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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XXVII both practical and effioient men for the paeition, and the result of their employ-ment has been v e sa~titia faotory, and will eventually prove benefioisl to the service in theadvancement ofthe Indians. * The fact that individualfmmsarebein-e laid nut and cultivated with more system and intelligence and fences more uniformly and snbatantiellv oonstrmuted. manv new farms be-eou., an d old fieldsenlarc-r ed b y add-ing new breaking, together with the growing crops rwiving better care than for-merly, is evidence of the beneficial raaults af the syatem. In the present transition atete of tho Indiana of thirr agenay it is essential that the proper oultiv~tiouof crops and care of stock be inculcated, aria such cannot be so effeotuellv aooornnlished in nuv. wav. as bv a~mveillaoceo f instruetors lacetetl in the difomnt battlerneLte to prompt and direct tile Indiana, by eolureitae: system ilud onlar in their work, xnd kevp ,110 individhnl iawiiies iudl~etriontalu~e. rapiad until tlnry nre compelled to &isn such cropa as will faroe them to appreciate that laboria healthful^ sod industry brings its own reward, nod suoh is the abject rnnv bniag>ooght by tho employment of "additional farmers" at this agency. It will, however, rcqnire some years of patient teaahing ant1 fimi treatment to inoulaate habits of industry aud fru-galit, y in the Indiana with thewontinnation of free rations; but I feel greatly en-couraged with the present system of " additions1 farmera," believing it to be the be3 and aurset course to punin*, and I iliso believe that if properly oarried out it can aventnslly be bronght to a at~ooessfit~elr minat.ion. SALE OF ARMS ANq AMMUNITION TO INDIANS. My attention has been called to the fact that the only statutory pro. vision concerning the sale of arms and ammunitiou to Indians is that contained in section 467 of the Revised Statutes, which prohibits the sale only in "any district or country oconpied by uncivilized or hostile Indians." Tbe licensed traders 011 the rarious rekerrations are strictly prohibited fro01 dealing in these articles without special permit, but the ready access that Indians have to military and other trading posts, lo-cated off but near the reservatious, makes it an easy matter for them to Recure an abundant supply, and the consequence is that the worst and most troublesome Indians are armee with the best breech loaders that can be found in the market. The want of a law which prohibit8 the sde of fire-arms to Indians off the reservation has caused much trouble, and doubtless great loss of life; and I believe that a prohibitory law in this regard would have a salutary effect and be the means of preventing serious disturbtnces in the future. I therefore hope that Congress will give this matter serious consideration, and that a stringent law may be passed to prevent, as far as possible, a traffic which, so far as Indians are concerned, has few results that are not evil. SURVEY OF INDIAN RESERVATIONS. The appropriation of $50,000 for the survey of Indian reservations, made at the first session of the Fortg-eighth Congress (23 Stat., p. 94), was pract~callye xhausted at the close of the last fiscal year. The surveys for the most part have been made under the direction of the General Land Office. In a few instances, where on11 the retraoing of old lines was required or the spbdivis~ono f lauds for allotment, the |
