FARMING.

All the farming land has been cultivated, and that too in excellent condition. Theyield has been over an average for this season; quite a sufficiency has been raised for the subsistence of the Indians, consisting of wheat, potatoes, corn, onions, tomatoes, melons, &c. The Indians have (planted about fifty acres for themselves, which contributes largely to their comfort and contentment, and we hope the quantity of land cultivated by them next year will be much greater.

Owing to the cold, dry spring, and the prevailing high winds in eariy summer, our corn and buckwheat will be but light, yet we expect a sufficient quantity for our own use.

IMPROVEMENTS.

We have completed the school-house commenced by my predecessor, so as to make it suitable for school purposes. There has been about one hundred and thirty acres of land grubbed and put in a state of cultivation; oiearly one mile of ditching and draining, thereby reclaiming some valuable land, adding much to the appearance and healthfulness of the reserve. One carriage-house has been built, one granary 72 feet by 30 feet completed, a carpenter, lumber and blacksmith shop combined commenced and frame erected; thirteen new Indian houses made of lumber and shakes, one frame-house, and one log-house, making fifteen new houses for the natives. A great deal of fencing has been relaid, a mile of new fence made, new gates made, roads straightened, laid off, made, and repaired, &c, more than we have space here to speak of in detail. Our store-house is removed to another and more convenient part of the reserve and refitted in good style. One new house built for the clerk, 24 feet by 27 feet in length, with porch in front, one story and a half high; material in part used from a house turned over to me by George J. Prising, If we had lumber with which to build, much needed improvement could yet be made before winter sets in. A hospital, a house for the agent, one for the miller, and a turbine wheel for the grist mill, are very much needed at present.

BOUNDARIES, LAND-MATTERS, ETC.

I am pleased to inform you that the commissioners sent here to locate the boundaries of this reserve, and appraise the improvements of settlers residing north of the township-line in this valley, did their work to the entire satisfaction of every person interested in the welfare of the reservation and Indians. When the settlers are paid for their improvements, and the Government gets possession of the land embraced in the new survey, we can reasonably expect greater prosperity than we have ever yet reached. I most respectfully request the Commissioner to cause the settlers to be paid at the earliest possible convenience, so that they can leave before winter sets in, and we be not deprived of the benefits of the land and range another year.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The number of animals has been quite insufficient for the proper cultivation of the land this year cultivated, and [for] herding of stock; and with the new territory soon to be added we will need several good work-mules and riding-horses for our herdsmen. We also need wagons, harness, and farming implements. I trust Congress will make an appropriation sufficient to place the reservation in such condition that we may accomX>lish all the objects for which it has been established, and thus make it a blessing to the Indians and an honor to the Government.

J. L. BURCHARD,

Indian Agent. Hon. E. P. Smith,

Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C.

77.

Tule River Indian Agency,

California, September 10, 1873.

Sir: I have the honoi, in compliance with the requirements of the Indian Department, to submit this my third annual report of the condition of the Indian service at this agency.

During the past year the Indians at this agency have been well disposed, peaceable; and a marked improvement in their moral and domestic relations it is gratifying to note. The sanitary condition of the Indians during the past year has greatly improved. ^ ■

At the date of my last annual report the number of Indians living at the agency was 374; there has been no material change in the number then reported. The Indians not properly belonging to tlie agency, living in this and adjoining counties, are the Wichumui, Ke-a-wah, King's River and Kern River Indians, making an aggregate of 1,000 in number.

The more destitute among them have been furnished from this agency with subsistence and clothing to some extent. It is the purpose of the agent to remove the most destitute, dependent, and helpless of them to the new agency as soon as the improvements there will permit.

The Indian school has been taught seven months during the year. The want of a school-house during the first and second quarters necessitated the discontinuance of the school. The number of pupils in attendance was 62; average attendance, 26. Many of the children made excellent progress in their studies.

Sabbath-school has been held regularly every Sabbath during the year, and meetings for religious services on Wednesday evenings. The Indians are quite regular in their attendance, and the good results are observed in their daily deportment and their observance of the Sabbath.

The crops raised at the agency the present season are, owing to the severe drought, very light. Wheat raised, 815 bushels; hay, 36 tons. The barley-crop was an entire failure for grain, a portion only being cut for hay. Vegetables of all kinds failed for want of moisture ; no rain has fallen here since the 24th of February ultimo. The WaterDitch Company, which has heretofore supplied the agency with water for irrigation purposes for the right of way over the agency lands, refused this season to supply water for that purpose, and in consequence no vegetables could be raised.

