, 1857-11-06

if with a knife. His wife, two children
Mr. and Mrs Corliss, escaped out of til,
back window and fed into the woods. Be
fore they could procure assistance, the la
dians made their escape, taking with then
their bloody trophy This murder is the
more remarkable, as Col Ely had Away,
treated tue Northern Indians with The
greatest hospitality. Itissupposed to have
been induced by the killing of party o.
the same tribe some time ago by the Mas
/, sachuSetts. The Indians are never know
to forget an injury, and they have proclaim
ed their intention of having the head of q
white I5ec for every man Of their tribe
killed by the whites. When the news
reached Port Townsend, seventeen of the
\ Northern Indians of different tribe were
taken and imprisoned in the blockhouse,
from which, however, they made their es.
cape, by the connivance of the guard
Some of them were afterwards killed by a
party of Col. Fitzhugh'S Indians
No steps have yet been taken by the mil
itary authorities to capture and punish the
murderers; and, as they live in the Russian
possessions, it is not likely that they will
be molesied The arrival Of the steamer
Constitution about this time gave some con
fdence to the settlers; but that vessel is too
large, slow, and unwieldIy for purposes Of
Indian warfare. 1t is not thought that she
will run more than six months, there being
neither trade nor travel enough to support
her. even with the aid of Il mail contract.
From Eby's house, proceeded across the
Island on foot, aud took canoe at Penu's
Cove. The Indian men had all gone away,
and here the party had 10 hire three wo-
men to paddle them as far as Oak Harbor,
where a number of the Scadget tribe are
located. These were in q very bad condi-
ton-snffering much from sickness, and
with doubtful prospect of, subsistence du-
ring the winter.
Returned to Port Townsend and took
steamer Constitution to Seattle-thence to
Steilacoom and Olympia. Crossed from
Olympia in a canoe to the Squaxon reser-
vation, IL miles distant on Klatchemin ISL
and at the entrance Of Budd's Inlet
Several Indian houses have been erected
here, but no Indians are living in them at
present. A small patch Of ground has
been cultivated, and a blacksmith shop and
school established under the treaty Of
Medicine creek. No progress has been
made in educating the children, it being
impossible to enforce attendance; and
apart from this, where presents have been
made to induce the children to attend, they
unlearn by night what they learn by day.
To carry out school system with the In-
dians, they must be wholly separated from
their parents and families; otherwise it is
farce to attempt to teach them the arts
Of civilization.
So long as the Indians are fed and clio.
thed at Government expense, and paid for
working for themselves, they will no doubt
remain quiet; but no ultimate benefit can
result from the Reservation system, unless
the young Indians are taken away and
trained up under better influences than any
they are surrounded by at these places.
Having visited all the tribes on the
Sound, and thoroughly Investigated the
accounts of the Agents, and inquired from
every source into the origin and causes Of
the war, the conclusion was irresistible that
the treaties ought to be ratified; that an
other war may break out at any time if
something is not speedily done TO concen-
trate aud pacify the Indians.
1t is grossly unjust to charge the people
of Washington Territory with having com
menced q war Of plunder against the pub
lie treasury. This war was forced upon
them, and had long been designed by the
Klckitats, Yakimas and Walla Wallas be-
fore the treaties made by Gov. Stevens.
The country is now waste aud desolatc,
and has lost a valuable part of its popula-
ton. The war debt, as allowed by the
Commissioners at Vancouver, amounts to
about a million aud half, which will not
pay any thing towards the damage done to
property, AMI the almost total destruction
Of all the business interests of the Terri
tory.
Mr.. Brown has obtained indubitable
evidence of the existence Of combination
between the tribes east and west of the
Cascades, as far as Southern Oregon, ia
kill the whites by one united effort, long
prior to the Council at Walla Walla, and
preceding the Rogue River war of 1858.
Proceeding from Washington Territory
through Oregon, the party, after journey
of several days, reached the Grand Ropde
Reservation situated 80 miles from Salem
and about 25 from the coast. Here they
called q council Of the principal chiefs, and
held long talk over the affairs Of the va
rious tribes. Here are collected about oot
) thousand Indians, comprising a small part
, of the Rogue Rivers, the confcderatec
tribes Of Umpquas aud Calapooyas, thl
: Moleallas, WilIamettes etc. Only abou
/ forty out OF the whole number are engage
at any kind Of work. Notwithstanding al
the difficulties encountered, however, thu
Agent has built nearly one hundred house,
: and laid under cultivation some 1920 acre.
: of land, which would have aided materi
ally in supporting them this winter, but fo
, the drought aud partial failure of thi
crops. No difficulty, however, is appre
hended, as there is an ample supply OF pro
D visions on hand for their support.
r At the council, or Va-lsa, the Chief com