The New York Herald Newspaper, March 23, 1853, Page 6

A Gaph, Marey's Adventarss and Rrplorations Imapertant Discoveries Amo & the Head Wa ters of Red River. INTERESTING PAPER KEAN) LAST BYESING BEFORE THR AMBEICAN GEOGBAIUICAL AND STATIATICAL SOCIETY, BY CArT. & B. MANOY, U. & A. A special meeting of the American Statistical and Geographical! Society was beld last evening, at 1% LL.D., in the chair. Among the distinguished gea- demen present were Dr. Kane, of the Sir Joba Franklin expedition; Mr. Heury Grinnell, ove of the society's Vice-Presidents; Mr. Brodbead, &e., Ke. ‘After the transaction of the ordinary business of the society, it adjourned to the chapel of the Usiver- nity, wlgre the Presiden’ introduced to 9 large and brilliant audience Capt. R. U. Marcy, of the United States army, who proceeded to read a very interest ing paper on his recent important exploration of the Red river country, and bis own discovery of the heed ‘waters of that stream, whichewas received with close attention and much applause. The profound anxiety — which was felt last year, for several months, in all parts of the country, on account of the supposed } massacre of this gallant flicer and bis party, will be remembered by our readers :— } In submitting a paper to a society composed of gentlemen so-distinguisbed for intelligence as those of © the American Geographical and Statistical Society, a | feeling of diffidence coines over me, from a want of confidence in my own abilities, sach as | have seldom before experienced. Situated as I have been for the greater portion of the last twenty years, upon our extreme Western borders, and subjected to the privations incident to the life of a soldier, with but few facilities for intel Jectual cultivation, I have not the vanity to suppose neither, I trust, will it beexpected thatany production of mine will be of a charscter to impress the imagi nation or please the fancy of an audience such as! | now see before me. I shall, therefore, conflae myself toa concise and unprete ¢ narration of facts that have come under my own ob-eryation; and if any ef- forts of mine can in the smallest degree add to the | fund of information already posessad by the selety, Ishali feel most abundautiy rewarded. Permit me to remark, in the fir-t place, that mach of my time during the past four years has been wee or our south-westeru prairies, far beyoud the of civilization, and in the country oc d by Moose erretic aud migratory people, the * es of the plains.” While amoug I endeavored to observe their habits closely, and have attentively Btudied their character, aud shall take oc the course of what I have to say some of the results of my ot I had been ocenpied Cauadian river of the of the Trinit ions. Previous to the past summer in expioring the countr: Arkansas, and upon th Brazos, and Colorado my recon noissances had extended _» v as the Rio Grande, in New Mexico. Duriug this time my atten- tion had frequently been culled to the remarkable fact, that a porti: of one of the largest and most important rivers in the U , lying directly within the limits of tiv Lhad beea examining, remained up to that late period wholly unexplored and unknown. Ali the ioformation we had in regard to its sources erived from Indians, and, of course, was very unreliable, indefinite, and t- isfi » Ina word. the country embraced within | the basin of upper Red river bad ul! been to us a terra incognita. Several enter; and exper- ienced travellers had, at different periods, attempted the examination of this riv: ut, as yet, none had succeeded in reaching ita + Ata very carly period, officers were sent out by the French govern- | ment to explore Red river, but their examinations | reached no farther than the country of the Caddoes and Natchitoches, in the vicinity of the present town Natchitoches, Louisiana. Three years after the cession to the United States by the First Consul of the French republic, of that vas' territory, then known as Lousiana, 2 small party, called “ Exploring Expedition of Red river,” under charge of Capt. Sparks, embarked from St. | Catharine's landing, near Natchez, Mississippi, with instructions to ascend Red river to its head. This yan, descended the Miscissippi,and on the 3d of | ay, 1806, entered Red river, iuteuding to ascend in | their boats as high as the “‘ Pawaee Piqua ” Indian | Villages, where they were to leave their boats, pur- hace horses sufficient to pack their provisions, and ‘then proceed, (as was expressed in their orders,) to | the “top of the mountains,” the distance bein, a3 | they conjectured, about three hundred miles. From this itis manifest that Red river was supposed to issue from a ope scouutry, and all the ar- rangements for this expedition were made ac- cordingly. ; This party encountered many difficulties aad ob- structions in the uavigation of tne river, among the mumerous beyous below the Great Raft, but finally overcame them all, aud reached a point above this | formidable obstacle. They were, however, soon met by a large force of Spanish troops, the commander which ordered them to proceed no farther; and, as Aheir numbers were too small for a thought of resis- tanee, they were forced to turn back and abandon the enterprise. i Another expedition was fitted out by our govern- | ment, in 1806, and placed under command of that en- terprizing young travelier, Lieut. Pike, who was or- | dered to ascend the Arkansas river to its sources, | and thence to strike across the country to the head of Red river, and to descend that stream to Natchi- | toches. After encountering many privations and in- | tense sufferings in the deep snows of the lofty moun- | tains about the head waters of the Arkansas, Lieut. | Pike finally arrived upon a stream running tothe | east, which he tuck to be Red river, but which sub- | sequently proved to be the Rio del Norte. Here he | was taken by the Governor of New Mexico, and sent | home, by way of Chihaahua and San Antonio, and thus this expedition failed. | General Wilkinson, under whose orders Lient. | Pike was serving at the time, in a letter to him, after | his return, says:—‘‘ The principal object of your ex- | pedition up the Arkansas was to discover the true | of the sources of Red river. not accomplished.” Lieut. Pike, from the most ac- | curate information he could obtain, gives the geo- er opt aor of the sources of Red river as in | titade 33 N., and longtitude 104 W., which is far from correct. | Again, in 1819-20, Colonel Long, of the United | States Topographical Engineers, on his return from an eon of the Missouri river, and the country dying nm it and the head of the Arkansas, un- k