ent deplorable state, in twenty or thirty years, they must become extinct."

Mr. Smith is of the opinion, that if government would take a number, or all of these small Reservations now occupied by more or fewer of these divided or scattered tribes, and give them in exchange an equal quantity of the lands belonging to the U. States, of which they have here enough, (say on Flint river, near Saganau, a tract selected for a like purpose by Gov. Hull, during his administration,) that the Indians would gladly make the exchange. This spot is admirably suited to this purpose. The land is excellent for cultivation; and that which the Indians would give in exchange is equally excellent for white settlements. The exchange would be reciprocally advantageous. The Indians would be taken from among the whites, a measure much and mutually desired, and by being placed together, the Indians would be strengthened and animated, they would feel more their own importance; and their numbers would authorize the establishment among them of a large and efficacious Education Family. The location proposed is peculiarly adapted to accommodate and invite all the Indians in this part of the Michigan Territory, in Ohio, New-York, and New-England, who might be inclined to remove; a body of from twenty-five, to thirty thousand. Here is room enough to accommodate this number, and more. Its climate is fine, the soil is of the first quality; its rivers are boatable; it is in the vicinity of three of the great Lakes, in which are abundance of fish; is easy of access; and away, sufficiently so, from white population. To this spot, so strongly recommended by Mr. Smith, for the purposes mentioned, I would turn the attention of the government, as being probably next to the vicinity of Green Bay, the best situation for colonizing the Indians.

In accomplishing any plan of this kind, especially should this be the selected spot, Mr. Smith, who has resided among the Indians here for twenty years successively, is familiarly acquainted with their language, has their confidence, is one of their guardians, and anxions for their improvement, might be an important and efficient Agent.

Mr. S. states that from some partial experiments made on the Indians upon Flint river, they are found to be as "ingenious and susceptible of improvement, as were the uncultivated nations of

former ages."

"The Indians (Chippewas) on Saganau river, about six hundred in number, are a mixed body, strollers, the refuse of other tribes. Of these there is less hope, than of those on Flint river, who are of a different and better character."

With the Chief of these Saganau Indians, Keesh-kah-ko-ne, Bears-Den, I had an interview at Detroit, through the politeness of John Williams Esq. who obligingly acted as interpreter, of which the following is the substance:

Quest. Would you wish to change your situation, and live as the white people live?

Ans. The Master of life made us Indians; seeing it was his will that we should be born Indians, why should we wish to alter our condition?

Reply. It is not our wish that you should cease to be Indians. The changes we propose to you to make, relate to your improvement as Indians. We wish you to lay aside the habits peculiar to the hunter state, and to adopt those of the agricultural life; to have schools among you, to learn our language, that you may read our books, become acquainted with our laws, institutions, and religion; be taught how to build houses and mills, to make clothes, to till the earth, to raise cattle, and to enjoy with the white people all their blessings. You can adopt all these improvements, and yet not cease to be Indians.

Ans. But where are our means to do, as the whites do, to build us houses &c. as they do? I once spoke to my father (probably meaning the Agent at Detroit) to grant me certain things, but he said he could not, for he was not authorized to do it. Well then, you ask me for a thing that cannot be done now by us old folks. We are too old to alter our modes of life. We will live as our fathers lived. But the young, our children, might succeed to do as you say, or perhaps their children.

Reply. You ask, "Where are our means to do what you propose?" You have these means in your lands, if you would suffer yourselves to be taught how to cultivate them, and make them, valuable to you. White people would think themselves rich, if they had half as much land as you have. You may be rich too, and have money enough to support schools for your children, to build houses for religious worship, support ministers, and to do

all other things for your happiness, if you will only have farms and cultivate them as the white people do. Besides, till you are able yourselves to do these things, your great father, the President, will give you farming and other tools, and send among you good men to teach you how to use them. And our Christian people will send good men to teach you and your children all good things for your improvement, if you will encourage them to come and settle with you. We propose these things as your friends, who wish to do you good, and see you happy.

Ans. If we were to consent to all this, would the Government fulfil their promises? I believe they would not.

I stated to him what was doing among the Cherokees, Choctaws, and Osages; what were the feelings of these Indians in regard to these things, and the happy results of the establishments made among them.

Ans.

are or not.

These things may be true, but I don't know whether they

Quest. Will you admit teachers to instruct your children, if we

will send them?

