Brian. Did you ever meet Catlin?
Hunter. O yes, many times; and a most agreeable companion I found him. He has lectured in most of our cities, and shown the beautiful collection of Indian dresses and curiosities collected during his visits to the remotest tribes. If you can get a sight of his book, you will soon see that he is a man of much knowledge, and possessing great courage, energy, and perseverance. I will now, then, begin my narrative; and if you can find pleasure in hearing a description of the Indians, with their villages, wigwams, war-whoops, and warriors; their manners, customs, and superstitions; their dress, ornaments, and arms; their mysteries, games, huntings, dances, war-councils, speeches, battles, and burials; with a fair sprinkling of prairie dogs, and wild horses; wolves, beavers, grizzly bears, and mad buffaloes; I will do my best to give you gratification.
Austin. These are the very things that we want to know.
Hunter. I shall not forget to tell you what the missionaries have done among the Indians; but that must be towards the latter end of my account. Let me first show you a complete table of the number and names of the tribes. It is in the Report made to Congress by the Commissioners of Indian Affairs for 1843-4.
Statement showing the number of each tribe of Indians, whether natives of, or emigrants to, the country west of the Mississippi, with items of emigration and subsistence.
| Names of tribes. | Number of each tribe indigenous to the country west of the Mississippi. | Number removed of each tribe wholly or partially removed. | Present western population of each tribe wholly or partially removed. | Number remaining east of each tribe. | Number removed since date of last annual report. | Number of each now under subsistence west. | Daily expense of subsisting them. |
| Chippewas, Ottowas, and Pottawatomies, and Pottawatomies of Indiana | — | 5,779 | 2,298 | 92[a] | |||
| Creeks | — | 24,594 | 24,594 | 744 | |||
| Choctaws | — | 15,177 | 15,177 | 3,323 | |||
| Minatarees | 2,000 | ||||||
| Florida Indians | — | 3,824 | 3,824 | — | 212 | 212 | $7 68½ |
| Pagans | 30,000 | ||||||
| Cherokees | — | 25,911 | 25,911 | 1,000 | |||
| Assinaboins | — | 7,000 | |||||
| Swan Creek and Black River Chippewas | — | 62 | 62 | 113 | |||
| Appachees | 20,280 | ||||||
| Crees | 800 | ||||||
| Ottowas and Chippewas, together with Chippewas of Michigan | — | — | — | 7,055 | |||
| Arrapahas | 2,500 | ||||||
| New York Indians | — | — | — | 3,293 | |||
| Gros Ventres | 3,300 | ||||||
| Chickasaws | — | 4,930 | 4,930 | 80[] | 288[c] | 198[d] | 9 40½ |
| Eutaws | 19,200 | ||||||
| Stockbridges and Munsees, and Delawares and Munsees | — | 180 | 278 | 320 | |||
| Sioux | 25,000 | ||||||
| Quapaws | 476 | ||||||
| Iowas | 470 | ||||||
| Kickapoos | — | 588 | 505 | ||||
| Sacs and Foxes of Mississippi | 2,348[e] | ||||||
| Delawares | — | 826 | 1,059 | ||||
| Shawnees | — | 1,272 | 887 | ||||
| Sacs of Missouri | 414[e] | ||||||
| Weas | — | 225 | 176 | 30 | |||
| Osages | 4,102 | ||||||
| Piankeshaws | — | 162 | 98 | ||||
| Kanzas | 1,588 | ||||||
| Peorias and Kaskaskias | — | 132 | 150 | ||||
| Omahas | 1,600 | ||||||
| Senecas from Sandusky | — | 251 | 251 | ||||
| Otoes and Missourias | 931 | ||||||
| Senecas and Shawnees | — | 211 | 211 | ||||
| Pawnees | 12,500 | ||||||
| Winnebagoes | — | 4,500 | 2,183 | ||||
| Camanches | 19,200 | ||||||
| Kiowas | 1,800 | ||||||
| Mandans | 300 | ||||||
| Crows | 4,000 | ||||||
| Wyandots of Ohio | — | 664 | — | 50[g] | 664 | ||
| Poncas | 800 | ||||||
| Miamies | — | — | — | 661 | |||
| Arickarees | 1,200 | ||||||
| Menomonies | — | — | — | 2,464 | |||
| Cheyenes | 2,000 | ||||||
| Chippewas of the Lakes | — | — | — | 2,564 | |||
| Blackfeet | 1,300 | ||||||
| Caddoes | 2,000 | ||||||
| Snakes | 1,000 | ||||||
| Flatheads | 800 | ||||||
| Oneidas of Green Bay | — | — | — | 675 | |||
| Stockbridges of Green Bay | — | — | — | 207 | |||
| Wyandots of Michigan | — | — | — | 75 | |||
| Pottawatomies of Huron | — | — | — | 100 | |||
| 168,909 | 89,288 | 83,594 | 22,846 | 1,164 | 410 | 17 09 |
NOTES.
[a] These 92 are Ottowas of Maumee.
[] This, as far as appears from any data in the office; but, in point of fact, there are most probably no, or very few, Chickasaws remaining east.
[c] In this number is included a party, assumed to be 100, who clandestinely removed themselves; but they are withheld from the next column, because, it is not yet known what arrangement has been made for their subsistence, though instructions on that subject have been addressed to the Choctaw agent.