Their agricultural affairs and social relations have undergone a great change. When I came among them they were wrapped up in their filthy blankets, eating their meals—if meals they could be called—off the ground like the pigs.
They had but few houses. Their crops probably did not exceed three hundred bushels in any season; they were living on the roots they digged in the mountains and the fish they caught in the streams, and not one pound of anything on the Reservation. I purchased for them a limited amount of seed—they packing it forty miles. This enabled them to raise five thousand bushels of wheat, with a good supply of assorted vegetables.
This seemed to give them new life, and they have been steadily increasing ever since.
Their crop, the last season, has been estimated at from twelve to fifteen thousand bushels of wheat, with an abundance of vegetables of all kinds.
Now they have some forty houses, with logs hauled and lumber partly sawed for perhaps twenty more.
Many families sit around tables well furnished with the luxuries common with white people. As to their dress, they will compare very favorably with many country congregations.
The women and children come to church clean and nice, many of them dressed equal to white women.
I have built a house, 18 × 42 feet, for a female school. In this house, if I shall remain here a short time longer, I shall expect to accomplish much, as I propose to teach their women domestic economy,—a thing they are very little acquainted with, as are they also with the preparation of vegetable foods, to make
them palatable; and for this reason they are less used than they should be, and they depend too much on the chase and fisheries.
This makes it necessary to leave their homes at times, and keeps up filthy habits, and their homes are not made comfortable as they would be if they looked to the ground for support; and they could be better induced to give up the chase and become settled and comfortable, much to the benefit of their health.