to descond Red river from its sources. In his interesting report. he speaks of the subject as follows;—“ We arrived at a creek having a westerly eourse, which we took to be a tributary of Red river. Having travelled down its valley about two hundred | miles, we fell in with a purty of Indians, of the na- tion of Kaskaias, or “ Lad Hearts,” who gave us to | understand that the stream along whic’ travelling was Red river. We accordingly continued our march down the river several hundred miles fur- ther, when, to our no small disappointment, we di covered that it was the jnadian of the Ar- 8, instead of Red river, that we had been exploring. Our horses beng nea m out with the fatigue of the long journe; aso being too far advar to admit of our returning in guest of the source of Red river, with the possibility of exploring it before wiut was deemed advisa- ble to give over the enterprise for the p’ Imake our way to the settlements upon tl We were led ma the e i r consequence of not guide, acquainted with that part of the cov only dependence in this respect was upon P map, which assigns to the head w: of Red river the apparent locality of those of the | Thus, it will be seen, tnat of all tions which have attempted the exploration of the Rod iver, none succeeded in reaching its suarces. The Mexicans, and the Indians contis terntory, are in the habit of calling any str ‘waters of which hy da arance, ‘ Rio C irprising th should have received trom them the Rio Colorado;” and this fact will ‘mistake into which Baron Hur he stated that the Red river of some fifty miles east of Santa | tion he must have received from exieans:) and hat t Gt will also account for the mistakes of Col. Loug and Lieut. Pike. : On the Sth day of March, 1852, T received an order from the War Department to take of my wn company, then stationed at Fort Belknap, on Bhe Brazos ver, in Texas, with a few Delaware Ln- sians as guides, interpreters and hunters, and pro- weed to explore Red river, from the confluence of ashe creek, (the highest point that had been ex- ‘amined,) to its sources. In compliance with this order, | immediately repaired to For Belknap, where | arrived on the 30th day of April; and on the 2d day of May I left that place for the initial point of my ice, whence, on the sth, commenced bg creek is a stream of very considerable mag- mitude, which takes it#rise in the Witchita moun- tains, and unites with Red river one hundred and twenty miles above the Washita, aud ove hundred miles above the highest settlement upon the river. About miles above this confluence | found that Fed river divided into two nearly equal branches. Fol- Jowing the north branch for forty niles, we arrived at another fork, the branches of which were also of | about jitude. We continaed upon the moat saxshorly of these, and, after travelling three hua \ | i rooms in the University, the Hon. George Rancroft ! | This | im } . Timbers the country » present oa only aboot twenty-five miles from the Cana aek the same |: te, (where I had piss. ed in 1809,) Twas determine how the-e re- sults corresponded with these arrived at on that oc- cation. particularly as the Canadian had by several travellers been mistaken for Red river. Acoordiasty, | with a small detachment for an escort, ! made an | exeursion, actoss the intervening coontry, the road I had made in 1849, with the river, in the relative position indicated by our astroaomical ob- servations at the head of Red river. This was to me 4 matter of much gratification and interest, as it de- veloped and confirmed the accuracy of our caleuly tloms regarding the geographical positions of both ing completed the examination of the of Red river, we tarued south, over an ¢ prairie country i travelled this we reached the middle or salt for! Df the river, which we ascended to its source, and egaim reecmed the south course, and marching fifty miles in this direction it brought us to the valley of the eouth or principal branch of the river. On arriving at thie stream, which the Comanches call Ke-che-ab gue-bo-no, of “ Prairie dog town river,” 80 named for the reason, I me. that avast number of dogs are found along its valley. Indeed, in one | eo near the head of the river, we passed for A & continsows community of these quadrupeds. posing ite extent to have been the same in other directions, the town would ocoupy an area of 625 square miles, or 396,000 acres, with the burrows the usual distances of about twenty yards apart, and each containing a farms ¢ five or six “e. = aggregate ee = would, , exceed that of any city in wi Thterestiog Hittle “f specimen of the mammalia of our has oftea been described by travellers; bot some facts connected with their history, which [ bave never seen mentioned in any published ac- count, may not be considered out of place here. In selecting a position or for their towns, they appear to have no regard to its distance from water, | which has induced me to believe that hae do which other ant so net require thet element frequently have oceasion for, and without which they inevitably perish. | have oceasionally seen them upon the elevated table lands of New Mexico, where there wa. water on the surface of the ground for twenty m and where it did not seem probable that it ce be found by excavation. As there are seldom any rains or dews upon these plains during the summer months, and as the animals never wander far from their burrows, I think I am warranted in the conclusion that the: her oqer as austenance than what the flood, which is grass, The rattle snake is often found with the dogs, and tas by some been considered a welesme guest of the proprietor of Diishment; 1 is r, as he preys npon the dog, and is undoubtedly ed by him as an iutroder. We found this neh of the ads wide ing over a nb and brokea » Iwas, there- i:and stream one thonsand yi from this point with men, directly along the b three days hard ri ng from 102 to 110 ig but the me water to drink during the time, we at len at the source of the main branch of fi latitude 34 degrees, 12 minutes, and | ninutes, about two hundre outheast direction m the head of the h, from its couflueuce with the Mis- pi to this poiat, with one exception, had been sand, suddenly changed to rock, with the water, (which below here had been turbid and bitter.) dow- ing clearly and rapidly over it—and, much to our de- light, it w: This 162 wer, we found und it exceedingly unpalatable. The 3 of this water upon ns had been to produce sickness at the stomach, attended with loss of appe- tite, and a raging and feverish thirst, which con- stantly impelled us to drink it, although it hal still a contrary effect from