The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-11-19
Eavages of a Pest;lenoe.

The following appears as a communica
ton from Mr.. J. j. Warner in the Los An
giles (Cal) Star:
l have read of the horrors Of the Lon
don plague, and OF the more than decima
ton by pestilence of the inhabitants O
various part of the world, in different
ages, and of the destruction of mankind
by the angels of the Lord, and by destroy.
ing angels; but l have never read or
heard of such general destruction of a
people By any angel, good or bad, or by
plague or pestilence, as that which swep,
| the Valley Of the Sacramento and San
Joaquin in the summer of 1888.
In the autumn of 1882 a party. OF which
| the writer was member, travelled from
the mountain down along the banks of the
San Joaquin River and up those of the
Sacramento to some distance above the
confluence of the latter with Feather Riv-
er. The number Of Indians living along
and in the vicinity of the banks Of the
rivers, was so much greater than I had
ever seen living upon the same area OF
country, that it presented a constant source
OF surprise, The conclusion was then
reached by me that there was no other
place on the continent, north of the tropc,
the natural productions Of which could
support SO large population as was then
living IN the section of country to which
have referred
In the latter part of the Summer of
1888 we entered the northern extremity of
the Sacramento Valley from the Klamath
Lake and Pitt River countries. We found
the northern part OF the valley strewn
with the skeletons and fragments Of skele-
tons OF Indians under the shading trees,
around springs and the convenient water
ing places, upon the banks of the river
and over the plains, where wolves ard
coyotes, Waddling from tree TO tree or oven
the plain, their hides distended with uu-
natural tatness. had dragged and denuded
them. From the head OF the valley to the
American River but one living Indian was
seen, and he was the most perfect personi-
tlcatlon OF solitude that ever was present
ed to my view; his wasted muscles, his
eyes deeply sunk in their sockets, as if
there were no brain within the craniun
emitted a dull, vacant stare. as if astonish-
ed to behold q living being, when he be-
Geved that all, all We're dead, and lie alone
left, telling most emphatically of his utter
loneliness, OF how he had seen the DESTROY
ing angel engaged in his work Of death
on every hand. and wherever his eyes
were turned, until he himself was pros
trated, not killed, but left to rise upon his
feet, and wander about among the bones
and fostering bodies of his folk. The
dwellings of the Indians in the numerous
villages located upon and along the banks
Of the Sacramento River, and its tribu-
taries, Were void, and no foot-tracks but
those Of fowls and wild beasts were ID be
seen in the lonely villages
As we Travelled southerly the skeletons
were OF tresher appearance, and before
reaching the buttes, and from thence
5outherly, the entire OF partially devoured
bodies OF the Indians, in all stages of de
cay, were 80 invariably found in and about
all the convenient and desirable camping
places that it became necessary, i'll order
to escape the stencil of decomposine hu-
manlty to seek our night encampments
upon the open plain.
After crossing Feather River those vil-
lagos along Sacramento which in the Win
ter previous were each inhabited by hnn-
dreds of Indians We're deSOlate anI the
aDodes Of ruin The same appalling proofs
OF this dire calamity We're constantly pre-
Joaquin. Neither biblical nor protane his
tory has portrayed such mourniul results
OF the march of destroy ing angel rs
woro pro9ontod to our con5o6 oa yyo re
passed through, along by, and around
those silent and vacated villages, which
some ten months before We had seen
swarming with Indian life and resembling
with voices from hundreds of human
throats
Around the naked villages. graves and
the ashes OF funeral pyres, the skeletons
and swollen bodies told a tale OF death
such as'tO us no written record had ever
revealed, From the head of the Sacra-
mento Valley until we reached the mouth
OF Kings River, not exceeding five live
Indians were seen, and here we found en-
camped a village of Indians, among whom
the destroying angel was sating his greed
OF human victims by q ghastly carnage
During the one night more than d score
OF victims We're added to the hosts upon
which he had been feeding. The waIing
of that stricken village during that night
was incessant and most terrible The
sword OF the DESTROYER was a remittent
fever with which the victims We're first
stricken down, TO be finished by hot-air
bath, followed by plunge into p cold wa
ter one. 1t was evident to us from the
signs which we saw, that at first tie In
dians buried their dead; but when the
dead became so numerous that the living
could not bury them, resort was had to
the burning Of the dead bodies, and when
the living from diminished numbers We're
unable to do this. they abandoned their
villages, tue sick and the dying, and fed
in dismay, only TO die by the Side of the
springs and pools of water and beneath
the shade OF protecting trees