Washington telegraph., 1853-12-14
1nhabitants OF the arctic R.s;o,.

rem Capt. McCiure's dispatches to The Rr;t-
Ism hafniraity, We make the following interest,o
| extracts. no interesting
.4aFRst l1th-In the mornina tbe ,ra,.hou
Cleared little and discovered to Us Jones, IsI,'d
an erect piece OF wood on the shore attractad tba
attention OF the officer of The watch: a bo., w.,
sent to examine it, when it appeared to be nieco
| OF driit wood which had been squeezed n, br tbo
ICE ne Saore was strewed with it. and one
spar was as large our mainn1ast and AZ faa4 =;
length. We erected a cairn and left not;.a Ia
the forenoon about 80 natives came off in two
Daldars from whom obtained some fish and
ducks IN exchange for little tobacco They had
oeen ABOUT two months on the coast, and trade
J with the Russian Fur Company
Their surprise. OF course was very praat nar
tcularly at the size of our handkerchie(s the sas
the Whale5oats attracted their attention. and thev
asked II trees grew In our country sufficiently LARGO
to make them. The head man possessed a oi7,
with Barnett. 1sA0'' upon the lock; this he OBJ
tyihed from the Russians. AS fair specimen of
the observation of these people and their aptitude
for trade, the following NAV be takep:-Seene
that we cut the tobacco into pieces to give in ex
change for their fish salmon trout.I thew began
to 90 the same with the fish. This however. we
would not admit so they were obliged TO come to
our terms
During the afternoon, while standing a,ona
low fiat Island. we observed fag "a pair of seal
SKIN lnexpresslbleS) upon lofty pole and num-
Der of natives around it: we stood for them. bnt
when the boats Were pulling in they appeared TO
regret their temerity, for down the seal-skin
and away they ran shortly gaining courage. they
returned, and, as we approached ARRANGED them
selves in line upon the beach. and commenced ex-
tending their arms above their heads (tvpical of
triendship) which being answered from the boats
perfectly assured them of our amicable intentions
Upon landivg they evinced most manly conf
dence rubbing noses. and embracing most viror.
ousiy; these Were very cleany. so that the opera-
ton was hot so unpleasant it otherwise might
have been.
Through the interpreter, Mr.. Miertsbine. we
learnt that these people had never before seen a
European, nor had they the smallest article of
European manufacture about them. Lieutenant
Puilens boats they observed last year brt thew
were some distance off, and consequently had no
communicaton) They live during the summer
months upon these desoate islands and in the
winter retire short distance on the rnairland to
their warmer residences. Their women and tents
were upon another island. They Were fine ac-
tive set Of young men, average height about five
feet SIX inches. These barter their skins &c.
with tribe further west. who, in their turn do
the same with others, until they reach the Rus
sian post upon the Colville
To them intrustel despatch for their Lord
ships. which they promised most faithfully should
be forwarded to the Colvile. made them few
presents, also boats ensign. in commemoration
OF the first mcn-of-war whose flag has ever float
ed in these sterile regions. The muguificence of
the gilt they could not for some time comprehend.
and were loath TO touch it, but at lenght the in
terpTeter made them understand it was sent them
by great chief and in return they were to be
very kind to all white men they met and show it
to them; all this they promised, the chief then
seized 1t in his arms and across the island to
his canoe, followed by the remainder of his tribe.
and no doubt hurried with the joyful tidings to
the women.
Here is account of tribe, met with near
Point Warren. 1t seems they are Maine Law
men:
The chief stated that they were at war with
the neighboring tribes, and had occasional skirm-
ishes with the Indians, that they had no conmun-
lcation with any person belonging TO the Great
River (h;ackenzie) nor had they seen anv white
people befnre; but when the sea freezes (the lat
ter part of ne xt monthl the whole tribe proceed
west and trade with the Esquimaux whom we
had met near Jones' Island. The interpreter told
him that he had found brother in the chief of
ore of those tribes, whose name was Attauwas:
the old chief cla3ped his hands and said he knew
nm well; that he was the great chief he traded
with. and their reason for going such distance.
III preference to the Mackenzie was that the
white men had given the Indians very bad water.
which killed many, and made others foolish
drunk, and that they would not have any such
water; from this it evidently appears that the
company lose annually many valuable skins
which find their way to the Colvile instead of
the Mackenzie. Vineyard Gazette.