, 1874-10-17
AN INDIAN PESTILENCE.

AN INDIAN PESTILENCE.
4no1v Tho Ahorlslnna Residents OF tho
sacramento nnd san Ionna,aM vni-
loys Wcro Ssvcpt Away III 1SSaa
From. ths Los 4n0s'es tca,., St7r.
I lavo road tho horrors Of tho London p1agno,
and Of tho moro than decin,ntton by pastonco of
the Inhabitants Of various parts Of tho world in
different ages, and Of the destruction OF nlan-
kind by the angola Of tho Lord, and By destroying
angols, but havo never read or heard Of aucl q
good or bad, or by p1agne or pcatilencs, as TINT
which swopt tho Valley Of tho Sacramento and
San joaquin III tho summon of 1893.
In tho AUTUMN Of 1889 \ purity, Of which tho
writer was q member, travelled from, tho nloun-
thin down along tho bnnkB Of the San joaquin
Riyor and tip those OF tho Sacramento to somo
distance aboyo tho contluenco OF tile Inter with
Feather River.
Tho number Of Iuafans living along and IN the
Vicinity OF tho bAnks OF the river8 WIS 80 much
greater ttnn I Ind over Beon living upon tho
same araa Of country. That Il presented oon.
then reached BY inc That thero VIVA other place
tho continent, north Ut tho tropto, tho ilat11.
raj productions Of which could support 40 largo
Q POPULATION aa Was then living in tho aectlon Of
country to wlicl. have roforfed
In tho latter part Of tho summer Of 1883 no
entered tho northern extremity Of tho Baora-
nento Valley. from tho Klamath Lake and Pitt
River countries. We found tho northern part Of
under tho shading trcos, around epriuge md tho
convenient watcriug-placos, upon tho banka Of
tho riycr, and over the PLAIN, whore wolves Aud
eoyotcH aadd!tng FROM trce to trao, or oyor tho
plaIn, tholr hidea diRtentcd with unnatural fae-
ncAs, had dragged aud den,l!ed them.
From tho bend OF tho valley to tho American
Rivor but ono living 1ndan was seou, and he
was the most perfect pofsonii}catlon Of solitude
that was eyer presented to my view; his wasted
nausclsa, his eyes deeply sunk in thnir goclcta
omitted a dull, vacant gazo, as II astonishod to
behold o living human being, wheu ho believed
TINT all doad and he atono left telling most
omphatically Of his uttcr loneliness, Of how ho
work OF dca.h GU overy hand. anil wherever his
oycs woro turned, until lie himBelr WAS prostrat-
cd, not killed, but lett to rao upon his foet and
wander about among the bones and fostering
bodies OF his folk. >.
Tho dwnllings Of tho Indians in tho u sssamcrous
villages locatcd upon aud along tho bauks OF tho
SACRAMENTO River aud its tributaries, voro void,
nnd no foot tracks but tlose Of fowls and wild
beasts wero to bo aecn in tile lonely Villages.
AB wo travelled southorly tllc akotetops wero Of
n freshor appearance, and before rcaohing Ito
buttea. nnd 1rou tlonco aoulhcr1y. tho entiro or
partially teVourod bodies Of tho Indians, III all
stages Of decay, wero 30 invariably found in and
about all tho couvoniont and desirable camping
capo tho stencil of dccompoaing humanity, to
aecls our nights encanpua1t upon tho open
plaln+
After crossing Feather Riyor. those Villages
along tho Sacramento. which in tho winter pro-
vious wero caoli inhabitcd by huntlroda OF III
diaus, wero desolnto aud tho abodes Of ruin.
Tho same appalling proofs Of this dire calamity
wore constantly presented to us as wo travelled
up tho San Joaquin, Mother Biblical nor pro-
fnne history haa portrayed such mournful ro-
suits Of thu march Of destroying angel aa wero
rreEented to our senEeB as TIC ropassel through,
viliagoa which some ton months before we had
geen swarmlng with Indian life, aud resouuding
with voices from hundreds Of human tlroats.
Around tho naked village3, graves and tho
aslicR Of fnnorak pyrca. skeletons, and swollen
bodies told taIe Of death such ns to us no
written record hnd over royoalca. From tho head
OF the Sacramento Valley, until we reached the
mouth Of Kings River, not exceeding Avo live
Indians were soon, and hore We found cuoampod
Yilggo Of Indians, among whom tho destroying
angel was satiating his greed Of human victims
by q glastly caruage. During tho ono night,
moro than score Of victims were addcd to tho
hosts upon which ho bud 6oen feeding. The
wai!ing OF that stricken village during that night
Was ncesBant and moHs terrible.
The sword Of tho destroyer was rornittent
fever, witt, which tho victims wero first st!ickon
down, to bo finished by hot-air bath, followed
by plunge into cold-water ono.
It was evident to uB, from the sgns wllicl, wo
hut when the dead BECAME 80 numerous that tho
living could not bury thom, rcsort WaB had to
tho burning Of tho doad bodios and when the
living, from diminished numbors wore unnha
to do this, tloy abandoned their yillaGes. tho
sick, and tho dying, md fled in diAmay, only Ia
die by tho side Of tho springs and pools OF water
| md beneath tho shade Of protecting trees.
T. r. Wlrgvr