THE DIGGINGS-INDIAN DIFFICULTIES. Kenlucky Bar, Deer Creek, May 14th, 1850.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 451, 21 August 1850, Page 3

THE DIGGINGS-INDIAN DIFFICULTIES. Kenlucky Bar, Deer Creek, May 14th, 1850.

Mcisn. Editors— Having an opporlunf'y of communicating, I hasten to seize it, When I left your cily, I ctilculiited that I should lmvu written cie this, but not hnving much to write about, 1 delayed it. On our here nothing of moment occur icd until we got within three miles of Deer Creek noshing. IKmc we encamped on the third night, and witnessed what wu& to me al leant a novel mode of disposing of sick and dead. Wo found Homo four or five hun lied Inmrns ciicumpid in tlie centre of the valley. Thcie Kept up a moat hiUuuua noise all night — shouting, Mn»in<r, crying, dancing, jumping, and various other noibCti und ir.unosuvies j at the same time many of the squ-iwb wrie j» .ibtevod over with some shining black stuff, after lliii fashion : Hip head was shaven and plastered ovu — a sticiik ovir the forehead, one down the none and each hide of tin* (ace, and another across the chin, just below tliu lower lip. This ceremony, as far m I could undemtaud horn them, was intended to drive away tin 1 evil 'ipiril, which was tormenting the sick (11 chief <md five olhcru), and the latter part wus the hunenrnli »n for the do id, or more properly speaking, yinsrin^ the prui-.es of tin* dead, for their many viitues whilst living. Mlnse wcio ■ung whilst the body was coiminung, it being their custom to burn the deud, and invariably to perform tins ceremony at night. Mucli of tin*. c<t. moity btionnly Jenunded mo of the Jewish lamentation foi Hie dead ex. pt'cinlly the singing, and sackcloth and ushoa. It u indeed true they were not dressed in HacVdotli, nor indeed did they throw as>h«fi upon their luads ; but the/ ■quatted in tho aabea, and weie dreaacd in a pp< uli ir faohion. The mourning women wt'ie jh-ciiMiu ty Jewish, yet much paganism lias undouhli'dly^iipl in, if indued they do not obtain tlicse luneial ihes h\m\ that source. These Indians wero paittcul.uly civil t«» us, but did not like our approaching \<>o eloki-Iy, b(» that much which 1 should have liked to have i-ximmul more minutely I was obliged to at. CoiUiu it is that tUese Indians vie not idolnloru, <nul tli.it fliey l«lievc in a iuture btuto of icward and punishiucrit. '1 In j is lo us interesting to know. Ah (ar an I tould undu - stand them, the Great Spirit (Wosoclt) is either the sun or fire. The mining operations upon this cieek ate not m> good yet us they will bu probably after the the walei falls, yet still some ket'p at it, although hardly mnkin» eXpen»Cß. There is gold l\crv, tnid ot good quaht> , yet u is hard te obtiiin, as the bar cannot be worked, (vi tlio water at present. But it is my opinion lb.it when ihu creek is dammed oil and drained it will pay veiy handsome profits to the compuni b bo engaged. But the most woudciful part oJ my budget of news is tocomu. The Indians hive aguiu been inuiduriug our white population At ibis time it hu« imiiumcri u rouic thun ordinury feystemntio i»ppi-amnce, nnd one in wlm h Appears to inu to h.ivc been ui^eil on by a icrl.nu cl.isu of whiten. Certain it is that heiciohre, whenever »»uy trouble has occurred between tbo irnnuia 'md the ludiniib, tliu latter would lly f<n protection to thid class. It ife said also u genmal cuuuoil oi the djUVjcnt tnbuj

\\n* been convened, and a war of extermination deter* nuni'd upon. And what gives colour to this icport i*, fhat fltral) «quads of the whites and solitary travelleis aie now daily attacked. On Bear River a man by tin; name of Hoyt, formeily belonging to Johnsons } meh, was murdered. And only labt Thursday the null in Grais Valley, but Jour miles fiom us, was utt-uked, and a man of the name of Holt murdeicd ; In-, broilier barely escaping with lilt*, hnung sivcen or serenteeu arrows snot into his bod) as he leircutetl, lighting them with rocks, the only weapons ho could obtain. It appears that they (the I nil in us) had at fust appioached him in a futndly manner, and even bliook hands wilh him ; they then passed into the mill, vheie they murdered his bi other und another man, i ml fft the bui.ding on lire; he then broke and iv i, v.iili the Indians in full puisuir, but he succeeded in reaching a place of safety.