, 1857-11-06
From the San Francisco Herald, Oct.lGth. 1851
Indian Affairs in oregon and Washington
Territories.

lSpeClal agent Ol lnc treasury JcparllLeH'
e from whom We have received some interest
' ing information relative to the present con
n dition of the Indians in the Territories o
Oregon and Washington.
In November last, Mr. Browne received
. from the Commissioner of Indian Affair!
' detailed Instructions accompanied by au
! thority from the Treasury Department, tC
examine into and report upon the causes o
the war, and condition Of the Indian serv
:. ice. on our Northern Pacific Coast; but il
consequence of the pressure of other pub
lie business at San Francisco, and the late.
ness Of the season, he was compelled to de
cline the appointment in view of the pre-.
scribed limitation Of time. Subsequently
under the new Administration, the instruc.
tions were renewed, with orders to proceed
at once upon the duty assigned to him. As
soon as he had completed an investigation
of the Mint affairs, and reported the result
to the Department, he proceeded to comply
with Ne instructions of the 4Rdan Com.
missioner.
Accompanied by Capt. C. ]. Spraguc,
he left San Francisco on the 18th of An.
gust, and on the 10th arrived at Rainier,
on the Columbia river There the first
news was received Of the murder of Col.
Eby, by the Northern Indians, at his resi-
dence on Whidby's Island. Great alarm
prevailed ou the shores of Puget Sound,
and the families of the settlers were seeking
safety in flight. The alarm had spread to
the Cowitz landing, and fears were enter.
tanned there, from certain movements of the
Upper Cowltz Indians, that the Yakemas
aud Clckitats were about to break out
again.
Arrived at the Cowlitz landing, the causes
Of suspicion were investigated, and found
to be based upon the general state OF
alarm which prevailed throughout the Ter
ritory The Yakcmas and CIickitats are
the most formidable of the Cascade range
of Indians, and arc now in state Of quasi
hostility; but there is no reason at present
10 apprehend an open outbreak.
On the road from Cowlitz landing to
Olympia, the most depressing evidences are
found at every step of the disastrous effects
OF the war. Houses are abandoned and
falling into ruin, fine farms are lying waste,
fences are broken down, and those of the
settlers who still remain have in most cases
fortified themselves with pickets and block
houses. This has taken place, too, in a
part of the country somewhat remote from
the actual scene of warfare.
Finding it impracticable to procure a
canoe at Olympia, they hired horses and
rode over to Steilacoom, where they found
the U. S. Revenue Cutter JEFF Davis
Next day, after hard ride and walk, WIS.,
tied the Puyallup, where some 450 Indians
are gathered on reservation. Only few
families were to be seen--the main body
of the tribes being out in the woods, and
OH the. shores of Government Bay, laying
in their winter supply of provisions. These
Indians are very poor and degraded look
ing race, and are now suffering much from
sickness. The same epidemic which has
just passed through California has attacked
all the Puget Sound indians, and has caus-
ed many deaths. In some cases it assumes
the form of an influenza, in others that OF
pnuemona and lungfever. 1t has been SO
fatal amongst the Indians on the ReserVa-
tions that they attribute it to bad medi.
cine" sent amongst them by the white men,
and this gives rise to great difficulty on the
part Of the Agents in controlling them
Some twelve or fifteen good houses have
been built for the Indians on the Puyallup,
but as yet they are reluctant to occupy
them. Only few acres of potatoes have
been raised by Indian labor, and to induce
them to work, even for themselves, the A.
gent is compelled to hire them at the rate
of 81 per day for each man. Unless par
tally fed this winter, they will either starve
or quit the reservation.
Next day, proceeded from Ft. Steilacoom
to the Nisqually reservation, distant IL
miles Here there was only dozen In
dians, all the rest being on the river or in
the woods. Very little progress has been
made here at cultivating the soil. All
these Indians being included under the
treaty OF Medicine Creek, (the only treaty
made by Gov. Stevens which has yet been
ratified, they consider that Government j;
bound to take care of them, and will mol
work unless well paid for their labor.
Mr.. Browne disapproves and condemns
this system Of paying the Indians for sup
porting themselves, bnt does not think the
remedy can be applied until all the treaties
are ratified, and the tribes concentrated or
one reservation, with sufficient military
force to control them.
Leaving Steilacoom in the Cutter, the
next place visited was Kitsap, where a few
houses have been erected All the KitsaI
or Saquamish Indians were as usual al
: this season, out fishing. They subsst chief
ly on salmon, which is abundent in thu
Sound. These Indians have been treated
, with, but the treaty has not been ratified
and they manifest much discomfort at tht
: course pursued towards them by the Gov
ernment, in taking away their lands anC
giving them no compensation.
During the trip to Fort Madison, Mr.
T Browne and friend visited many interesting
islands and points on the Sound, and saw