Page:Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison Vol. 1.djvu/65

Rh  of the Indians in violation of law and our Treaty with that people. This practice has grown into a monstrous abuse. Thousands of the wild animals from which the Indians derive their subsistance have been distroyed by the white people. They complain in their speeches to me that many parts of their Country which abounded with game when the general peace was made in 1795 now scarcely contains a sufficiency to give food to the fiew Indians who pass through there. The people of Kentucky living on the Ohio from the mouth of the Kentucky river down the Mississippi make a constant practice of crossing over on the Indian lands opposite to them every fall to kill deer, bear, and buffaloe—the latter from being a great abundance a few year's ago is now scarcely to be met with, in that whole extent. One white hunter will distroy more game than five of the common Indians—the latter generally contenting himself with a sufficiency for present subsistance—while the other eager after game hunt for the skin of the animal alone. All these Injuries the Indians have hitherto borne with astonishing patience but altho they discover no disposition to make war upon the United States at present—I am confident that most of the tribes would eagerly seize any favorable opportunity for that purpose—& should the United States be at war with any of the European nations who are known to the Indians there would probably be a combination of nine tenths of the Northern Tribes against us—Unless some means are made use of to conciliate them. The British have been unremitted in their exertions to preserve their influence over the Indians resident within our Territory ever since the surrender of the Forts upon the Lake—& those exertions are still continued—last year they delivered a greater quantity of goods to their Indians than they have been ever known to do—and I have been lately informed that talks are now circulating amongst them, which are intended to lesten the small influence we have over the Indians—I cannot vouch for the truth of this report—but I think it very probable that the British will redouble their efforts to keep the Indians in their Interest as a mean of assisting them in any designs they may form against Louisiana which it is said will be shortly delivered up to the French.

I have had much difficulty with the small tribes in this immediate Neighbourhood—viz.—the Peankashaws, Weas & Eel river Indians, these three tribes form a body of the