what we desired, increasing our thirst rather than allaying it. After intense suf- fering from drinking this nauseating water, we in- duiged e's in the pure and delicious element, as we ascended along the narrow dell through which the stream fonnd its way; and following up for two miles the tortuous course of the gorge, we reached a point where it became so much obstructed with huge iles of rocks that we were oblized to leave our orses, and clamber over the remainder of the dis- tance on foot. The gigantic walls of sandstone, rising to the | enormons beight of eight hundred fect, on each side, gradually cloced in, until they were o- y 2 few yards apart, and at last united ab us, leav' 2 long, narrow corridor beneath, at the base of which the head spring ef the principal branch of Red river takes its rive. “This spring bursts from its cavernous reservoir, and, leaping down over the hage masses of rock below, commences its long jourr to unite with other tributaries in the noblest river in the universe. Oa beholding this little rivulet, as it winds its tortuous conree down the steep descent of the cafton, it is dif- ficult to realize that it forms the nucleus to the largest and most important river in America, floatin, ers upon its bpsora for nearly two thousan miles, and deporiting an alluviun along its borders which renders its valley perhaps the most fertile in the world. We drank copious dranghta of the cool and re- freshing water in the spring, and thereby considered ourselves, with the pleasure derived from the beau- tifol and majestic scenery around us, remunerated for all our fatigue and privations. The magnificence of the views that presented themselves to our e; we approached the head of the river exceeded any thing I had ever beheld. It is impossible forme to describe the sensations of intense pleasure I ex- perienced as I gazed on these grand und novel dis- plays of nature. The stupendous escarpments of the solid rock, rising to such a height as to exclude the rays of the sun for a ggeat portion of the day, were worn away, by the lapee of time and the action of water and the weather, into the most fantastic forms, which it re- quired but little effort of the imagination to convert into works of art; all united in forming one of the most sublime and picturesque scenes that can be imagined, and we all, with one accord, stopped and ith wonder and admiration upon a panorama ow for the first time exhibited to the eyes of civilized man. All here wore the aspect of nature as it sprang into existence—nature in its unreclaimed sublimity and wildness—and it inspired me with that venera- tion which one is apt to {cel in contemplating the beauty and grandeur of the undistarbed creations of the Sovereign Architect, stamped, appareatly, a3 with his own eternity. From the head of this branch of the river T re- turned to the main body of my command, and from the point they had occupied traveiled down between the two south branches, reaching Fort Arbuckle, in the Chickasaw Nation, on the $0th day of July. 8, me, we heard tue report that was ted in relation a is report the with these Indians, who m though we considere meet any force of Ind against 0 the counti yet le ing the deep ountry men, for ti ind sym in the fute of In a which malo} The bluiis appro toms, which f y this are broad, rich ‘and prodc contract, that dense Leavy vegetatic terises lower portions of the vailey growth of canel ice: and ith spacions leys. : ea to becor sterile as we ascend, until we west longitude; and trom this 7 he bead the river, with very fow exceptitr : is ne more arable lend. Severe! erroneous opinions have heen entertained head waters of R for many years erally been suppose heavy I of June, at a wh r ly no rain in the settlements, and during th in upon the plains, th he sources of the r woul! be foand in lofty mountain ranges, where melting of snowa would sccount for the great amount of water passing througi the channel at the season mentioned such is not the fact, as all the principal tributari have their origin in the eastern bordera of the table lands of New Mexico, where there are no mountains . ad found | | bar pce py water has a very bitter and disa; As ble taste, it has been conjectured that it in its csurve through extensive salt But this 1 also found Se tee de) oat Chloe ccives in its flowing for a hundred miles over a gyp- sum formation, which extends from the Arkausas river, in a sout direction, to the Rio Grande. ‘This sent belt of gypsum, which I have myself passed through at four different points, embracing 2 range of three hundred miles, is considered by rs Hitchcock to be the most extensive in the Known world. I have everywhere found it characterized by the same peculiarities, with the water issuing from it invariably bitter and-nauseating. ‘The Arkansas, Canadian, Brazos, Colorado, and Pecos rivers, also pass through this formation, and a similar taste is imparted to the waters of all. These rivers also have their sources in the borders of the same elevated table lands, and where they make their exit from this platteau their beds are con‘ined to vast sluices or catons, the sides of which rise very abrubtly to an enormous height above the sur face of the water. This defile on Red river is seventy miles in length, the escarpments from five to eight hundred feet high on each side,and in many pare they approach ‘so near the water's edge that there is not room for man to pass; and occasionally it is necessary to travel for miles in the bed of the river before a spot is found where a horse can clamber up the precipi- tous sides of the chasm. I could not determine in my own mind whether this remarkable defile had been formed after a long lapse of time by the action of the current, or had been produced by some great convulsion of nature. ‘The barren mésa, in which these rivers take their rise, extends from the Canadian river, in a southerly course, for about four hundred miles, between the pa- rallels of north Istitude 32 degrees 30 minutes and 36 degrees 20 minutes. It is in some places nearly two hundred miles in width, and is embraced within the meridians of 101 and 104 degrees west longitude. The approximate elevation of this plain above the Fea, as coterenined with the barometer, is three thou- and six hundred and fifty feet; it is also much ele- vated above the surrounding country, very level, and | extends off, in every dire ‘tion as far as the eye can | reach, without a tree, shri, or any other vegetation, to intercept the vision. Tne traveller, in poms over it, sees nothing but one vast, barren and mono- tenous waste, and dreary eolitude. It is an ocean of | pathless, trackless desert prairie, where the voice of | man is seldom heard, and where no living being per- | manently resides. It may with Emap, be termed | the Great Zabara of North America. The almost | total absence of water causes all animals to shun it— | even the Indians do not venture to cross it, except at two points, where they find a few small ponds. | Mony years since the Mexicans marked out a route acrow this plain with stakes, and hence the namo by which it is known throughout Mexico, of ef Llano- extacado, or e Staked Plain.” The geologice! features of the country alone val- ley of the upper Red river ave generally character- ized »y rocks of the secondary formation. Tho Witchita mountains, however, are composed of gra- nite rocks, with veins of quartz ranuing through them, similar to the gold hearing rocks of California, Ores of copper, of a very rich quality, are found in many places throughout the valley, and we also dis- cove few emall particles of gold iu the detritus | from the mountains. ‘The country ewbraced within the basin of the up- er Red river is much frequented by several tribes of ndivns, all having similar habits, but speaking differ- ent languages, The most numerous and warlike of these are the Comanches, who are separated into three distinct local grand divisions, namely—tho Northern, Middle, and Southern. Each of these is subdivided into several bands, commanded by sepa- | rate chiefs. The Northern and Middle Comanches sub- fist elinost entirely on the flesh of the buffalo, and are | generully found as their heels, migrating with them irom place to place, on those vast and inhospitable plains, which cannot, in the nature of things, be made available for agriculture; and they seem to be | destined in future, as they bave been in former ages, | to be the empire of the erratic savage. Anditisa | fact worthy of remark, that man, in whatever situa- | tion he may be placed, is infivenced in his modes of existence, his physical and moral condition, by the natoral resources of climate, soil, and other circum- stances eround Lim, over the operations of which he has no control. Fortunately, sach is the flexibility of bis pature, that he soon adapts himself to the hardest and most un! circumstances, and, in- deed, ultimately becomes, not only reconciled to his lot, but fancies his condition far proferable to that of most others. The example of our border setticrs is illustrative of this fact, since they continue to remove further and further West as the settlements | increach upon them, preferring a life of dangerous adventure and solitude to persanal se- curity and the conforts und ss of society; | and what was at firet necessity to them, becomes In time a source of excitement and pleasure. The no: madic Indian of the prairie demonstrates the position still more forcibly. Free aa the boundless plains | ver which he roams, he knows nor wants any ics beyond what he fds in the buifulo or the deer at bis d These serve him fer food, clothing, and a cove r his lodge, and he sighs not fur the | dirtinctions which occupy the thoughts and enga, the energies of civilized men. His only ambition that he may cope successfully with his eneinyin war, end manage his steed with unfailing adroitness. He is in the saddle from boyhood to old age, and his _ favorite horse is bis constant companion. [tis when | mounted that the Comanche exhibits himself to the best advantage; he is then athome, and his skill in ~ the various mancuvres which he makes available in | battle, such as throwing himself entirely upon one side of his horse, and discharging his arrows with great rapidity in the oppasite direction, from beneath | the animal's neck, while he is at full speed, is tral, astonishing. Every warrior has his war horse, which | is te ficetest that can be obtained. He prizes him more highly than anything else in his possession, and it is seldom that be can be indaced to part with him at any price. He never mounts him except when going into battle, for the buffalo chase, or upon state occasions. On hix return from an excursion, he is met at the door of his lodge by one of his wives, who takes his steed and attends to its wants with the utmost care. The ie warrior performs no menial labor; his only occupation isin war and the chase. His wives, who are but little dearer to him than his ho rform all the drudgery. He fol- lows the chase, he smokes his pipe, he eats and sleeps, and thus passing his time, in his own esti- mation be is the most lordly and independent of sovereigns. | Such are some of the characteristics of the prairie Indians; and! cannot dismiss the subject without remarking that, in addition to the physical similitude Letween the deserts of Arabia and the steppes of central Asia to the elevated prairie mésas of our own country, a striking reremblance alse exists between | their respective inhabitants. The Arabs of the | desert, the Tartar tribes, andj the aboriginal occu- | pants of the prairies, are alike wanderers, having no permanent obidin z een, still living in their travel- | Hing Joe and where these are pitched making | the. They acknowledge no other role than | ma | the patriarchal, aud no other alliance but that of fra- f | er of four sons, who were as promising ¢ insensible tothe wants y know neither irtre, and they sre alike aitades of for e. y, which kno r the crimes of ava- 1, but subsist alto ge. They are the “ and cherish the ternity,; and they ere a and ¢ of civil poverty nor riches, exempt from the deplo Theirs iv a b na there is also chiefs, who in ce wid he y che 1 mal-admioktrution, they do not hesi- tate him end place a inore competent man their laws are euch os are adapted ar sit », and are annctloned by the 1 a is vested in te ch'e y ave culled, y ai property of these people, w 0. a few viticks pertaining to the feta entirely in hore rreat um taan who hes a ni ms into Mexi co is held in bat little repute. In evidence of tals, on old chief of the Northern Comanches, called Issw keep, in conycrsation with me, said ue was the fath youns men as | could be found—that they were a great comfort to Dim in his eld age, and could steal more horses than | any youths.in his band. AS there forays are often attended with mach toil er, they are called “‘war expedition It rcqnently happens that bat six or eight young out upon one of them, and the only outtit jcire is a horse, with suitable war equipments, consisting of the bow and arrows, lance y op and occasionaliy a gun. Thus prepared, they ona a of < aeeund miles Spine ape oh perfectly wild and desolate country, dependent wholly — uy ete pat game as they may ae to find fora