The Modocs

Ta-; ciCTdipaodsat oi' the Sva Francisca Chronicli wriiosfrouvüie-Modoc camy : Tae puènoipiil portiW of tho ..camp ig situ'ited in a hue opening or vidpning of the Mvioe,i ol' perhwps tu r.ovc in areai Oa all si'-k'S oí' this opening, whiotí íujre i'ike aliaga wsb-bowl tban anything elss,. the natural vvall lises a liuiiflrúcl íeet ov morí;; but it is easily sealed, for th t inner aido is incimed, and the nxiks aré Bharp and jut out all ovur it. O:oo i:i ihis ba&in thore is but one way out, iin'l tliat is by the trail we entered. Thcro ara otlior ways out, but thcy are by tunujU leading to th many caves or aink hol:3 in anothor part ot' the lava bodi aud which vill be moro fully deBeriboj farther. Oa the outsido of this baüia tliLiro is r sucoessfon of ridges as liigh as tbtit ■vhicli ÍTiciose3 ít, but these do uot cstend all the way around. To th'í west of, the basin is a flat, table-like Buri'aca oiMva, extendúig froin tho very sunimit. of' its ritn olear back for more tlnin a ruile. In this level placo are the ink holes or caves forraed thousands of vaan ago, perhaps in the cooling of this immensü body of uiolten eartb. The openings of the holes are very sinall ; indesd, ons does not see them until he has almoit fallen in. But they widen as they godown, and their sides being sloping, ene can pick his way to the bottom without diffieulty. Most of these caves aro corihe'ctód with each other and witb the largo basin by subterraneous passages, so that one can go for half a mile in the bed without coming to the surface at all. ïhis is of incalculable benefit iu defendiug the stronghold, for one man can keep one hundred at bay almost anywhere in it without fear of being smoked out or ha ving rotreat cut off. Alter supper, which, by the way, was shared with a keeurelish by about a dozen nake.i Indian babies, Bogus Charley eume and said he would conduct us to CJaptain Jack. fcio the whole party gathred up their blankets and followed. Charloy led the way right one side of the basin, through a little trail not easy of ossent by uupractieed feet, and across the lcvel place about fifty yards, when wo came suddenly to the tnouth of a pit iiole, at least forty feet deep. The hole iucluied as it led downward, and at the bottom widened and formed a perfect euve, extending under the rock at least fifty feet. At the month of the cavo proper, but yet thirty or forty feet below the surface, a piece of canvas was stretched. This was Capt. Jack's front door, and the cave behind it was his abiding place - the palace of the Modoc king. Behind tho canvas we could seo a bright fire fcuming, and nearly the whole tribe cnircled rouud it roady tor tho talk, which they knew was to come. Tho descent into tho cave was soinewhat perilous, but by a careful clinging to the rocks and careful stepping we raanaged to reach tho canras Then throwing that back, ■we stood in tho presence of Capt. Jack. It was oasily secn that ho was sick, His eyes wero dull, cheeks emaciated, and he ■was so woak he could not stand, but remained reclining on u hugo pilo of bearskins, with his two wives by his side. Mr. Stcele went up to biin and shook hands warmly, as did tho rest of the party. Tbou passing oompletely around the circle, all shook hands with.tho entiro tribe. This ceremony lasted several minutes, and, when finished, were furnished neats in tho circle, near Capt. Jack. The only wood in tho lava bed is sage bush, luit this was pilod on the fire with an unKpniing hand, and the flames shot upTnard and illuminated the cave brilliant)y. ThiMi each inembex of onr party lighted his pipe, and, after taking a whitf r two, passed it around to the right, lipginning with Capt. Jack, who took a ivhiff and passed it on to tho next and o on. In snch lurge circle, of course, cno pipe f uil would not go round, and so, when it got smoked out, they did not hesitfite to briiig it back to bo refilled, nnd then it on to complete its jour ney. During tliis ceremony not a word was spoken,, and: so the correspondent had abundaut timo to takp a gi.od look at the savages. Capt. Jack was the central figure, and1 at-tracted most attention. He is a stern, diprnified man, not over tbirtVi tbough he looka older. He has a gooi hoad, thoufrh, like all Indiana the forehoad' is low. His complexión i dttrk. tlie puro copper color, and his eye nru bínele, fnll nnd piurcing. His hair i loagjianging down to his shoulders, ant lio is, pfcourse, destituto of all beard Ilis mouth is largo, nrA its shapo indi cutes firmness, determination, and a grea deal of charaoter. IIo was very glad to sec Steulc, bnt he (lid not show it by hi nianner. When lxe shoolc handá it was T.