Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-06-25

Eaten by Noisy savAEes.
General Lyman Banks and John
Hutcheson, two citizens Of Seattle, have
Just returned from two months cruise
Of the northern part of British Colum.
bia, says the Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
and they tell some thrilling stories Of
sights they saw and dangerous adven.
lures they experienced during their
cruise.
A reporter happened to meet General
Banks on the street, and at his request
the General recited the story of his most
exciting and interesting cruise. The
story is interesting, and it is given be-
low in the language of General Banks
himself. He began his narrative as fol.
lows:
1--WE started out full of great expecta
tons and pleasant anticipations, and we
did not realize for moment what trials
we would have to go through, and I tell
you at times it req uired q great deal Of
Western grit and push to get ahead.
Those who are acquainted with the diff
culties of traversing in summer q coast
forest with its thousands Of uprooted
trees and still worse upheaved founda-
tions, can readily imagine how much
greater hardship it was for US to travel
over three feet OF snow on q level and
occasionally strike drifts much deeper,
and a great deal too much tangle of SAL
lal bush for snow-shoes. But to add to
our difficulties. our half-breed guide and
the Indian packers refused to go with
US as soon as we had penetrated short
distance inland.
hnS ey<v I'D I'D NO
not to proceed any farther, but we had
started out with q determination to &C.
complish q work, and we were not to be
ba fled so easily in the beginning Of our
journey.
deep we managed to make progress by
crawling on our hands and knees, and at
times we were obliged to lay down and
roll to get out Of the snow. 1t was hard
struggling by day, but the snow made a
soft bed by night. We canoed over three
hundred miles Of our journey, and some
of it was in very rough waters. But the
most startling experience we had, and
the one that would interest you most,
happened one day just as we were run
ming into a cave to avoid q storm. We
got into the cave all right enough, but
imagine our horror and disgust when we
found ourselves in the midst of the
Nahwitti Indian tribe at their cannibal
orgies. Cannibalism is prohibited by
the Dominion Government, but only q
monthly visit from vessels, and the
nearest port being miles away, they
carry on the horrible practice with inn
punity.
eve watched the heathens during the
dow OF 10rcr hut nr1nr
of safety we ventured after awhile into
their circle at night and watched them.
can only describe the sight this way:
There was high fire Of logs in the CEN
ter of the circle, which was constantly
attended by two men, and occasionally
there was an extra hiss and flash as
some uneaten fat was thrown on. The
enrire tribe encircled the fire, dressed In
blankets of many brilliant hues. There
were naked dancers, and a dozen or
hands beating an accompaniment to
their wild songs and dances, and the
whole sight made weird scene that is
not soon forgotten. Their feast con-
sisted of the bodies of their dead. They
seldom kill strangers to furnish food for
these horrible orgies, as they were all
the time quarreling between themselves
and generally had enough dead bodies
OF braves to satisfy their appetites.
II had been told in Victoria of the
possibility of this, and warned that
when wild with the dance the braves
rush out and bite piece out of the first
person they come to. Now, l have no
objection to being eaten after am dead,
but to be bitten by one Of those wild fell
lows would be as undesirable as the bite
Of a mad dog, and lest in their excite
meet they might forget their promise Of
immunity, I held my hand under my
overcoat and grasped a 44-caliber re-
volver that would have furnished rations
fitting the occasion.
"Our sense Of security was not in
creased by one Of them making a speech,
noticing our presence and berating the
white mans government for trying to
deprive the Indian Of the pleasure Of
being q cannibal occasionally, especial
ly II he only fed upon his own dead.
1.-The boys crawled behind the older
people and hid, men were bitten, or SIM
ulated 1t, and l was afterward shown scars
whore they claimed to have been bitten.
But we were not molested. One brave,
however, probably to test us, made dash
in our direction, but others caught him
and turned him in another way. 1t was
an all-night session; no one was allowed
to leave till through, which was FIVE
o'clock the next morning. We had seen
enough, though, and were glad to leave.
We proceeded on our journey and came
back again without any more exciting
adventures, arriving at Seattle only q
short time ago. But I never in NV life
put in such night as 1 did the time of
those frightful orgies, and candidly
confess don't want to soon again"
A Strange Sioux Legend.