sab- sistence. ‘They thus make their way to the northern provin- ces of Mexico, where they lay in waiting, Near some hacienda, until a favorable oppurtunity olla to weep _ in nombers almost aa rapidly as the buffaloes. with the most eters them the ae if FF EE i i EH | ment to their operations, and women and children, whom they the moat servile character. They sent from their tribes for two years, before cess is sufficient to justify their creditable retarn. ‘Some few of them, who have visited their Great Father, at Washington, have gone home impressed with the numerical power and of the whites; butthe great majority of the nation, being entirely ignorant of everything that relates to us, aud many of them having never even seen @ white man, believe the Comanches to be the most owerfol nation in existence; and the relation of h which conflict with this notion by their own people to the masses of the tribe, at th irie fire- sides, onty subjects the narrator to ridicule, and he is set down as one whose brain has been turned by the necromancy of the pale faces, and is henceforth regarded a3 wholly unworthy of confidence. ving upon one occasion a Delaware and a Co- manche with me, in the capacity of guides, I was much diverted at a conversation which tween them, in my presence, and which was inter- preted to me by e Delaware. It apy d that the latter had stated to the other the fact of the sphericity of the earth’s surface. This idea being altogether new and Cree yet to the Comanche, was received with much incredality, and, after gazing fora moment at the Delaware, ascertain if he was sincere, he asked if that person took him for a child, or if he looked like an idiot? The Delaware said: No, but the Walle peoute, who knew all about these matters, had ascertained such to be the fact; and he added, that the world was not only round, but that it revolved around the sun. The Comanche very indignantly replied, that any man of sense could, “hy looking off upon the prairies, see at a glance that the earth was level; and, moreover, that his dfather had been west to the end of it, where the sun passed down behind a vertical wall. The Delaware continued, in his simple but impressive manner, to describe to the Comanche the operations of the steam engine, and other objects of interest that he had seen, all of which the Comanche regarded as an effort of a fertile imagination, expressly designed to deceive him; and the only reply he deigned to make was an occasional exclamation in his own language, the interpretation of which the other pronounced to be, “Hush, you fool!”’ I then endeavored to explain to the Delaware the operation of the magnetic telegraph; and, in illus- trating its practical utility, told him that a message could be transmitted a thousand miles, aud an an- swer returned, in the short period of ten minutes. He seemed much interested in this, and listened at- tentively to my remarks, but made no comments until 1 requested him to explain it to the Comanche, when he smilingly said, “I don’t think 1’! tell him that, captain, for the truth is, I don't believe it myself.” wn mode of life among the prairie tribes, owing to their unsettled and wandcring habits, is such as to render their condition one of constant danger and apprehension. The security of the'r numerous ani- uals from the encroachments of their enemies, and their constant liability to attack:, makes it impera- tively necessary for them to be at all timos on the alert. Their herdsmen are stationed with as much regularity as the sentinels ata military post; and even in times of the most profound peace they guard their animals both night and day, while mounted scouts are patrolling on the neighboring heights to give notice of the approach of strangers, when their horses are hurried to a place of security, and everything made ready for defence. The manner in which they salute a stranger is somewhat peculiar, as my own reception at one of their encampments will show. Their chief was & very corpulent old man, with exceedingly scanty at- tire, who, immediately on our approach, declared himselt a great friend of the Americans, and persist- ed in giving me evidence of his sincerity by an embrace, which, to plceze him, I forced inyself to submit to, although it was far from agree- able to my own feelings. izing me in his brawny arms, while we were yet in the saddle, and laying his greasy head anon my shoulder, he inflicted upon me @ most bruin-like squeeze, which I endured witha de- en of patient fortitude worthy of the occasion; and was consoling myself on the completion of the sa- lutation, when the gavage again seized me in his arms, and I was doomed to another similar torture, with his head on my other shoulder, while at the same time he rubbed his greasy face against mine in the most affectionate manner, all of which proceeding: he gave me to understand, was to regarded 28 a 1aost distinguished and sig- nal mark of affection for the American peoplo in ge- neral, whom, as he expressed it, he loved so much that it almost broke his heart, and in particular for myself, who, as their representative, can beartestimo- ny to the strength of his attachment. On leaving his camp the chief shook me heartily by te Pome reling ine st Line same time that he was not a Comanc! ut an American; and. as I did not feel diaposed to be outdone in politeness by un in- dian, I replied, in the same spirit, that there was not a drop of Anglo-Saxon blood in my veins, but that [ was wholly and absolutely 2 Comanche, at which he | seemed delighted, duly understanding and appre- | clating the compliment These people are hospitable and kind to all with whom they are not at war. and on the arrival of a stranger al their camps a lodge is prepared for him, and he is entertained as long as he chooses to remain among them. They are also kind and affectionate to cach other, and as long as anything comestable re- mains in the camp, all are permitted to share alike ; but, with theee exceptions, they are are possessed of but few virtues. Polygamy is sanctioned, and is very common among them, every man being allowed 88 many wives as he can support. Their women are of low stature, ill-shaped, and filthy and ugly im the extreme, while the men are tall, well-formed, and fine looking. Many of their children, erate to unavoidable ex- posure, die young. The boys, however, arc treated with great care and kindness, while the girls are frequently beaten and abused ercifully. Of all’ the; Indians I had before encounter- I ed, know of none who had not an extreme fondness for spirituous liquors, which, unfortunate yy. have everywhere, from the advent of the on this