liv INTRODUCTION. 



they creep up under the shadows of woods and by night 

 to the lonely hamlet or solitary cabin, and not a man, 

 woman, or child is left alive or unmutilated. The settler, 

 in his turn, is equally determined and merciless. 

 As evidence of this relentless war I would refer to the 

 following resolutions, not many years since passed . by the 

 Idaho Legislature, for the extermination of all Indians : 



' Eesolved That three men be appointed to select 

 twenty-five men to go to Indian hunting, and all those 

 who can fit themselves out shall receive a nominal sum 

 for all scalps that they may bring in, and all who cannot 

 fit themselves out shall be fitted out by the committee, 

 and when they bring in scalps it shall be deducted out. 



' That for every buck scalp be paid 100 dollars, and 

 for every squaw 50 dollars, and 25 dollars for everything 

 in the shape of an Indian under ten years of age. 



* That each scalp shall have the curl of the head, and 

 each man shall make oath that the said scalp was taken 

 by the company.' 



It will be observed that the hunting of men, women, 

 and children is put on a par with the extermination of 

 noxious and dangerous beasts, the males being designated 

 as ' bucks ' and the wretched young barbarians, consigned 

 to massacre by this Herodian decree, as ' everything in 

 the shape of an Indian under ten years of age/ 



The opinion of a friend of General May who passed 

 twenty-five years among the Indians gives so good an 

 illustration of Western ideas and correct mode of treatment 

 of the Indians, that I cannot do better than give it : 



c " They are the most onsartainest varmints in all 

 creation, and I reckon tha'r not mor'n half human ; for 

 you never seed a human, after you'd fed and treated him 

 to the best fixins in your lodge, jest turn round and steal 

 all your horses, or ary other thing he could lay his hands 

 on. No, not adzackly. He would feel kinder grateful, 



