other tribes on this coast, they prefer temporary wigwams which they can move about at pleasure. Their chief objection to houses is the vermin, which, from their filty habits, soon become such a nuisance as to render the houses uninhabitable.

It is hoped, however, that during the rainy season, when this nuisance becomes abated, they will avail themselves of the shelter afforded by good and substantial buildings.

Taking into consideration the difficulty of procuring labor at these remote points, the high wages paid to mechanics, and the inconveniences of living generally, I do not consider the above contract prices unreasonable, especially as the contractors have not yet been paid, and as there seems to be but a remote chance of their getting their money for some years to come.

About 2 miles above the quarters, a patch of ground, consisting of about 18 acres of good bottom land, has been fenced in, and a crop of vegetables raised upon it by Indian labor. Potatoes, peas, cabbage, turnips, beats and carrots succeed admirably in this soil. The probability is, that next season, when it is expected a large quantity of ground will be put in cultivation, a sufficient supply of vegetables will be raised for the use of all the Indians on the reservation.

It is not likely that any of them will suffer from the want of food. Fish are very abundant in the Puyallup river, and inexhaustible quantities of berries are found in the neighboring woods.

Some of the Indians hire out to settlers at $1 per day. They can always obtain work at good wages. This season they cut, under the superintendence of the agent, about 70 tons of hay, which they have sold at a good price.

Upon representations that private claimants owned the whole, or greater part of this reservation under the donation and pre-emption laws, I took occasion to inquire into the facts; and the conclusion at which I arrived was, that most of the claimants had abandoned their claims and taken up others before the reservation was established there.

Enclosed, marked A, is a copy of the report made on this subject, by the commissioners appointed by the superintendent of Indian affairs, to determine the extent and value of these claims.

I dissent from their conclusions on the following grounds.

1st. The Wrights had abandoned their claims and taken up others. 2d. The other donation claims are not defined as to their boundaries, and the provisions of the donation act, requiring actual resi· dence and improvement, have not been complied with.

3d. Under the 10th section of the pre-emption act of September 4, 1811, extended to Oregon, July 17, 1854, the government reserves to itself the control of all public lands to which the Indian title has not been extinguished. Previous to the establishment of this reservation, the Indian title had never been extinguished to any part of the Territory of Washington, and no pre-emption rights can exist prior to such extinguishment. Hence all these 160-acre claims are null and void; and the claimants never having paid for them, are not entitled to compensation even upon principles of equity.

NISQUALLY RESERVATION.

August 26.-Visited this reservation. Distance from Steilacoom twelve miles; situated on the Nisqually river, six miles from its mouth, and twelve miles from Olympia.

Here we found the farmer and interpreter employed under the treaty of Medicine creek.

Five frame houses have been built by contract for the Indians, at $1,100 for the whole. They are good board houses, rough, but well built. The price is reasonable. Commenced February 13, 1857. One log-house built by the employés, in which they reside.

One log hay barn.

One field of twenty acres has been fenced in, and nine acres of peas raised upon it this season. Owing to the poor quality of the land and the drought this summer, the crop was a failure. The remainder of

the field has been ploughed to plant with wheat this fall.

In the river bottom bordering on the Nisqually, about ten acres of potatoes have been planted by the Indians. Except a few small patches on this bottom, cleared in times past by the Indians, the reservation lands are composed of open gravelly prairie, too poor even for grazing purposes. Nothing can ever be done to make this profitable as an Indian farm. We found no more than five or six families of Indians on this reservation. The main body of the Nisquallys were said to be out fishing and gathering berries. Those of the men who were not out were lying under the trees gambling. The agent appears to have no control over them whatever. He is compelled to pay them in clothing or other goods whenever they work, and they even refuse to go of messages on their own account unless paid for their services. They seemed to me to be a very lazy, worthless set, entirely insensible to kindness. The agent admits that he can do nothing with them. Any coercion on his part would be followed by immediate desertion. Once in the woods, it is impossible to capture them. In these respects, however, the Nisquallys resemble all the rest of the Sound Indians; they cannot be made to understand why government should take their country away from them and then compel them to work for a living. They say government deprived them of their natural heritage, now let it support them. If they work they must be paid for it.

