8 
CLASSIFICATION OF THE TRIBES BORDERING UPON THE CANADIAN. 
the greater portion of them were north of our trail, pursuing the buffalo. The San Francisco 
region was traversed in mid-winter, when its inhabitants had sought for more comfortable 
quarters in the lower country, upon the waters of Rio Yerde. Hence, with many tribes we 
had less opportunity for personal observations than had been anticipated. But the notes which 
could be taken without interfering with the main operations of the survey, are submitted, 
in the hope that they may add something to the stock of information already before the depart¬ 
ment. 
The territory ceded by the government to the Choctaw Nation extends from the State of 
Arkansas on the east, and the Canadian river upon the north, to the boundary of Texas upon 
the south and west; but only the eastern portion of it is actually occupied by this tribe. Seve¬ 
ral Chickasaw villages are scattered through the central parts ; bands of Shawnees, Quapaws, 
and Delawares are located midway upon the Canadian, and the western division is occupied by 
various remnants of wilder tribes, such as Topofkees, Ivichais, Kickapoos, Caddos, Iiuecos, 
and Witchitas. Upon the northern side of the Canadian are Creeks, Quapaws, and Cherokees. 
All of the above-mentioned have fixed habitations, and, to a greater or less extent, are engaged 
in agriculture. Those that have been planted here under the care of the government, have 
already made some progress in civilization ; supporting schools for the young, and cultivating 
the arts. The remainder seem equally docile, and would doubtless adopt any well-digested 
system that our government might choose to direct for their improvement. 
Upon the western borders of the Choctaw country commences the vast range of the wild 
Kaiowas and Comanches; extending uninterruptedly along the Canadian to Tucumcari creek 
and thence, occasionally, to Rio Pecos. From this line they pursue the buffalo northward as 
far as the Sioux country, and on the south are scarcely limited by the frontier settlements of 
Mexico, upon which their depredations are committed. The Comanches and Kaiowas are friends 
and allies. A tribe of Lipans ranges over a portion of the same region, with indiscriminate 
hostility both to Comanches and whites. They belong to the Apache nation, though in habits 
and in appearance greatly resembling the Kaiowas. 
The tribes above mentioned may be divided into three classes : the semi-civilized, the rude, 
and the barbarous. 
The first, according to the best evidence we have, consists of— 
Choctaws.........15,*67 * 
Chickasaws. 4,260 * 
Cherokees.17,367 * 
Creeks and Seminoles.24,000 * 
Quapaws. 200 
Shawnees. 325 
Delawares. 200 
making an aggregate of about 62,000 persons, peaceful in their dispositions, and depending for 
subsistence upon agriculture alone. They are characterized bv docility, and have a desire to 
learn and practise the manners, habits, and language of the whites. The labors ol missiona¬ 
ries among them have been crowned with success, and there appears to be no obstacle in the 
way to prevent their complete civilization. The Shawnees and Delawares of this region do not 
participate in the favors bestowed upon more northerly bands of their tribes, and therefore com¬ 
plain that government overlooks their interests, as it bestows upon them neither annuities, as 
to Choctaws, nor presents, such as are distributed among the hostile tribes of the prairies. 
They evidently have an idea that the latter are given to the wild Indians as a kind ol tribute, 
from fear of their depreciations ; and naturally murmur that they, who are always friendly to 
the whites, should receive no assistance from them. It is believed that if government could 
55 Schoolcraft. 
