, 1878-01-26
TEXAS TRADITION.
Gi,,,pses ss .he AborlgincS CT the Gull
Coast.

L
WACO. TEX December 26-In re
cent interview with Mr. John Iiams, The
oldest white settler on the coast of Texas
many interesting facts were ascertained
regarding the Indian tribe who formerly
inhabited and held sway IN this region,
now called Texas. As stated in previous
article. Mr. Iiams, who still resides in
Houston, came to Texas, then province
of Mexico, in 1922. He and his father
lived first at one place, then another on the
bayous emptying into Galveston Bay. The
country was then a perfect wilderness
wild and desolate, inhabited by the =alf
and bufalos, the deer and the savage in
dian, WHO roaned III its solitude, master
of all he surveyed
YE GENTLE SAVAGE
Mr.. Iiams being young man, and OF
somewhat adventurous disposition, took
every opportunity OF cuitivating the ac-
quaintance of the Indians and procuring
their good viii, especially as they were to
be his neighbors- He became well ac-
quainted with them, and he now delights
in recounting bits of their history. Ac-
cording to his account, the great region
stretching from the Trinity to tke river
BrazoS on the south Was at the time OF
the advent Of the white race inhabited
chiefly by two tribes of savages One Of
these was the Caronkawa, the other the
Coushatta tribe The home and head
quarters of the latter was on the river
| trinity, where there are two or three set
Elements Of them still existing, the mod
ern Coushattas adhering to the same man
ner OF life as their fathers. They roamed
over the prairies as far south as Buffalo
Bayou, on which the city of Houston now
stands, and ir their hunting and fishing
| expeditions to the bayou and the bay into
which it emptics, they were frequently
met by bfr Eams
They told him on one occasion that he
fore that time {1S22) they had been living
in the same territory they then occupied
for upwards of thirty years, which would
date their residence back 10 1872
TIE cARoNKAwAs.
This tribe were the immediate neigh
! bors Of the Coushattas on the north, their
dominions and hunting grounds ranging
from Buffalo Bayou to the river Braz0s.
They also held Galveston Island, and oc
cupied or claimed the spot where Houston
now stands. Hams states emphatically
that these Indians were cannibals, and
many years after his arrival in the wider
ness one OF their exploits Vas tying up Il
HHl5 Hh5te. na. sa hog; tgeA hH hue fdhiffiig ite tie
terrible and revolving spectacle by cutting
him up Ike fresh pork, cooking and then
eating The slices. It appeared to be de
licious to their palates. The CaronkawaS
in summer went entirely nude, AID their
only weapons consisted Of bows and ar
rows, in the Use OF which they were great
adopts. The women-except III winter,
when they wore furs and skins also went
entirely nude, excepting cloth made Of
! grass bound about their Ions. Their long
black hair flowed down on their shoulders,
giving them a truly graceful and pictur-
esque appearance. There was a time,
away back, when, as tradition has it, the
| CoushattaS crossed over the bounds Of the
territory of their neighbors, and a war re-
suited \ battle was fought cn Clear
Greek, near what Is now known as Fort
Bend County. The Coushattas We're led
by an Indian known as Big Mcuthed Cap
tain, and many were killed on both sides,
| The CaronkaWaS were defeated.
THE SoRCERESS.
| There was, at the time Of the settlement
of the country, tradition among the In
dians, and since handed down among the
class OF citizens known as % Old Texans,
that the Caronkawas, on one occasion,
fought a battle with an inferior tribe
named Cencis, who dwelt in village on
the banks of Buffalo Bayou, where the site
known as City Mills, near Houston, now
stands. The Caronkawas, the strongest
and more powerful tribe Of the two, at
tackled the Ccncis in their lodges, fighting
with their bows and arrows. The Cencis
defended themselves to the last, but the
Caronkawas finallygetting the upper hand,
after staying the men and massacring the
women and children, set fire 10 the Will
age. The only one of the Cencis who es-
capped was an old hag and soreeress, or at
least reputed as such, and whom the su-
perstitious fears OF the Caronkawas alone
prompted to spare Whilst the homes of
her tribe were burning, she climbed to the
top of low tree at the scene of the con-
t;agratiOn, uttered a curse upon the spot,
and flung herself into the flames last
of her kindred and her tribe. To this day,
strange as it may appear, no enterprise
started on that spot has ever prospered ;
at least such is the assertion of old citi-
zens, particularly those supposed to be su-
perstitious.
THE BATTLE WITH TIE wACoEs.
The Wacoes, from whom the present
city OF Waco took It's name, possessed their
hunting grounds in the middle OF Texas.
and long after the advent OF the white set
tiers they to them became troublesome.
The settlers formed q company, command
ed by one of their number, named Colo
mel Neil, and IN 1899 marched 10 meet the
Wacoes, and, il possible, check their IN
cursisos on the white settlements. The
Indians retreated and were followed by
the whites to Steele's Creek-named after
Lieutenant Steele, OF Colonsl Neils COM
nand- the present site Of Waco.
They met in the edge Of prairie and tr-
ing followed the Indians, however, fight
ing alone with their bows and ARROWS,
which they used with great precision and
effect. Several We're killed. The settlers
retired to the creek, and under cover Of Z
J steep bank awaited the coming OF the say
ages When the latter got to the brow oi
| the hill the whites onaped fira with diSas.