Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-03-02
as it is far from oceans, and has no great lakes

as it is far from oceans, and has no great lakes
leading thereto.
The agricultural powers of the country
may be somewhat inferred from the returns of
the crops of the four tribes of Christian Indians
the Delawares, Kickapoos, Shawnees and
Stockbridges-all living north or south Of the
Kansas river. The number Of these Indians
is 27O2. They are mostly supported by agri-
culture, and these returns are for single
year. The number of acres cultivated were
over 1000. They raised over 50, 900 bushels
of corn, 269O bushels Of wheat, and 70 900
bushels of oats. They kept over 600 working
oxen, and large numbers Of horses or mel
ons of all kinds they raised over 200 900, and
1000 hogs. The value Of their products is
put down at $3l, 900.
Among these Indians, civilization and
Christianity have-much advanced, as will be
further indicated by the statistics that follow
They have six schools, seven teachers, and
two hundred scholars. Their Sabbath schools
are five, and their churches the same. Of
professors Of religion there are 372, nearly half
of whom are male, or much larger portion
than is usual in New England. The Ne
braska, the Kansas, and the Arkansas are the
three great rivers. The first two flow from
west to east and empty into The Missouri sew
eral hundred miles above its mouth The
branches or forks Of these rivers are many
ho Art-a ~, 1bo
the territory and flows southeast, and empties,
after crossing the state by the same name, into
the Mississippi. The Nebraska river is from
one to three miles broad It is full Of islands
covered with cotton wood, willow and shrubs
Col. Long says that 'only forty miles of it is
open to steamboat navigation The great
emigrant route to California and Oregon fol-
lows the north fork of this river The FIRE.
mont route of 1913 was upon the south fork of
the same river. The Kansas river is naviga-
bic for 100 miles from its mouth, for steam
boats
All accounts agree that this territory is not
well wooded, or at least, is not timber coun-
try. Many trees that are found in our forests,
such as elm, birch, maple, white oak, willow
and pines are found there.
Much of the country is high table and prai-
rie land, elevated from 1000 to GO0O feet above
the sea. The climate is termed very dry.
Wild animals abound there, such as buffaloes,
deer, elk, antelopes, prairie dogs, mountain
sheep, wolves, wild horses, turkeys, etc. Oc-
casionally grizzly bear crosses the track of
the traveller. Those who journey through
this territory subsist much upon the meat Of
the buffalo, the meIt Of the cows being much
preferred to that Of the bulls. Deer are much
used for food, as also a milk plant much eaten
! by the Indians.
/ Fremont's account of his giving chase to
the buffaloes, in company with Kit Carson and
others, is exciting in the extreme. One must
be agood deal of horseman as well as marks
man to engage in that hazardous sport
This vast region is now an almost unbroken
wilderness. AS the territory is not organized,
the emigrant has not yet fixed his eye upon it,
except with the hope Of fixing his abode there
as soon as the word goes forth from Washing
ton. 1t is not too much to say that the people
are impatiently waiting to have this new and
magnificent field opened to their enterprise.
Whenever it shall thus be opened, they will
pour into that land in even greater numbers
than flowed into California, for it is so much
easier reached-it is about the centre of these
United States-it offers fine inducements to
the farmer, and is on the great proposed route
of the Pacific Railroad.
It is not strange that the Nebraska bill Of
Mr.. Douglas should have excited great inter-
est among all parties and in all sections"