The Sun. — 1846-04-06 (London, England)

THREATENED ATTACK BY INDIANS.  MAY s.—On account of our animals, it was necessary to remain to-day at this place. Indians crowded numerously around us in the morning ; and we were obliged to keep arms in hand all day, to keep them out of the camp. They began to surround the horses, which, for the convenience of grass, we were guarding .a little above, on the river. These were unwed:at( ly driven in, and kept close to the camp. In the darkness of the night, we had made a very bad encampment, our fires being c( mmended by a rocky bluff within fifty yards; but, notwithstanding, we had the river and small thickets of willows on the other side. Several times during the day the camp was insulted by the Indians ; but, peace being our object, I kept simply on the defensive. Some of the Indians were on the bottoms, and others haranguing us from the bluffs ; and they were scattered in every direction over the hills. Their language being probably a dialect of the Utah, with the aid of signs some of cur people could comprehend them very well. They were the same people who had murdered the Mexicans ; and towards us their disposition was evidently hostile, nor were we well disposed towards them. They were barefooted, and nearly naked ; their hair gathered up in a knot behind ; and with his bow, each man carried a quiver with thirty or forty arrows partially drawn out. Besides these, each held in his hand two or three arrows for instant service. Their arrows are barbed, with a very clear, translucent stone, a species of opal, nearly as hard as the diamond ; and, shot from their long bow, are almost as effective as a gunshot. In these Indians, I was forcibly struck by an expression of countenance resembling that in a beast of prey ; and all their actions are those of wild animals. Joined to the restless motion of the eye, there is a want of mind—an absence of thought —and an action wholly by impulse, strongly expressed, and which constantly recalls the similarity. A man who appeared to be a chief, with two or three others, forced him'elf into the camp, bringing with him his arms, in spite of my order; to the contrary. When shown our weapons, ill-' bored his ears with his fingers, and said he could not bear. " Why," said he, there are .none of you." Counthig the including in the number a mule which whaoswieiliggthe nu' m made out 22. "So many," said he, people .arounditlhencasihnrja hel 5,, nd he pointed if you have ber, " and we—we are a great manyb ;t to the hills aed mountains roun.d ntshiihslekihnedinaos much,, as the people, particuyour arms," said he, I had some difficulty in restraining twanging .hibaol,ou,;' we have if it had been given, by.a more d e• Don't said he ; on t you, say that—your larly Carson, who felt an insult res ie. ''speaking in good. English ; and prolbsiaafyeblstel,i'natitiaeaoonlldgdeninar'lln was nearer. to his end than he will be befoie he meets it. Several alansitmanlisghhtad; abnedenenareicyesisnartihl.,ev left behind near the camp morning, before the Indians made their appearance several men were sent to bring them in. When I was beginning to be uneasy at their absence, they returned with information that they had been driven off from the trail by Indians ; having followed the tucks, in a short distance they found the animals cut up and spread out upon bushes. In the evening I gave a fatigued horse to some of. the Indians for a feast; and the village which carried him off refused to share with the others, who made loud complaints from the rocks of the partial distribution. Many of these Indians had long sticks, hooked at the end, which they used in hauling out lizards, and other small animals, from their holes. These belong to the people who are generally known under the name of Diggers ; and to these I have more particularly had reference, when occasionally speaking of a people whose sole occupation is to procure food sufficient to support existence.—Captaia Freenwnt's United States' Exploring Expedition in Oregon and California.