National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-08-26

A large faction of the Piute tribe of
Indians hive on the great American
Desert, "A region about 200 miles long
from north to south, and about 300 miles
wide from east to west There are on
this desert stretches for 100 miles with
ont grass or water 1t is region of sand
and rocky mou ntains, with but little
vegetation, and this of peculiar stlnted
character. Here and there, at distf ut
intervals, there is little wood, Ii e
grass, and little water procured from
holes A running stream is almost un-
known. There is almost u total absence
of water in the air, so that the solar heat
is fearful in its intensity, ranging from
40 TO 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This is
the home of the Desert Indians" and
some facts exhibiting his nature, habits,
and pcculalities may be interesting to
your readers The Desert Indians is
as much a reflection OF the country he
inhabits as the lizard or tlr horned frog.
lie is hollow checked, thin, 1.-the, and
tive His necessities have rendered
him superior in endurance, sagacity,
and intelligence to all neighboring tribes.
Two months ago " Desert lndi"n,
carrying express, travelled l2O miles III
twenty-five consecutive hours. Their
upper cxtremities ARE very slender they
carry scarce any flesh but that employed
/ IN locomotion. Their life has Impress
ed upon them II wonderful physiology
their capacity 10 eat and starve IL truly
astonishing Six months ago seven
Indians. including Il child & years old.
eat u horse that had persisted from drink
ing alkaline water, which weighed not
less than one thousand pounds, from 3
O'Clock III the afternoon 10 10 o'clock on
.Ic morning of the succeeding dny-in
testincs, heart, liver, lungs, and all;
even the bones were crushed and the
marrow taken from them. In short, at
Ia o'clock next day nothing remained of
the horse but the hools. So IN less then
twenty -four hours, per capita, more than
one hundred pounds of meat. Another
instance, About "a year ago n gentleman
driving u number of horses across tue
desert lost thirty of them, ut intervals,
along the road A party Of Desert
Indians started III upon the road so
fatal Ia the horses, and dcyourcd every
one of them as they went, coming out on
the other side Of the desert ~ fat ns seals.
They travel IN the scorching heat of til.
desert from seventy to eighty miles n day
without difficulty
4 CHAPTER of FATAL AccIDENn We
copy the following sal news from the
~ Joseph Mo. Gdione. "One da,
9 lnst week II widow aud four children,
who live near Linden. Carroll County,
took her children aud went to creek
near 10y Ia de- some washing. After he
> ing thus engaged for short time, her
dog bcglu to bnrk u short wny of, which
' attracted the attention Of two of her
children BOYS who went to see what
. the dog bud found. They found him u,
the entrance Of u hollow log, and con.
cluled hr had run rabbit IN there, and
one Of the boys put his hand into th,
hole, when large rattlcsnnkc bit hin
i twice un the hand, the second tim,
Il hanging inst. NJ that the boy drew II ont
= WHEN the other hoy gnpplcd the snak
!, to pull II oil, aud II turned and hit hin
- five times. The mother being attracts
It 10y the cry of the boys, went to thei
ir assistance leaving small child nca
" where she WIS washing During th
l. mothers absence her child awoke. an
~ when she returned she found II had creI
vi 10 the wnsh-tub, fallen in and was drov
~ ned The mother is reported To- has
becunc pving mapiac."