The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1853-06-14
Capt. Marcy's Adventures---Red River Scenery
Camanche Indians.

which graphic description or that part of tho
country lying between bArkansas andathe
mouptains, and of hhtnefous tribes of the Ca
manche nation of Indians by whom it is occu-
pied, was given. The society having procured
the Chapel Of tho University for the occasion,
arrangements were made for tho admission OF
ladies, aud numerous audience assembled. 1r
Geo. Bancroft, ESQ, president, and said:--
To night ladies and gentlemen, one of our own
members of the United States Navy, will read
a lecture on his investigation of tho Red
river, and who, with the party under his COM
mand, undertook that investigation. ti 10 D.
| Capt. Marcy thcn came forward and COM
menced his lecture by saying that in Submit
| ting paper tn a company of gentlcman so
disiug ,ished as the Geographical Society. he
felt ditfidcnce and want Of confidence in
his own abilities that he never before expe-
rienced. Situated as he had been for the last
twenty years onihe southwestern borders of
their country, and subject to the privations in
cidept TO the life OF a soldier, he bad not the
vanity (and he trusted that il would not be
expected from bim) that he would be able to
produce anything that would either arrest tho
attention,or please tho fancy of an audience
| such as he saw before him. i edi nsi 0aea
He hoped that he would be permitted to re-
mark in the first place. that he had spent much
of his time on the southwestern praries far
beyond the limits Of cvliza,on--a country oc-
cupiod entirely by tho Indians of the plain -
While among them he took occasion TO OBJ
serve their manners and customs. and he
would in the course of what he had to say be-
fore them, relate the observations. Previous
TO last snmmer, while encamped on the Trim
| ity. Brazos. or Colorado rivers, in Texas, his
attention was called to the remarkable fact,
that portion of the largest rivers in the Uni
ted States. and running through that district
remained unexplored up to that time. All the
information that had been obtained with re.
gard to the sources of Red River, had been
derived from the Indians and that was not
very much TO be relied npon. and BY no means
satisfactory. The country around 'ha, river
was, in the sirctest sense Of the word, a terra
incognitia. Several travellers had at various
times explored different parts but none of them
ever succeeded in renching its source.
Capt M. then gave an account Of his jour-
ney along the river, having met with two
forks at two different points, and arriving at
the source on the 10th Of tho following June.
Having given the lattiiude,snd longitude of
the sources, ho went into description of
settlement prairie dogs. which he met with
on one part of the river. In point of numbers
it probably exceeded any city in the world
II was remarkable that these animals. in So
lPCllIlv sltt ItT CllN UtNtT paw tflP IpHSt le-
gard rs 10 the coniicuty of water of any kind:
and from this he formed tho opinion that il
was not necessary to their existence. Hohad
seen them on the elevated table lands ofMex-
leo, where il seldom raned i'm summer months.
and where no dew ever fell. Capt. Nj. then
gave description of tho country about the
Red River. lie never saw anything TO ex-
ceed the magnifcence of the country around
The head of that river. Rocks raising to
such height as TO exclude tho rays oftho sun
towering up i'm the most fantastic shapes
and united, form one of the most picturesque
sights that he ever witnessed. Everywhere
the aspect ofnature was the samc ms at tho
first creation. and rivalling III b'auty and
grandeur Of the mos, beautiful sketches ever
deineated by the hand of tho artist. While
on the banks of the Red River. he heard the
report of his massacre by the Indians. Hav-
inc given graphic description oftho general
appearance of tho country, and its mineral
productions he gave an account ofthe Indians
among whom il had been his lot 10 be cast ar
so long time. The region around the Red Riv-
er was occupied by several tribes Of Indians:
Camanc es in particular. These last are
divided into three branches. the Northen, Mid
die and Southern Camanches. These were
also divided into innumcrable parties, each
commanded by its own chief.
The Northen and Middle Camanchcs prin-
cipay subsist on tho buffalo, and emigrate
with them from place to place. He spoke of
the adaptncss observable in tho human spe-
ces wherever found to the incidents of their
situation. These Indians wander over those
vast plains. and have M wish for the luxuries
aud refinements of life. They want nothing
but the buffalo, which serves them as food,
covering. shelter, &c. Their only ambition is
to cope successfully with their enemy. manage
his steed, and use his bow with dexteritv -
His horse is his favorite companion which he
prizes more than anything else i'm his posses
sion Returning from his eyertinns he is met
at the door by his wives. and he first of all at
tends to the wants of his horse. Ho only oc-
cnpics himself with his chase and war, and
his wives periorm The drudgery. In his ow n
estimation he is the most Independent sove-
reign in the universe. IIc could not, he said,
dismiss this subject without making some re-
marks upon the similarity observable between
these Indians and ihe Arabs. They acknowl-
edge no rule hut the patriarchal. They never
cultivate the soil, and snbsist almost entirely
upon The products of the chase. These peo-
plo buy few articles In fact, their whole
properly consists in horses and mules. and
these they pillage from the Mexicans. A suc-
cessful freebooter is frequently master If n
hundred head of these cattle. They receive
strangers with tho utmost hospitality, and
they regard stealing as perfectly honorable.
An old chief one day told him "thut ho was
father Of four sons. who were as promising
young men os could anywhere be found.-
They are great support in my old age, and
can stcal more than any other men in tho
tribe" They are always in danger and must
be always on the alert. They frequently go
on Journeys of more than one thousand miles,
| NJ pd IapaoJ f,r fbasr optctefnroa an ha
entirely upon tho game which they may kill.
These predatory excursions are principally
made against the Mcxcans; and hiding in
some ambush, they suddenly leap down. with
terrific war-whoop, upon some poor herds
man. and run offwith all bis cattle. They mur-
der all those who oppose them. and carry off the
women aud children as captives. Thcy are
frequently absent or these excursion a year
or moro. Some Of them have visited their