The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-05-06

shield, and occasionally gun. Thus prepared, a
! they start on journey Of thousand miles or "
more, through perfectly wild and desolate o
country, dependant wholly upon such game
as they may chance to find for a subsst- III
ence. f
They thus make their way to the northern f
provinces of ofMexico, where they lay in waiting, o
near some hacienda, until favorable "
opportunity offers to sweep down lpon h
solitary hcrdsman and, with the most terrific p
and unearthly yells, drive before them the {
animals they select; and woe to the panic t
stricken ranchero who fails to make a pre-
cipitate retreat, as they invariably kill such
men as offer the slightest mpediment to their il
r operations, and take prisoners the woman and
children, whom they hold in bondage OF the
most servile character. They are sometimes
absent from their tribes for two years. before t
their success Is sufficient TO justify their
crcditable 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
q majority Of the nation, being entirely ignorant
of every thing that relates to US, and many of
/, them having never even seen white man,
DcheNc CdlndnCHeb W ue IHe IlOSI pOWcIiui
IS nation in existence; and the relation of facts !
II which conflict with this nation by their own
!. people to the masses of the tribe, at their
Of prairie fresides, only subjects the narrator to
ii ridicule, and he is set down as one whose
m brain has been turned by the necromancy of
o. the pue-faces, ard is henceforth regarded as
" wholly unworthy of confidence.
ut Having upon one occasion a Delaware and
of Camanchc with me, in the capacity of guides,
was much diverted ata conversation which
is passed between them, in my presence, and
to which was interpreted to me by the
he Delaware.
mr. 1t appeared the latter had stated to the
to other the fact Of the sphercity Of the earths
m surface. This idea being altogether new
rst aud incomprehensible to the Camanche, was
rec received with much incredulity, and, after
die gazing fora moment at the Delaware, to
ion ascertain if he was sincere, he asked If that
ess person took him for child or if he looked
nor like an idiot! The Delaware said no, but
.hc the white people, who knew all about these
him matters, had ascertuined such to be the fact
Ire and he added that the world was not only
,ich round, but that it revolved round the sun
ries The Camnnche very Indignantly replied thai
hat any man of sense could, by looking off upoI
in the praires, see at glance that the eartl
linz was level; and, moreover that his grandlathe
God had been west to the end of it, where the SUI
tanI passed down behind a vertical wall. Th'
the Delaware continued in his simple bu
nd impressive manner to describe to th
in Camanche the operations of the steam-engine
kes and other objects of interest that he had seen
self all of which the Camanche regarded as al
and effort of fertile Imagination, expressly
in designed to deceive him; and the only repl,
the he designed to make was occasional excla
is nation in his own language, the Interpretation
,ar- of which the other pronounced to be "Hush
ed you fool"
Use then endeavored to explain to the
can Delaware the operation of the magnetic
lie telegraph; and, in illustrating Its practlca
nto utility, told him that message could be trans
oc- mtted u thousand miles, ana IN answer
ON, returned, in the short period of ten minutes
of He seemed much interested in this, and
to listened attentivey to my remarks, bu
iric made no comments until requested mn
,cs, to explain it to the Camanche, when he
his smilingly said, 81 don't think I'll tell hin
,ws that, captain; for the truth is, don't believe
and it myself"
Wn Inc mode OF life among the prairie tribes
IL
habits, is such as to render their condition
the one of constant danger and apprehension
the They security of their numerous animals from
to the encroachments of their enemies, and thcil
of constant liability to attack makes il imperative
the " necessary for them to be at all times on the
n alert. Their hcrdsmcn are stationed with as
cir much regularity the sentinels of n military
The post; and even in times of the most profound
Al, al, l.. a. >I..l,
,rs. and day, while mounted scouts are patrolling
till on the neighboring heights to give notice oi
ere the approach Of strangers when their horses
are hurried to place of security, and every
he thing made re ady for defence.
of The manner in whis they salute n stranger
he is some what peculiar, as my own reception
cy at ono OF their cncampments will show.
Tor Their chief was very corpulent old man,
he With exceedingly scanty attire, who, immediate
is ly on our approach, declared himself great
lot friend of the Americans, and persisted in
es giving me evidence of his sincerity by an
mt embrace, which, to please him, forced myself
nd TO submit to although it was fur from agreeable
en- to my own feeling. Seizing me in his
nd brOwny arms, while we were yet in the saddle,
and laying his greasy head upon my shoulder
ms he inflicted upon me n most bruinlike squeeze,
ed which endured with a degree of patient
ng forttudc worthy of the occasion; and | was
IN consoling myself on the completion of the
to saluiation, when the savage again seized me
in in his arms, and | was doomed to another
~ similar torture. with his head on my other
n, shoulder, while at the same time he rubbed his
% greasy face against mine in the most af. |
ir ectionate manner, all of which proceeding, he
n, gave me to understand, was to be regarded as
le a most distinguished and signal mark of af-
le lection for the American people in general,
re whom, as he expressed it, he loved so much
that,it almost broke his heart. and in particular
le for myself, who, as their representative, can
ir bear testimony to the strength of his
Is attachment.
~ ~" 's"'ug nis camp the CnIeI snooK me |
ln hnnriilu hu Tho Inn inllin1. IL