The Hickman courier., 1869-03-13

E1ever came Dack WDlie we relnaiucu.
We wound our way down the noun
tain and were soon out of sight OF the
clay diggins After travelling some
distance Southwark, We came TO many
towns. each surrounded by mounds
About half of the inhabitants were max
! ing bowls, and the a-other half were
cnltivating corn,i potatoes and ground
peas, as they are now called. The same
curiosity towards me developed itselfin
all the people met. Their close scru-
tiny of my person became unpleasant,
! but prudence dictated endurance. On
the third day after leaving the big hill
we came to the great river the second
time, and by signs | was Informed we
should have it to cross before we reach
ed their big town, which | was made to
understand was built on high bluff
near the river. Crossing an arm of the
great river, we landed on narrow is
land, which we crossed, and then be-
held the high range of bluffs, on which
stood the capital of the nation. Our
Charon made quick Tip across the
main river, and as we approached the
shore, | discovered vast concourse of
tpeople,- of all elasses, anticipating our
arrival a(My cNApanions had Dispatch
ed messenger from the big HILL to in
! form their chief that they would return
at given time with strange creature,
such as they before had never seen0 On
landing, my companions and self were
! placed in front of the procession and
ascended the bluff, on the top Of which
was gathered another vast concourse with
their chief Patriarch aud head men in
the cente. We approached the c. z.
when my FIVE companioez gave his shins
very thorough rubbing, and | was in
structed to do likewise. The G. P. in
sehalf of his cation, and a sign of per-
petual friendship, gave my. shins tre-
niendous currying lie aud his head
men were dressed in skins of an animal,
now extinct. Mammoth skins were only
worn by the nobili-. account of the
difficulty in capturing huge land-l
viathans and the high price the skins
commanded, ranging from ten to fifteen
thousand bowls. The currency of the
country was bowls-they were the stand
ard of all values The G.. P. then invi
ted his headmen, myself and my five
companions to join him at his palace,
\ which was large circular tent, about
fifteen feet high, made of poles and skins,
and partake of some refreshments. We
were seated Turkish fashion on skins
spread on the ground, when was handed
around by the attendants, kind Of drink
which 1 had never before tasted 1t was
not unpleasant as / had taken
nothing since / parted from old III ycules
| on the Mediterranean, aud the C.gP. be-
ing jolly old fellow, we repeated ''snif-
ter after '.sn.fter," until / found, that
one or two more, would end my locomo-
| ton for the remainder Of the day-and
US wished to keep my legs as well as
senses upon my first introduction to the
chief of these strange people, | resisted
further overtures to drink. The c. p.
then ordered seven thousand bowls to be
sMisBEIR. e & Il. 6 s. vsiisd = n 5lII[,.
: the Chief tfeat. Three thou
81 -&ve hundred men advanced and
- IN each hand a bowl and distribut
S ..eni around, drinking nothing them
/ Ss-ses. In short time however the ex-
/ planation of this rather singular custom
manifested itself First came a low
noise, something like the notes of the;
cat, wolf, owl and panther commingled.
which grew fereer and louder, as the
huld they had drank worked ufA,n the
revelers. When the noise ereiIeto its
most furious pitch, and one could real
ize the phrase of shell broke loose" the
O. r. ordered all disorderly persons to
the calaboose. As / had noticed no
building resembling anything like jail or
lock mp, my curiosity led me to see the
order executed saw great many
men (the ones that had not drank, pull. !
ing away the drunken fellows, who re-
sisted with all their remaining strength,
to the Drinks of those ''dark and gloomy I
ravines," and tumbling them down to
the number perhaps Of five thousand,
there TO remain until they were sober
enough to Chamber out The means.
groans and yells which came up from
those dark recesses were horrible to ears
polite. And it is said even at this days
If spark of poetic fire" is left in his
soul, that ''any solitary wanderer" on
Sunday eyes)ing" can hear softened
echo of the rawlings of those bachinalsJ
learned afterwards that the drink /
partook of on the day of my introduce
ton, was made the berries of elder.
sumach and briers 1t was far better {
than the rife whisky" of modern times
not so destructive to nerves and stom- $
aehs-and only made a fellow little
uprorious. sq.seS
l remained with these people two hun
ired and ninety seven years, and tried I
to introduce some of the skill, and learn I
ing of the old world. 1t was all to no t
enoMIedge Of making boGGffsIsrhftd de-
sired nothing more. i Any attempt to
them was met with con- !:
tempt and disdain. The clay which they
obtained from the big hillwas not allow .
ed to be used for any other purpose than
making. bowls. An infrac ton OF this )
rule was everlasting banishment. =.
With the permission of the Chief Pa
ttiarch. then in office, left the city on
southwark exploration-of what | saw
and endured, it is not my purpose now
to disclose. -
Nine hundred and eleven years had
mast when Ireturned to the big city on
he bluff by the mighty river. But what
was nv surprise to find it deserted. /
wandered about the grounds, for the
houses 1tepts) were ali gone so far as l
could see, until I approached one of
those deep ravines, when "weird sound"
came floating on the air, and looking
down tbrough il the glamour" discovered
a tent. / made my way to it. On en-
fering it l found three cid men and two
old Women. Not having forgotten their
y su..a..a T oommeneed making inquiries