Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/234

218 Mr. Purcell, in his account of the population of the Indian nations south of the Ohio, has stated the number of warriors to be 13,516, which is 1,260 more, than is here given.

The number of souls are considerable less, being 42,033, and 2,260 less than the preceding estimation. Although he appears to have taken his numbers from actual enumeration, he makes the proportion of warriors, to the number of souls, only a small fraction more than three souls to one warrior, which is considerably less than the common rule of calculation. It is not improbable, however, that his account is correct. It has been a general opinion that these nations have been increasing in number, for a considerable time past. The greatest enemy to their population has doubtless been the intemperate use of spirituous liquors.