The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 8 (of 9) / Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private - Thomas Jefferson

But imperfect as is our knowledge of the tongues spoken in America, it suffices to discover the following remarkable fact: Arranging them under the radical ones to which they may be palpably traced, and doing the same by those of the red men of Asia, there will be found probably twenty in America, for one in Asia, of those radical languages, so called because if they were ever the same they have lost all resemblance to one another. A separation into dialects may be the work of a few ages only, but for two dialects to recede from one another till they have lost all vestiges of their common origin, must require an immense course of time; perhaps not less than many people give to the age of the earth. A greater number of those radical changes of language having taken place among the red men of America, proves them of greater antiquity than those of Asia.

I will now proceed to state the nations and numbers of the Aborigines which still exist in a respectable and independent form. And as their undefined boundaries would render it difficult to specify those only which may be within any certain limits, and it may not be unacceptable to present a more general view of them, I will reduce within the form of a catalogue all those within, and circumjacent to, the United States, whose names and numbers have come to my notice. These are taken from four different lists, the first of which was given in the year 1759 to General Stanwix by George Croghan, deputy agent for Indian affairs under Sir William Johnson; the second was drawn up by a French trader of considerable note, resident among the Indians many years, and annexed to Colonel Bouquet's printed account of his expedition in 1764. The third was made out by Captain Hutchins, who visited most of the tribes, by order, for the purpose of learning their numbers, in 1768; and the fourth by John Dodge, an Indian trader, in 1779, except the numbers marked *, which are from other information.

INDIAN TRIBES.

Northward and Westward of the United States.
TRIBES.	Croghan.	Bouquet.	Hutchins.	Where they reside.
TRIBES.	1759.	1764.	1768.	Where they reside.
Oswegatchies			100	At Swagatchy, on the river St. Laurence.
Connasedagoes			300	Near Montreal.
Cohunnewagoes		200	300	Near Montreal.
Orondocs			100	Near Trois Rivieres.
Abenakies		350	150	Near Trois Rivieres.
Little Alkonkins			100	Near Trois Rivieres.
Michmacs		700		River St. Laurence.
Amelistes		550		River St. Laurence.
Chalas		130		River St. Laurence.
Nipissins		400		Towards the heads of the Ottawas river.
Algonquins		300		Towards the heads of the Ottawas river.
Round Heads		2,500		Riviere aux Tetes boules, on the east side of Lake Superior.
Messasagues		2,000		Lakes Huron and Superior.
Christianaux—Kris		3,000		Lake Christianaux.
Assinaboes		1,500		Lake Assinaboes.
Blancs, or Barbus		1,500
Sioux of the Meadows	10,000	2,500	10,000	On the heads of the Mississippi and westward of that river.
Sioux of the Woods		1,800
Sioux
Ajoues		1,100		North of the Padoucas.
Panis—White		2,000		South of the Missouri.
Panis—Freckled		1,700		South of the Missouri.
Padoucas		500		South of the Missouri.
Grandes-Eaux		1,000
Canses		1,600		South of the Missouri.
Osages		600		South of the Missouri.
Missouris	400	3,000		On the river Missouri.
Arkansas		2,000		On the river Arkansas.
Caouitas		700		East of the Alibamous.

