The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-03-16
Correspondence Of the Dispatch.
Some Acroantof an Overland Trip 10 Ca,
2 fornia in 1919.
ToLERsyILIE, Louisa County, D
b Z. g. .-sr5 1akL NSu-SL

| Being on a visit to this county, famed il
times past for the richness Of its Gold Mines
and now most noted on account CT its annua
yield of the finer qualities of tobacco ant
good wheat, accidentally met with Mr. Ro
bert Hart native of this county, who per
mitted me to take glimpse at a diary, KEEP
| by him during an excursion overland 10 Cali
fornia, in the year ls49, continuing through 9
| period passed by him digging for treasure in
the California Gold Mines, and down to the
| time of his safe arrival back to his family
with pocket full of rocks ih IT
AS MIR. Hart allowed me to make q few ex
tracts from his daily journal, send them to
you, with the request, that. if deemed wOr-
thy, you will give them place in the columns
OF your paper, which find is highly appreei-
ated in these parts and has the reputation OF
giving the most reliable reports of the Rich
mond Market for tobacco and other great sta
| ples of this thrifty community. a-s
1t should be borne in mind that the entries
OF Mr.. IT,, in his diary, were often made when
he was not only .weary and heavy laden, y
| but harrassed on all sides by hostile Indians,
and suffering the most severe hardships and
privations. Mr. III. ridicules the idea of con-
structing Railroad to the Pacific, or of at
tempting to do so, until the hundreds of tribes
OF hostile Indians on the route are extermi-
mated, and the immediate country becomes
in ameasure cultivated and improved by our
own citizens. -
The public generally will, beyond question,
agree with him in this rational view and no
doubt pronounce the recent demonstration of
Col. Benton, backed as it appeared to be by
the "s0lid men of Boston," rank humbug.
Mr.. H., as well as myself, lay no claim to IL
ferary requirements, being of humble origin
and not an "F. +. "" consequently his
way-side notes bear evidence of having been
written by hand unaccustomed to welding
the pen, but perfectly at home in performing
the laborious exercises of muscle, sinew and
bone, required in digging gold, guiding the
plough and telling forest monarchs.
Ertrocts from Diary Of Robert Hart, OF To-
lerSDille, Louisa County, Va.
"JULY Goth, 1s49.-This day arrived at a
settlement of the Pinos and Cocomaricopos
Indians, IN the South Western part of New
Mexico. These people contrast most favorably
with the thleving Apaches and Yumas, who
border them on both sides and are not only
hostile to the whites, but make war continu.
ally upon their neighbors, the hospita BILE and
truly worthy tribes above named The Yu-
mas and Apaches, like the Camanches or
wandering Arabs of America, live wholly by
plundering industrious neighboring tribes,
and great is the pity that our government has
not ere this seen the necessity of establish
ing military station in their vicinity, for the
protection of the friendly and far more than
semi civilized Pinos and Cocomaricopos red
men, who cultivate the soil, raise extensive
crops of corn, wheat, melons, &c have large
droves of cattle, aid live like good christian
people-ceschewin1g polygamy and all other
kinds OF lmmOrallty-are chaste and virtu-
GUS in the extreme, and afford most remar-
kable instance of tribe of Aborigines pos
sessing refined ideas of civilized life Their
honesty may be appreciated and understood
by relating simple circumstance that occur
red during our stay among them. One of
our party had carelessly left some spoons
on the ground where we had eaten din
ner, and an Indian child, not more than
five years ofage thoughtlessly took away one
of them. The spoon was missed by our
companion, and enquiry made as to what had
become of it. The old chief ordered his
men to search for and find it, and they soon
came running towards US, bringing with them
the unfortunate little fellow who had carried
away the lost spoon, and upon whom the old
Chief and his men were with much difficulty
prevented from int1icting severe punishment
They manifested the utmost horror of every
thing bordering upon an act of theft or lewd-
ness, and related to us what had transpired
only few days previous to our arrival
They said party of our cOuntrymen, of bad
character came to their settlement, killed
one of their hullocks without their consent,
and attempted to violate several of their wo-
men, and that, fortunately, another company
of good countrymen came there, just in time
TO prevent the bad men from accomplishing
their wicked designs that the good men tied
the bad ones to trees, whipped them soundly,
and then drove them away. These and many
other like occurrences satisfied us that they
were people actuated by the most hOnora-
BILE and virtuous principles, and at heart
were naturally good and well meaning in
|. every sense of the term, and in every way
deserving the fostering care and protection of
our government Their features are finely
| marked, foreheads well developed, and they
have prominent and handsome noses. Their
countenances wear an honesty and frank
| ness of expression, that would grace the
| most worthy citizen of our Republic
| In size they are what would be call
ed large, with athletic and symmetrical
| limbs. l could not but say to myself, here is
field for missionaries to reap rich harvest
ofimmortal souls. l hope and trust these de-
serving people may soon be visited by
| preachers of the true gospel, and teachers of
| the best modes of agriculture in that arid
country, where on the 28th of July, '49, the
| thermomt ter ranged from mid forenoon till
| mid afternoon at les degrees. The person
| who acted as interpreter for us, and who
spoke very good English, was runaway
negro from the United States. They keep a
constant guard or look out on the surround
| ing mountains, and ON the approach of their
| enemies, the Apaches and Yumas, the alarm
| is given by signal fires, when the able bodied
| men fy to arms, seize their war clubs, and
present an unbroken front to their invaders.
| They literally club the Apaches out of their
| dominions, and al times slaughter many of
| those marauding villains"
Omitting dates, win add brief extract
| from his diary while returning across Cen
| tral America 4" Passed this day among the
| Ninnedees, nation or race of dwarfs, few
| of whom exceed four feet six inches in height
and all of whom seem to be moderate in in
tellect as well as statue. They constitute a
part of the Province or State of Nicaragua
| situated on the route across the continent
| between the cities of Leon and Granada. -
| The streets of their principal town are regu-
| larly laid out, and eVinee a medium share oi
taste and pride on the part of these singular
specimens of human or two handed nature
Their houses are constructed of large cane
or bamboo, and thatehed with palm leaves
| and the outer skins or husks of plantain and
banana trees. They have a remarkaoi
species of gourds that grow upon trees fifeen
or twenty feet high and when the trees are rs
| filled they resemble pear trees eroWdeu win