The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-01-27

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An indian Easerai Ceremony
~. Ma York T,Tsa,e paDIi.hes letter, writ
ten b. lady from pear Marys'n.,
from which the following account 10 .,.n
-. 40. no. seem more unsettled ihan
pa.tng sh,x,t aud camping ubost tiees
"a h,.he. anywhere, does NOT answer ~ VII ~
Ga rs,nv season, and they are MAKING eanpoo
des' Of bark 10 sheltered y.o nrsnsrstiops for
% .ar,sI burniug of clothes aud provisions,
I'D ,he lament or s'cry" for their dead.
sss dsys since, on rising frors the breaktast
,able-wherc We had discussed over ovt conee sne
a.arlsnd mail and telegraph, the long sooxed Tor,
Int never 10 arrive, new line OF steamers the sur
,onndine digyings, and last "big strikes'-~we DO
came aware OF the fact that 40 outsider IVES v,ewH
ing rs ~ith great apparent interest Who Wits rose
nattened upon the wiodow pane (his way OF ksock-
tns1 COO LIZ continued hissurvey until biddea 20
come In He Immediately made his way 10 sse
kitchen Ore, and standing there, warming PIE ~
feet, chilled by walking on the frosty groun",
presented good type Of the present race Oh Jar
fornia Yudaus. .n,x.
.sCas ar tndien autiy rejects the name oil Dig.
ger. fapplied to them because they org WORMS an1
roots and nj eat the same cooked on NOT stopess"u
on our hrs, aoqu..n.snse deu,ea sa ns NE 40
nsm,o After proposing several for hts acceptance,
yhich did not suit, Gear" was mentioned, ana
seemed 10 tickle his fancy, sna be has responded
u - nn, the bravest Ct tho S.ave, Judging
frorc bis report of himself at q scent 6ght.-
.M, no fght me mucho look on.' There 10,
however nothing cripgipg in his manner. he
always demands, as-"oive me preao ans aey-
er e1treats We hire him occasionally to per
form the duties Of wssherwomaa, newer OF
wood drawer of water" and fnd him faithful TO
hi. work for half a day, a. least, aud always
honest.
mucbo big time one sleep at ole campoodee. H.
dian come all round, Captain Tom come-fesh =
Mucho bur o, mahaa mucho cry, yesh! from winch
isrgou we gathered that their ANIMAL iameht was
To take place the next night, about quarter OF d
mile distant, at their old camping ground,on an e!-
evated spot that overlooks this little vaiiey "hich
they say was big lake long time ago-mocho nsh
satcb." ,,.
different directions 10 small parties, the mahaas
I.opaw.) bending under heavy burdens. machah-
les (children) running beside them, and dogs OF all
degrees of ieesness, everywhere. ,
Fire, wers lighted ip various places, couDclis
bela puns fred. and whoops aud yeis beard coca.
sioBaily during the night. BY the next nignt
alout two hundred were assembled. ana aiter u
wsst.iriy dark, words cannot describe the dismsi'
horrid sosnds that reached our ears from their
burning -, ,. nm
Seen was out Of the question, and aoont an
hour before daylight, when the grand climax is
genersly attained, we set out for their camp
little rise of ground hid it from our view cnti
,ss r.,,a quite near: then the Wild strange scene,
in the framework Of gloomy night, was very
striking A huge fire bazed up from tine centre
OF the camp, which WAS about sixty feet CIR
cumiereuce, and inclosed by breast Work OF logs,
trees and bushes, about five feet high Around
the FIRE was q circle Of mihalss, swinging toer
bodies to aud fro as If in aD agony OF griei; sso'
amid the sobs, means and ehrieks OF some, others
pguyed forth the shrill mournfai 'crF, "ob.i-n
wab.re. ye.eee," aud a few braves just without
the circle joiued in with deep gutterai SOUND,
sons yab, 0hswah, Ohshshwah an :. sometimes
ending in a perfect yell Of despair aud grief
When ore was exhausted another would step Ia
and take her place, fold her blanket tightly
around her, or put it over her head and immedi-
ate.y fall into the state Of woe OF the others IL
ia the custom Of these Indians to burn their dead
the ashes being sacredly preserved and mixed
with black psins With this the female relatives
smear their hair and cheeks. Some of the mourn.
ers were thus disfgured, and probably were rela.
tives of an Indian who died last Autumn.
Just behind them was a circle Of about thirty
poles from fifteen to twenty feet in height plant
ed firmly in the ground; and just looming up al
most into the darkness beyond the fire light these
were covered with the greater part OF the posses"
sions Of The poor savages, which they nave been
toilng to obtain since the burning last Autumn,
and with a selfsecrifcng devotion that might
put civilized nations to the blush, they were soon
To DO committed to the flames. with the fond bes
lief that they would ascend in the smoke to the
spirit land, and be given by the GOOD spirit 10
their friends there
The greater part of the offerings seemed to he
baskets Of all sizes and shapes, made of willow
and stained ia beautiful patterns. They were
placed In regular ORDER according to their sizes,
on the poles, together and from the top Of the
poles hung long streamers OF ribbon, punches OF
feathers of many colors, strings of shells and
beads some of the latter three or fur feet long,
aud as large as could be clasped in the hand. Long
cords, made of small white feathers, belts and
gaily colored handkerchefs OF silk aud cotton,
head dresses of all kinds, necklaces and earrings
in great quantities., orDamented with buttous,
bcads aud wampum Upon other poles we're val
liable furs, principally bear-which the hunters
had killed on the Sierra Nevadas-blankets, clo-
thiog, bows aud arrows, beautifully ornamentej;
Same-bags knit of cotton cord, and, on the ground
huge baskets filled with nuts, acorns, roots, Der.
ries, Jur, and articles of food unknown to this
narrator.
The space back of these poles was filled with
Indians seated around little fires, looking on
gravey, some sadly. The children looked almost
owlish ia gravity and watchtuiness lew young
braves we're gamboling with little sticks in re-
mote corner in perfect silence, aud some were
walking about silently outside the camp; bat Just
before daybreak all gathered around the central
FIRE. became deeply interested the mourneTs howl
cd louder than ever, If possible, while Captain
Tom" and some Of the head men tore down the
poles. one after the other stripped on their bur-
dens, and the burning commenced In earnest.
The most Of the Indians affected TO be utterly
unconscious Of our presence. However "lnsar
came to u.s. aud with infinite dignity and laconisn
answered our quesfions. The flame had been lee
at intervals all nfght, ne sara, VIVID enerhge, pu
now each brave 10 turn threw on all he had there
aud with his family and the mourners, "cried" fol
all his friends who had died. The fierce hame
crisped aud biackened the rich furs in an Instant
but was subdued by the seed aud nuts heaped anC
piled upon it. Again it leaped upon the tall bas
ksts and the lament rose and fell " ith the iam'
until it iauguished TOR lack of food and died away
in wreathiDg curling smoke, which the sons o
the forest gszed upon with looks Of solemn inter
est as it assembled toward the sky on its errand o.
love aud devotion.