NYYM_scrapbook_203

and others to take leave of us. They represented to us that there was a prospect of the Wyandotts, (now living in Ohio) coming to settle on a part of of thier land; and that a very few of the Shaw- neese were favourable to such a move, but that the most of them were decidedly opposed to it and much troubled on account of it. We were not without serious apprehensions that great difficulty might yet arise from this circum- stance. We rendered them such counsel as we believed might be proper for them to follow, advising them against discords, jealousies and divisions, all of which appeared to be kindly reci-eved. An aged Shawnee Chief came to us and said he wished to have a talk with us. He said when he lived in Ohio he had a good farm and lived well, and was acquainted with friends, but by moving to this country he had become poor--that he was now gaining a little and wanted to live where he now did, and so did all his Tribe want to him where they now are--they did not want to be moved again, but feared they should be soon. he said he was now old and lame, he could not go farther. he wanted to die and be buried here and not go away off and die on the prairie. It made him feel very bad to think of being moved again for it seemed like being thrown over a bank away off west of the prairie where they would all die--he appeared much distressed on this amount. he wished to know if we had heard the men at Washington talk about removing them again and remarked that he had heard they had been talking about it--he wanted we and our friends the Quakers should help them in getting the titles of thier lands fixed so that his people might always live where they now are. he thought the white man ought to be satisfied that the Indian had been moved far enough, and not move him any further. he said he was an old man and could live but a little while; and wanted to know before he died that his people and children could never be moved again--all of which was spoken in a feeling and candid manner. After this a Chief of the Chilicothe band remarked that the Indians showed mercy to the white man when they first come across the great water; the white man came to the Indian four times with his hat under his arm, and asked the Indian to have mercy on him, for he was poor and needy. White man say when Indian is poor and needy he would have mercy on him, as long as grass grows and water runs. Indian then let him come on the land and live, he now wanted white man to re- member his promise and have mercy on the Indian for he was poor and needy; and not remove him any further. Having completed our visit to the Indians in this section of the Country, we took leave of our kind friends at the Shawnee school on the tenth of eleventh month, and proceed on our way about forty miles in a southwest direction to the sub. agency of A L Davis in order to visit the several Tribes in that vicinity. We arrived there in the evening of the same day, and made known our business to the sub. agent. He kindly entertained us and offered to lend all the necessary aid in collecting the Indians; and also to furnish us with such information as he possessed respecting thier state and condition. The day following there was an unusual fall of snow for the season in con- sequence of which but few of the Indians came to the council--yet some of the principal men of nearly all these remnants of Tribes were pres- ent. The names of the several Tribes are Weas Peankshaws, Kaskaskias, Peorias, Ottawas, and Chippewas; numbering in all about Five hundred and fifty. These Indians are making but little improvement in agriculture or otherwise, yet most of them raise some corn and veg- atables, and keep some cattle, horses, hogs and fowls--they are but poorly prepared for carry- ing on farming; having no ploughs, waggons or tools of any kind, which is cause of much