The change of the agency to Government lands will have a beneficial aud permanent influence for good on the Indians in many respects. Located comparatively at a distance from those disreputable persons who take every occasion clandestinely to furnish the Indians with whisky, it is anticipated that this evil can, in a great measure, be abated. The prospects of a fixed and permanent home for the Indians will have much to do in encouraging the Indians in habits of industry and frugality. They will take pleasure and pride in planting their vineyards and orchards, in cultivating their gardens, and their moral improvement and physical and intellectual development will increase with their improvements made with the labor of their own hands.

The recent survey of the new reservation has demonstrated beyond a cavil the value of the location for an Indian reservation, with arable lands sufficient for agricultural purposes, well watered, abundance for milling and irrigation; well adapted for grazing, and stock and sheep raising, with the best pinery in the southern portion of the State, where the labor of the Indians can be made productive in preparing the timber for building and fencing to supply the demands and wants of the citizens located in the adjacent valleys and plains.

Improvements are now being commenced at the new agency, and it is expected that the buildings will be in a state of forwardness so that the Indians can be removed and the rented lands at the present agency be abandoned and possession given to the owner by the 1st of November. When this shall have been effected, the condition of the Indians at the agency, and those living in this section of the State, will be materially improved, and a more rapid advancement toward a higher civilization can reasonably be anticipated.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHARLES MALTBY,

Indian Agent,

Hon. E. P. Smith,

Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C.

78.

Pai-ute Reservation, Saint Thomas, Nov., November 30, 1873.

Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith my annual report.

The Indians of this agency are divided into thirty-one different tribes or bands, and are known among white men as Pai-Utes, but, among themselves and by other Indians by as many different names as there are tribes, each tribe taking the name from the land which they occupy.

The Pai-Utes have always been an agricultural people, and their history can be traced back for more than one hundred years, which sustains this statement.

I believed it to be important to know the actual condition and number of the Indians properly belonging to this agency, and felt sensible no organized effort agreeable with the present policy of the Government for improving their condition could be put forth without concentrating all the Indians at some place to be mutually agreed upon, as at present they are scattered over the southern half of Utah, Northern Arizona, Southern Nevada, and Southeastern California./

Accordingly, I made an extended visit one year ago. to most of the various tribes or bands in this agency, and I discovered most of the Indians to be in a very destitute condition, especially those in Utah, Northern Arizona, and California, and all of them desirous to have land to farm, but none of the tribes possessing enough land to meet the necessities of one-fourth their number, and living in constant fear of losing even that.

When reduced to extremity for food and clothing, these Indians have been induced to part with their best farming-lands for a trifling sum, and to-day three-fourths of their number are vagabonds. There is but little game left in all this country, and the Indians are actually forced to beg or steal, save the few who can get a little land to cultivate, or find employment among white settlers a few weeks in the year at a mere nominal amount.

In my visit among some of these tribes, I received very important aid from Prof. J. W. Powell, of the Colorado exploring and geological surveying expedition, and was enabled more fully to impress upon the Indians the importance of abandoning their present nomadic life, and consent to go on a reservation. The present policy of the Government concerning the gathering of all nomadic Indians on reservations, and the management of the same, was very fully explained, which was the first time they had ever learned that the Government was willing to aid them to abetter condition of life.

Farming.—The Indians very generally expressed their approval of the wishes of the Government; many were willing to comply at once with these wishes, so far as to abandon their present mode of life, cultivate the soil, and engage in stock-raising.

Six of these bands were gathered one year ago in the valley of the Moapa, and were each given a tract of land, and not possessing, either plows or harness, their land was plowed for them by white men, the seed furnished, and, with some assistance from settlers, was planted in wheat, corn, barley, melons, and squashes.

The Indians afterward cultivated the crops, carefully watering the same by irrigation, and the following was the result:

Bushels X>er acre.

Fifty acres of wheat averaged „ 30

Seventy acres of corn averaged 20

Five acres of barley averaged. - 40

Five acres of melons and squashes

The value of these crops, estimated at the ruling prices in this section, would amount to over $7,000, but this amount is not to be compared to the value derived from, the influence it has had on these Indians, as well as those who have visited them from California, Arizona, Utah, and other parts of Nevada. It has been a demonstration to these Indians that farming, managed as by white men, affords them a far better and easier livelihood than in the pursuit of their usual avocations; and the effect has been to create a desire among other bands of Pai-Utes to have the same ox3portunity of making a living by farming.

Having traveled extensively through most of the country inhabited by the Pai-Utes, and conferring fully with Prof. J. W. Powell and Maj. G. M. Wheeler, who are thoroughly acquainted with this entire country, I was satisfied there was but one valley that possessed a sufficient amount of arable land in which they could be gathered and any general/system of farming or education inaugurated among them, and that was the'Moapa or Muddy Valley, Southeast Nevada. In accordance with these observations, which were communicated to the Department, an Executive order was issued March 12, 1873, establishing a reservation embracing the Moaj)a and a part of the Rio Virgin Valley.

