More extensive observation and study of the matter gradually convinced me that this was a mistaken policy; that it would be vastly bet ter for the Indians and more in accordance with justice as well as wise expediency to respect their home attachments, to leave them upon the lands they occupied, provided such lands were capable of yielding them a sustenance by agriculture or pastoral pursuits, and to begin and follow up the practice of introducing among them the habits and occupations of civilized life on the ground they inhabited. It became also clear to me that the maintenance of the system of large reservations against the pres sure of white immigration and settlement would in the course of time become impracticable. The policy of changing, shifting, and consolidating reservations for the purpose above stated was therefore abandoned, except in cases where the lands held by the Indians were not capable of useful development, and other lands better adapted to their advancement could be assigned to them.

The policy which, during the larger part of this administrative period, was pursued as a fixed line of conduct is the following: to respect such rights as the Indians have in the land they occupy; to make changes only where such lands were found to be unsuitable for agriculture and herding; to acquaint the Indians with the requirements of civilized life by education; to introduce among them various kinds of work, by prac tical impulse and instruction; gradually to inspire them with a sense of responsibility through the ownership of private property and a growing dependence for their support upon their own efforts; to afford to them all facilities of trade consistent with their safety, as to the disposition of the products of their labor and industry for their own advantage; to allot to them lands in severalty with individual ownership, and a feesimple title inalienable for a certain period; then, with their consent and for their benefit, to dispose of such lands as they cannot cultivate and use themselves, to the white settlers; to dissolve, by gradual steps, their tribal cohesion, and merge them in the body politic as independent and self-relying men invested with all the rights which other inhabitants of the country possess.

Having thus fixed the ultimate end to be accomplished as well as indicated in general terms the means by which it is to be reached, in the shape of a clearly-defined policy, the department proceeded not only to continue the promotion of those civilizing influences which already had been set to work, but also to add others which so far had not been adopted.

AGRICULTURE AND HERDING.

In their agricultural pursuits the Indians have made commendable progress during the period of this administration. The uncivilized Indians have during the past year broken 27,105 acres of land; they have cultivated 168,340; they raised 408,812 bushels of wheat, 604,103 bushels of corn, 224,899 bushels of oats and barley, 375,843 bushels of vegetables; they cut 23,245 tons of hay; they owned 211,981 horses; they

had 78,939 head of cattle, 40,381 swine, and 864,216 sheep; they occupied 12,507 houses, they built during the year 1,639. The civilized tribes in the Indian Territory cultivated this year 314,398 acres; raised 336,424 bushels of wheat, 2,346,042 bushels of corn, 124,568 bushels of oats and barley, 595,000 bushels of vegetables, cut 124,000 tons of hay, and raised 16,800 bales of cotton. The uncivilized and the civilized Indians, therefore, together cultivated 482,738 acres; that is about one and threequarters acres to each man, woman, and child, assuming the estimate that the whole Indian population is about 250,000 to be correct. They raised 745,236 bushels of wheat, 2,950,145 bushels of corn, 349,467 bushels of oats and barley, 970,843 bushels of vegetables, and 16,800 bales of cotton; they cut 201,245 tons of hay. I find in the statistics of 1876, the year before this administration came into power, that the quantity of wheat raised was 483,619 bushels, inclusive of 20,365 raised by the government employés at the agencies; 2,257,428 bushels of corn, inclusive of 27,968 bushels raised by the government employés; 155,112 bushels of oats and barley,' inclusive of 20,332 raised by government employés; 313,254 bushels of vegetables, inclusive of 35,205 bushels by government employés; 116,097 tons of hay cut, inclusive of 92,882 by government employés. In addition to that there were 354 tons of melons raised, inclusive of 51 by government employés, and 924 tons of pumpkins, inclusive of 48 raised by government employés. It would appear from these statistics that the agricultural labor by the Indians since 1876 has been well nigh doubled in quantity and value. It may be remarked here that with every year these statistics are becoming more accurate and reliable; formerly they consisted in great part of mere rough estimates. It is my firm belief that the agricultural industry of the Indians would be greatly stimulated and its product very much increased if assurance were given to them that they will be secure in the possession of their lands. I find that in a considerable number of cases Indians are not as willing as they should be to make permanent improvements for the avowed reason that they entertain doubts as to whether those improvements will redound to their own benefit. From all sides requests made by Indians are brought to the knowledge of the department that the government should give them such a title to their lands as is held by white men. I consider it therefore of the highest importance that the measure I urgently recommended allotting agricultural lands among the Indians in severalty, and giving them individual title inalienable for a certain period, be enacted without delay. The number of those who still desire to adhere to their old habits of life, seeking their sustenance by the chase or depending entirely upon supplies furnished by the government is rapidly decreasing. Care has been taken to convince them that the disappearance of game and the constantly progressing settlement of the country by whites are rendering a change in their occupations absolutely inevitable; and that conviction is taking possession of their minds to a greater extent than ever before.

