christian spirit and lives some impression, the spirit and lives of their countrymen have again destroyed their labours. The fire-waters, gin, rum, and brandy, have been introduced to intoxicate, and in intoxication to swindle the Indians out of their furs and lands. Numbers of claims to lands have been grounded on drunken bargains, which in their soberness the Indians would not recognize; and the consequences have been bloodshed and forcible expulsion. Before these causes the Indians have steadily melted away, or retired westwards before the advancing tide of white emigration. Malte Brun would have us believe that in the United States there never were many more than twice the present number. Let any one look at the list of the different tribes, and their numbers in 1822, quoted by himself from Dr. Morse, and then look at the numbers of all the tribes which inhabited the old States at the period of their settlement.
| In New England | 2,247 |
| New York | 5,184 |
| Ohio | 2,407 |
| Michigan and N. W. territories | 28,380 |
| Illinois and Indiana | 17,006 |
| Southern States east of Mississippi | 65,122 |
| West of Mississippi and north of Missouri | 33,150 |
| Between Missouri and Red River | 101,070 |
| Between Red River and Rio del Norte | 45,370 |
| West of Rocky Mountains | 171,200 |
| 471,136 |
and desired Mr. Mayhew not to hinder him in his concerns. Some Indians at Albany being asked to go into a meeting-house, declined, saying, "the English went into those places to study how to cheat poor Indians in the price of beaver, for they had often observed that when they came back from those places they offered less money than before they went in."
