akota.

At that time there were no white settlers in Minnesota north of Crow
Wing, Long Prairie and Ottertail Lake.

The Chippewa Indians were not migratory in their habits, living in their
birch-bark covered wigwams around the lakes, from which the fish and
wild rice furnished a goodly portion of their sustenance and where they
were convenient to wood and water. The hunting grounds, hundreds of
miles in extent, covering nearly one-half of the State, furnished moose,
deer and bear meat and the woods were full of rabbits, partridges,
ducks, wild geese and other small game. The Indians exchanged the furs
gathered each year, amounting to many thousand dollars in value, with
traders for traps, guns, clothing and other goods. Some of the Indians
raised good crops of corn and vegetables and they also made several
thousand pounds of maple sugar annually. They also gathered large
amounts of cranberries, blueberries and other wild fruit.

The Chippewa Indians had very few ponies, having no use for them, as it
was more convenient to use their birch bark canoes in traveling about
the lakes and rivers. At that time the Chippewas were capable of making
good living without the Government annuities, which consisted of a cash
payment to each man, woman and child of from $5.00 to $10.00 and about
an equal amount in value of flour, pork, tobacco, blankets, shawls,
linsey-woolsy, flannels, calico, gilling twine for fish nets, thread,
etc.

An Indian in full dress wore leggings, moccasins and shirt, all made by
the women from tanned deer skins, and trimmed with beads, over which he
threw his blanket, and with his gun over his arm and his long hair
braided and hanging down, and face streaked with paint, he presented
quite an imposing appearance. The young men occasionally supplemented
the above with a neat black frock coat.

The Indians during the time I was agent were friendly and it was only
upon a few occasions when whiskey had been smuggled in by some
unprincipled persons, that they had any quarrels among themselves.

The late Bishops Whipple and Knickerbocker were my traveling companions
at different times thru the Indian country, as were General Mitchell of
St. Cloud, Daniel Sinclair of Winona, Rev. F. A. Noble of Minneapolis,
Rev. Stewart of Sauk Center, Mr. Ferris of Philadelphia, Mr. Bartling of
Louisville, Doctors Barnard and Kennedy and others. The late Ennegahbow
(Rev. John Johnson) was appointed by me as farmer at Mille L