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Show 50 KEPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. for that purpose, and though it continued to rise for a while after you left, it has now fallen to its normal state, and not a drop of it has reached their fields. The time for" preparing their lands is now at hand, but having no water they can do nothing. People who have lived on the Gila for years tell me there never was before such a thing as a dry river- bed on this reserve this time of the year. As a matter of course, our Indians are much dissatisfied and blame the settlers who are above us for taking away their water. On Sunday morning last, Chiu- kum, a chief of one of the lower villages, and one of the best chief's in the reserve, came to me and said that for many years he and his people had ' lived from what they planted/ but now they had no water ; white men up the river had taken it from them, & c. After spending a few moments in telling me of his wrongs, he made known the object of his visit, which was to obtain leave to take the warriors of his village, numbering one hundred and twT erity- seven men, and by force of arms drive the whites from the river. " I was not a little astonished at this manifestation, but quietly told Chinkum he must not go. I spent an hour in telling him of the fearful results which must surely follow such a step, and finally succeeded in inducing him not to go. But he told me thirj, that he would wait one month, and if the water did not come to them he would take his whole village, which numbers one hundred families, aud move to the Salt River settlements, where, as he said, there is always water. As the settlers of that vicinity are and have been for years at enmity with these Indians, I assured him that trouble would certainly follow such a step as that, and urged him to remain on the re-serve. He then asked me how he could stay here next year, with nothing to eat. I told him that the Great Father at Washington wrould not let him or his people starve. He went away silenced, but not satisfied, and I have not the slightest doubt that in a month from now he and his village will leave the reservation. " Day before yesterday Ku- vit- ke- chiu- e- kum, chief of Va Vak village, called and said he was going to Salt River with his tribe, as there is no water for his fields. I of course told him not to go, but am afr'aid it did no good. There are six or seven other villages on that part of the reserve, which is about the only part of it that can ever be reached by the water, the rest of the land being too high; and if the water does not come soon I think they will all leave. " These Indians have always been wT ell- disposed toward our Government, and for years they have served as a protection to them on this route from Texas to the Pacific coast. They claim the laud lying above them on the Gila, ( see report on Indian affairs for 1859, by Agent Sylvester Mowry, page 358,) but long since gave it up, because they were assured that when they needed it they should have it. It seems to me that time has come, and while these Indians are still friendly to the whites, it would, in my opinion, be a wise plan to give them a portion of the land they claim. A few thousand dollars would do this now, aud may, perhaps, avoid an expenditure of ten- fold propor-tions, in case there should be trouble between them and the citizens here. The super-intendent of Indian affairs is away on business at San Francisco just now, so I write this to you.******* " Yery respectfully, & c., " J. H. STOUT, " United States Special Indian Agent. " Hon. VINCENT COLYER." TONTO APACHES AT CAMP MCDOWELL, ARIZONA TERRITORY. We left the Pima agency on the evening of the 22d, preferring night- riding to the hot sun across the desert to McDowell, arriving at Desert Station, twenty- five miles, at 4 o'clock in the morning ; and leaving there at 9 in the morning, reached Camp McDowell at 9 at night, meeting with a cordial and most hospitable reception from General N. A. M. Dudley and the other officers at the post. My object in coming here is to open communications with the Tonto Apaches, and for this purpose General Dudley has this morning sent out runners wr ith white flags, and kindled " a smoke." ( See Appendix A &, No. 21.) I am informed that Del- shay, the able chief of the Tontos, has been in at McDowell several times during the past few years, and that on two occasions lie has been dealt with very treacherously ; at one time shot in the back, and at another time attempted to be poisoned by a post-doctor, whether he will answer my call remains to be seen. A party of Indians were reported last evening as having been seen by two straggling soldiers, making signs as if they wished to come in, a few miles below the post. As I had informed the Indi-ans at Camp Grant that I was coming here, and they had sent runners up this way, the officers here think that the Indians know it and wish to come in. 4 p. m. The Indians have kindled their answering fires upon the top of the Sierra Ancha a high mountain twenty miles from here northward, near old Fort Reno. They are evidently in earnest, as the smoke at times is dense, extending at intervals |