The appropriations for this agency were so small for the present year, but little was done that might have been, had the amount asked for a year ago been granted. I was authorized by a letter from the Department dated June 25, "to make such preparations for raising a crop the coming year as circumstances would admit." Purchasing some farming implements and detaching some of the horses from the special commission work, several of the Indians were at once set to work preparing the ground for a fall-crop, and in a few weeks over one hundred acres of wheat was planted in the lower valley by the Indians alone, and with the aid of some of the settlers about two hundred acres of wheat was planted in the upper valley, making nearly three hundred acres that are at present planted and growing finely. One-half of this wheat is for the Indians at present on the reservation, and the other half for those who are to be brought to the reservation the coming season.

The Indians now here are irrigating and otherwise caring for all the crops until harvested. It is my intention to put in, within a few weeks, as much more wheat, barley, and corn as there can be water secured to irrigate the same. The only difficulty in the way at present seems to be a want of funds to purchase mules, harness, and plows, as well as wheat, barley, and corn, for seed.

Education.—A school has been organized and been in successful operation for three

months, a temporary teacher secured, arid, for want of a better place, an abandoned adobe building is used as. a school-house. There are at present twenty scholars whose attendance has been remarkably good, averaging fifteen since the organization of the school. The. scholars come to the school at 9 o'clock in the morning and remain until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, there being an intermission of one hour for recess, at which time all receive a j>iece of bacon, a cup of flour, and a little tea. The scholars make the flour into bread and cook it outside the building at a camp-fire, at the same time preparing their piece of bacon and making their tea. This furnishes a pleasant diversion from their studies, and no doubt does much to secure regular attendance at school; by remaining at home they would get neither bacon nor tea, and it would be quite uncertain what they would get, if anything; and it would be more than probable the remainder of the day would be spent in hunting rabbits or birds.

The teacher is enthusiastic in his work and feels sanguine that the same number of white scholars, without previous training, could not.-present a better record for order or proficiency in studies. None of these scholars could tell one letter from another when they commenced attending school, and in six weeks after entering the school five of them could read words of four letters and understand their meaning. The blackboard is used by the teacher in illustrating the lesson, and the scholars are taught to print their lessons on the same. It is my intention to adopt the Kindergarten system of instruction, as far as practicable, believing it to be specially adapted to interest and educate Indians.

I believe it would be a matter of economy if there was a liberal expenditure of means in this department of work among the Indians, and some general plan be chosen by the Government which should, perhaps with some modification, be adopted by the different Indian teachers whose services are paid by the Government. I am most thoroughly convinced of the importance of establishing industrial or manual-labor schools on all the Indian reservations. Such schools, liberally furnished, each school supplied with good, practical Christian women of experience as teachers, selected with a view of special fitness for this work, and if economically managed after they are once started, can be carried on with comparatively little more expense than-under the present system. The education of the children will be more thorough and rapid than at present, and the influence on the parents and adult Indians most beneficial. The home influence, as at present, seriously counteracts that of the school. All missionary labor can be best promoted by control, first, of the female children, and putting them in training schools; second, of the boys, and teaching them far as possible skilled labor, and training them to intelligent habits at all times and by all means; whenever possible, teaching both old and young the meaning of English words. •

A majority of all the Indians west of the Rocky Mountains at one time formed one great family, called "Nutnas " of which the Pai-Utes were a part, and the structure of their language is the same, and their customs and religion at present are very similar. All religious as well as other instruction imparted to these Indians in their own language not only fails to impress upon their minds a clear understanding of such instruction, but in many cases does not convey any idea whatever of the subject. To illustrate: there are no words in the Numa language to express a proper conception of the Supreme Being, Saviour, hell, heaven, forgiveness, soul, &c.

Employes.—The different religious denominations who have supervision of the selection of Indian agents and religious work among Indians should share with the agent the responsibility of selecting the employe's on the different reservations, and, as far as practicable, active, religious men, specially fitted for the several positions to be occupied, should be chosen; more especially should this be the case in the selection of teachers who could properly fill the place of missionaries among most of the Indians of our country, at least until they have learned to understand the English lauguage.

Believing the office of teacher among Indians second to no other, and, save that of farmer and physician, is of greater importance than all others, and that none but the most intelligent and experienced are capable of properly instructing Indians, and only sueh8hould be employed, I would urge upon this Department the importance of granting a compensation which will enable the agent to secure such persons.

