Washington sentinel., 1854-02-28
Gemtral SntelIiafnte.
From the St. Louis Rep ublican, Feb. %.


From the st. Louis Rep ubliean Feb. 20.
Major Gatewood of the Council Bluffs Indian
agency arrived in this city yesterday, in company
with sixteen Indians from the Nebraska Territory,
OF whom fourteen are chiefs and Two interpreters.
These chiefs are of the following tribes: Omahas,
of the second, and three of the latter. The party
are on their way to Washington city, and came SO
far on their Journey by land They leave on an
Ohio river boat tomorrow evening.
The facts, We learn from Major Gatewood are
as follows: He was directed to prevail on the In
dians mentioned to consent 10 a treaty with the
United States for sale of their land and he was
furnished with written powers of attorney. which
he was TO get those Indians TO siga, delegating
power TO their chief TO go 10 Washington city TO
conclude the treaty Major Gatewood could not
succeed with this plan. Probably the Indians had
as little confidcnce in their chiefs as the white
people OF Missouri have in some of their leaders
and public teachers. AT all events, they wanted
10 know something about the treaty their chiefs
were to make at Washington. They wanted
hand in making it. Therefore Major G. failed in
the first scheme. But nothing dannted, he went
TO work like sensible man, and got the next best
thing he could. He got the Indians TO say what
sort OF treaty they would make, and he got the
powers OF attorney signed delegating chiefs TO go
on to Washington, and conclude the proposed
treaty. with authority granted TO the chiefs TO
modify or adapt. the treaty TO the views OF the
United States government This is quite as good
an arrangement as the original one, and it satisfied
the Indians. Ourgovernment ought, and il no doubt
will, be liberal with them The terms of the treaty
agreed TO by them, we think, should be accepted.
They seem 10 us very LIBERAL and we think the
thanks of the country are due 10 MAYOR Gatewood
for the tact he displayed in getting the Indians to
propose treaty, and to send on chiefs 10 con-
clude il. And his agreement with The Indians is
as Justly spoken of as a Gatewood's treaty" as
Gadsden's with Mexico,is Gadsden's treaty.
The Tehuantepec Road.-The National In
teligencer says II would seem by the annexed
letter from the chef engineer, which we find in
the New Orleans papers, that the Tehuantepec
Company are entering on their work earnestly and
vigorously. We presume it alludes to prepara-
tions, in the FIRST instance, for plankroad which,
we believe il is the object of the company imme-
dately to lay down for the public accommodation
until the railroad can be made
MINATTLAN, January 80, 1854.
Colonel A. G. SLoo, President--Dear Sir AS
the mail for Vera Cruz has been detained till after
the ceremony Of commencing, l have only time TO
say that your road was commenced here to-day, at
12 o'clock, in presence OF General Cos, the gov
ernor and generalin-chief Of the Isthmus Of Te-
huantepec, and the principal authorities and in
habitants of Mnatifan.
The necessary certificates will be signed this
afternoon, that by the next mail will be able
to inform you that the works are fairly under way.
the proper documents obtained, and your grant
doubly secure.
he party Oh sykes oG 20. commenced al Su
chill on the 25th instant which fact will be incor-
porated in the certificate of the commencement at
this place. AT all events ! shall see that the
works are carried on as speedily as possible.
will write you fully by the next mail.
In haste, yours, respectfully,
J. J. WILLIAMS.
Chief Engineer Tehuantepec Company
P. S.-The natives handle the pick and shovel
much better than expected shall have from
500 to 1000 men at work during the coming week.
W.
Trial Trip of the Ericsson.-The caloric
ship Ericsson went down the bay from New York
on private trip, on Friday The Journal Of Com
merce says
"The performances of the ship were such as 10
afford the highest degree OF satisfaction The diff
Guilty of making the engines air-tight has proved
to be greater than could have been anticipated;
yet this is being gradually overcome. The wheels
yesterday made six and half turns on very
small pressure, say one-fourth of the maxi
mum pressure, which, Tin the wordss.of one well
qualified to know is intended, and which will be
carried Her cylinders are but sixty inches, in
stead of one hundred, in the Collins steamers;
and 1t is affirmed that with the pressure al
ready attained, supposing she was provided with
cylinders OF the latter dimensions, she might have
been driven with any desired speed. The guam
tity Of fuel consumed on the Trip was insignificant
The time that has yet elapsed since the keel of the
Ericsson was laid is not long as is necessary TO
build an ordinary first-cass ocean steamer"
Loss of Ship COlumbiana. Of New York.
The ship Cornelius Grinnel Fletcher, from Liver
pool arrived at this port yesterday. reports having
had the roughest passage ever experienced. On
Friday, Goth January, at noon III latitude 4So, lon
gitude 32o, saw vessel with the American flag
union down; went to her assistance, and found
her to be the ship Columbana, Of New York, Cap
tain Stahl, from New Orleans, bound TO Liver
pool.
On rounding TO under her lee, sawthat her decks
had been swept, that all her masts were gone the
bulwarks much broken, and the men ashed to the
pumps. The sea at the time was running very
high, so much so that it was impossible to lower
he boat with any degree of safety; consequently
hove the ship 10 under the bare poles until four,
p. m, next day, when, the weather moderatng, we
succeeded in getting boat near the ship, and
hauled the captain, officers and crew, sixteen in
number, into the boat through the sea by lines
made fast around them and from the boat TO the
Cornelius Grinnel in the same manner, which was
accomplished in two trips. The crew were in
very exhausted state from fatigue and exposure
THE Columbana cleared at New Orleans Decem-
ber 81, with cargo of 92S bales Of cotton, 4,56S
barrels flour, 6 casks oil cake, and 5000 slaves.
[N y Tribune, 25th.
From sargcnt's BIufs.-From Mr. Towns
ley, just arrived from the above place, we learn
that early last week company of Sioux Braves,
numbering sc, well armed, had started from that
place for the Omaha country, with sworn deter
mination to annihilate that small tribe. The Oma-
has have entrenched themselves behind huge
brush barricadoes, and expect an attack from the
Sioux. All is excitement and hustle among them,
and we would advise all our citizens 10 stay on
this side of the river. There will doubtless be a
bloody engagement soon between them. Trade
with the Indians dull; winter mild; no news from
the Yellowstone Council Bluffs BngAe, Feb.T
~
Colonel Negrete.-The commandant of Low
er California is thus described by the Commercial
Advertiser:
" He is man well advanced in years, and can
not be less than sixty years Of age. He states
that on the night of the attack of Santa Tomasa
he was stationed at the head Of a neghborng ca
non with forty men, prepared TO make descent
upon the invaders, but, that considering this would
only exasperate them, they RETAINED. The colo
mel says that he is of the many in favor Of the
American occupation of the country, and owning
property on American soil, he will never oppose
their movements. He is low in stature, with a