is from Montreal, with Canadian guides, or engages, who, understanding both the French and Indian languages, are best qualified for this business.

Mr. Jacobs spent three years as Indian Trader, for the North West Company, at Lake Winnipic. The articles given in barter to the Indians for their furs, are blankets, coarse cloths, silver arm bands, medals, and ornamental trinkets, powder, balls, shot, tobacco, axes, half axes, trenches (which are irons used to break the ice, and to make the trenches in which they set their beaver and rat traps) steel traps, spears, &c. and last, though not least, high wines. Of these high wines, seven quarts make nine gallons of Indian rum. The liquors, with which the traders purchase their provisions of the Indians, yield a large profit. If all the Indian Traders would agree not to carry liquors into the Indian country, Mr. J. assured me, the interest both of the traders and the Indians would be promoted by such an agreement. The Indians would make better hunts, and the traders receive better pay. Both fully believe this; and the former would be "thankful," if the latter would not bring "whiskey," (as they call all our spirituous liquors) into their country. But they add, "If you will bring it, we will have it." When they get it, they always get drunk, and while they remain so, are very troublesome, and often dangerous. I asked Mr. J. why, if both traders and Indians were opposed to the introduction of spirituous liquors, they were carried among them? He answered, it was in self-defence. Some traders would carry "whiskey," and if others had it not, those who had it, would by means of it, allure the Indians, to their store-houses, and get the principal part of their furs.

The Chippewas, unmingled with other tribes, Mr. Jacobs states, inhabit the country round Lake Winnipic, and are numerous.

DRUMMOND'S ISLAND.

The name of Drummond's Island is familiar as the place of annual resort of thousands of Indians, to receive presents from the British Govornment. The following description of this Island was

verbally given to me, while at Mackinaw, by a very respectable inhabitant of that island.

Drummond's Island lies on the Strait which connects Lake Huron with Lake Superior, thirty-six miles north-east, in a direct course, forty-five by water, from Mackinaw. It is forty-five miles in circumference, four or five miles from the Canada shore, on the north or British side of the channel of the strait, which forms a part of the boundary line between the United States and the Canadas. A British garrison of about one hundred and forty men in barracks, is established on the south side of the island, on a spacious harbor, one of the best on the Lakes, three miles in circumference, sheltered from every wind, entered by two narrow, deep channels, about sixty yards wide. The island is rough, made up chiefly of limestone, without any buildings or inhabitants, other than the barracks, and soldiers. Here are found many singular and curious petrifications, and stones, which would gratify the geologist and mineralogist. Originally the island was covered with birch, maple and beach, which is now principally gone. The soil, though stoney, yields, plentifully, potatoes, garden roots and vegetables, and food for many cattle.

In the month of June many thousands of the various tribes of Indians, within a circuit of five or six hundred miles around, south west, west and north west, resort to this island to receive presents from the British government, to an amount at least of £4000 sterling, in goods, beside a large sum in provisions. These presents are made, said my informant, "as a reward to the Indians for their services in the late war." "The Indians," he added, "were ill used by the British Government, and these presents are made to compensate and conciliate them-but all is thrown away upon them, and does them no good."

This opinion, I believe to be correct. These presents serve to make the Indians, who receive them, idle and vain. A great deal of time, as well as property, is wasted, in going and returning from this place of resort. And during their visits at Mackinaw, as they go and come, their necessities are supplied from the provision stores of our government. We are thus made to suffer loss of property, as well as the effects of bad influence.

The following is from Mr. Doty's letter to Governor Cass, and relates to the Indian trade on, and around Sandy Lake, two miles from the Mississippi.

"A skin is estimated at $2. A half point blanket is sold for four skins. One fathom of stroud, the same. A half pint of powder one skin. Thirty balls, same. Five branches, or two hundred and fifty grains of wampum, one skin. A north west cased gun, ten skins; one beaver trap four skins; a large scalping knife, half a skin; twist tobacco, two skins pr. fathom, three plugs for a skin, and four skins pr. cwt. Forty branches of white beads, one skin. A pair of leggins, with ribbons and beads to garnish them, two skins; one "half axe" one skin, one hatchet, one skin.These are the principal articles of trade. Divers other things are given as presents. If any Indian obtains a credit for his supplies for the season, he must be furnished with a flint, a needle, an awl, a gun worm, a little vermillion, rings, beads, and three or four inches of tobacco, besides various other articles, for which the trader charges nothing. In a credit of six hundred skins, if the trader gets three hundred in return for his goods, he considers himself recompensed. He frequently does not obtain even this proportion. The articles received from the Indians, are sugar, rice, and furs. A Mocock of sugar, weighing about forty pounds, is received for four skins; a sack of rice, two skins; a large prime beaver, two skins; a large prime otter, two skins; three martens, one skin; three minks, one; ten muskrats, one; a prime bear, two skins; two prime bucks, one skin; three raccoons, one; two lynxs, one; and two fishers, one.