Within the limits of the United States.
TRIBES.	Croghan.	Bouquet.	Hutchins.	Dodge.	Where they reside.
TRIBES.	1759.	1764.	1768.	1779.	Where they reside.
Mohocks		1,550	160	100	Mohocks river.
Onèidas			300	400	East side of Oneida Lake and head branches of Susquehanna.
Tuscoròras			200	400	Between the Oneidas and Onondagoes.
Onondàgoes			260	230	Near Onondago Lake.
Cayùgas			200	220	On the Cayuga Lake, near the north branch of Susquehanna.
Senecas			1,000	650	On the waters of Susquehanna, of Ontario, and the heads of the Ohio.
Aughquàgahs			150		East branch of Susquehanna, and on Aughquagah.
Nànticoes			100		Utsanango, Chaghnet, and Owegy, on the east branch of Susquehanna.
Mohiccons			100		In the same parts.
Conòies			30		In the same parts.
Sapòonies			30		At Diahago and other villages up the north branch of Susquehanna.
Mùnsies			150	*150	At Diahago and other villages up the north branch of Susquehanna.
Delawares, or Linnelinopies			150	*500	At Diahago and other villages up the north branch of Susquehanna.
Delawares, or Linnelinopies	600	600	600	*500	Between Ohio and Lake Erie and the branches of Beaver Creek, Cayahoga and Muskingum.
Shàwanees	500	400	300	300	Sioto and the branches of Muskingum.
Mingoes				60	On a branch of Sioto.
Mohiccons			300	*60
Cohunnewagos					Near Sandusky.
Wyandots	300	300		180
Wyandots	300		250	180	Near Fort St. Joseph's and Detroit.
Twightwees	300		250		Miami river near Fort Miami.
Miamis		350		300	Miami river, Fort St. Joseph.
Ouiàtonons	200	400	300	*400	On the banks of the Wabash, near Fort Ouiatonon.
Piànkishas	300	250	300	*400	On the banks of the Wabash, near Fort Ouiatonon.
Shákirs			200		On the banks of the Wabash, near Fort Ouiatonon.
Kaskaskias		600	300		Near Kaskaskia.
Illinois	400	600	300		Near Cahokia. Query, If not the same with the Mitchigamis?
Piorias		800			On the Illinois river, called Pianrias, but supposed to mean Piorias.
Ponteòtamies		350	300	450	Near Fort St. Joseph's and Fort Detroit.
Ottawas		5,900	550	*300	Near Fort St. Joseph's and Fort Detroit.
Chippawas			200	5,450	On Saguinam bay of Lake Huron.
Ottawas			200		On Saguinam bay of Lake Huron.
Chippawas			400		Near Michillimackinac.
Ottawas	2,000		250		Near Michillimackinac.
Chippawas			400		Near Fort St. Mary's on Lake Superior. Several other villages along the banks of Lake Superior. Numbers unknown.
Chippawas
Chippawas			550		Near Puans bay on Lake Michigan.
Shakies	200	400			Near Puans bay on Lake Michigan.
Mynonàmies					Near Puans bay on Lake Michigan.
Ouisconsings		550			Ouisconsing river.
Kickapous	600	300	4,000	250	On Lake Michigan, and between that and the Mississippi.
Otogamies—Foxes
Màscoutens		500
Miscòthins
Outimacs
Musquakies	200	250		250
Sioux. Eastern				500	On the eastern heads of the Mississippi, and the islands of Lake Superior.
			Galphin. 1678.
Cherokees	1,500	2,500	3,000		Western parts of North Carolina.
Chickasaws		750	500		Western parts of Georgia.
Catawbas		150			On the Catawba river in South Carolina.
Chacktaws	2,000	4,500	6,000		Western parts of Georgia.
Upper Creeks			3,000		Western parts of Georgia.
Lower Creeks		1,180	3,000		Western parts of Georgia.
Natchez		150
Alibamous		600			Alabama river, in the western parts of Georgia.

The following tribes are also mentioned:

Croghan's Catal.	Lezar	400	From the mouth of Ohio to the mouth of Wabash.
	Webings	200	On the Mississippi below the Shakies.
	Ousasoys, Grand Tuc	4,000	On the White Creek, a branch of the Mississippi.
	Linways	1,000	On the Mississippi.
Bouquet's.	Les Puans	700	Near Puans Bay.
	Folle Avoine	350	Near Puans Bay.
	Ouanakina	300	Conjectured to be tribes of the Creeks.
	Chiakanessou	350
	Machecous	800
	Souikilas	200
Dodge's.	Minneamis	2,000	North-west of Lake Michigan, to theheads of Mississippi, and up to LakeSuperior.
	Piankishas, Mascoutins, Vermillions,	800	On and near the Wabash toward the Illinois.

But apprehending these might be different appellations for some of the tribes already enumerated, I have not inserted them in the table, but state them separately as worthy of further inquiry. The variations observable in numbering the same tribe may sometimes be ascribed to imperfect information, and sometimes to a greater or less comprehension of settlements under the same name. [(7.)]

QUERY XII.

A notice of the counties, cities, townships, and villages?