I do not anticipate any beneficial results either from this or the Puyallup reservation.

FORT KITSAP AGENCY.

August 29-At intervals along the shores of the Sound are places of Indian resort, where it has been deemed expedient to locate special or temporary agents, employed under the general provisions of the acts of Congress appropriating a fund for the restoration and maintenance of peace. These local agencies are called reservations, but are not so under any authority of Congress or the department.

The Kitsap agency is situated at the head of Port Madison bay, about sixty miles from Steilacoom. On our passage there in the United

States revenue cutter, we were detained two days at the various intermediate points and islands in consequence of calms and head tides.

But few Indians were to be seen at any of these places, the late depredations of the northern Indians having caused those of the Sound to seek the more secure retreats of the creeks and inlets.

The cutter anchored six miles from the agency on account of the tides, and we had to make our way to the landing in a row-boat.

Here we found the local agent, George A. Page, from whom we obtained the following information relative to the Indians under his charge:

The tribes at this agency are the Sa-qua-mish and Dawamish, numbering four hundred and forty. Not more than thirty were present.

The Dawamish are stationed about five miles from the town of Seattle, near the mouth of the Dawamish river, and are under the charge of J. H. Goudy.

H. O'Briant assists Mr. Page in controlling and managing the Indians of this agency.

Fifteen Indian houses have been erected on the beach-frame shanties, worth about $100 each.

One farm house has been built for the use of the agent, at a cost of about $200.

No other improvements of any kind have been made. No land is under cultivation, and no work is done by the Indians.

They procure their own subsistence by fishing and gathering berries. Except the sick and aged, who have received a few blankets and an occasional supply of coffee and flour, nothing has been done by government for any of these Indians.

The employés live at public expense. They do no work of any kind.

I can see no permanent good likely to result from the expenses incident to this system of partial supervision. All the Indians should be concentrated, as far as practicable, at some principal reservation, and compelled to work; and all white employés not actually engaged in active labor should be discontinued.

PORT TOWNSEND AGENCY.

August 30.-Arrived here and had a conference with Thomas J. Hanna, local agent. This is a mere nominal agency, no relief of any kind having as yet been extended to the Indians embraced within the district. The tribes under charge of Mr. Hanna are the Dunganess and Clalms, numbering in all eleven hundred. About one hundred reside at Port Townsend. The remainder live around the shores of the bay and at Dunganess point. At present most of them are up Hood's canal engaged in catching and curing fish, clams, &c. Until this year they raised good crops of potatoes on Whidbey's island, six miles from the agency. During the present season they have been driven from their potato patches by the northern Indians, who make a practice of robbing and murdering the Sound Indians wherever they can catch them.

The chief of the Clalms is the "Duke of York," once a powerful

and intelligent chief, but of late very much debased by the use of intoxicating liquors. Accompanied by the agent we called to pay our respects to the Duke at his domicil on the beach. He lives in a large shanty built of slabs and boards, within the limits of the town. On each side is a whiskey shop, from which he derives continual supplies. Within the past year he has scarcely ever been sober.

We found him stretched on a rough bed, so drunk that he was incapable of noticing even the endearments of his wives, "Queen Victoria" and "Jenny Lind," who were sitting beside him, beating him as a demonstration of affection. A few days before he had given Jenny a black eye, and knocked a few teeth out of the queen's mouth; and now that he was hors du combat, they were having a little satisfaction. Both ladies were exceedingly drunk. The Duke's brother was lying on the ground near by, more drunk, if possible, than any of the party. We took our departure, very much impressed with the scene. It was a sad commentary upon the morals of the white population of Port Townsend. From what I saw during my stay there, I formed the opinion that the Duke of York and his amiable family were not below the average of the white citizens residing at that benighted place. With very few exceptions, it would be difficult to find a worse class of population in any part of the world. No less than six murders have occurred there during the past year. It is notorious as a resort for "beachcombers" and outlaws of every description.

