The sun., 1895-01-20
xEWToUNDLAxD,s RED midland.
n Fierce. Ustsr.ea Race that was wipea
Out By the white Settlers.

Out By the white Settlers.
DO you know what Indians were the worst
of all the tribes in Canada 7" asked old Job
Hepson, who used N sail from Nova Scotia.
'' I can tell you. They were the Red Indians Of
Newfoundland. I say were the worst for
none Of 'em is left alive nor has been living for
fifty years. and mebbe longer. used to hear
stories about 'etn from old Newfoundland men
when ] saile,l 10 the Banks and Labrador. but
disremember whether any OF EN- had ever seen
one Of these Indians. The whites who settled
In Newfoundland could never conquer 'em OF
keep 'em at peace, and there was war all the
time. The Red Indians were big fellows, very
fierce, independent, and warlike, and nothing
could tame EN-. They'd come out OF tho woods
on a little settlement or outlying farmhouse,
kill every living thing, burn the house. and then
go back into the swamps and mountains where
nobody could find 'em.
How much the whites were to blame for all
this deviltry. cant say. for there was no one
70 tell the Indians side OF the story; but at any
rate the whites couldn't subdue 'em alone, and
they had at last to bring Micmac Indians from
Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia to set
against 'em. The Micmacs were no match for
the Red Indians man for man, and without the
backing OF the whites would have been afraid
of 'em; but whites and Indians together were
too much for the wild tribe. 1t was in this way
that the people OF Newfoundland at last got rid
Of their Red Indians.
ITO give you an idea Of the disposition born
In these Indians, let me tell you q story about
one of them. He was taken prisoner by the
whites when he was n small boy, and was
brought to st. John. reared among the whites,
sent to school, and when he had grown large
was put as a clerk into one of the mercantile
houses there. He was a frst-ratc clerk. smart
at figures, good In business, and everybody had
confidence in him. AT last 1t came about that
he made one OF II pleasure party OF young fellows
that started out for a weeks cruise along the
coast In a schooner.
ION the second day out they put into one of
the deep inets that make UP into the coast
where the country is rs wild and lonely ms 1t was
the dav the island was discovered. There they
found fine open space on the bank near the
waters edge aud the party went ashore to lie
around awhile and have roll on the grass after
their sailing. They joked and skylark ed while.
and at last they all stretched themselves out Tor
a nap. Nobody was thinking particularly of the
sleep whe, her he was among them until one OF
the men, happening to open his eyes saw that
upraised. ready to strike was approaching the
jumped up and shoated a warning to the others;
At that the young Indian gave n yell. turned.
darted into the forest. and was seen no more:
That's the kind Of human nature those Red
hunted down and killed of with ths aid Of the
Micmacs. . few Of em were still ,left back
where they couldn't be reached. They were too
few in number to trouble the whites any more.
and while they were known to be there, nobody
gave much thought To them. There came
long hard winter in Newfoundland the worst
ever known. Tho weather was hitter cold. snow
storm followed snow storm, till nobody could
get about in the woods. and the settlers along
the coast had hard times to keep from freezing
and get food enough to eat Up on the high
lands away from the ocean 1t was worse still.
and after tina. season one ever saw a Red In
dian again. IL was then they must have all
perished.
- Late that winter a settler chopping wood in
his clearing saw two Indians coming toward him
from the forest. They looked gaunt and weak.
ana seemed nearly dead from cold and hunger.
AT sight of 'em coming he caught up his gun
and shot one Of 'em dead. The other one turned
and fled hnck into the forest, yelling until his
cries lied away among the trees. That was the
last that was heard of the Red Indians