scythe or the plough. So far as fuel is concerned, the deficiency of timber is already supplied by the discovery of mineral coal.

On the 20th of February, two days after the arrival of the Mission, they were visited by Tally, the second Osage Chief, and several of the counsellors and warriors of the tribe. The Chief expressed the warmest satisfaction at the arrival of the family. Among other things, he observed, "When Mr. Chapman first came to this country, he said he would come again and bring good white men and women to teach us. Now we see your faces; and feel glad. We know you are true men." After a friendly interview, it was mutually agreed, that the Missionaries should visit the principal village in the course of a few days, for the purpose of attending a Council of the Chiefs, and of being formally introduced to the tribe.

On the 5th of March, the Superintendent, Assistant, Physician, and one of the other brethren, proceeded, according to agreement, to the Indian village. On their approach, they were met by Clamore, the principal Chief, who bade them welcome, and conducted them to his own residence. On their way through the village they were surrounded by hundreds of the natives, all apparently gratified by their arrival; and, during the whole of their visit, they were entertained with a spirit of hospitality and kindness, which would have done honour to a civilized community. On the ensuing morning, a general council was convened. The Missionaries were introduced, and their papers, furnished by the Society and the Government, were interpreted and explained. The principal Chief expressed, on the occasion, the highest satisfaction; and, in an animated and eloquent strain, recommended the Mission, and its object, to the attention and the confidence of his people. He concluded with the assurance, that, should war not prevent, he would send

his own children to the Missionary school, as soon as it should be opened for their reception.

The Osages of the Arkansaw occupy several villages. The principal village contains about three hundred lodges or huts, and about three thousand souls. The lodges are generally from fifty to a hundred feet in length; and, irregularly arranged, they cover a surface of about half a mile square. They are constructed of posts, mattings, bark, and skins. They have neither floors nor chimneys. The fire is built on the ground, in the centre of the lodge, and the family, and the guests, sit around in a circle, upon skins or mats. The men are generally of a lofty stature, a fine form, and a frank and open countenance. In council they are dignified, and, in their speeches, eloquent. The women, although strong and active, are not proportionably tall. As in all uncivilized and pagan countries, the women are doomed to perform the drudgery of the nation, while the men resort to the chase or the battle, or consume their time in vain and unprofitable amusements. Their children are numerous, and remarkably submissive to parental authority. As a people, they are punctual, and apparently fervent in their morning and evening devotions; but, like the ancient Athenians, they address their worship" to the unknown God." They live in the practice of polygamy, and of many other vices; and, like many a whiter and better informed pagan, they deem it a virtue of the purest order, and an honour of the highest grade, to plunder, torture, and destroy their enemies. Such is a brief account of the village, and of the character of the people, to whom you are conveying the arts of civilized life, and the glad tidings of the gospel. Let it be your unceasing prayer to God, that the Sun of Righteousness may soon rise upon them in his glory, and dispel the midnight darkness with which they are surrounded.

On their arrival at the station, the

family found the cabins, which had been erected, still unfinished. For their temporary residence, they took possession of a small inconvenient hut upon the bank of the river. They sold one of their boats, dismissed most of their boatmen, and proceeded at once to complete their buildings. Notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather, the work was accomplished, and the family removed, before the 10th of March. "Never," says the journal of that date, " never, since we left our dwellings in the East, have we felt more pleasure, than on finding a place in this remote wilderness, which we may call our home, and where we may live and labour for the salvation of the heathen." The erection of a blacksmith's shop next commanded their attention. Preparations were then made for enclosing a large garden and an extensive corn field; and both were ploughed and planted in the month of May. In the same month they erected a store-house, twenty-four feet by twenty. In July they erected a lodginghouse for their hired men, and cut and stacked upon their prairie about twenty tons of hay. In August, they built a large coal-house, a school-house eighteen feet by twenty, and a kitchen and dining-hall twenty-four feet square. In September, they erected a joiner's shop twenty-four feet by eighteen, and a smaller building for the storing of harness, yokes, and other agricultural utensils. In October, they built two large corn cribs, and gathered about four hundred bushels of corn from their own field, and about the same quantity, which they had purchased in a field fifteen miles distant. In November, they dug a large cellar, and laid a foundation for their permanent dwellinghouse; and began their preparations for a grist-mill and a saw-mill, which, for want of water, are to be propelled by animal power on an inclined wheel.