Five miles from the town of Port Townsend is a military post, under command of Major Haller. He has had much trouble with the settlers at the town, who do all in their power to encourage desertion amongst the soldiers. So far as this post is designed for purposes of protection, it might as well be fifty miles from the town as five. It is of no use whatever, and is merely an unnecessary expense to government. In a country so covered with woods and undergrowth, that even the Indians are forced to travel by water, it is not likely that regular soldiers can be of much service on land.

There is no fear of the Indians ever coming within reach of the fortifications. Their mode of fighting is more sensible, and involves much less personal risk. When they contemplate an attack, they first reconnoitre the premises, and upon being satisfied of their ability to accomplish their object, make a descent at night, and massacre their victims with impunity. Before the soldiers from the fort could reach Port Townsend, the town might be in ashes, and every inhabitant murdered. One war canoe of sixty northern Indians could do it in half an hour.

In expressing these views, I do not mean to reflect upon the judgment or energy of Major Haller. He is acting under orders, and will, no doubt, do all in his power to render protection to the inhabitants whenever it becomes necessary. I fear, however, that his efforts will be unavailing in case of an attack.

TOM-WHIK-SON AGENCY.

September 1.-Sailed from Port Townsend in the United States revenue cutter Jefferson Davis, and arrived same day, after a fine run of six hours, at Bellingham bay. The Tom-whik-son agency is in charge of Colonel E. C. Fitzhugh, and is situated near the Bellingham bay coal mines, distant forty-five miles from Port Townsend. On the route are numerous islands, thickly wooded, and affording excellent hunting and fishing grounds for the Indians. Of late the tribes of the Sound have suffered considerably from the depredations of the more powerful tribes from the north, and they have partially abandoned these islands for the more secure retreats afforded by the small rivers on the main.

Under the charge of Colonel Fitzhugh are the following tribes: Lum-mas, numbering five hundred and forty, who live at the mouth of the river Lum-ma or Noot-sack, seven miles from the town of What-kam, at Bellingham bay. Their chief subsistence is fish, shell-fish, berries, and herbs. They are well provided with canoes, which they manage with wonderful dexterity; and from the abundant products of the Sound and the adjacent forests, procure, without difficulty, an ample supply of food throughout the year.

Sam-ish, numbering three hundred, live twelve miles below Lumma point, and have excellent fishing grounds all about the islands and up the creeks. These two tribes are known as "Salt-Chucks," or salt water Indians. In common with all the Sound tribes, who live mainly by fishing, they carry on a considerable trade with the interior Indians, whom they supply with marine products, in return for which they receive dried elk, deer, and other game, and nuts of various kinds.

Noot-Sacks, four hundred and twelve, live at the foot of Mount Baker, distant from Bellingham bay ninety-six miles. A few bands of the tribe are scattered along through the intermediate country, in which it is said there are some fine prairies. Three main bands are divided as follows:

1. Those who live by the chase at the foot of the mountain.

2. A band on Nootsack prairie, twenty-two miles from Bellingham bay, who raise potatoes and gather berries.

3. An intermediate band, who come down to the shores of the Sound and trade with the "Salt-Chucks," and by whom the products of the fisheries are transported to the upper bands.

During our visit to this agency, we saw but few Indians-probably not more than a dozen altogether. As usual at this season, they were all out hunting and fishing, or otherwise engaged in laying in their winter supplies.

The agency was established in July, 1856, by authority of the superintendent.

Colonel Fitzhugh has resided at Bellingham bay for the last eight years, and is thoroughly acquainted with all the Indians north of Port Townsend. He speaks their language perfectly, and commands the respect and confidence of the various tribes in that part of the