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162 UTAH SUPERINTENDENCY. their Great Father, and that they must treat their white brothers who travelled through their country with kindness, and their Great Father would be kind to them and cause all the whites to he so too. They seemed much pleased at the pros ect of peace and f?iendship with the whites, and promised me that t ey would not disturb them or their property again. Fl There are several other bands or trihes located through the mount-ains and valleys on and near Carson river, who aTe represented as being very troublesome to emigration. Among them are the Washaws and Lokos, and a few scattering hands of the "White Knives." The latter principally reside in the Humbolclt and Goose Creek mountains, but I could find none of them. If any of those I met with belonged to these bands, they would not confess it; nor could they give me any information concerning them, but spoke of them as being very had Indians. While in Carson valley I employed two gentlemen well acquainted with the mountains to accompany my interpreter, and endeavor to get me a talk with the chiefs of the Washaw and Loko tribes. They met with many of these tribes, but were unsuccessful in finding the chiefs. The Indians were kind to them, and seemed to have no hostility to the whites. As I was anxious to return and be on the road with the emigration, I could not devote the time necessary to hunt them up. If an agency were established in this valley, it would be an easy matter to collect them together and reconcile them to the whites; hut it would require time to effect it. There would he more difficulty in preserving law and order with the whites who ramble through the countiy than yrith the Indians. It is thought that the Indians would give little or no trouble were it not for these lawless white men who are continually harassing them. As I returned, in travelling up the Humboldt, I met but few Indians, and those I had great difficulty in getting a talk with. They had seen other Indians, who informed them that 1 had advised the Indians to keep off the road in order to prevent difficulties with the whites, and that they had generally done so. I met, upon an average, about three hundred wagons daily from the time I left the link of the Hnmboldt until I reached the Goose Creek mountains-a distance of upwards of four hundred miles. I inquired particularly in regard to the conduct of the Indians. The almost universal reply was that they had seen but few Indians, all of whom appeared friendly disposed, and that the Indians on the route had been far less troublesome thin the white men. Many of the emigants ex ressed the opinion that the only difficulties which had occurred-an dl' they were but few-had been the acts of white men. Since my return to this place all the information I have re-ceived justifies the conclusion that the Indians have complied with their promises made to me, and that the expedition has been of service in producing peace and quiet on this road. Up to,this time I have heard of no depredations being committed by the Indlans. All is peace anand quiet on the route. Having no authority to enter into any treaty stipulations with these Indians, all I could do was to see them, and by friendly means, and by distributing among them a few presents and some provisions, impress |
