have fixed villages, and cultivate maize or Indian corn, beans, water melons, pumpkins, &c. Other tribes lead a wandering life, following the buffalo in his migrations. The southern tribes have numbers of horses, mules, and asses, procured in trade, or taken in war from the Spaniards, on the borders of New Mexico. The tribes north-east of the Missouri receive these animals in exchange for articles of British manufacture. The Arkansas, formerly a very powerful nation, have been almost exterminated, by wars with the Chickasaws, and by the use of ardent spirits. With this tribe the French traders formed intermarriages, and many of the inhabitants of the Arkansas villages are of this mixed race. On the waters of the St Francis and White rivers are some villages of Delawares, Shawanese, and Cherokees. There are also some Creeks, Chocktaws, and Chickasaws, who are considered as outlaws by their respective nations, and justify this character, by frequent depredations upon the white settlers. About twenty miles from the mouth, and on the borders of Apple creek, there are two villages of Shawanese, and one of Delaware Indians, who established themselves there in 1794, under the protection of the Spanish government. Their houses are built of square timber, covered with shingles, many of them two stories high, and well furnished. They cultivate maize and vegetables, and rear horses and cattle, for which they have neat houses. They hunt on the waters of the St Francis and White rivers. The greater part of the Osage country has been purchased by the United

States, the Indians reserving, however, the privilege of hunting on it. Since the date of this cession, the Osages, as well as the Piorias, Loups, Kickapoos, Chickasaws, and Cherokees, have become less insolent and troublesome, and commit much fewer depredations. Under the protection of a few regular posts well garrisoned, and a well-armed and regularly disciplined militia, the white inhabitants have nothing to fear. So thin is the Indian population, that, in descending the Missouri, not one was seen by Mr Brackenridge, over a distance of 1000 miles. *

The United States have purchased from the Indians of this country about 70,000 square miles, or 45,000,000 of acres; a surface equal to that of the three states of Vermont, New York, and New Jersey. The line of demarkation, commencing in latitude 39° 5' north, at the junction of the Kansas with the Missouri, 300 miles from its mouth, runs north 100 miles across a fine country, to the head of the little

* Under the Spanish government the Missouri Indians were encouraged to frequent hostility, by the pusillanimous practice of the settlers, who purchased peace by donations of goods or money. In 1794, a war chief, with a party of his nation, entered the vil lage of St Louis, and obtained an interview with the lieutenantgovernor, whom he thus addressed: "We have come to offer you peace; we have been at war with you many moons, and what have we done? Nothing. Our warriors have tried every means to meet yours in battle, but you will not; you dare not fight us; you are a parcel of old women; what can be done with such a people, but to make peace, seeing that you will not fight? I come, therefore, to offer you peace, and to bury the hatchet; to brighten the chain, and again to open the way between us.”

river Platte, thence east over a less fertile surface, 150 miles and a half to the river De Moins, and down this river sixteen miles to the Mississippi; south of the Missouri, from Prairie de feu, or the Meadow of fire, thirty miles below the mouth of the Kansas, and south 254 miles down this river to the Arkansas, and by its channel to the Mississippi, a distance of above 250 miles.

Antiquities. In the country of the Sioux Indians, on the St Peter's and Yellow river, there are many mounds and fortifications. They are also found on the Missouri, Osage, and Platte rivers. There is a place, six miles west of St Louis, called the " Valley of Bones," the soil of which is full of the bones of men and animals.

History. About a century ago the French pene. trated to the source of the Arkansas. The oldest grant of lands made at St Louis is dated in 1766, and lands were granted by the French authorities till May 1770, when Upper Louisiana was taken possession of by Spain, under the treaty of 1762. In all grants and cessions the proprietor engaged to clear a certain portion, and to build a house within a year and a day, otherwise his claim was forfeited; and the same consequence ensued, if he abandoned the country, without having obtained special permission to dispose of his property. As there was little or no specie, remittances were made in lead, peltry, or salt; which articles were sent up the river Ohio, in exchange for clothing, groceries, spirituous liquors, and farming utensils. A dollar in silver was equal to a dollar and

a half in peltry. The annual average quantity of this last article, from the year 1789 to 1804, a period of fifteen years, was as follows: Castors, 36,900 lbs. valued at 66,820 dollars. Otters, 8000-37,100. Bear skins, 5100-14,200. Buffalo skins, 850-4750. Racoon, wild cat, and fox skins, 28,200-12,280. Martins, 1300-5900. Lynx, 300-1500. Deer skins, 158,000-63,200. Total, 203,750 dollars. The average yearly value of the goods sent up the Missouri river, during the same period, was 61,250 dollars, which yielded an annual profit of twenty-seven per cent. The whole trade with the Indians in Upper Louisiana, according to this ratio, amounted to more than 55,000 dollars. The furs and skins were exchanged for Indian goods at Michillimackinac, at 180 per cent. above the first cost. This trade extended 900 miles up the Missouri, along the whole extent of the St Francis and White rivers, up the Mississippi to the falls of St Anthony, and to the sources of all the westerly branches below that point; on the east to the residence of the Kickapoos, near the head waters of the Kaskaskia rivers, and to that of the Piorias and other Indians in the Illinois country.

Forts. Fort Osage was established in 1808, when the highest habitation of white settlers was about thirtyeight miles by land above the village of St Charles. The Missouri fort is situated on the rocky side of a bill, within 100 yards of the river of the same name, in latitude 39° 5' north. Fort Clarke, on the south side of the Missouri river, below the junction of the Kansas, and that of the Blue Water river, a little far

ther down. Forts Gillespy and Crawford, on the river De Moins, below the 41° of latitude. Fort Mandan, on the Missouri river, above the Mandan villages.

Roads.-A public road is now forming between Boon's settlement, 158 miles from the mouth of the Missouri river, to the town of Potosi, in Washington county, a distance of 180 miles. A road leads from the mouth of the Washitta river, in the state of Louisiana, to the hot springs near its source, in the Missouri territory.

Territorial Government.-The act of the congress of the United States, providing for the government of this territory, was passed in June 1812. The executive power is vested in a governor, appointed by the president and senate of the United States, for the term of three years. This magistrate is commanderin-chief of the militia, superintendent of Indian affairs, and is invested with power to appoint and commission all public officers, not otherwise provided for by law; to grant pardon for offences against the territory, and reprieves for those against the United States; and to convene the assembly on extraordinary occasions. Under the governor there is a secretary, whose duty is to record and preserve all the acts of the general assembly, and to transmit authentic copies, every six months, to the president of the United States. In case of vacancy in the office of governor, the government is executed by this secretary. The legislative power is vested in a general assembly, consisting of the governor, a legislative council, and house of representatives. The legislative council consists of a person