-ith aa ih(liffrrnce that, to Mie trnacr quainted with the Indlan cbaracter, wonlc seem to bo absoluto rudoness, Ho was dressed in a hickory Bhirt, and was covcred with blankets. Scar-faccd Chariey the next noted ono in the tribe, has a Jowish cast of countenance, his nose being long nnd aquiline, and his faco thin and narrow. He has a terrible scar on Kis right eheek, which, but for his natural pleasant expression, would make his eountenance ratber repulsive. Ho is about thirty-five years old, and is regarded as the bravest Indiau in the" tribo. Jiut enough bas boen written ofhisexploits. Ho was very polito to his guests, iind did all hoeould to make them comlortable. He' was well dressed, and all he wanted to Tb was to get out of thu lava bed. Shack Naety Jiiu is a youngster not over twenty to twenty-two. He at in the cirelo with a soldier's coat on, and looked wise as a judge. Hoeker Jim, the leader of the band who committed the murders on the east side of the lake, was rigged out in a cavalry, jacket, arm y pants, and black hat. Ho has a bad face, and though quito young, lookatl aa it' he oould be guilty of anything. He is just now anxious for peace, in the hope ot gettting amnesty for his share in. tbe massacre, and is doing all he can to inake trcaty. Tho doctor is decidedly tho ■worst lóoking man in tho wholo tribe. His face is absoJately devilish, narrow, oontrected, with alittleeye that twinkles iis wickednoss, and a mouth full and sensual. It is a countenance that would mka nnybody shudder. He had on a stratr B with a long black farther in it, and sevKral artioles of' soldier' elothing ; I need kardly say that all clothing of this description was stripped from the bodies of soldiers killed in tho lato battle. Black Jim, another of the murderers, is a tall, fine lookiryg-fellow, but one that I would lathor not iweet alone of a dark night. Ho wore tho military eap that Gapt'. Burton lost in the fi'ght. ït had a buglo and the figures 21 on it. Ho also carried a cavnlry carbine, lost on the day of the battle. In fact, I saw quite a nuirtbor of breach-loading muskets and whole piles of metallic cartridges, all of which goos to 6how that our troops in thcir retreat ruust have left a good deal of war material be-hind theru. In a recent lc-tter fpom the South, W.v. Cuixem Bhyant, of the N. Y. Evening Post, says : In all my intereourse with tho peoplo of the South, ulthough it ha not boon Tery extensivo nor of very long continuance, I havo heard only tho expretsed sonso of a desiro to bo on friendly terms ■with us of the Northern States. Especilly haa this been the caso in Charleston, ■where I u:iv more than elsewhere of the peoplo of the place. I havo neTer, since I crossed Masou and Dixon's line, hcard single exprossion of bitternessormalignity towards thoso wlio live north of it. Ifc was but the other day that tho ppople Of Cfcarleiton sent a formal invitation to the President of tho United Stater; to visït South Carolina. He declined t ■ eivility, and at tho samo time removía tho Postmasfcer of Charleston, Mr. Trott, who m hjghly esteemect; and for whoso continvmnoe in ofBco tho aitizens, without distinction of party, had earnestly potitioned. In.his place h o appointed a colored man who, whether justly or not, lies under tho odium of beiupr connected vith the corrupt fellon-s who havo. i'ur f#veral ycnrs b&.'ii pillagin tho State. Titi,- was Uko answeriiig uu iuvitution to dinner with a slac int th taco, md was a; gross blunder to say tho least.