On the 30th of October, the Superintendent and Assistant transmitted the first annual Report of their improve

ments to the Secretary of War. By this report, an abstract of which has been communicated to the Board, it appears that the estimated value of the Missionary property at this station, including buildings, live stock, produce of the farm, agricultural and mechanic tools, medicines, books, and furniture, amounted to more than seventeen thousand dollars. In addition to this amount, supplies to the value of three thousand dollars, shipped at this port, are now ascending the Arkansaw, or have recently arrived at the station.

One of the first objects of the Missionaries, after their arrival, was, to procure an interpreter, that they might begin at once to communicate instruction to the Indian Tribe. Having failed in several attempts to accomplish this object, they determined that the Assistant, and one of the other brethren should follow the Indians to their summer hunting ground, and commence the study of the Osage language. These brethren accordingly took leave of the family, and proceeded about one hundred miles into the wilderness; but finding no trace of the Indian encampment, having nearly exhausted their provisions, and being considerably indisposed, they reluctantly abandoned the pursuit, and returned to the station In the month of August, it was ascertained, that the Great Osage Mission had arrived at Harmony, and that a skilful interpreter had been found at the United States' Factory, in the immediate vicinity of that station. It was thought expedient that the two brethren already mentioned, should repair thither, and pursue their study in company with the Assistant of the other Mission.-Under the date of the 28th of December, Mr. Chapman states, that they had finished a Dictionary, and the most important parts of a Grammar, and were then attending to the construction of sentences in the Osage language. This part of their preparatory labours is deemed, by the Board, of paramount importance. By acquiring a knowledge

of the Osage, they will at once be relieved from the expense, the blunders, and perhaps, in some instances, the deceptions of a hired interpreter; and, in every view of the subject, will be better qualified to counsel, instruct, and benefit the tribe.

Another object of early attention and solicitude to the Family, was the opening of a school for the instruction of the Indian youth. As soon, therefore, as their school-house was finished, information of the fact was conveyed to the chiefs, and they were invited to send their children without delay. Four children were brought to the school on the 27th of August, accompanied with the message that others would soon follow, if war should not prevent. At the date of our latest advices, three of the children were still at the school, conducting themselves well, and making good improvement. The oldest of the four had been seduced away by a woman of the village, and was unwilling to return. Both the woman and the child were severely repri manded by the Chiefs and renewed assurances were given, that as soon as peace should be restored, as many children should be committed to the care of the Missionaries as they would be able to accommodate and instruct.

The misunderstanding between the Osages and Cherokees was briefly mentioned in our last Report. A hope was then indulged, that an amicable adjustment might be made, and hostilities avoided. The hope, however, proved delusive. Provocations were continued on both sides, until war was declared by the Cherokees. Exasperated at this unexpected measure, the Osages determined to carry the war into the enemy's country, and about four hundred of the youthful warriors, notwithstanding the remonstrances of the principal Chief and his oldest Counsellors, proceeded to the conflict. They cut off a small party of the Cherokees, took a number of horses and cattle, and returned_to

