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Show HABIT8 AND CONDITION. These Indiana cannot be classed with the so-edled civilized tribes. For the most part they live in " wiokeups." Several houses have been built for them, but they are soon abandoned and used only as granaries or storehousen Most of them dress in blankets and leggins. Their children are brought up in squalor and filth ; very little attention being paid to the boys, none to the girls. Whenever dirt and rubbish aceumuiatesin such qnsntities as to make ingress and egress difficult, they seek other places to pitoh their tenta, The ahore is true of the majortty of these Indians, though it cannot be said of all. They are honest and virtuous in their ~ooisi rela-tions. There are not over half a doern mixed bloods in the tribe. They are fond of gambling and horse-racing. I t i s always possible to find some gambling whenever there is any moneg among them. MISSIONARY WORK AND RELIGION. No missionary work has been done during the year. We have no churohes, no vreachers, and no Ssbbath-schools. The onlv trainine of this kind theIndians hevo b what they get in the sohonl. - Most of t,hese Indiaos are Mormons. Nothing elae could be expected, surrounded as they are on all sidan by the "letter.day saints." 1 am told thuy fipd hearty sympathieers in the Mormons in ali their little troubles with Gentdea. The Indians &pparent,ly accept the Mormon religion, not beoaaae they have any profound religioos convictions, hut because the polygamy of the Morntons suits their tastes. I mill say this, t.het the influence of theMormonsin encouraging the Indiana in iagri-cult. uTe has iLIwq8 heen good. "Medicine men" still retain a strong hold upon moat of the Indians, though it is evident that their power is rrauing. A few years ago no white man was permitted to attend the burial of an Indian ; they are now freqnoutly invited to be present at t,he funeral. The practice still obtains among them of killing ponies, bnrying blankets, robas, and presents with their dead. They uaed to dest,roy all the prop-erty of the deoertsotl; much of it is preserved now. Our only hope is in educating the young; the aid men will l~evero utgrow theee superstitions. These Indians are atrang and healthy. Little or no constitutions1 disease exists among them. They are learning to have great confidonoe in white men'a medicine, and patraniee the agsnoy phyRician more than ever. In oonoluaion, the chiefti of these two tribes, having. nonfidence in theDepartment, have worked in harmony with the agent to carry out your instructions. TheIndians must depend upon the oottrteay of the Govornmeut for s s ~ e r a yl ears to come, but they are on the right road to become independent. Tha reservation is smple for all their presellt need8; it affords abundant facilities for far111inm grasiug, hunting, and fishing. The Indian8 only require encouragement to devel;; its reaourees. Re~peotfilllys ubmitted, ELISHA W. DAVIS. Indian dgent. Per FRANK PIERCE, Clerk in charge. The COMMI~BI~NOEF ~IN DIAANPE AIRS. COLVILLEI NDIAANGE NCYW, ABHINGTOTNE RRITORY, August 12, 1884. E E S P E ~ ESDIR : I have the honor to eubmit thia my erst annual yeport on the con-dition of the Indians intrusted to my care. There are thrnereservations, the Colville, addition to theColvills(Spokan), and Cmur d'AIBne, on which aud the edjaoent country arelocated the Colvillea, Lakes, Oksosgans, Methows, Nsspiiums, San Puells, Spokans, Calispels, and Caur d'Al6no8, in all making nearly 4,000 Indians. I assumed charge of affairs October 23, 1883, relieving John A. Simms, s faithful officer who has done much for theae Indians. I found the employ6 force so much re-duced in numbers aa to render the service nearly ineffective, no interpreter even being allowed, and how an agent could get along here without one is more than I aould oon-ceive. But, thanks to the Department, an interpreter was allowed in March, for vith the continned press of land bnsiness na+,hing could be done wit,hout one. |