SOURCE OF ST. PETER's RIVER. 153 



learning was manifested, older persons have been ad- 

 mitted. All appear to be very happy, and to make as 

 rapid a progress as white children of the same age would 

 make ; their principal excellence rests in works of imitation ; 

 they write astonishingly well, and many display great natural 

 talent for drawing. The institution receives the counte- 

 nance of the most respectable among the Indians ; there 

 ai-e in the school two of the gi-andchildren of T6-p4-ne-ba, 

 the great hereditary chief of the Potawatomis, who has his 

 residence upon this river. The Indians visit the establish- 

 ment occasionally, appear pleased with it, and show their 

 favour to it by presents of sugar, venison, &c. which they 

 often make to the family of the missionary. Some of 

 the parents of the half-breed scholars pay for their chil- 

 dren's board, and contribute in this manner to the support 

 of the establishment ; which, being sanctioned by the Wai' 

 Department, receives annually one thousand dollars from 

 the United States, for the support of a teacher and black- 

 smith, according to the conditions of the treaty concluded 

 at Chicago in 1821, by Governor Cass and Mr. Sibley, com- 

 missioners on the part of the United States. By this treaty 

 about four or five millions of acres of land were relinquished 

 by the Potawatomis. It was one of the conditions of the 

 purchase, that a small tract of the Indian reservation should 

 be conveyed in fee simple to the Baptist missionaries, for the 

 purpose of forming a school and agricultural establishment. 

 It is said that the Indians themselves selected this spot as be- 

 ing the site of their old village ; this must have been very 

 populous, as the remains of corn-hills, which are very dis- 

 tinctly visible at this time, are said to extend over a thou- 

 sand acres. The village was finally abandoned about fifty 

 years ago, but there are a few of the oldest of the nation 

 who still recollect the site of their respective huts ; they 

 Vol. I. 20 



