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Show 204 UTAH SUPERINTENDENCY. is on or near the 40th degree of latitude, and is at all times within half a degree of the line, from which it seldom diverges. No. 40. FORTBR IDGERA GENCY, Utah, September 20; 1862. 8 1~I: have the honor of submittin-n the followin-n renort relative to the A . affairs of this agency. There is hut one tribe in care of this agency, (the Shoshones ;) there' are, however. several small bands of Utes. numberin-n some thirtv or fortv lodees ranging ;pan the lands of tht: ~hoshonesb y permission, awaiGng, no diubt, :he action of the a-o vernment to settle them uuon their own lands, the Uintah reservation. The Shoshones within this agency number, as near as I can ascertain froni information derived fmm the mouutaineers, (some of whom have been living in this conntry for the last thirty y~ars,) four thousand souls. The relative number of males or females of the different ages I am unable, with any degree of certainty, to state; suffice it to sa.y, how. ever, that the females ver.y la~-ge- ly predominaic. I arrived at my agency December 19, 1861, entirely destitnte of the means of transportation, or of funds belonging to the department to.procure the same. I am unable, therefore, to give you but a limited amount of information in regard . to the Indians under my charge. Those, however, who have ranged in the vicinity of this agency are in a very destitute conditibn, and from the beat in-formation that can he obtatned, the whole tribe are unquestionably the poorest Indians that range in the mountains. A few ponies constitute their entire wealth. There is very little game in this Territory, by which the Indians are enabled to proelire the necessary means of subsistence. Large herds of buffalo that used to.range in this vicinity have entirely disappeared, depriving them of their usual amount of food, likewise a great source of comfort derived from the maun-facturing of the skim into tents and clothing to keep themselves comfortable in cold weather. The small amount of provisions and clothing distributed to them by Superintendent Martin, before my arrival in this Territory, was entirely in-adequate to their wants. Owing to the limited amount of means placed in my , hands, I have been unable, as fully as I should have desi?ed, to supply their wants, thereby preventing them from supplying themselves by unlawful means. Large numbers of the Shoshones, in conjunction with the Bannacks, who range along the southern bouuday of Washington Territory, have been com-mitting upon the emigrants travelling to California and Washington some of the , most brutal murders ever perpetrated upon this continent; I am glad to say, however, that Wasbakee, the head chief of the Shosho-nes, and his band, have ahstained from any acts of violence or theft, which have characterized a large portion of the tribe. From conversations or talks recently held with Washakee, I am apprehensive that ageneral outbreak of hostilities will take place throngout this entire region of country. Large herds of stock have been stolen ind driven off by predatory bands of Shoshones, during the present season, none of whicb have as yet bien chastised for their stealing propensities, thereby emboldening them to commit further wts of theft and violence upon the whites living or travelling through this country. In view, then,-of the threatened or anticipated hostility of the Indians against the whites, as well as for the protection of the overland etage and telegraph ; lines, I would most earnestly recommendthat tl~reoer four companies of soldiers 1 |