It may be said that exceptions to this rule are becoming rare, and that if now proper measures are taken to secure them in the individual ownership of land, and to aid them liberally in their agricultural pursuits by furnishing them implements and cattle, they will in a comparatively short space of time result in the permanent settlement of most of those tribes and bands which but a few years ago were roaming through the country as savages.

OTHER THAN AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS.

One of the most fruitful measures of the present 'administration has been the introduction of freighting and mechanical pursuits among the Indians. In last year's report I had the pleasure to state that the experiment of employing Indians as freighters with their own ponies had been completely successful. This year's experience has been such as to confirm my conviction that this measure has in its effects been one of the most beneficent innovations ever made in Indian management. The Indians so employed have not only continued to prove themselves the most faithful, efficient, trustworthy, and economical freighters the government ever had, but they have become fond of this occupation, and gradually more skilled in carrying it on. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs reports that the Kiowas and Comanches in the Indian Territory, and the Sioux at the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Agencies, have transported during the past year not less than eight million pounds of supplies and annuity goods, over distances of 165, 160, 200, and 92 miles, respectively; and in compensation therefor, they have received the sum of $115,900, which, although appearing large, has been a considerable saving compared with the amounts formerly paid to white transportation contractors. "So popular has this branch of industry become, that the demands of the Indians for freighting are largely in excess of the quantity of government freight to be transported; and the letting of a transportation contract for Indian goods to a white man would be deemed an infringement on their rights and privileges." "Skill and care in the management of their teams, despatch in the handling and forwarding of the freight, and absolute honesty and trustworthiness in the care of the goods in transitu, have characterized the Indian transportation service; not a package has been lost, not a case or bale broken open or tampered with. The success of the enterprise has made it a permanent feature in the policy of Indian civilization."

At the beginning of this administration no freighting was done by Indians. Last year the number of Indian freight wagons running was stated at 1,356. This year it has been nearly 2,000. Indian freighting has been gradually introduced at the Cheyenne and Arapaho, Kiowa and Comanche, Devil's Lake, Sisseton, Fort Hall, Osage, Kaw, Pawnee, Ponca, Oakland, Sac and Fox, Pottawatomie, White Earth, Great Nemaha, Western Shoshone, Grand Ronde, Siletz, Warm Spring, Green Bay, Yakama, Shoshone, Rosebud, and Pine Ridge Agencies, and in

addition to this the Uintah Utes have this fall undertaken to transport the goods and supplies purchased for them.

In several instances I have seen Indian freighters employed by white people living near the Indian camps, and I have no doubt that this industry can be greatly extended aside from the transportation of government goods. It has introduced thousands of Indians formerly idle and shiftless to habits of industry, inspired them with a desire to earn money and accustomed them to its prudent use.

