lOS EXPEDITION TO THE 



already alluded to, of the division of the Miamis into two 

 tribes, whose orig;ins are supposed to be so different. This 

 might be considered as very interesting, if any confidence 

 could be placed in such a man as Richarville. Of his craft and 

 worthlessness, an idea can be formed from the circumstance 

 that, when negotiating on the part of the Miamis a treaty with 

 the commissioners at Chicago, he made it an indispensable 

 condition that a tract of nine sections of land should be secur- 

 ed to him in fee simple, while the rest of his nation are 

 merely joint tenants on their lands, and destitute of the privi- 

 lege of disposing of the same, except with the consent of the 

 Government of the United States. It must be regretted, 

 that this mode of obtaining the assent of chiefs, to a treaty 

 by private presents, grants, &c. should have ever been 

 allowed. It was, we believe, first introduced by the French, 

 whose object was, by these pretended treaties, to which the 

 chiefs of the nations were bribed to give their consent, to 

 obtain a colour of right which the French government 

 could afterwards maintain against European nations. This 

 practice has existed so long, and is so universal, that it would 

 perhaps be difficult to make a treaty with the Indians, if pre- 

 sents or grants were withheld from the chiefs; but in order 

 to test the correctness of the principle, we need but look to 

 the feelings which would be excited if an European power, 

 while discussing the terms of a treaty with our government, 

 were to offer or to consent to give any private presents to 

 the negotiators on the part of our country. Richarville 

 retains his attachment to the British government, and 

 although residing upon our territory, and sharing in the 

 annuity paid by the United States to the Miamis, he still 

 holds a commission in the British service, and his name still 

 appears on the half-pay or pension list of Great Britain. 

 Metea told us that the Potawatomis thought that they 



