GENERAL NOTES.
The Indians.
—The House Committee on Indian Affairs has agreed to a bill which proposes to place all that part of the Indian Territory not set apart to, and occupied by, the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole Indians, under the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, held at Fort Scott, in respect to the crimes of murder, manslaughter, arson, rape, burglary and robbery. The exemptions, above stated, are placed by the bill under United States District Court for Arkansas. The bill further extends the provisions of the laws of the respective States wherein are located Indian reservations to the reservations themselves.
—A bill is now pending before the Indian Committee of the House, upon which Governor Pound, a member of the committee and an enthusiastic student of the Indian question, has made a favorable report, providing for a number of Indian schools similar to that at Carlisle; and it was in this connection that a visit of inspection was recently made by Secretary Schurz, several members of the House Committee on Indian Affairs, and two members of the Board of Indian Commissioners. Besides the general advantages to result directly from education of Indian youths, it is represented in support of the measure that the presence of a number of children from each tribe at schools in the East will be a most efficient guarantee of good behavior on the part of the tribes.
It would seem, judging from the meagre opportunities for inspection offered by a single visit to Carlisle, that the movement promises to be an effectual aid, if not ultimately one of the chief instruments, in settling the vexed Indian problem. If, however, only a part of that which is expected is actually realized, still it will have been a very profitable venture, both for the Indians and for the Government.—N. Y. Tribune.
Africa.
Extract from a letter received by the London Missionary Society:
—“Food continues cheap and plentiful; the market is a great blessing—it fluctuates frequently, but the cause can generally be seen; a recent rise in prices was caused by the sudden arrival of several caravans of ivory from Manyuema. We are doing a little better with the garden just now. One of our new men formerly worked in an Arab’s garden, and under his advice and care we have onions now coming up, and some of the seeds from Cape Colony are showing signs of life. We have a good plot of sweet potatoes. The vegetable called nyumbo—mentioned by Livingstone as being very wholesome—is now procurable in the market; we find them very good and much like potatoes; in shape and size they are like good-sized long radishes with blunt tails; in colour and texture like English potatoes, but stringy outside. Good beef is not procurable. Fish, fowls, and goat’s flesh are plentiful; also eggs and butter.
“Having a good supply of sugar we have tried preserving, and succeeded very well with lemon marmalade and jam of bananas and guavas. Mr. Hutley has acquired the art of bread-making, and we occasionally have an excellent loaf. We both find the maize meal wholesome; it is capable of being made into a variety of puddings. If I were asked of what I am in want in the shape of food, I would say, first, cabbages; second, rhubarb: and lo, only to-day, Mr. Hutley tells me that some Savoy cabbage seeds are showing signs of life! So we may yet, with care, obtain several of the English vegetables, which beat anything in this country, with all its luxuriance.
“Wheat planting begins in a few days, at which we shall also have a try. I think it probable we shall be able to procure ‘whole-wheat meal’ from Unyanyembe in the season at a reasonable price. Men who know the roads in the forest go to Unyanyembe in eight days; this seems to us very near.”