Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-11-07
The Interior Of Newfoundland.

The interior of the island is at present
almost wholly uninhabited. Traces of
deer fences, thirty and forty miles long,
only remain to tell of the sports and
IabOrs of the BOcothicks, the aboriginal
Red Indian tribe, long ago exteTminated
Or driven away. The shOrtsighled policy
of the whites in killing the goose that
laws the golden egg, led to the destruc-
ton of the unfortunate BOcothices, for
the sake of the valuable furs of fox,
otter, etc, which they alone could pro-
cure. With them, of course, died out
the fur trade. After they had been wan
tonly persecuted for over two hundred
years, the local government in the be-
ginning of the present century, woke
up to the idea of protecting a tribe that
no longer existed As a step towards
showing a good will, an Indian woman
was forcibly taken from her home.
brought to st. Johns, kindly treated,
loaded with presents, and returned
her tribe. The incidents attending the
abduction of this woman and the death
of her only child, so suddenly deprived
of its mothers care, reused the ire Of
the Bocothicks, who at once resolved TO
kill any of their number who should
afterwards be captured and returned.
The result of this was that three more
women, who were similarly treated, re-
fused to return to their homes Two
soon died. The third, fine handsome
woman, named Shanandithit, lived Tor
two years with her captors and became
quite civilized. After learning to speak
English, she explained the reason Of
her refusal to return to her companions,
saving she should surely have been
killed. Since her death in 1928, not an
Indian has been seen. The skeleton OF
'AIarv March," who returned to her
tribe in 1919, has been found dressed IN
white muslin adorned with trlnkets
known to have been hers. But though
the Indian has been eXterminated, the
white man has not taken his place; the
country lying desolate. Over regions
that should yield rich harvests to the
farmers hand, now f!aunt the golden
Iilv and the purple iris; tangled vines
of cranberry, partridge-berry, and deli
cate capilldire carpet the ground with
darkest green flashing with fruit of
scarlet and white; and thickets Of blue
berry, raspberry, and bakeapple in then
season clothe in blue and crimson and
amber the wasting plains. Great forests
declare that beneath them lies rich
sub-soil that should furnish food fol
thousands; and no man is found to til
this great lone land, which is the secure
homes of wolves, deer, black bears
hares, foxes, and all manner of yer.
min. Osprey and owl, raven, crow, and
Olue jay, woodpecker and robin, martin
wren, thrush, titmouse, blackcap, fly
catcher, grosbeak, snowbird, and spar
row, all abound in the woods; plover
bittern, snipe, whimbrel and sandpipel
haunt the wilds and marshes. Part
ridges abound everywhere. Waterfowl
of many species are found in the lake;
and ponds, while gulls, cormorants
eider-ducks, goosanders, looms and puff
fins abound on the sea coast, and are to be
had for the shooting. Penguins were
once plentiful, but have been almost ex-
terminated, and, almost within the
memory of man, that now extinct bird
the great aux, found breeding place on
the adjacent islands. Trout and salmon
abound in the rivers and streams, but
though well protected by law, are wan
tonly destroyed in districts where law
is practically without effect, from the
want OF an efficient staff of water
bailiffS.