
          It is the opinion of many that the war cannot be finished this
campaign as the rainy season will soon commence when it will
be quite impossible to keep the field. The principal chief among
the hostiles are known as Powell Alligator Jumper and Mickanopie [Micanopy]
their king, with his prophen Abraham a negro.

He has five chiefs [crossed out: and] [added: with] their people on board the transports.
Holata-Mathla being the head. They number about
400. I value the opportunity that has been afforded me
of comparing the [crossed out: effects] [added: [?]] of medicines in [?] life to the
wild superstitious customs of savage practice. Whilst
acting as surgeon at the poast I had in all between 3 & 400 
patients under my care. At the same time I had from 
80 to 100 Indians. Of the latter I have lost 10 and of
the former I lost 4. My care and attention was as [?]
in the Indian camp as with hospital but an Indian
hardly survive where medicines are necessary [added: at all] [torn page]
has a white man to nurse and feed him as well as [?]
him. Their wants at first sight seem few and their
supplies sufficient. As few barks or bushes to [crossed out: cover] [added: shelter] them
a skin for their bed, and a clanket to cover them is
[?] but diseases rage and I can say from sad experience 
how miserably [added: and untimely] are the lives of these children of
nature who profess to want for nothing because their
wants are few.

I had the pleasure of finding some favors left by you aboard
of the [added: brig] the day previous to my leaving New York.
Thank you for the lens as that frequently clears my view
of things, as for the books as they are a light to my intellectual
life. How long I shall be detained with the
Indians I know not nor am I at present able to direct you
while communications would be most likely to reach
        