An axe is so essential an article with an Indian, that he is generally punctual in paying for it; and on returning from his hunt, he lays out a certain number of skins in payment for his axe, and calls the trader to notice it.

The American South West Fur Company have the chief trade of this country; but they sustain a considerable injury from the small traders. They sent from Leech Lake last year (1819) thirty-eight packs-from Sandy Lake, twenty-five-and from Fond du Lac,

nine.

This year, (1220) from the first place, fifty-three, the second, thirty-five, and the third, fifteen. Last year, the whole return was not as much as usual, and this year rather more."

From Mackinaw I addressed a letter, containing certain queries, to Maj. Marston, at Fort Armstrong; from his answers to which, I give in this place, the following extracts:

"I will now proceed, agreeably to your request, to give you my ideas relative to the Indian trade, &c. &c.

In the first place, I have to observe, that the Factory system for supplying the Indians with such articles as they may need, does not appear to me to be productive of any great advantage, either to the Indians themselves, or to the Government. But very few, if any, of the Indians have sufficient forecast to save enough of the proceeds of their last hunt, to equip themselves for the next; the consequence is, that when the hunting season approaches, they must be dependant on some one for a credit. An Indian family generally consists of from five to ten persons, his wife, children, children in law, and grand children; all of whom look to its head for their supplies; and the proceeds of the hunt go into one common stock, which is disposed of by him for the benefit of the whole.

When cold weather approaches, they are generally destitute of many articles necessary for their convenience and comfort, besides guns, traps, and ammunition; some kettles, blankets, strouding, &c. which are always wanting; for these articles they have no one to look to but the private trader, as it is well known that the United States Factors give no credit; but if they did, the number of these establishments is too limited to accommodate but very few of the Indians, as but few of them will travel far to get their supplies, if it can be avoided: and farther, the Indians, who are good judges of the quality of the articles they want, are of the opinion, that the Factor's goods are not so cheap, taking into consideration their quality, as those of their private traders. In this I feel pretty well convinced, from my own observation, and the acknowledgment of one of the most respectable Factors of our Government, Judge Johnson, of Prairie du Chien, that they are correct. This gentleman informed me, but a few months ago, that the goods received for his establishment were charged at least 25 per cent. higher, than their current prices; and that he had received many articles of an inferior and unsuitable quality for Indian trade.*

* A similar complaint was made by the Six Nations at Buffalo the last August, when I was present. A member of Congress, I was told, had been invited

The annuities paid by Government to the Sauk and Fox nations, appear to be a cause of dissatisfaction among them, in consequence of their not being able to divide and subdivide the articles receiv ed, so as to give every one a part. I believe that powder, flints, and tobacco would be much more acceptable to them, than the blankets, strouding, &c. which they have been in the habit of receiving.

If you speak to an Indian upon the subject of their Great Father, the President, supplying them with goods from his factories, he will say at once, "You are a pash-i-pash-i-to, (a fool) our Great Father is certainly no trader; he has sent these goods to be given to us, as presents; but his Agents are endeavouring to cheat us, by selling them for our peltries."

The amount of goods actually disposed of to Indians, by the United States' Factors at Green Bay, Chicago, Prairie du Chien, and Fort Edwards, if I am rightly informed, is very inconsiderable. The practice of selling goods to the whites, and of furnishing outfits to Indian Traders, are the principal causes of their sales being so great as they actually are.

In my opinion the best plan of supplying the natives, is by private American traders of good character, if they could be placed under proper restrictions.

In the first place, it is for their interest to please the Indians, and prevent their having whiskey, particularly when they are on their hunting grounds, and to give them good advice.

Secondly. They always give them a credit sufficient to enable them to commence hunting.

Thirdly. They winter near their hunting grounds, and agreeably to the suggestions of a late Secretary of War, take to themselves "help mates" from the daughters of the forest, and thereby do much towards civilizing them.

to inspect the goods and to witness the fact of their inferiority. It was asserted to me, that much better goods, and at a less price than those which were distributed at this time (an annuity payment) by the Indian Agent, could have been purchased at New-York. Had the amount due these Indians been judiciously expended in that city, the Indians, it was said, might have been benefitted by it, in the quality of their goods, several hundred dollars. It was added, that the Indians are good judges of the quality of goods, and know when they were well or ill treated. But they had, in this case, no means of redress.