698 REPORT—1885. 
along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, between the Missouri and 
the Saskatchewan. This region was the favourite resort of the buffalo, 
whose vast herds afforded the Indians their principal means of subsistence. 
In the year 1836 a terrible visitation of the small-pox swept off two-thirds 
of the people, and five years later they were supposed to count not more 
than fifteen hundred tents, or about ten thousand souls. Their enemies 
were then recovering their spirits, and retaliating upon the weakened 
tribes the ravages which they had formerly committed. 
In 1855 the United States Government humanely interfered to bring 
about a complete cessation of hostilities between the Blackfoot tribes and 
the other Indians. The Commissioners appointed for the purpose sum- 
moned the hostile tribes together, and framed a treaty for them, accom- 
panying the act by a large distribution of presents. This judicious 
proceeding proved effectual. Dr. F. V. Hayden in his account of the 
Indian Tribes of the Missouri Valley (published in the ‘Transactions of 
the American Philosophical Society for 1862’), states that from the 
period of this treaty the Blackfoot tribes had become more and more 
peaceful in their habits, and were considered, when he wrote, the best 
disposed Indians in the North-west. He remarks that their earlier repu- 
tation for ferocity was doubtless derived from their enemies, who always 
gave them ample cause for attacking them. He adds: ‘From my own 
experience among them, and from information derived from intelligent 
men who have spent the greater portion of their lives with them, I am 
convinced that they are among the most peaceable and honourable 
Indians in the West ; and in an intellectual and moral point of view they 
take the highest rank among the wild tribes of the plains.’ 
This favourable opinion of Dr. Hayden, it may be added, is entirely 
in accordance with the testimony of the Indian agents and other officials 
of the Canadian North-west, who place the Blackfeet decidedly above 
the surrounding tribes in point of intelligence and honesty. At the 
present time, while constantly harassed on their reserves by the incur- 
sions of thievish Crees and other Indians, who rob them of their horses, 
they forbear to retaliate, and honourably abide by the terms of their treaty, 
which binds them to leave the redress of such grievances to the 
Dominion authorities. It has seemed proper to dwell upon this point, 
as the marked differences of character among the Indian tribes has been 
too little regarded. As a question of science and a matter of public 
policy, these differences deserve a careful study. The good disposition 
manifested by the Blackfoot tribes during the recent disturbances has 
displayed their natural character, and has been a fact of the utmost 
value to the welfare of the new settlements. 
Since the general peace was established by the American Government 
the numbers of the Blackfeet have apparently been on the increase. Dr. 
Hayden reports the three proper Blackfeet tribes as numbering in 1855 
about 7,000 souls. The present population of the three Canadian 
Reserves is computed at about 6,000, divided as follows: Blackfeet 
proper, 2,400; Bloods, 2,800; Piegans, 800. Onthe American Reserva- 
tion there are stated to be about 2,300, mostly Piegans. This would 
make the total population of the three tribes exceed 8,000 souls. The 
adopted tribe, the Sarcees, have greatly diminished in numbers through 
the ravages of the small-pox. In 1870 this disease raged among them 
with great virulence. They were then residing on the American side, in 
Montana. Mr. McLean writes: ‘An eye-witness told me that at the 
