INTEODUCTION. 



THE truism that c good wine needs no bush,' is equally 

 applicable to the fact that a good book requires no 

 introduction. In the present instance, I have been 

 induced to depart from this sound maxim at the instance 

 of the publishers, who, from my bibliographical and 

 personal knowledge of the Aborigines of North America, 

 have requested me to give a brief sketch of some of the 

 principal Indian tribes, referred to in this book ; the 

 chief events of the last fifteen years ; and the probable 

 fate of the red man. With reference to my knowledge 

 of the North American Indians, I may mention that 

 during the last thirty years it has been my constant effort 

 to collect and read all that has been written relative to 

 these Aborigines, whilst during the last eight years I 

 have personally had opportunities of seeing in their own 

 homes some of the principal tribes between the British 

 Possessions and Lake Superior in the North, and the 

 Indian territory in the South; the Great Missouri and 

 Mississippi Eivers in the East, and the Pacific in the West. 

 During the latter period it has been my good fortune to 

 number amongst my acquaintances some of the principal 

 chiefs of several of the most important tribes, amongst 

 whom I can name ' Bed Cloud,' ' Eed Dog/ and ' Two 

 Lance,' three of the principal chiefs of the Ogallalla 

 Siouxj ' Spotted Tail,' head chief of the Brule Sioux ; 

 ' Ouray/ the head chief of the Utes ; ' Washakie,' the 

 principal chief of the Shoshones; ' Little Kaven' and 