continent, been their worst enemy. Those of the prairie tribes I have seen say the taste of such liquor is not pleasant— that it makes fools of them, and that they do not de- sire it. If there are exceptions to this, I think they may be set down as factitious rather than natu- ral, the appetite having been created by occasional | indulgence in the use ofa little at a time. The diet of these people is very simple. From in- fancy to old age their only food, with the exception of a few wild plants, which they find on the prairies, is fresh meat, of which, in times of plenty, they con- sume enorinous quantities. In common with many other tribes, they can, when necessity demands it, abstain from ‘ing for several days without incon- venience, and they are enabled to make up at one meal the deficiency. Allof them are parc arin fond of tobacco, which they use for smoking, mixed with the dried leaves of the sumec, inhaling the smoke {nto their Jungs and giving it out through their nostrils, heir language is verbal and pantomimic. The former consists of a very limited number of words, some of which are common to all the prairie tribes. The latter, which is exceedingly graceful and ex- pressive, is the court langwage of the plains, and is used and understood with great facility and accuracy ly all the tribes from the Gila to the Columbia, the | and signs to express ideas being common wall. ntemplating the character of the prairie In- the striking similarity between him and the Arab and Tecter, we are not lesa astonished at the abeolate dissimilarity between them and the aboriginal inhabitants of the Eastern States. permanent vill cultivated fields of corn, possessed strong attac ment for their ancestral abodes and sepulchre: th d rees, always made their huntin while the former have » never cultivate the always mounted, and never fight a battle on preirie, where they charge boldly discharge thwir arrows with great : ewoy before their panic etricken tists can prepare to resist or retaliate. In- ey appear to Lave beeu different in almost » depend almost entirely on istence and clothing, it be- e question of much interest what will be tne ypio when these animals shall haye net. Formerly buffloes were found in erds over almost the entire northern of America, from the twenty-cighth to the be degree of north latitude, and from the ee of Lake Champlain to the Rocky Monntains. then ranged free and uninterrupted over the lors plains of the West, only guided in their cours: by vb at faithful justinet which invariably led them to the frorbest and sweetest res. Their only eremy then was the Indian, who supplied him- eell with food end clothing from the immense herds around bis door, but would have looked on it as sacrilege to destroy more than barely sufficient to sopply the wants of his family. Thas this monarch of the plains was allowed uninterrupted range from one end of the continent to the other; but this hoppy state of things for the noble beast waa not dee! to continue. An enemy appeared who paved pp havoc 1 them, and in @ Mort time « very sensible diminution in their numbers, | ond much contracted the derings. Tis enemy was the white man, who, march, causes the original proprie- diaxtuish in bis stead: tor of the soil to recede before him, and to ve latter, from the time of the discovery of the | ea, where they | limite of their wan- | toe large t ie i i £ F 3 3 t H z fl y | E : 5 f lg f = t , it the business of a slave, and very much beneath the dignity of a warrior, it sppeese anenee SER Se turn his attention to ¢ Mexicans, over whom he has held the for many years. Heretofore his plunder of them has been for : and for glory; but when he is obi; to resort to this as a means of peg wo away with the inveterate manches entertain against the whites, before they will be induced to remain in ny fixed abodes, or cultivate the soil. In common with most other Indians, they are very superstitious; they believe in dreams, the wearing of amulets, medicine bags, &c., and the dedication of offerings to secure the favor of invisible agents, aa also in the efficacy of music and dancing for the cure of diseases. They submit with imperturbable stoiciam and apa- thy to misfortunes of the most serious character, and in'the len of strangers manifest no or curiosity at the exhibition of astounding novelties; yet this apparent indifference is assumed, and they are, in reality, a very inquisitive people. # In every village may be seen small structures, con- sisting of a framework of slight poles, bent into a semi-spherical form, and covered with buffalo hides. These are called medicine lodges, and are used as vapor baths. The patient is seated within the lodge, beside several heated stenes, upon which water is thrown, producing a dense hot vapor, which brings | on a profuse perspiration, while at the same time the Shamans, or medicine men, who profess to have the power of communicating with the unseen world, and of propitiuting the malevolence of evil spirits, | are performing various incantations, accompanied by music on the outside. Such means are resorted to for healing all diseases; and J am also informed that | their young men are obliged to undergo a regular | courre of steam bathing before they are considered worthy of assuming the responsible duties of | warriors, | The knowledge they possess of their early history | is very vague and limited, and does not extend fur- | ther back than a few generations. They say that | their forefathers lived preciely. as they do, and fol- | lowed the buffalo; that they came from a country | towards the setting sun, to which they expect to re- | turn after death. They acknowledge the existence and power of a great supernatural agent, who directs and controls all things; but this pone they conceive to be origi- nally in the sun, which they worship, and appeal to | on all oceasions of moment. They also anticipate a | future state of existence similar to the present, and | invariably bury with the warrior his hunting and war equipments. ° Thus far, no efforts have ever been made to im- | por the moral or physical condition of the people. | No missionaries have, to my knowledge, ever visited them, and they have no more idea of lpia | than they have of the religion of Mahomet. We fini | dwelling almost at our doors as barbarous and hea- thenish a race as exists on the face of the earth; and while our benevolent and philanthropic citizens are | making such efforts to ameliorate the condition of | sevages on other continents, should we not do some- | Sine i the benefit of these wild men of the prairies These dingy noblemen of nature—the original pro- prietors