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SCENES AMONG THE INDIANS.

The following description is from a work enti tled, Adventures on the Columbia River, &c. By Ross Cox." It furnishes a forcible example of the effects of intoxication. The author states that there are three descriptions of men in the service of the Fur Company. First come the white Canadians; and, secondly, the half-breeds, which race is now numerous throughout the Indian coun try.

"The third description of men in the Company's service are the Iroquois, Nipisings, and others of the native tribes of Canada. These Indians have been all nearly reclaimed from their original state of barbarism, and now profess the Roman Catholic religion. They engage for limited periods in the Company's service as canoe-men and hun ters, but on lower terms than are usually allowed to the French Canadians. They are strong, ablebodied men, good hunters, and well acquainted with the management of canoes. They are im→ moderately attached to the use of ardent spirits; are rather quarrelsome, revengeful, and sometimes insubordinate; and during their periods of intoxication the utmost prudence and firmness are necessary to check their ferocious propensities, and confine them within proper bounds. They are generally employed on the east side of the mountains, but we had a few of them on the Columbia. One, named George Teewhattahownie, was a powerful man about six feet high. On one occasion, during our voyage to the sea, we had a stiff breeze, and George, who was foreman of my canoe, kept up a heavy press of sail. I requested him repeatedly to take in a reef, and pointed out the danger to which we were exposed in the event of an

accident. He appeared to pay no attention to my request, and I was at length obliged to use peremptory and threatening language, which produced a forced and sulky obedience. A few days after our arrival at Fort George he came into my room in a state of intoxication, and ungovernable rage, with a vessel containing rum in his left hand, and in his right his hunting-kr.ife; in short, his whole appearance was wild and savage, and I at once guessed his visit was not of a friendly nature. His opening speech realized my suspicions." Cox, you toad, prepare for death! you abused me, and I must have my revenge.'

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"You're not sober, George; go sleep awhile, and we'll talk on this subject to-morrow.'

'No; you insulted me before the men, and I must have satisfaction; but as you're a young man, I will now only take one of your ears!'

"I became a little easy on finding he had lowered his demands; but as I had an equal affection for both lugs, and as the prejudice ran in favor of two,' I had no wish, like Jack Absolute, to affect singularity in that respect. After some further parley, and finding he was determined to try his knife on my auricular cartilages, I told him to retire, or I should be obliged to order him into confinement. 'Ha! crapaud !' said he, 'do you threaten Teewhattahownie?' and at the same instant he rushed on me like a grisly bear. I was now forced to draw my dagger in self-defence, and in parrying off his thrust gave him a severe wound across the fingers of the right hand. He dropped the knife, but instantly seized it with the left hand, and at the same time attempted to catch me, which I avoided by running under his arm, and as he turned round was compelled to give him a severe

cut, which nearly laid open one side of his head He now became quite furious, roared like a buffalo, and with the blood streaming down his face appeared more like a demon than a human being. I thought to fly, but in the attempt he seized the skirt of my coat, and I was obliged once more to give him another wound across the left hand, which obliged him to drop the knife; a desperate struggle then followed for the dagger, which, from his great strength, he must have wrested from me, had not the noise occasioned by his bellowing, and my cries for assistance, brought Mr. Montour and some of the men into the room. With much difficulty they succeeded in binding him hand and foot, and lodging him in the guard-room. He tore off the dressings that were applied to his wounds, refused every assistance, and the greater part of the night was spent in wild yells and ferocious threats against me. Nature at last became exhausted, and he fell asleep, in which state his wounds were dressed. None of them were dangerous. Between the loss of blood and a long fast he became quite cool on the following day, and when told of what had occurred he could scarcely believe it, cursed the rum as the cause, and made a solemn promise never again to drink to intoxication. At the end of a couple of days I interceded and had him liberated. He appeared most grateful, acknowledged that he deserved what he got, expressed his surprise that I did not kill him, and declared if he ever heard a man say a bad word of me for wounding him he would knock him down. I believe his regret was sincere, and from that period until the following year, when I quitted the Columbia, I never saw him in a state of inebriety."

TAKING HONEY IN CASHMERE.

The honey mentioned in the Apocalypse was sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the stomach; but we cannot say that honey is ever very sweet to us, because we keep thinking of the cruel method of taking it from the bees, which generally prevails, The following method, said to be pursued in Cashmere, though cruel enough, seems to be far less so than the common mode, and appears to be performed with perfect safety to the individuals who are concerned.

Having in readiness a wisp of dry straw, and a small quantity of burning charcoal in an earthen dish, the master of the house, with a few strokes of the point of the sickle, disengages the inner plaster of the hive, bringing into view the combs suspended from the roof of the hive, and almost wholly covered with bees, none of which, however, offer to resent the aggression, or to enter the room. Having placed the straw upon the charcoal, he holds the dish close to the mouth of the hive, and blows the smoke strongly against the combs, but removes the dish the instant the straw takes fire, to prevent it burning the bees, and quenches the flame before he employs it again.

Almost stifled by the smoke, the bees hurry out of the outer door with such rapidity, that the hive is cleared of its inhabitants within a few minutes, when the farmer, introducing the sickle, cuts down the combs nearest to him, which are collected into a dish previously slidden underneath them, leaving undisturbed about one-third of the combs, which were almost close to the outer door. He then re-places the inner plaster, and brushing off hastily a few bees that cling to the combs, apparently in a state of stupefaction, throws them out of the house

Sometimes you will see several bees lying motionless on the floor of the hive, but they soon recover. The expelled bees return as soon as the cavity is freed from smoke, without stinging a single individual, and the whole business is completed in less than ten minutes, without any perceptible loss. The honey is light colored, and of a taste as pure and sweet as any in the world.

The peasantry of Cashmere are unacquainted with the employment of honey as the basis of a fermented liquor, but eat it raw or mixed with articles of common food, whilst the most wealthy substitute it for sugar in preserving fruits. It is customary to take the hive every year. About the

end of September or beginning of October is found the best season for this operation; a little time still remaining for the bees to add to the portion left for their support during five months. This amounts to about one-third of the whole produce, and would appear to suffice, as swarms seldom die, and the Cashmeres substitute no other article of food.

It is stated that an old swarm yields more honey than a young one, and that families seldom die except of old age. It is said to be no uncommon circumstance to preserve the same community for ten or even fifteen years; and some instances are mentioned of a family having been retained for twenty years; but this is a rare Occurrence. In consequence of the bees being thus literally domesticated, they acquire a mildness of conduct far more decided than those of Europe; and it is possible that the confidence thus gained, subduing their natural irascibility, may generate an increase of industry, or at least an increase of produce in relation to the number and size of the individuals of each community.