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Show REPORT .OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. LXXIII . I food was provided for them through the agent of the Puebloageucy. They declared that they would not voluntarily return to their agency, preferring rather to starve where they were; but they promised if they and the balance of the tribe still at Mescalero, who were anxious to join them, were allowed to return to their old location they would take up homesteads and settle down peaceably to agricultural pursuits. I personally visited these Indians late in t.he fall of 1886, held a conn-cil with them, and found them willing and desirous to obey the orders of this office provided they could be allowed to return to their old home near Amargo. I was of the opinion, which was couculred in by the War Department, that if these Jicarillas should be forced to return to Mescalero serious trouble mightensue; that they could not he depended upon to remain there quietly, aud that at any rate they were not likbly, at Mescalero, to make any effort toward advancement. .It therefore seemed best'for them and to the best interests of the Government that their wishes be complied with, and after oonsultation with the War Department it was decided to locate them on land in severalty either on their old reservation or on public land in the immediate vicinity. E'or the purpose of carrying out these views Special Agent Welton was instructed, under date of 18th of Decemberlast, to go to Santa FB and such other places a8 might be necessary, to cbnadt with the Iu-dians, and if he found them willing to go there, to selecta tract of land for them in northern New Mexico. He reported ' that all, in the most earnest and emphatic terms, expressed a desire to go, and agreed that they would gladly take lands there in severiilty and place all their chil-dreu in an industrial school as soon as one should be established for them. After making an examination of the proposed loc&tion the special agent selected a tmt on the extreme northern boundary of New Mex-ico and immediately adjoining the Southern Ute agency in Oolorado, which he reported to be well suited in erery respect as a home for the Jicarillas. On the 11th of February last, by Executive order, this tract was set apart a8 their reservation. On the 24th of the following March Special Agent Welton was in-structed to proceed to Mescalero agency and to bring the Jicwillas who had remained there to the new location, arranging for those in camp new Espanola to join him on the way. On thellth of t,he follow. jug June he reported his arrival st the new reservation with all the Jicarilla Apaches, both those from Mescalero. and those from Espanola, together with their annuity goods and subsistence supplies for the fis-cal year 1587, except a amall quantity of flour which they were corn-pelled to leave at Santa FB, for Imk of transportation. The manner-of' this removal was very sati8faotory. It wak accomplished without casn-alty; the Indians behaved-well on t,he march of over 560 miles, being guilty of no insubordination or depredation j no extra expensewaa neces-sary nor liabilit,y incurred; and they arenow lieaceably settled on their |