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Show REPOET OF TIIE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 275 matter. Upon my return to tho ageney'in August, I read to them "in oounoil" the reply of the Cammissioner, which was, in substanoe, that the Bar River canntly was not theirs, and thst they had no rights in it whatever. The Indians listened to lns respectfully, and dispersed quietly, and 1 have henrd nothing fvam them in regard to the matter since. It is much to he desired that the nortllero boundary of the reservntion be neeizratsly defined and made plain to the Indiana by nstt~rnlla ndmarks. I hsve heard some reports of their threat-ening to drive off persons who have and are mskiug efforts to settle the Beer River Yalley, but have not learned that they have ~.esoriedt o suy open violence. Prom actual ooent of the Iodinos who hnve come into the agency daring my charge, and from the best estimate I can make of those who belong at this agency n,horn I have not yet seen, and of ~ o m en umber who propose to make their home at White Rirer in future, I report one thonasnd Indians at this agency, about equally divided between men and women. Nearly one-half of t h i ~nu mber hnve been present at the sgency for some weeks past. At this writing mast of them are about going sway for the "fall hunt." Prom whaa I can learn of the previous condition of the Indiaus, I should say that their general lieaitlifulr~cash as been greater the last year than the year before. There hare been but. few deaths during the rear. When unwell the Indians depend verymoeh upon the knowledge and skill of the whites at the agency, and it is to be regretted that the means has not been appropriated for the employme~lt of a competent physioisn to serve them. In eduelltiond matters I would report that I am iu hopes to awsken considerable linter-est, tlsough for that portion of the yenr previous to the 1st of Jnly I can report nothing, as I believe nothing was attempted in that direction by the last agent. The lady who will tsks ohargs of this work has had muoh experisnee in teltelbing and in msusging difficult sohools; alke comes with a. thorouebly devoted spirit and s. special aptitude for the work, and is provided with a partial outfit for an iudustriitl school and for obj~ot-teaching. Up to this date twentyone scholnrs have been secured, sixteen girls and women and fire hoye. The girls hme alresdy made for themselves sixteen garments after the pattern of female attire in civilized life, sod are anxious to learn to sew end out rarmenrs for themselves. While working they are learning to count and to talk the English, and are learning the alphabet. The toneher has secured one very bright boy about sixteen years old to remain throtlgh the winter &s a boding-acholsr, and she thinks if the agent om arrange to tske care of them, she can secure many more to remain with her. This work is the red work to do ; and so soon aa povsihle a snitable building should he erected far the accommodation of such ~clmlarst,b at, by their eonst&nti ntercourse with their teaohem, they may acquire the lsngusgo snd manners and ideas of civiliaed life. If this work should prove to be practice bie, from the efforts of the teacher and agent this fall rtod winter, I trust a sufficient sum of money may he appropriated to pny an nssistant to stteud to the bodily wants of such ehil-dl- en. The chief of the Utes at this ngency, Douglan, has eaprsssed a desire to have a house built for him and has asked for a cow for his use. Another of the Indians has already oeeu-pied the house built for a. "council-house," and is keeping it neat and clean. None of the Indians of this agency have yet engaged in agrietiltura; hut several hsve small herds of cattle and goats. 1 have reason to tldok that if they weresupplied with citizeus'elothinp, or could procure it cheaply by purohsae, the Indisns would ve1.y generally wear it in prefer-anoe to their own poeulisr clothing. They are psrticulhrly desirous to have their ehildrsn dressed as white ehildrsn. They have urged the trader to bring in "boys' suits,', and they ask ddiy the teacher if she oen snd ivill cut boyd garments, and they wish her to make caps and bonnets. I am fully eanvirlced that the presence of white women at the agency (of which there e.-e two) ilas already excited and will continue to exert s good influence upon the Indims, tending to subdue their rudeness and refine their mmners. The p u t season l m been very favurhbla for ag~~icrdtursplu rsuits, (whether it has bean an exceptionally good season or not I cannot say,) and had there been mmy aorea under cnlcivation and sufficient hands to gather them, very goad crops might have been secured. As it was, I fautbd upon arriving at the agency hut between 8 and 9 awes sown and planted. W e have hsivvested about 5 acres of gaud wheat, yielding rtt the rate of 25 bushels to the &elm. I estinlate that we may rather 75 busllels of potatoes, provided the Indians do not dlstulrh them, and, from the product of a, small patch which has already been dug, I judge it would be easy to raise 250 bushels from an acre. A sm.ll amount of garden pro-duets hsve also bee" raised, including toruips, onions, carrots, &e. Eighty tons of b%y have been cut for winter use. The ageoey herd now pumbem, as last counted, 773 head, and mast of the osttle &re in very fine condition, though somevhat wild. From the experience of the year I would report tbat I believe a. limited number of acres of land in the " river-bottom" oan be successfully eultiv~ted and mads to produce good crops of wheat, oats,and potatoes, and should Lhe Depal.tmmt see fit to ereot a Eouriug-mill at the agency, the fiaur for the Indians might be produced, withoutgreat expense, on their awn gmuud. The building of theagency and the stockade arein a very poor condition. New buildiugs should be erected, or the old ones very thoroughly repdled. At present the agent ie unwill-ing to put any great amount of expeuse or labor upon tile old ones, awing to the f&ct of the several recommendations of the last itgent sud of the Indian inspector tlmt new buildings |