of all that vast domain included between the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific—have beon de- spoiled, supplanted, and robbed of their just and le- gitimate heritage, by the avaricious and’ rapid encroachments of the white man. Numerous and porertal nations have already become exterminated vy unjustifiable wars that he, has waged with them, and by the effects of the vices he has introduced and inculcated; and of those that remain, but few can be found who are not contaminated by the pernicious eae of unprincipled and designing adven- urers, it if not, at this late day, in oar power toate for all the injustice inflicted upon the red man;) but | it eeeme to me that a wise policy would dictate al- most the only recompense it is now possible to | make, that of introducing among them the lights of | Christianity and the blessings of civilization, with their attendtant benefits of agriculture and the arts. The thanks of the society were unanimously voted to Captain Marcy, by the society, for his paper, which was highly complimented by Mr. Bancroft, | Mr. Leavitt, and other gentlemen of the society. " FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL, | MONBY MARKET. loins ‘Turspay. March 22—6 P. M. There was not much activity to-day in Erie Rail- road stock, but holders were not so firm, and prices receded a fraction.. Nicaragua was offered in large lots, and nearly two thousand shares changed hands at yesterday's prices. Harlem has not been so much reduced in market value for many months, and it strikes us it must bea good investment at current rates. In other stocks the movement is limited, and the market continues without any decided tendency either way. At the first board, Harlem declined § per | cent; Erie Railroad 3; Phoonix 14; Reading Railroad | -4; Cumberland Coal }. Parker Vein advanced 1 per | cent; Hudson River Railroad 3; Hanover Bank j. | At the second board some of the fancies were a shade | better. Nicaragua went up 3 per eont; Harlem 4. Hudeon River Railroad declined } per cent. There was no change in Erie Railroad. The market may | continue for weeks in its present state. We see no | indications of any change for the better. There is no demand for stocks out of Wall street, and the brokers | will be obliged ultimately to let prices down con- | siderably to attract outsiders. They will not touch stocks at present prices, The receipts at the office of the Assistant Trea- | surer of this port, to-day, amounted to $129,120; | payments, $31,585 01—Dalance, $7,074,373 46. We stated, some time since, that dealers in foreign exchange were purchasing sterling bills to the full extent of their means, in anticipation of a rise in rates. This has a tendency to keep the money mar- ket mcre stringent than it otherwise would be. The importers are not doing much at present in the way of remittances ; but they cannot put it off much | longer, and when they do so, we must expect tighter t'mes than we have had yet. We now quote bills on | London at 8394 per cent premium; on Paris of. 17} a 5f. 15; others without change. The steamship Atlantic, from Liverpool, brings | The commercial accounts, on the whole, are not as favorable as those previously received. The cotton market closed on the Sth heavy, with a very gloomy aspect. A decline of one-eighth of a penny was re- ported. The corn markets were also very dull, and the tendency of prices was still downward at the close, after a decline had been submitted to. The London stock market was inactive, and prices barely sustained. Prices were lower all round, the result of | unlimited sales, The lower house of the Legislature of this State has paseed the bill taxing freight transported on the Erie Railroad and the centralline of railroads of New York. Tho following isa synopsis of the bill, as it paseed the Assembly:— 1. Provides that all the roads between Albany and Troy and Dultwlo, together with the Syracuse and Os ego, the Rochester and Niagara Falls, the Canandaigua and Nia gare Falls and the Lockport and Butfalo railroads, shall returp all freight transportod over them (except ‘catile, horses, sheep, fresh meat, butter, chease and milk,) and | sball pay the rame tell op them asif they had beou trans- ported onthe canals, But no toll is to be charged on property conveyed over only a portion of any of the roads weet of Utica. In the event of the consolidation of an: two or more roads, then toll is not to be charged on root eony mee ons than t welve niles. 2. The rame duties, exemptions and tolls are imposed om the Erie Railroad. But no toil is to be charged on freight not shipped at either terminus, and delivered wost porit. 3. Freight on the Northern Railroad is only to be charg- ed with toll when . the whole length of the road. 4. Includes all the other railroads in the State; and compels the payment of tolls upon all freight (with the exceptions named in the first seotion) over the entire length of such roada 5, Makes the samo provinion as in last section, ia re- four days later intelligence from all parts of Europe. | | houre, 20x82.11, lot 20x65, $3 £50; house Trevide Her tsions, " “provides thet the tolls thus collected shal! belong te tho Canal Fund. and sball be applied to the three causis named in the constitution. 8. This law sball not affect the baggage of passengers, unless it exceeds 100 Ibs. in weight. a sala tho Tolls Exemption law of 1851. 1oll pertion of the law to take effect on the Ist of May next. The effect of this bill will without doubt be inju- rious to the railroads named, but it will bea popular measure with the rural districts. It will undoubted- ly pass the Senate. As soon as the canals ot this State are enlarged and completed, this tax will be repealed. for of i The city of Newark is advertising for proposals for a loan of fifty thousand dollars, redeemable ia 1880, in bonds of $1,000 each, with coupons at- tached, bearing interest at the rate of six per cent per annum, payable semi-annually, either in New- ark or New York, at the option of the bidder. The Banking Committee in the Maine Legislature has reported bills requiring monthly returns from banks,resolves in favor of a more thorough execution of the laws restricting banking corporations, and a bill to increase the capital of the Merchants’ Bank, at Bangor. The petitioners for increase of capital of the Medomac Bank, Waldoboro’; Bank of Hal- lowell, and Northern Bank, Hallowe!l; Bank of Ells- worth, and Bank of Waterville, and those for new banks at Belfast, Pittston and Bangor—the last by John Winn and others—had leave to withdraw, and all the reports were accepted, except that relating to he Bank of Hallowell. ‘The Superintendent of the Banking Department has given notice thatthe notes of the Farmers’ Bank of Onondaga county, which failed some time since, will be redeemed out of the trust funds on hand, as soon as said funds can be converted into money. ‘Those funds, according to the last annual statement of the Superintendent,were :—Bonds and mortgages, $50,317; Now York State fives, $17,000; New Yori State sixes, $5,000; United States fives, $17,800; United States sixes, $12,000. Total, $102,117. Gir- culation, $31,000. ‘The return from the Bank of England for the week ending the 26th of February, gives the follow- ing results when compared with the previous week = Public deposits £324,070 Other deposits. 