Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-11-02

I
ever saw. / have seen many of their
fomnnaras scenes. but those. although
calculated to terrify stranger. were
tame compared to this. Here was the
real savage nature gloating over the
victims of revenge. andi like wild beasts
having tasted blood. anxious to satlate
the appetite. This was something real.
There were no scalp locks dangling To
pole, but roai human heads My Gu
rio,ity prompted me to GO down to the
beach to have closer view, and did
have IA ,retty close one, ! assure you.
After they had finished their war song.
| heard my name called, and thinking
was in the way Of some of their opera
tions was about moving off, when ] was
again summoned in manner that left
no doubt in my mind but that | was
wanted. They then asked me to walk
inside the circle, which / did and stood
close by the two heads, which looked
very grim and gllastly. The Indians
then enlarged the circle, leaving me
with old Cowbetsi and Capt. John, an
other chief, standing beside the heads.
John acted as interpreter, as Cowbetsi
did not understand Jargon and I did
not understand Mackah. "Do you
know whose heads those are?" asked
the old chief. "Yes;" l replied, "I
know one of them; it is the head of
Tre-huch.ton, one O: the Indians who
helped kill Swell; but don't know
who the other is." "That is TSa- -why-
ark" said he, and now l want to talk
to you" He then went on to say that
formerly, before the white men came,
they always avenged their own wrongs
and consequently were continually
fighting with other tribes; but when
! Col. Simmons came he gave them pa-
pers and told them not to fight, and if
other Indians killed their people to
come to him and he would settle tho
matter. eve have since thcn," said
he, "donc inst as Mr.. Simmons told MS.
When Swell was killed you know we
went to him, for you went with my
people. Mr.. Simmons said he would
take the murdcrcrs and have them
hung. We have waited many moons
and he has not come, and lately the
Dungencss Indians have killed two
more of our people. We think Mr..
Simmons has made fools OF Us and the
Indians on Vancouver's Island, the
Nittinats and the Clyoquots laugh ut us,
and call us old women. 1t is for this
that we have gone up and killed these
two men. Swell went up to Port
Townsend for the Bostons, and he was
killed; and the BostOns promised to
hang his murdercrs, but they have not
done 80, and now we will look out for
ourselves.
l said in reply that Mr.. Simmons had
been removed from Office, consequently
he could not come as he had promised,
but that he had not lied for knew that
he fully intended to have done just
what he had promised to do; that MIR.
Simmons was a friend of Swell's, and
they all knew l was friend also.
YES" said Cowbctsi, "we know you
are our friend, and we are friends of
yours"
thought they were hard looking
crowd for friendly one, and felt re-
lieved when l was assured of the fact ;
but l thought that their friendship was
of the kind that mi ght induce them,
should / give them offence, to stick my
; head on the topofa pole for memen-
to. instead Of u portrait or photograph.
After the talk was over, four Indians
came out into the circle and pointed
their guns At the heads, while the rest
performed a war-dance around us. 1t
was ccrtainly not q b..ll.room scene.
and although l felt perfectly secure,
yon mnss rest assured that there was
nothing tn excite ones nirth.
4 Imagine Yourself IT, tie centre Of Q
circle"f wild aud excited savages, staEd-
ing beside two trunkless hcads-a most
shocking and rev"lsing spectacle Of IT.
self-and knowing that these very
dancers are portion of band If mis-
creants whose name has heretofore
l.een terror on the waters Of the Straits
If Fuca, who are So trexcherous aud
faithless that had any Que of them
who rr"fe-sed friendship an old enmity
or grnlge he would have shot you (hy
acs.ident) during the general and prom
iscnons discharge of fire arms. aud YOU
may imagine position in which many
q bar-ro"m bnIly or shoulder striker
would have felt uncomfortable. / do
not profess u have . great amount of
courage. in fact. I would rather run
than fight nj any time; but in this in-
stance / felt no more excited than /
wonlG tn have seen . party If children