Salt.—There are valuable salt mines on the reservation which no doubt can be made a source of revenue to this agency, and at the same time give employment to a large number of Indians, whose services could be obtained in consideration of supplies, which are now given them without equivalent. ,

Swamps.—The arable land can be increased one-third by the drainage of three swamps in the Moapa Valley; and another and important consideration would be the great increase, of the water-supply, which is greatly needed.

Roads.—The roads leading to this reservation are in such a wretched condition most of the year, the cost of transportation is made an important item of expense, which can be reduced fully one-fourth, if the roads are put in good repair. This can be done with a small expenditure of money, especially the road north leading /to Pioche.

Buildings.—There are quite a number of adobe buildings now on the reservation, most of which are occupied hy settlers; and as soon as the claims of these settlers are paid by the Government, many of these houses can be used for agency purposes.

Hospital.—I believe the erection of a good hospital-building will not only do much to lead others Indians to this reservation who have agreed to come, but make them satisfied to remain after getting here; and, in this connection, I beg leave to submit observations of Dr. H. P. Geib, the physician of this reservation, who, while I was absent the past season acting as special commissioner in visiting other Indians, was placed in charge of the reservation, and is entitled to great credit for the manner in which he discharged his duties as physician, and, at the same time, superintended the farming operations. I would invite special consideration of the Department to his recommendations for hospital-supplies and the employment of Indian apprentices.

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.

"Since my arrival on this reservation a part of my time has been occupied in superintending the farming arrangements, but mainly in looking after the physical condition of the Indians, providing such measures as would be likely to benefit them for the present and future.

"During the past summer there has been a great amount of sickness among the Indians of the reservation, principally of a malarious nature and origin, due to the several swamps that exist throughout the reservation. In the months of August and September at least one-third of all the Indians living in the valley were so afflicted; but by judicious management and proper treatment but one case of death occurred during the whole season. "The Indians undoubtedly appreciate the efforts made in their behalf to alleviate their sufferings and the cure of their ailments.

"Previous to the establishment of a medical department on the reservation the mortality among the Indians of the valley was very great. Many of their superstitious ideas regarding medical treatment and the power of medicine are being eradicated as they see the results of medical skill, and the proper care of those that are sick. As a rule, the Indians show but little attention to each other while suffering from any disease. I have endeavored to impress upon their minds, by daily examples of attention, the necessity of showing proper care to all of their number who were suffering from disease. I have every reason to believe that the measures employed by this department of the agency have been the means of establishing confidence between the officers of the reservation and the Indians under their charge, so that the future labors of yourself in their behalf will be easier of accomplishment.

"During the prevalence of malarious diseases the past summer and fall, owing to the great number who were sick, it was found necessary to provide temporary shelter for the sick. In the absence of a hospital-building, this was accomplished by erecting tents in the vicinity of the Indian camps, and transferring the Indians from their 'wick-ie-ups? to these tents as soon as the condition was as ascertained. The system, of prescribing and furnishing medicines at the surgeon's quarters to those Indians who were slightly ill, and then allowing them to leave, was not successful. Many of them having superstitious ideas regarding the remedies employed, if they were not benefited immediately, would throw the medicine away. To obviate this difficulty, I established a rule to furnish no medicine to Indians to take away with them. If they are not sick enough to enter the hospital, they are required to report to the surgeon's, quarters at a specified time, and receive the medicine directly from the acting hospital steward. All those who were on the sick-list received daily rations of Hour, tea, &c. Messes are formed from those who are convalescent, who are required to do the cooking for the sick, under the direction of the surgeon.

"As before stated, most of the sickness has been of a malarious origin. But few cases of tuberculous disease have been brought to my knowledge. Venereal diseases exist to only a limited extent among the Indians on the reservation. Cases that have presented themselves have been communicated by Indians visiting the reservation from other sections of the surrounding country. Diseases of the eye are numerous, principally acute and chronic conjunctivities, no doubt caused by particles of paint or vermilion used by the Indians to paint their faces, and coming in contact with the surface of the eye, and by its irritation causing inflammation.

"The increased number of Indians to be located on the reservation the coming season will impose a heavy burden on*this department of the agency, and as a matter of justice and humanity, as well as economy, I would earnestly recommend that a sufficient amount be appropriated for the erection of a hospital-building, and the purchase of medical supplies to be furnished this department.

"The assistance of an efficient hospital steward is required, to have charge of the dispensary department of the hospital, and also to perform such duties as he may be called upon to do in taking care of the sick. I would recommend the selection of one or more intelligent young Indians who understand and speak English fluently, if such can be found, to be employed by the physician in connection with the hospital, and,.