Year: 1860

The Brechin advertiser publishes letter
from townsman who arrived in Victoria m
October last, "after thirteen months on The
plains among the Indians" The writer saws :
F'Fiiteen of Us left st. Pau's, Minnesota, on the
10th of August, 1858, for Fraser River, with
horse each. The first twenty days We got a.
long pretty good, but after that our trouble com
menced. The South Indians came on Us in the
night, and took our horses and provisions, tied
Us band and foot, and commenced dancing "a
round US with their knives. Une OF our party
could understand a little of their language he
got them TO understand we did not want TO harm
them-that we only wanted to travel through
their country, and that we were going 10 pay
them for 1t, bat they would not listen 10 him.
They said that some white men had killed some
of their tribe, and their friends were to be re-
venged on the white men. By the time day.
light began to appear, they got up and ioosened
our feet and made US walk TO where thir camp
was, and put US in a w.gwam, and left two In
dians to guard US.


The second night came, but 1t brought an aw-
ful sight. They came and took US out TO the
woods and tied each OF US to tree, and strip
ped our clothes off. They told US that the
Chief was gong to burn US. After the chief
came be ordered them to build fire around the
tree that John Fletch was tied to, Uhis was the
man that could speak 10 them.l They burned
him 10 death and killed two more, and the rest
OF US got away with our lives, after they had
kept Us about three weeks. We travelled on
tor about forty DAYS, and party of Blackfoot
Indians came on Us, and wanted to take our hor-
seS, but we could moi give them, SO they went
Atf Il -
for three days, but on the fourth about forty OF
them came down on US, and fred at us, killing
two and wounding three. We fired on them
aud Killed four. and then threw part OF our pro-
visions away to tighten our horses, as we could
travel faster, and trusted to our guns for
meat


There Is no danger of man starving on the
plans II he has good gun aud can use 1t. We
Travelled for fifteen days, at about fifty miles a
day, and thought we bad got clear OF the Black
! 'eet Indians bat they followed Us till we came
10 large river, and when we were crossing it
they hired at US from behind The trees. They
dad not hurt any OF Us hen, but the next day
:hey attacked US in picket, and killed four of
our party, and wound I'd one-that was myself.
l got ball through my thigh. There were
now only SIX OF Us left, who got oft from them
once more, and we haG no more trouble otthem
till we got 20 the ROCKY Mountains Having
got everything ready tor crossing the mountains
we saw some Indians come down, and we made
into the woods. It was too late, however
they had seen Us, bat they happened to be Cou-
tine Indians Coming to kill their winter provI-
sions. They were friendly to Us, and gave us
several small things. They gave me some stuff
Tor my thigh, and il got better.


We started into the mountains and travelled
four days, and then about twenty Blood Indians
came on Us and killed three OF our number and
wounded the rest SO that we were not able 10
walk. They took US to their camp and dressed
our wounds. We learned that they took US for
Indians, as We were dressed something like
them, for all our clothing had beer worn out
They took care of US, and doctored US up as
we'll as they could, and we got better again.
When they saw we wanted to go on, they sent
for our horses, and guided Us through the noun
talns, and then returned back. As we came
one man died, and that reduced our number to
two out of fifteen. We got on slowly, for we
were poorly of onr wounds and we have now
got into civilized country once more, thank
God | have commenced to work little, as
much as keeps me in lie until get well, and
then | am thinking of going to the gold mines
on Fraser river