Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-11-04

source. The characters of the gentlemen
who composed tine convention require at
our hands refutation of such unfounded
and ungenerous charges, and we trust we
have succeeded in placing the matter in
its true light.
THE INDIANS OF AMERICA. Mr.. Flint,
in his excellent book, the Geography and
History of the Western States, gives bet
ter account of the condition and habits, and
a more correct idea of the character, of the
Aborignes Of our country than can be found
any where else. This book will probably
fall into the hands of few of our readers,
and perhaps we cannot better serve the pur-
poses of our paper than by transplanting into
our columns some of the interesting infor-
nation it contains. The study of the his
tory, geography, and character of our vast
country and its inhabitants may be pursued
with advantage by all, and none can be said,
at this day, to'be fully informed on these in
teresting subjects. Indeed the knowledge
of the people generally, in this particular,
is by far too limited. With view of aid
ing in the dissemination of such important
knowledge we proceed to gather such facts
from Mr.. Flint's book as cannot fail to be of
general interest, and we shall be amply re-
paid for our pains if they tend to the graft
fication of our readers.
The greater part of the Indians of the
United States dwell in the limits of what
MIR. Flint styles the Mississippi Valley, that
is, the western States, including Florida,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas
Territory, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, In
diana, Kentucky, and Ohio. The Cherokees,
in many respects the most interesting tribe,
OF whom we have before given some &C.
count, have been most successful in initial
ing the habits and institutions of the whites.
They have looms, ploughs, blacksmiths'
shops, slaves, enclosures, barns, taverns,
brick dwellings in some instances, publick
roads, code of laws, civil divisions, mapis-
trates, &c. Their laws, are severe, ener-
getick, and promptly administered. Some
of their planters have large enclosures, and
fine stocks of cattle and horses, and may be
considered rich. One chief, whom Mr..
Flint mentions, has a dozen slaves, fine
teams, ploughs, ard looms he has three
wives, and twenty-seyen living children.
Most of the people of the nation dress in a
cloth manufactured entirely by their own
hands. There are several missionary es-
adjustments among them, and great and in
creasing attention is paid to education. A
printing press has recently been established
among them, from which a weekly news
paper is issued. We receive this paper
weekly, and as it is curiosity, being print
ed among the Indians, and edited by one of
their number, we invite our readers. if thew
wish, to look at it at our office.
In the northern parts of Ohio and Indiana
is an establishment of the Shawnese, a tribe
once very powerful, but now Fastening to de-
cay. The Pottawatomies and Kickapoos are
in Indiana and Illinois. The Peorias, Kas-
kaskias and Cahokias, that figured so much
IN the early French history of this country,
are almost extinct. The Wyandots, Chip
peways, and Winnebagoes, or Puants, hunt
further to the northwest, extending their
range to Lake Superiour. The Choctaws,
Seminoles, Baton Rouges, Creeks, and
Chickasaws, were powerful tribes before the
late war, but in that war received a wither-
ing check. The Sacks, or Saukies. as they