INDIANS, NORTH AMERICA.-1. Hut of Maudan chief. 2. Mandan chief adorned with trophies. 3. the Wisconsin river. 7. Ancient earthworks in form of an animal, and "corn-hills." 8. Neck Indians. 11. Scalp of a man, feathers as mementoes of particular deeds. 12. Cherokee village.

Mandan bed.

2

4. Portable cradle. 5. Indian dancers of California. 6. Ancient double wall near klace of California Indian. 9. Californian food-basket. 10. Cap for dancing festivals, California e. 13. Indian grave near Lake Michigan.

w. of the Mississippi, and not within the states of Missouri and Louisiana, or the territory of Arkansas," to be known as the Indian country. The region thus described formed a part of the Louisiana purchase of 1803 from France. Portions thereof have since been organized into new states and territories, and only a remnant of the original Indian country now remains. The present limits date from the year 1832, when Kansas was organized as a territory. During the period 1833-38 the Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks and Chickasaws were removed hither, and in 1846, the Seminoles, and more than 3 tribes or parts of tribes have since been added. The civilized tribes were slaveholders before the civil war, and contributed many men to the confederate army. The territory became demoralized during the contest; one-third of its inhabitants were killed, and criminals and outlaws of all kinds sought refuge within its borders.

White speculators and adventurers often attempted to enter the territory and appropriate the lands not included in the reservations, but the U. S. government, in fulfillment of its treaty stipulations to the Indians, prevented them. That section now called Oklahoma (q.v.) was held by the Creeks till 1856, and then by Creeks and Seminoles till 1866, when it was sold to the U. S., but not occupied. It was several times entered, 1830-84, by parties of " 'boomers," who were expelled by force. In 1889, Apr. 22, this was thrown open to settlement. The Cherokees, by treaty of 1828 and patent of 1838, were given perpetual possession of a strip at the n.w. end of the territory, about 60 m. wide and 230 m. long, to insure them an outlet to the hunting grounds to the westward. Topography, etc.-The surface has an elevation in the n. and w. of from 3000-4500 ft., and descends towards the e. in undulating prairies and deep valleys. In the s.w. are the Wichita mts.; in the s. the Arbuckle mts.; in the e. are spurs of the Ozark mts., ranges called the Boston and Sans Bois mts. and the Shawnee hills. The Red river forms nearly all the southern boundary, receiving the Washita and many other streams. The Arkansas crosses the n.e. corner and is navigable to fort Gibson. It receives from the n. the Neosho, Verdigris, and Illinois; from the s. the Canadian, the n. fork of the Canadian, the Cimarron or Red Fork, and the Arkansas. The n. fork of the Canadian and the Washita are remarkably crooked. The geological periods represented are the carboniferous, cretaceous, tertiary, and (sparingly) azoic. The minerals include bituminous coal of the best quality, iron, marble, and yellow sandstone, copper, brick clay, gypsum, salt, and petroleum. Among wild animals, birds, etc., are the deer, prairie dog, pronghorned antelope, black, grizzly, and cinnamon bear, otter, wild turkey, raven, snowbird, logcock, barnswallow and paroquet. The wooded areas are found in the s. and e. The principal trees and shrubs are the oak, sycamore, cottonwood, willow, elm, ash, walnut, pecan, yellowpine, judas-tree, hawthorn, osage-orange, and grape. Much of the n.e. portion is rocky; much of the western portion sterile, but s. of the Canadian river_the soil generally is fertile. The summers are long and hot, but the nights are cool. The winters are correspondingly mild. The mean annual temperature in the n.w. is 55°; in the s.e. 60°; the annual rainfall varies from 20 in. in the n.w. corner to 52 in. in the s. e. Agriculture, etc. In 1884 the number of acres of cultivated land was 549,768, producing 1,103,299 bush. wheat; 2,599,318 bush. corn; 726,538 bush. oats and barley; 498,000 bush. vegetables. Hay, cotton, wool, maple sugar and wild rice are among other products. In 1887, the farm animals included 626,937 oxen, etc., and 841,000 hogs. A large part of the farming is done by whites, who lease the land on shares, and large tracts leased by non-resident capitalists are used for stock raising. The manufactures, aside from lumber and flour, are largely home products, such as blankets and shawls, baskets, etc.

Transportation. The principal railroads having main lines through, or branches in the territory, are the Atchison, Topeka and Sante Fé; Southern Kansas; Missouri, Kansas and Pacific; Atlantic and Pacific; St. Louis and San Francisco; Missouri, Kansas and Texas Rock Island, Kansas, Arkansas Valley, Little Rock and Fort Smith.

Churches, Education, etc.-Nearly all the tribes have abandoned their heathen religion and practices. The Baptist, Methodist South, Presbyterian, Cumberland Presbyterian, Protestant Episcopal, Friends and other denominations have labored successfully, and have established numerous schools and academies of high grade, such as Indian univ. (Bap.) Tahlequah, Worcester acad. (Cong.), Vinita, and Harrell inst. (M. E. S.) Muskogee. The civilized tribes, in addition, maintain boarding and day schools at an annual expense of $80,000. Nearly 2000 children among the uncivilized tribes are accommodated in government schools. English is commonly spoken among the civilized tribes. The Cherokees have an alphabet of their own, and nearly the whole Bible has been translated into their tongue. Other tribes have portions of it. Three weekly newspapers are published, 2 in the Choctaw nation.

Government, Population, etc.-The government of each of the 5 principal tribes is modelled upon that of the U. S., with a head chief, who is elected every 4 years and a legislative assembly. There are also suitable courts. The U. S. court for the western district of Arkansas is given jurisdiction over this region for the trial of cases where a white man is a party, and in cases under laws regulating trade and intercourse with the Indians. Otherwise, they settle their own contests, civil and criminal, in their own

courts.

Agents representing the U. S. live among the various tribes, exercising a paternal oversight of their affairs, and protecting them from encroachments. They are appointed by