Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-04-08
The Rea River Expelition.


The following extracts are from an interesting
paper read before the American Geographical ana
Statistical Society Of New York, by Capt A. B.
Marcy, U. S. A. Who vas ordered by the War Dee
partmcnt, last year, to explore Red River to its
sources:
The country embraced within the basiR of the
upper Red river is much freGented by several tribes
OF Indians, all having similar habits, but speaking
different languages. The most numerous and war
like of these the Comanches, who separated
into three distinct local gra:d divisions, fiahely-.
the Northern Middle, and Southert Each of
these is subdivded into several bands, Commanded
by separate chiefs. The Northern ana Middle Com
anches subsst almost entirely on the flesh of the
buffalo, and are generally found at their heels mi:
grating with them from place to place. oh those vast
and inhospitable plains, which cannot, in the ma
ture of things be made available for agriculture
and they seem to be destined in future, as they have
been in former ages to be the empire of the GRATIS
savage.
situation he may be placed, is Influenced in his
modes of existence, and moral condition, by the
tural resources of climate, soil, and other crcum-
stances around him, the operations of which he
has no control Fortunately, such is the fexibiiity
OF his nature, that he soon adapts himself TO the
hardest and most untoward circumstances. and, in
deed, ultimately becomes not only recOncied to his
o but fancies his condition far preferable to that Of
most others. he example OF border settlers is
illustrative Of this fact, since they continue to
move further and further West as the settlements
incroach upon them, preferring life of dangerous
adventure and solitude to personal security and the
comforts and enjoyments of society5 and What was
first necessity to them, becomes in time q source
of excitement and pleasure.
The nomadc Indian of the prairie demonstrates
the position still more forcibly. Free as the bound!
less plains over which he roams he knows wants
any luxures beyond what he finds in the buffalo or
the deer at his door. These serve HIM for food,
clothing, and covering for his lodge and he sighS
not for the distinctions which occupy The thoughts
and engage the energies of civilized man. His Only
ambition is that he may cope successfully with his
enemies in war, and manage his steed with unfalter-
ing adroitness He in the saddle from boyhood tn
old age and his favorte horse is his constant COM
panion. 1t is when mounted that the Comanche ex-
hibts himself to the best advantage; he is then
home d his skill in the various manoeusres which
be makes available in tattle such ds throwing hnr.
self entirely upon side Of his horse and dis
charging his arrows with great rapdity in the op-
poste direction, from beneath the animals neck
while he is at full speed, is truly astonishing Every
warrior has his horse, which is the feetest that
can be obtained He prizes him more highly than
anything else in his possession, and it is seldom that
he can be induced to part with him at any price
He never mounts him except when going into battle
for the buffalo chase, upon state occasions. On
his return from an excursion he is met at the dor
of his lodge by Of his wives, who takes his
and attends to its wants with the utmost TIE
prairie warrior performs no menial labor his only
occupation is in and the chase His wives. who
are but little dearer to him than his horse, do n
the drudgery. He follows the chase, he smokes his
pipe, he and sleeps. and. thus passing his time
in his own estimation he is the most lordly and r
dependent of sovereigns
Having upon occasion Delaware and Com
anche with me, in the capacity of guides, was
nuch diverted at conversation which passet he
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 sphercity of the earth's surface
This idea being altogether new and incomprehensi-
bic to the Comanche, received with much in
credulity, and after gazing for moment at the
Delaware, to ascertain if he was sincere he asked if
that person took him for child, if he looked like
an idiot The Delaware said no. but the white
people who knew all about these matters, had
certained such to be the fact; and he added. that
the world not only round, but that it revolved
around the SUM-
The Comanche very Indignantly replied, that any
man of sense could by looking off upon the prairies
see at glance that the earth level and. more
over, that his grandfather had been west to the end
OF il, where the sun passed down behind vertical
wall. The Delaware continued. in his simple but
impressive manner to describe to the Comanche the
operations of the steam engine. and other objects
OF interest that he had seen all of which the Com.
anche regarded effort of fertile ina gination
expressly designed to deceive him and the only re-
ply he degned to make was an occasional exclama.
ton IN his own language, the Interpretation of which
the other pronounced to be, g Hush, you foolr'
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
tentivel7 70 my remarks, but made no comments un-
til requested him to explain it to the Comanche,
when he smilingly said, II don't think I'll tell him
that captain for the truth is don't believe it N.Y.
SELF"