Year: 1862

cid fellow was just starting to bring them


back to US as he got there. The man gave


him half dollar, for he thanked him Verv


much, as he would sooner have half dol


lar than five dollar gold piece, as thew


are great people for silver coin. We iour.


neyed on, and the next tribe that we came


to were the Sues, part Of the CHEYENNE


tribe. There is but very little difference


between these two tribes, if any; the for


mer separated from the latter for some


cause or other which I did not learn. and


were at war with each other for LONG


time, but have become friends again, and


are mixing together. We next camped at


what they called Box Elder Station. where


there was wedding that night, and thew


had great time dancing and powwowine;


1t was very amusing to see the performance.


The Sues and Cheyenne tribes are great


enemies of the Pawnees, and are at war


with each other nearl ly all the time. These


nations are unciVilized, and are moving
about from place to place, bat generally


follow the buffalo and other large game.


In the winter they are south, and come


north in the spring as far as the Platte


River Sometimes they cross that river,


but very seldom, as nearly all the territory


north of the Platte belongs to the Pawnees.
east of Fort Kearney.


AS we were travelling through that Sec


ton of the country the Sues and Chey-
ennes were preparing for battle with the
Pawnees They told us that Pawnee had
way laid one of their men and killed him.
and had taken his pony, and they were
going to have revenge


Those tribes depend on hunting for a
living, and are always ready for trading
their furs and robes for provisions, and at
the same time if there is any chance to
steal, they are also ready, as they are great
thieves, and very cunning at that A per-
son has to watch them very close, and then
If they cannot steal, they will try and beg,
and If you give one and not the rest they
Will get very angry at you. The best plan
Is not to give to any unless there are but
two or three together; and then if you give
them anything they will appear to be very
good friends to you, but for all that, I
would not like to trust myself with FIVE or
or SIX of them away out of sight of the
company, for if they thought they had the
advantage of me, they would take my
scalp IN moment. But | must stop, as l
cannot give you full account of the diff,
terent tribes, as there are two more in this
section of the country. They are the Ar
apahoes and Utahs, or Its as they call them
selves. Perhaps l may give you an ac-
count of them in another letter.


| will now ap1o,ror - -, .
about the mountains and the Cold Regions.
We could see the highest peak at the dis
tance of about one hundred and seventy
miles. The first was Longs Peak, the
highest IN this section of the country. 1t
is about twenty miles north from these
parts OF the digglugs and is almost perpetu
ally covered with snow. Next is Pixies
Peak, which is about one hundred miles
south from here, and nearly the same height
as Longs Peak; some say that Longs is
the highest. They are about fourteen
thousand feet above the level of the Plains.
They look pretty high with their white
caps on them. There are numerous other
small peaks, but these are the main ones
in the region.


Next is the Snowy Range. The near
est point to them from here is about ten
miles the top is perpetually covered with
snow as far as you can see 1t is very
nice place TO be in in the hot days of Au-
gust, perhaps rather too cool for comfort
on some of the highest points. Now. for
the Mining Regions. The central mines
lie on the eastern slope of the mountains,
about fifty miles west of Denver City,
and about ten miles east of the Snowy |
Range.


The mining ground is in the gulches or
ravines of the lower mountains that run
from the range east towlrds the plains, and |
have their different names. | am at pres
ent in the Nevada diggings, or rather Neya-
Ia guich, as they all 90 by the name of
5ulches: The next are Spring gulch, Rus
IePs gulch, Lake gulch, South Clear Greek.
North Clear Creek, Missouri Eureka.
Quartz Valley and Gregory gulches. These
'rs the principal, with great many small
er ones: | will commence with Nevada
sulch, which is about three miles long. run
ling from northeast to southwest. About
lalf way up the gulch there was -four
shlng town of about one hundred and If
J houses, but on the evening of the 10Th
November very high wind carried fire
rom the woods, where there was man
burning brush, to the town, and destroyed
boat one hundred and twenty buildings,
Pith large twelve stamp quartz mill, but
ortunateiy shere was no furniture or goods
'urnt, as plenty Of assistance was at hand
o get all oat of the houses before they
we're consumed The town has pretty much
'een rebuilt since. The mill has also been
'uilt up, and is now running. There are
bout forty quartz mills in this gulch, which
re driven by steam power; they are all in
'peration except two or three, and are de-
ng very well There is no mining going