Ans. Yes, if they don't deceive us, will learn our language, and teach our children English.

I closed the interview by expressing my gratification, derived from this interview with him; in having opportunity to make this communication, which I wished him to make to his people, to know his sentiments and feelings on the subjects I had mentioned, which I should make known to his father the President; who, I assured him, would do all he engaged to do, for Indians, and that he must not believe those who told him, their father would not fulfil his promises. I recommended to him to think of what I had said to him; that he would find what I had said, true; that he would not find himself deceived; that some other persons, by and by, would come and talk further with him and his people on these subjects, and that he would then be convinced of the truth of what I had said to him; and that my wish was, that he would go home and use his influence to prepare his people to receive the good things, which were to be offered to them. We shook hands and parted.

This chief appeared to be about sixty years old; was of ferocious aspect, sensible, stout, and of commanding figure. He has

great influence with his tribe. In what manner he will exert his influence, may be inferred from his opinions, expressed in the preceding interview.

Mr. Smith further stated to me, that great evils to these Indians, result from their annual visits to the British post at Drummond's Island, where they go, by invitation from the British, and receive very liberal and valuable presents from them, tending to alienate them from the United States, to attach them to a foreign power, and to make them unhappy with their present situation. He thinks, also, that there are great defects in regard to the place, (Detroit,) and the manner in which the Indian annuities are now paid. These Indians have to leave their homes and occupations, to travel on foot, going and returning, between two and three hundred miles. The expense of such a journey, even with the strictest Indian economy, would consume a great part of what they receive; and in the manner in which Indians travel, and with their habits, we can easily see, that their annuities, as they now receive them, tend to impoverish, rather than to enrich them: they are a curse rather than a blessing: they encrease their miseries, rather than minister to their comfort. It is believed, that scarcely a dollar of the thousands which they receive at Detroit, ever reaches their villages. These things ought not so to be.

L'Abre Croche Indians.

These are a part of the Ottawa nation, seven hundred and sixty in number, on the east shore of Lake Michigan, thirty-six miles south south-west of Mackinaw. They claim, as their territory, from Black river, which empties into the south-east part of Lake Michigan, north of St. Joseph's river, northward to the Detour, as it is called, forty-two miles north-east of Mackinaw. The Martin islands, purchased of these Indians by the United States, in the summer of 1820, as before related, lie northward, a short distance from Mackinaw. I was present and witnessed the treaty. Their. principal village is situated on a tract of table land, elevated considerably from the level of the Lake, of a good soil for tillage. They have long been in the habit of

cultivating a part of their lands, raising corn, potatoes and pumpkins; and of the former more than a supply for their own wants. In the fall of 1819, they sent to the Mackinaw market, more than one thousand bushels of corn, for which they received payment in money or goods. In some years they have sent more than three thousand bushels. They use the hoe only, in cultivating their lands, having no ploughs, oxen, cows, nor, but in a single instance, horses.

These Indians are much in advance in point of improvement, in appearance and manners, of all the Indians whom I visited. Their dress was in the Indian style, neat, and highly ornamented with sil ver bands, plates, &c. in various forms, received principally as presents from Drummond's Island. The women and children, who were apart by themselves, had a cleanly appearance; in countenance and manners, intelligent and modest. Their warriors, who occupied a separate station, would appear well on any of our military parades. They are a tall, strait, fine-faced band of men. The Chiefs are shrewd, sensible, well behaved men, most of them advanced beyond middle age, and of venerable appearance. Cato or Ceitaw, as he writes his own name, is not a chief, but in consequence of his great wealth and gentlemanly manners, is a principal man in the nation, dresses like the white people, has horses, and a well dressed and well trained retinue of servants to attend him; a house and farm, and wine, and lives in the style of a nobleman. With this man, who was chief speaker at the interview, I had several conversations at Mackinaw, and opportunity to communicate to him, and through him, to his nation, the views and designs of the government. These communications, and those made at L'Abre Croche, were received with much civility; but no direct, formal answer has been yet received from them. I apprehend, however, from several indications, that they are not yet prepared to receive an Education Family. The "medicine influence," if I may so designate it, which is hostile to schools and christianity, and to civilization generally, is strongly felt by these Indians. They are afraid to have priests come amongst them, because it happened, immediately after one had visited them, about the year 1799, that the small pox was introduced among them from Canada, and carried off nearly half their number. They were made to believe, by