In my report of last year I stated the number of Indian youth learning trades in various work-shops at the agencies and elsewhere as 185. This number has since been increased to 358. The policy of employing Indians as workmen and even as foremen and machinists at the agencies has been continued and extended with great success. Brick-making has been begun. Houses for the Indians are now almost exclusively built by the Indians themselves. The aptitude shown by the Indians for mechanical work has in many cases been surprising and deserves every possible encouragement.

EDUCATION.

Expressions of an anxious desire on the part of the Indians belonging to the so-called wild tribes to have their children instructed in the ways of civilized life have grown so numerous and urgent, that the inadequacy of the means placed at the disposal of the department for this purpose has become particularly painful. I stated in my last report that mere day schools upon the Indian reservations have, in many respects, proved an insufficient agency for the education of Indian youth. The simple reason is that they do not withdraw the pupils from the influences of their home surroundings in such a manner as to facilitate a change in their habits of daily life. To this end boarding-schools are required, where pupils can be instructed, not only in the elementary branches of knowledge, but also in house-work, mechanical pursuits, and other civilized occupations. In fact it is just as necessary to teach Indian children how to live as how to read and write. The appropriations made by Congress permitted the opening of only three additional boarding-schools during the past year; but arrangements were made for erecting eleven school buildings the coming season, and for the establishment of thirteen new schools of that kind, which, however, will satisfy the demands of only a limited number of Indians who have so far been without such facilities. In order to put these schools in full operation, further appropriations by Congress at the next session will be required. I desire to call special attention to the report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs upon this subject. He sets forth plainly how utterly insufficient the means at the disposal of the department have been so far to afford to even one-half of the Indian children on the different reservations the most necessary educational facilities; and I deem it my duty to repeat that false economy in this respect at

the present moment, when the desire for the education of their children is so general and so urgent among the Indians, would be particularly unwise.

In my report of last year I spoke of the promising results of Indian education at the normal school at Hampton, Va., under the direction of General Armstrong. The number of Indian children at that estab lishment is being considerably increased. The institution has been visited by many persons interested in that important work, and the gratifying results gained have been evident to all.

Last year I spoke also of the Indian school at Carlisle, then just established by this department, under the superintendency of Captain Pratt, as an experiment. It may now be said that it is a mere experiment no longer. The progress made by the Indian pupils there as well as at Hampton in the acquisition of elementary knowledge as well as in agricultural and mechanical work has been sufficient to demonstrate the capacity of the Indian for civilized pursuits. The pupils are instructed not only in the English language, in reading, writing, lower mathematics, geography, &c., but the girls are educated in household work, and a considerable number of the boys are employed as apprentices in blacksmithing, carpentering, shoemaking, harness making, wagon building, tin smithing, tailoring, in a printing office, and in farm work. The progress made by some of them has been remarkably rapid, and in almost all cases satisfactory. The num ber of pupils at Carlisle has been increased to 196. Some of the products of their labor were exhibited at the county fair, and attracted general and favorable attention. The school is now able to produce some articles to be used at the different Indian agencies, such as shoes, tin ware, harness, and wagons, and when the pupils return to their tribes they can be profitably employed, not only as practical mechanics but also as instructors of their people.

A similar school has been established at Forest Grove in Oregon, under the superintendency of Lieutenant Wilkinson, for the education of Indian boys and girls on the Pacific Coast. It has been in operation since February last, and is conducted upon the same principles and with equal success as the schools at Hampton and Carlisle. It has now 40 pupils, representing six different tribes, but the buildings erected are large enough to accommodate 150. There are many applications for admission which will be gratified as funds can be made available for that purpose. Instructions have been given to increase the number of pupils to one hundred. In addition to this, during last year 36 children have been selected from the tribe of Eastern Cherokees and placed in boarding schools in North Carolina, 12 girls at Asheville and 12 boys each at Weaverville and Trinity College, where, aside from elementary instruction, they are to receive training in industrial pursuits. The Indian pupils at Hampton represent thirteen different agencies. At Carlisle there are boys and girls