[page torn] [1]9^th I recieved the New York Weekly Herald, fuilled with News Also the
Morning Papers say that half of the business part of the city of
St Louis Mo is now lying in ruins by fire five banking houses
evry insurance office, twenty seven steem Boats, together with
the Telegraph office are among the vast property destroyed. Also
several terrible ship wrecks & loss of life. Watertown New York
is also burnt up. the Herald has the full particulars of the dredful
riot & Bloodshed in New York Also the continued wars of Europe
And the sweeping progress of the cholera in America esspecially in
the western states it says that 21 deaths occurred by cholera on
a ship loaded with Latter Day Saints, or Mormons Pestilence
is raging among the 25,000 gold seekers gatherd in Mo to go to the
gold digings By the way of the Salt Lake All the Earth seems to be
in confusion & commotion with war, soword, plague pestilence
fire earthquakes & storms the Bible, Doctrin & Covenants, & Book of
Mormon are truly being fulfilled. Among other interesting News
the Herald contains An account of A visit of the engeneers of
the Panama rail road expedition to the people lately discoverd
called the Mandingo Indians at the Mandingo Bay which con
tains 113 Islands which are held in the sole possession of the
Mandingo Indians who do not pe[r]mit the residence therein
of any Human being mot [not] of their own tribe & linage. they
will not as yet communicate to Any but their own tribe any knowledge
of their records or History. They live by themselves some occupying
the Islands some the main land but all firmly united as a band obeying
one chief or old man (A patriarch) who is believed to be endowed by
God with all wisdom might And power the Government is patriarchal
the old man (or Patriarch) is the spiritual Adviser as well as chief
Jud[g]e of all temporal affairs He is powerful in mind & body And all
his faculties are evergreen. God endows him with peculiar health
He is Acknowledged & regarded as the vicegerent of God And all his
orders Are obeyed. Hie is also the great Medicine or cure all in cases of
sickness or infirmity they apply to him And whether relief is obta-
ined or not the applicants are contented. Col Hughes propounded
the question upon whom does the office of old man (Patriarch)
descend At the decease of the present "old man" The reply was to
the next oldest man of the tribe. Suppose the successor should
not be endowed with the same qualities of intelligence. reply that
cannot be for when the mantle descends the Great spirit imbues
that mind with all knowledge.

The main land is seldom if
ever Aprproached by forneigners & nothing is known of it the Islands
produce the cocoa nut tree

Before reaching the entrance of the
Mandingo Bay some 20 miles from land we dscoverd A fleet
of canoes under sail managed with a skill that equals the best
water hall boatman & on bearing down found them to contain
Mandingo Indians upon fishing excursions

The men are short
& stumpy not over 5 feet 6 inch on the Average thick & square built
And are capable of enduring great fatigue their heads are remarka-
ble large & round features prominent with all the physiognomy of
the Jew they have A plurality of wives according to their means
they permit No communication with foreigners & women so offending
is stoned to death it is A part of their religious creeb to keep
their race pure & unadulterated. they profess to have A restorative
for the organs of production the effect of which upon one Administration
will last for eight years our surgeon obtained some of the remedy
which has been pronounced part & parcel of the body of the turtle

A question Arose As to whether this people be not descendants of one of
the lost tribes of Israel. Col Hughes Avowed the purpose of his visit
viz to make A journey overland to the but He was refered to the "old ma[n"] [page torn]
who alone could give a reply. He was sent for in thre days made his app[ear] [page torn]
ance. they are careful in answering questions in regard to their coun[try] [page torn]
And are jealeous of All foreigners they have never submitted to any
foreign Government Although they are within the bounds of the
New Granadian Government they pay no tribute nor Admit of any
Allegiance whatever in trying to get some clue at their early History
the question was Asked who lived here 400 or 500 years ago the reply
was "Tims Father." We asked A man looked about 60 years of Age
how old He was He replyed 121 years. The following conversation
took place between the "old man" (or patriarch) & Col Hughes

Old man of Amerikca has much land far off on the pacific two much
days to ketch um by land too much days to catch uem by water round Cape
Horn. wants to make A road nearer catch em quick wants old man to
send some faithful indians to escort him over the land to the pacific
to let him see of the land is good for A road

Old Man "Land not good. cant catch em there. better catch em by Cape
Horn. No make A road in Mandingo country. God Almighty get vexed
"Huoo, Huoo Huoo, Huoo, repeated in groans by the Indians

Hughes Will you allow us to go across. Old Man No. Huoo, Huoo, Huoo,
responded the Indians & the council broake up

The foregoing is the account which the visiters give of the interview
with those Indians it is truly interesting many new things are
about to be brought to light truly

I took cars rode to Fall River & spent the night with Br Low 50 m[iles]