NYYM_scrapbook_190

To the Committees of New England and New York Yearly Meetings of Friends, on the concern for the Indians located west of the Mississipi River. Dear friends, Having been permitted through the goodness and merciful preservation of our Great Care Taken to accomplish our journey among the Indians, we would now inform that we have visited about twenty Tribes and remnants of Tribes of those located on the western frontier of the United States, and have taken the following notes and observations respecting them. At the close of New England Yearly Meeting of Friends in 1842, having consulted with several mem- bers of the Committee on Indian affairs; both of New England and New York Yearly Meetings, and they having expressed thier concurrence in our prospect of visiting Wash- ington at that time in order to procure some documents from the Indian department. We proceeded directly there and had an introduction with the Commissioner on Indian affairs. Upon being made acquainted with our business he re- ceived us kindly, and freely offered to furnish us with such letters and documents signed by the Secretary of War and himself as might be useful in facilitating our contemplated visit--while at Washington we pro- cured some public documents and Reports respecting the Indians, and returned pretty directly to New York; there we made some arrangements with the Committee preparatory to our journey, and then returned to our homes. Having made the needful proparations we took leave of our dear families and friends the latter part of the eighth month 1842--on our way we called on some of the Indian Committee in Providence, and then proceeded to New York, where having completed our arrangements for the journey we took leave of the Com- mittee there, and many other dear friends. From New York we pursued our way to Ohio Yearly Meeting through Washington, calling at the Indian department--we attended the several sittings of the Yearly Meeting, and two sittings of the Committee on the concern for the Indians; heard the Report of their Committee respecting the condition of the Shawnee School, and made such inquiries as seemed proper respecting the best mode of getting to the Mississipi River: and