their village. Clamore, the principal Chief, immediately sent a message to the Cherokees, expressing his regret at the incursion of his people, and his strong desire for peace; alleging his unwillingness to injure the white inhabitants who reside between the contending Tribes; and declaring, that should they reject his pacific overture, and insist on continuing the war, he would send an army of fifteen hundred warriors, who should carry it on with energy. He added, that he would restrain his young men from fighting for three months, to give time to the Cherokees to consider the subject, and to send agents duly authorized to negotiate a permanent peace. Having despatched this message, Clamore and his people left their village, and proceeded to their hunting grounds. On the 24th of June, a small party of the Cherokees passed on to the residence of a Mr. Revoir, a half breed, living on a farm about fifteen miles beyond the Union station. They murdered the unoffending farmer, drove bis family into the wilderness, destroyed much of his property, and carried off his horses and cattle. About the middle of September, the Osages, having returned to their village, were visited by Major Bradford, of Fort Smith, for the purpose, if possible, of putting a stop to the war. After much conversation, he proposed that the two parties should submit their controversy to the decision of two or three disinterested and judicious men. To this proposition Clamore and his people readily assented. Major Bradford then returned to the Garrison, under the expectation, that the proposed measure would be embraced also by the Cherokees. Under the same impression, the Osages proceeded on another hunting expedi tion to the West. The Cherokees, however, rejected the proposal; and about four hundred of their warriors, knowing that the Osages were thus thrown from their guard, determined to pursue them, and, if possible, to cut off some detached party by surprise. They arrived

near the Osage encampment about the first of November; and, finding that the chiefs and warriors were absent, they attacked the old men, women, and children; slaughtered and captured about one hundred; and carried away many of their horses, most of their cooking utensils, and the whole of their provisions and peltry.

At our latest dates, the spirit of hostility continued, but no additional aggression had been committed on either side. When the war will close, or what will be its ultimate effect upon our Mission, is known only to that God, who causeth the wrath of man to praise Him, and who restraineth the remainder of wrath at his pleasure.

It is believed that the Governor of the Territory, and the Commandant of the Garrison, had made every effort within their reach to prevent the disasters which have occurred. They were not clothed with authority to interpose the arm of military power; nor had the Executive of our Government the right to communicate that authority. A bill to empower the President to resort to military force, for the purpose of sup pressing Indian wars within the limits of the United States, was introduced into Congress during its late session; but the friend of Missions, and the advocate of Indian civilization, have to lament, that a measure so interesting to both was finally rejected. Until such a law shall have been enacted, or the Indians shall have universally embraced the spirit of the Gospel, no calculations can be made of a permanent peace among the contiguous and conflicting Tribes in our country.

Amidst other discouragements, our Missionaries have again been called to struggle with disease. From the close of July to the beginning of December, there was not a week in which there were not some of the family, or of the hired men, stretched upon a bed of sickness. For a considerable part of the time, the Physician was unable to prescribe, either for himself, or for others;

and in two of his repeated relapses, he lay, for many days, apparently on the verge of the grave. No death, we are happy to add, occurred at this station; and in a letter of the 26th of December, it is stated, that the health of the family was "almost entirely confirmed." There is in this Mission, however, one source of affliction, which has called forth the deepest sym-' pathy of the Board. During the severe sickness at Little Rock, in the summer and autumn of 1820, one of the Missionary sisters was visited with repeated attacks of fever, attended with delirium. The removal of her fever, and the recovery of her general health, were, unhappily, unaccompanied by the restoration of her intellectual powers. She had sunk into a state of mental imbecility; and, instead of rendering aid to the sisters of the family, she became the object of their unceasing solicitude and care.

In consequence of this unhappy event, together with the enfeebled health of one or two of the other sisters, and the reduction of their number by death in the preceding year, the family, during the last summer, suffered severely for want of female assistance. To supply the deficiency, some of the hired men were transferred from the farm to the kitchen. Under these circumstances, the accession made to the female department in September, by the marriage of Mr. Fuller to Miss Howell, of the Great Osage Mission, was peculiarly gratifying to the family at Union. They are, however, still in want of both male and female aid; and, at the urgent request of the Mission, a reinforcement will be sent forward as soon as persons suitably qualified can be obtained.

Two marriages took place at this station in the course of the last year. Mr. Redfield and Miss Beach were united on the 10th of March, and Mr. Woodruff and Miss Foster on the 11th of November.

While the Members of the Union