184 ASSINJNTBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



pied permanently the central portion of the peninsula 

 of Western Canada. 



In 1712 the Tuscaroras of North Carolina, subsequently 

 to their defeat by the English, united with the Iroquois 

 and formed with them the confederary of the Six 

 Nations. 



At the time of the first discovery of Canada, the Iro- 

 quois occupied the south-east valley of the St. Lawrence, 

 especially the south shore of Lake Ontario and the region 

 about the small lakes which still bear the names of the 

 different nations. At the close of the war of independence, 

 being firm allies of the British, they migrated into Canada, 

 and in 1784 a part were established on the Grand Eiver 

 on a tract comprising about 700,000 acres, which was 

 confirmed to them in 1739 by letters patent. In 1845, 

 there remained in the hands of these Indians 52,133 

 acres, the other portion having been surrendered at dif- 

 ferent times. This part of the remnant of the famous 

 Six Nations, now numbers on the Grand Eiver 2550, of 

 which between five and six hundred are still pagans. 

 The Canadian Iroquois did not exceed 5000 in 1857. 



The following table shows the total number of Indians 

 in Canada at different periods from 1827 to 1857: — 



UPPEK 



CANADA. * 



LOWER CANADA.f 



1838. , , 



, 6,643 



1827 3,649 





, . 6,874 



1837 ..... 3,575 



1846 , , 



, , 8,756 



1844 3,727 



1847 , . 



. . . 8,862 



1852 4,058 







1857 4,396 



* Not including the Indians of the north shore of Lakes Huron and 

 Superior, which number respectively, from the Sault Ste. Marie to Pigeon 

 River, six bands, containing 1240 Indians, and from the Sault Ste. Marie to 

 French River, seventeen bands, containing 1422 souls. 



t The Indians in the Lower St. Lawrence are not included. They are 



