi.abe return
Some few Of them who have visited their Great
Father, at Washington. have gone home strongly
impressed with the numerical power and prosperity
of the whites but the great majority OF the nation,
being entirely ignorant Of everything that relates TO
US, aud many Of them having never even seen
white man, believe the Comanches to be the most
powerful nation in existence; and the relation OF
facts which conflict with this notion by their own
people to the masses Of the tribe at their prairie fire.
Sides only subjects the narrator to rdcue, and he Is
set down as one whose brain has been turned by the
necromancy Of the pale faces, and il henceforth
regarded as wholly unworthy Of confidence.
Having upon one occasion Delaware and CO.
manche with me, in the capacity Of guides, / was
much diverted at q conversation which passed be-
tween them, in my presence, and which was inter-
preted to me by the Delaware.
1t appeared that the latter had stated to the other
the fact Of the sphericy of the earshs surface This
idea being altogether new and incomprehensiblo TO
the Comanche, was received with much ncredulity,
and, after gazing for moment at the Delaware, to
ascertain if he was sincere he asked if that person
took him for a child, or if he looked like an idiot?
The Delaware said No, but the white people, who
knew all about these matters had ascertained such to
be the fact; and he added, that the world was not
only round but that it revolved around the sun. The
Comanche very Indignantly replied that any man Of
sense could, by looking off upon the prairies
see. at a glance that the earth was level;
and, moreover, that his grandfather had been
west to the end of it, where the sun passed
down behind vertical wall The Delaware
continued, in his simple but impressive manner, to
steam engine, and other objects Of interest that he
had seen all of which the Comanche regarded as an
effort OF fertile imagination, expressly designed to
deceive him; and the only reply he deigned to make
was an occasional exclamation in his own language,
the Interpretation of which the other pronounced to
be, "Hush, you fo0l.'
then endeavored to explain to the Delaware the
operation of the magnetic telegraph; and, in illus
trating its practical utility, told him that message
could be transmitted thousand miles, and an an
swer returned, in the short period Of ten minutes.
He seemed much interested in this, and listened at
tentively to my remarks, but made no comments
until requested him to explain it to the Comanche,
when he smilingly said, ~ don't think III tell him
that, captain, for the truth is. don't believe it
myself ysa r,oao !, 70.
to their unsettled and wandering habits. is such as
to render their condition of constant danger and
apprehension. The security of Their numerous ami
mails from the encroachments of their enemies and
their constant liability to attack, makes it impera-
lively necessary for them to be at all times on the
alert Their herdsmen are stationed with as much
regularity as the sentinels at military post; and
even in times of the most profound peace they guard
their animals both night and day, while mounted
scouts are patrolling on the neighboring heights
to give notice Of the approach Of strangers, when
their horses are hurried to place OF security, and
everything made ready for defence.
The manner in which they salute stranger il
somewhat peculiar, as my own reception at one Of
their encampments will show. Their chief was
very corpuent old man, with exceedingly scanty at
himself great friend of the Americans, and persist
ed in giving me evidence Of his sincerity by
an embrace, which. to please him, l forced
myself to submit to- although it was far from agree
oh Ia tn fra1 Gai1i srh u
arms, while we yet in the saddle, and laying his
greasy head upon my shoulder, he inflicted upon me
most bruin-like squeeze, which endured with de-
gree Of patient fortude worthy Of the occason and
was consoling myself on the completion Of the So
lutaton, when tho savage again seized me in his
arms, and was doomed to another similar torture,
with his head on my other shoulder, while at the
same time he rubbed his greasy face against mine
in the most afectonate manner, all Of which
proceeding, he gave me to understand, was to
be regarded as o most distinguished and sig
nal mark of affection for the American people in ge
neral, whom, as he expressed it, he loved so much
that it almost broke his heart and in particular for
myself who, their can beartestimo-
ny to the strength OF his attachment.
On leaving his camp the chief shook me heartily
by the hand, telling me at the same time that he was
not a Comanche but on American; and as did not
feel disposed TO be outdcne in politeness by IN
dian, replied in the same spirit, that there was not
drop OF AnglO-Saxon blood in my veins, but that
was wholly and absolutely Comanche, at which he
seemed delighted: duly understanding and appre-
eating the compliment.
These people are hospitabe and kind to all with
whom they are not at war. and on the arrival OF
stranger al their camps lodge Is prepared for him.
and he is entertained long he chooses to remain
among them. They are also kind and afectionatet to
each other, and as long as anything comestablc re-
mains in the camp, all permitted to share alike;
but, with these exceptions they are are possessed of
but few virtues. Poygamy is sanctioned, and is
very common among them, every man being allowed
as many wives as he can support. Their women are
OF low stature illshaped, and filthy and ugly the
extreme. while the men arc tall, wclliormed, and
fine looking.
Many Of their children, owing to unavoidable ex.
posure, die young. The boys, however, are treated
with great care and kindness, while the girls arc
frequently beaten and abused numerically.
OF all the; Indians / had before encounter
fondness for spintuous liquors. which, unfortunate
", have everywhere, from the advent of the
European on this continent. been their worst
enemy. Those Of the prairie. tribes have
that makes fools Of them, and that they do not de-
sire 1t. II there are exceptions to this, / think
they may be set down as Fictitious rather than natu
raj, the appetite having been created by occasional
indulgence in the use ola little at time.
The diet OF these people is very simple. From in
fancy to old age their only food with the exception
Of few wild plants, which they find the praries,
Is resh meat of which, in times of plenty they con-
sumo enormous quantities. In common with many
other tribes, they can, when necessity demands it,
abstain from eating for several days without incon
venicnce, and they are enabled to make up at one
meal the deficiency
All Of them are extravagantly fond of tobacco.
which they use for smoking, mixed with the dried
leaves Of the sumGc, nhaling the smoke into their
lungs and giving it out through their nostrils
Their language is verbal and pantomimic. The
former consists Of very limited number of words,
some of which arc common to all the prairie tribes.
The latter, which is exceedingly graceful and ex-
pressiye, Is the court language OF the plains and is
used and understood with great facility and accuracy
by all the tribes from the ella TO the Columbia the
motions and signs to express ideas being common
TO all.
in contemplating the character Of the prairie In
dian, and tie striking similarity between him and
the Arab and Tartar, we not less astonished at
the absolute dissimlarity between them and the
aboriginal inhabitants OF the Eastern States.
The latter from the time of the discovery of the
country living in permanent villages, where they
cultivated fields Of corn, possessed strong attach
merit for their ancestral abodes and sepuchres
they did not use horses always made their hunting
and war expeditions on foot, and sought the cover