to work; and they are so very happy in keeping to thier
old habits of living, that any attempts to induce a change
only serve to make them unhappy--they argued aga-
inst educating the Indians altogether
either within or without thier borders; saying that
they have as much knowledge as is necessary for an
Indian to possess.

There were also other men associated with these
traders either by friendship or otherways; men of
high standing in the Public Community, who were for-
ward in sustaining these traders in these selfish and
erroneous statements. And what is most to be
deplored is, that the Indians will more readily lis-
ten to the Council of these men than to those who
are disinterstedly engaged for their good. The
only hope (according to our conception of things) for
these Indians is, that when they shall be removed
to their new homes, all intercourse with their old ad-
visers will be broken off, and they as we hope, will
be left to receive better council from men who are
not so intently bent upon thier own aggrandize-
ment at the expense of the life and happiness of
the Indian.

This Tribe numbers about Twenty Two hun-
dred in all. They are a large stately race particular-
ly the men. There are none of these Indians who to
our knowledge cultivate the soil; but are in general
hunters--they however have a large pattern farm
carried on for the benefit of the Indians by a Govern-
ment farmer. Thier annuities are large, not dif-
fering materially from the Winnebagoes

.

They live in wigwams or lodges similar to
all the uncivilized Indians. They have no schools
and no civil or religious instruction amongst them;
but in other respects thier manners and customs are
about the same as the Winnebagoes

. Some few of their
children have recieved some instruction at the Chactaw
academy in Kentucky; but for the want of suitable
opportunity to apply what little learning
they may have obtained, and in consequence of the
jealousy and prejudice of thier own nation against
civilization; soon after thier return they fall
into the destructive habits of thier uncivilized brethren.

There was little opportunity while there of
conversing with them, owing to thier engagements in
making their Treaty. We visited most of their tents
and took a view of them as they were encamped on
the open prairie.

After collecting what facts we could in relation
to this Tribe, we returned to Salem

a distance of about
fifty miles, where we staid two or three days with
Friends and gave them an account of the Indians.
We then returned to the Mississippi where we took stage
at Fort Madison for Kecookuk, and from thence by
Steam Boat went to St. Louis--while there, we called
on D. D. Mitchel superintendent of Indian affairs.
He received us kindly, we presented him with our
Documents from the War Department as well as our
Certificates from our friends at home. He gave
us a passport to travel through all the Tribes with-
in his superintendence.

Here again the same lamentable tale was
told respecting the devastation that whiskey was
making amongst all the diferent Tribes within his
jurisdiction. He informed us that they were
annually diminishing in numbers, and that unless
something more effectual could be devised for their
benefit, by way of putting a stop to this iniquitous
trafic in whiskey, they would soon be all wasted
away.

He gave us copies of Reports recieved from
the several schools within his superintendence, for
our perusal.

We left St. Louis

by Stage for St. Charles
a distance of twenty miles, thence took Steam
Boat for Westport nearly five hundred miles up the
Missouri River where we landed in safety; we then
proceeded by land about nine miles to Friends school
in the Shawnee nation. The navigation of the
Missouri at this time was considered very precarious
on account of the low stage of water, and the nu-
merous snags and shoals in the river: which
caused great anxiety to us as well as to the officers
of the Boat, both by night and by day; yet through
all we were mercifully favoured to reach our de-