315,003 RBs... eoee 66,778 On the other side of the account:— Government securities .£18,448,853 Decrease.,..£180,549 748,513 ‘The amount of notes in circulation is £21,0°0,950, being a decrease of £90,640; and the stock of bullien in both departments is £18,190,805, showing a de- crease of £124,812 when compared with the pre- ceding return. This falling off had been anticipated, but will be amply made up by the very large amounts sent in te the Bank since the above report. The in- crease in the private securities evidences an in- creased demand for money. The reserve shows ® slight decrease in the face of increased public and private deposits. Stock Exchange. $2000 U S 6's 67...93 11936 25 shs ParkC’lCo, 29 600 do '62..... 114 75 Phoonix Mg Co, 179¢ 6000 do ...,.b3 114% 25 do .. SY, 2000. do = °56...b3 107 17 2000 Kenty 6s.. .:3 108 1000 NY St 5}, 61 10034 5000 FrieRR Yd mt ba 100% 4000 EricRR C Ba’71 0434 2000 Hud2d Mg Bas. 9737 25.gha D & HCL bis 126 lo... 83 120 sen 106 45 Am Ex Bk. ,.b3 180 $4 Hanover Bank.. 9514 25 Continental Pk. 98 10 State Bank.... 10734 200 MorrisCl..p&ke. 2014 ae 201g 108 3056 80 Cle Col & Cin IW 15 Mohawk Val Ri 120 142 Pa Coal Co., b3 109 100 Cumb C1 Co.b6O 52 40 Lit Miami RR.. LT 150 do... eee 50% SECOND BOA\ RD. 5 sha Mich Ot RR 1053¢ 23 Mich S RR. 120 $7000 California 7’s,. 803g 7000 Mich So RR Bds. 101% 100 Nic TrCo...b80 do. $26 Phoenix Co. 100 do,, Te boo 160 Cumb Coal Co. 133g peo 1435 6 225 Huds River KR. 68 6134 00 Reading RR.... 87 CITY TRADE REPORT. + Turspay, March 22—6 P. M. Asniss.—Sales have been made-of 43 bbls., at $5. 5644 @ ae for pearls, aud $476 a $4 8114 for pots, per a. BREADETUFFS.—Flour was in better demand at yester- day’s rates, The day’s transactions reached 19,200 bbla.: superfine No. 2 at $4 1235 a $4 3114; Melt! Sat choice State at $4 433( a $4 75; mixed to fancy. Western at $4 €83/ a $4 93%{; common to good Ohio at inixed to good Southern and facey Genesee $5 12443 fancy Ohio at #5 1234 a 85 see st $6 26 a $5 75; oxtra and fancy Southern at $5 50 a $6 75 per were sales made of 1,000 bushels Genoses white wheat at $1 22; and 1,500 bushels Ue 93e. per bushel. State and Western oats were selling at 47 a 49¢. per bushel. Corn continued to depreciate. The sales of the day amounted to 32,500 bushels at 57 a 60c. for unsound, and €0 2 66¢. for ordinary to prime Southern white and % per bushel. Corres was in active requost. The sales consisted of £00 bags Java at 113/011} Lagi t 10 w 10350. 5 100 Maracaibo at ¢¢; 500 Rio at 935 a 9440. per Ib. Corron.—Tho sales to-day amount to 1,500 bales, with- out change in prices. From —Sales were made of 300 boxes layor raisins a¢ , 500 bunch de, at $2.76 a $2 80; and 300 drums wul- jo. at 16. $3 tana Frucnts.—Rates continued steady to Liverpool, with engagements of about £0,000 bushels of grain, chiefly at ‘734d. in bulk; 1,600 bbls. flour at 2s, 74gd.; and 2,100 do. $d.,'and 100 tons logwood at 2s, 6d.; cotton was at 44.9982d. To London, 200 tierces beof were engaged at 6s. To Hayre, cotton was at c., and ashes and rice at $8 a $10. To Bremen, 200 bales cotton were engaged at 14c., and tobacco at 10s. To California rates were steady ut 55a 850, There was no change to notice in rates for Australia. feveral charters for veseols to load on return voyages from San Francisco, with at the Chincha Islands. at $20 per ton, to report at St. ‘Thomas, and $19 do. to report at Flampton A versel for California was chartered to carry 1,000 tons of coal at $20 per ton. Hay was needed, at 87}40 a $1, but held at $1a $1 123¢ rer 100 Ibs. Hors retailed ot 10 a 21e. cash, per Ib. Txox.—Some transactions occurred in Scotch pig, at 8 per ton, cash. astern were actively tought after, at $225 & per thousand. Navat ftorms.—Kosin was neglected Crude tine could re bought at $4 8734 a $5 por 280 Ibs; wi spirits do. was held at O5¢. per gallon. Gus. —Conde whale and sperm were in slack request, at Ce, and $128 per gallon, Some 5,000 gallons linseed changed hands at former quotations. Olive was held at $1.26 per gallon. Provrstons —Pork was still cheaper, The sales ex. Draced 260 bbls. new, at $14 for primo, and $15 60 for mees per bbL Nothing new occurred in pickled meats. ‘Ihe sales of lard enisbraced 800 pkgs. fair to primo, at oa and 100 bbls. white grease, at 8e por Ib. Beat @:d not vary much. ‘The sales consisted of 500 bbls., at #5n $5 76 for country prime; $6.0 $6 75 for city do.; 9 a $10 60 for country wess; and $12 60 a $12 75 for city do. per bbl, No change occurred tn butter or cheese, Brat Extate.--Sales by, auction :—By Anthony J. Bleecker. — Leasehold property. —House (three story brick) and lot No, 160 Houston street, cornor of Willett, 40, lot 17.3x65, $5450; house (twe story brick lot No, 148 Hourton ¢trect, adjoining above do.) and lot 5, adjoining, house 20x20.4, lot 20; with shed ; house (three story beick front) and lot ining, with stable in roar, 20.6x11.6, house 20.6x160, $4,250; house (one story brick front) and lot No. 142, adjoining, house 13. 2x89 83, lot 22,€x100, with rear house (two story frame) 20.6x22.6, £3,750; lot No. 140, adjoining, 19.10x100, with three frome ‘stables, two on rear, respectively 16 4x20.3, 9.6% $10, and 11.10x43.6, $3,250; house (three stor} ) and lot Ne 12, adjoining, house 20.5x30 4, lot 20 3x60.6, 93,950; house (two story frame) and lot No. 130, adjoinin and corner of Shoriff street, house 20x30.5, lot 20x60.6, wi shed on rear, $5,650 ; house (two story frame) and lot No. 126 Sheriff strect, adjoining on rear of above, house 16.10x22.6, lot 19.6x60, with small frame house on tha 8! ; house (ie and lot No. 113, adjoining above, house 18.4x22.6, lot 40x60, $2,100; house (two story frame) and lot No. 138. adjoining, houso 17 3x26 4. lot 19.9x100, with frame stable on rear of lot, 11x36,3, $3,700; house (one 6 framo) and lot No. 134 adjoining, honae 19,9x20,8, Lot 10,9200,6, with frame house on roar, 19.05 do. at front) a No. 1