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Show TIIK LAVA BKD3 OF TUK MO - Some till n ff About their Formation, Tho UllUcuIty of Feuctratlus t lie in. A reporter of the Star this morning had an interview with professor F, V. Hayden in charge of the United States expedition tor tho geological survey of the Territories, who visited the Lava beds in Oregon lust year, now occupied by tho Modoc Indians under Captain Jack. These Lava beds are located near Khett and Klamath Klam-ath lakes, not far i'rom the boundary lino between Oregon and California. Califor-nia. Kep. What is the nature of these Lava beds, Professor, now sheltering Captain Jack and bis band? Prof. Hayden. They are an outflow of volcanic matter, forming a perfect Sea of Melted Rock, which gradually cooled, and in cooling became broken. Innumerable little streams have worked their way through and the wholo place is filled with caverns. liep. What iB the extent of these caverns? Prof. II. Oftentimes they conneot with each otbar and extend for miles under ground. They vary in width from fitty to fivo or six hundred i'eet. The entrances to them aro generally very small, so they can easily bo defended. de-fended. These caverns and crevices, whioh aro well supplied with water.are filled with rabbits, lizards, snakes, mice and all kinds of bugs and insects. in-sects. Kep. Will it bo possible for our troops to get at these Indians? Prof, H. It iB impossible to reach them. These beds arc, as it were, a great shell, and troops cannot reach them. Why, fivo Iudians located there could whip tho whole United States army, if they had plenty of ammunition. The only way is to Starve THcm Out, but that will tako some time, as these Indians eat roots, snakes, mice, seeds, lizards, etc., and they get a good supply sup-ply in those beds; but they must coine out some time. These Modocs are the same as tho Bigger Indians, and live upon ail kinds ol reptiles. They manage man-age to sew skins together by means of little sinews, and thus make their : olo thing. ! Kep. What ia tho extent of tho ! lava beds occupied now by the Modocs Mo-docs ? Prof. H. They comprise from 50 to 100 square miles, probably. Indeed, In-deed, the wholo country there is about the same. Kep. Is there any possible way by which these Modocs can sneak out and get away ? Prof- H. Yes, there i3 a possibility of tneir getting out, as they have thoroughly explored every part, and aro familiar with every passage. It will be a difficult thing to surround them, and their is great danger of their Sludliig Our Troops. on account of their familiarity with tho beds, and the comparative ignorance of our forces as to the exits and interior inter-ior formation. Tho Indians know every foot of that country, probably, better than you do the oity of Wash- ; iogton; and hence they have the advantage. ad-vantage. Kep. How largo are these lava fragments with which the beds are filled? , Prof. H. They are from ten to fifty feet in diameter, and generally very aogular and sharp, aud full of holes, rendering it impossible for animals to travel over them, and next to impossible impos-sible for man to do so. Wo havo had our animals ruined uluiost by clambering clamber-ing over them for two miles only. Kep. Did you over eco these Modocs ? Prof. H. No, none cf this particular particu-lar band. I have scon the same tribes. The Utes, Snake, Linger and Modocs arc all the eame. I have seen them gather bushels of grasshoppers, which they roast, and grind them to a powder pow-der and make a sort of pudding, upon whioh thoy live. Kep- The band has half-breeds in If v Prof. H. Y'es, all the bands havo half breeds among them, and they are Full of Die Devi, and create more troublo than the regular regu-lar Indians. You see these half-breeds havo all the cunning of the white men and all the treachery of the Indians. I havo no doubt these half-breeds have created most of the troublo. Kep. It is a pity that we are not more familiar with these lava beds. Prof. H. Well, this only shows the necessity for minute surveys of every portion of ihe country, but it will probably pro-bably be fif ty years before we get the wholo country surveyed, so that we may have a correct keowledge of ail the public domain west of the Mississippi. Missis-sippi. Prof. Hayden and his party leave here soon for a survey in Colorado. Washington Star. |