Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-04-21
HOdOe Runners Spreading DisaRectlOn-
The StrOngholds and Caves
of the Assasslns.
The Sham Of Treaty Making PalaVers-
How they used to Play that Sort.
Of Thing in Oregon.

break in that country, should the Mo
docs make tEeir escape to that section
Troops will be ready to pursue the In
dians and protect settlers. A daily line
Of couriers will be established.
Dispatches just received from Yreks
are as follows. Mr.. J. K. Sutterall
who arrived last evening from
Orleans, says: The Indians of klamath
and Salmon seem fully posted in the
ModOc wal, even better than the whites.
One Indian told him that he had seen 6
MOdOc who told him all about the fight,
1t is evident that Modoc runners visited
the tribes of northern California and
southern Oregon. The people of Kla-
math and Delnorte counties, however,
apprehend no outbreak at present.
Armed citizens left for the
front this morning to bring in
the body of Hovey. From Mr.. Studley,
a reliable gentleman, who has been
through the lava country, we learn that
there is large cave six miles from the
late MOdoc stronghold, in a southerIy
direction, which has been taken by
the Indians. This cave will be harder
to approach, and will protect them much
better from shells, and is amply sup
piled with wood and food animals, but,
according to his recollection, nearly half
a mile from water. There are q great
many lesser caves and crevices, but no
water. A circuit of thirty miles, he
thinks, would have to be made to get
guns and supplies TO the new strong
| hold which the rascals now hold posses
sion of.
Professor Hayden, the United States
geolOgist who explored the lava-bed,
! has laid before the President maps and
| photographs of that region, and the Pro-
fessor, together with his assistant super
/ intendent, James Stephenson, will have
an interview with Mr.. Delano, and will
give their personal recollections of the
characteristics of the laya-bed. 1t ex-
tends irTegularly all the way from about
the Three Tillers west to the Pacific
ocean, about six hundred miles. They
are covered with sage-brush and small
vegetation, and abound in small game,
being peculiar for the multitude of rab-
bits and large lizards that take refuge in
holes and crevices of the rocks. The
rock is of basaltic formation that ap-
pears to have been cast upon the bed of
some lake, and is cracked in all
directions, until it forms a net
work of fissures, varying in depth
numbers Of tributaries of the Columbia
river flow through this region, and the
water washes out The soft formation be-
meath the rock, and great caverns are
found extending for many miles around
the opening at various places, into the
fissures in the rock. In one instance a
river has been traced some sixty miles
beneath these lava-beds, without ever
appearing within sight of the surface.
The sides OF the tissures in the rock are
generally rough aud irregular, so as to
afford good foothOld in ascending and
descending from the cracks and caverns.
Water is abundant, and it appears to be
folly to talk Of starving out the MOdocs.
When the snow melts in the mountains
they have more fear from being drowned
out by the streams than any other cause.
SAN FRANCISCO, April l9.-Up to
the present time no courier has arrived
from YTeka. James Wheeler arrived
from Balts tonight. There is cOnsid-
cradle uneasiness among the settlers re-
gardipg the ModOcs getting out of Lava
bed, fearing they may raid over into
Shasta valley. Mrs. Meachann, wife of
the commissioner who started for the
front Tuesday, WIS not permitted to go
any farther than Balts, as it is thought
unsafe for a lady TO proceed farther, and
she then went to Lenkville. Mr.. Mea-
cham's condition was favorable at last
accounts. Nearly all the horses at Balts
were down with the epizoOtic. The dis
ease isspreading toward Lavabed. From
the fact that so many horses are sick it
may become difficult to obtain them for
courier communication.
SAN FRANCISCO, April ga dis
match from Yreka says that Frank Mer.
ritt had Just arrived from the front,
having left at two o'clock Friday eve
ming. He reports the Indians still in
the lava bed. Some MadOcs having
been seen where young Hovey was
shot, and evidently keeping open the
communication with the lake for water,
a number of shots were fired along the
route Just before be left. The troops are
still remaining in the lava beds. Col
onel Persy and one hundred men started
the morning Merritt left for the south
side of the lava beds to cut off the In
dians from the springs. The Indian
found in Jacks cave is Scar-Faced
Charley without doubt from the descrip-
ton given, and was was dead instead Of
wounded as before stated. Eugene
Hovey's body was buried near the
camp Friday. 1t was so horribly mutt
lated as to be scarcely recognizable.
Merritt says that the cpizoetic has not
reached the front, but is bad 1t Balls
place.
MAKING TREATIES WITH THE OREGON
INDIANS.
EDITORS sAPPEAL-The accounts late
Iy given of the exploits of the Modocs
remind the writer of scene witnessed
by him in Oregon, about the year 1851.
DR.. Anson Dout was superintendent of
Indian affairs for the then territory Of
Oregon. He was tall, quiet, fne-lOok-
ing, Well-educated man, and had the
reputation OF being q Christian. His Ju-
risdlctiou extended over what is now the
state OF Oregon and the territories of
Washington, Idaho, and large portion
of Montana One of his principal duties
at that time was to make treaties with
the Indians and buy (?) their lands.
For this purpose and, if possible, to I'M
press them with the great importance OF
strict obedience TO all the stipulatiOns
and covenants in their treaties, it was
the custom to call all the different tribes
inhabiting one locality together
al some pleasant spot, convenient for
all, that they might meet the |
superintendent and his attaches and |
stalk over" and sign the treaty. The !
authorities usually provided food for all |
present, and, as a general thing, these |
treaty-m aking gatherings were Jolly |
and pleasant places. Sometimes they |
would last week, and when they took |
place near a white settlement, as they |
usually did, the settlers for miles around |
would attend very much as our peorle 1
attended barbeeues heTeabOuts, fifty
wears ago. In pursuance Of this custom |
DR.. Dout had given notice that he would |
meet the various tribes living about the |
mouth of the Columbia river, to treat
With them and buy y their lands. The |
time sslected for this very important
gathering was during the delightful |
summer season of that buoyant and bra |
cling climate, and the place was on the
south side of the broad Columbia, sever
al miles above its mouth. 1t was Wild, |
weird place, with that great river lashlng
its wide beach to the north, the mighty
Pacific rolling its mountain waves
to the west ard the towering forests Of
Oregon standing in death-like stiffness
TO the east. An old missionary, named
w. w. Raymond, called Bully" Ray
mond for short, wh5 had gone out into
the wilderness by way o. I" The Horn"
a long time before that, was seleeSed Is
the interpreter for the occasion. bis
home was on that beach hard by. DE
had lived with and talked to the In |
dams 50 long and 30 much tina the held a
front rank among the settlers as an In
terpreteT. The appointed time came
and it was bright, lovely and beautiful.
Fhe Indians gathered 10 nom alI dlree- |
tions. II was large crowd, There was
Y