Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-16


offer the slightest impeachment their operations and
take prisoners the women and children, whom they hold
in bondage Of the most serye character They are
times absent from their tribes for two years before their
success is sufficient to justify their credabe return
Some of them who have visited their Great Father
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 every thing that relates us aud many of them having
white man. believe the Camanches TO be
the 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 resdes
only subjects the rdcue and he Is set down
whose brain has been turned by the necromancy
of the pae-faces, and is henceorth regarded as wholly
unworthy Of confidence.
| Having upon one occasion Delaware and a Camanche
with me- in the capacity of guides was much diverted
at a conversation which passed between them in my
presence and which was interpreted to me by the
! Delaware.
appeared that the latter had stated to the other the
fact of the spherciy OF the earhs This idea
being altogether new and ncomprehensible to the Ca
manche received with much Incredibly and after
gazing for moment at the Delaware ascertain if he
sincere he asked if that person took him for child
or if he looked like idiot? The Delaware said no but
the white people who knew all about these matters had
ascertained such 10 be the fact and he added that the
world only round but that il round the
sun. The Camanche very Indignantly replied that any
of sense could by looking off upon the praires see
at glance that the earth was level and moreover that
his grandfather had been the end of it. where the
sun passed down behind vertical wall The Delaware
continued in his simple but impressive des
cribe the Camanche the operations CINE
and other objects of interest that he had seen all of
which the Camanche regarded effort of fertile
imagination expressly designed deceive him and the
only reply he deigned to make occasional excla
nation in his language the Interpretation Of which
the other pronounced to be g Hush, you fooli"
then endeayored to explain to the Delaware the opera
ton Of the magnetic telegraph and, in Illustrating its
practical utility told him that message could be trans
mitted thousand miles, and returned in the
short period of ten minutes He seemed much interested
in this, and listened attenyely my remarks but made
no comments until requested him 70 explain it to the
Camanche, when he smilingly said, 81 don't think I'll
tell him that captain; for the truth is, don't believe it
myself"
The mode of life among the prairie tribes, owing
their unsettled and wandering habits is such
der their condition Of constant danger and apprehen
sion. The security of their animals from the
Entertainments Of their enemies, and their constant La
bity to attack makes imperayey necessary for them
TO be at all times the alert. Their herdsmen are
stationed with much regularity the sentnels of
military post and in times OF the profound
peace they guard their animals both night and day while
mounted scouts patrong the neighborng heights
to give notice of the approach of strangers when their
horses hurried to place of security and every thing
made ready for defence.
The in which they salute a stranger is some
what peculiar my reception at of their
campments will show. Their chief was very corpuent
old man, with exceedingly scanty attire who, immediate
approach declared himself great friend of the
Americans and persisted in giving evidence of his
sincerity by embrace, which, to please him. forced
myself to submit although IL far from agreeable
/ to my own feelings. Selling me in his brawny arms,
while yet in the saddle, and laying his greasy
head upon my shoulder he inflicted upon e most brun-
like squeeze which endured with degree Of patient
fortitude worthy of the occasion and cousoling
myself the completion of the sautation, when the
savage again seized in his arms, and was doomed TO
another similar torture with his head my other Shout
der, while at the time he rubbed his greasy face
against mine in the aectionae manner, all of which
proceeding he gave to understand to be regarded
a most distinguished and signal mark of affection for
the American people in general whom as he expressed
he loved much that it almost broke his heart and in
particular for myself Who their representative,
bear testimony to the strength of his attachment.
On leaving his camp the chief shook me heartily by the
hand, telling at the same time that he was not Ca
manche but American and as did disposed TO
be outdone in poiteness by Indian replied in the
same spirit, that there not drop Of AngloSaxon
blood in my veins but that wholly and absolutely
Camanche, at which he seemed delighted, duly under
standing and approaching the compliment.
These people are hospitable and kind TO all with whom
they are not at war and the arrival Of stranger at
their camps lodge prepared for him. and he is
tanned as long he chooses remain among them
They also kind and aectionae each other and
long any thing comestable remains in the camp all
permitted to share alike but with these exceptions,
they possessed of but few virtues Polygamy is
toned, and is very among them, every be-
ing allowed many wives as he can support Their
women are Of low stature il-sbaped and filthy and ugly
in the extreme, while the men are tall well formed and
fine looking.
Many of their children owing unavoidable exposure
die young The boys, however treated with great
and kindness. while the girls frequently beaten
and abused numerically.
OF all the Indians had before encountered know Of
none who had not fondnes for sprituous Ii
quors which unfortunately has every where from the
advent the European this continent been their worst
enemy Those of the prairie tribes have seen say the
taste of such liquor is pleasant that il makes fools Of
them and that they do not desire It. II there are excep
tons to this think they may be set down as Fictitious
rather than natural the appetite having been created by
occasional Indulgence in the Of little at time
The diet Of these people is very simple From infancy
to old age their only food with the exception Of few
wild plants which they find on the prairies, is fresh meat,
of which, in times Of plenty they consume enormous
quantities In common with many other tribes they cam
when necessity demands it, abstain from eating for
raj days without inconvenience and they enabled to
make up at meal the deficiency.
All of them are extravaganty fond Of tobacco, which
they use for smoking mixed with the dried leaves Of the
sumac hhang the smoke into their lungs and giving it
out through their nostris.
Their language is verbal and pantomimic The former
consists of very limited number of words Of which
are common to all the prairie tribes The latter which
is exceedingly graceful and expressive is the court Lam
guage OF the plains and is used and understood with great
facility and accuracy by oil the tribes from the ella the
Columbia the motions and signs express ideas being
common to all
In contemplating the character Of the prairie Indian
and the striking similarity between him and the Arab and
Tartar we are less astonshed at the absolute dssm
ary between them and the aboriginal inhabitants Ct the
Eastern States.
The latter from the time Of the discovery Of the coun-
try living in permanent villages where they cultivated
fields of corn possessed strong attachment for their an
cestra abodcs and sepuchre they did not use horses
always made their hunting and war expeditions foot