f 9th May, 1836, with the Swan Creek and Black
River Chippewas, the United States agree to furnish them thirteen
sections of land West, in lieu of the cessions relinquished in Michigan,
besides accounting to them for the nett proceeds of the land ceded.
Measures were now taken to induce them to send delegates to the Indian
territory west of the Missouri, to locate this tract, and an agent was
appointed to accompany them.
_16th_. Received a copy of my article on Indian languages.
_17th_. The Saginaws, by the cession of the 14th of January, agreed to
leave Michigan, and accept a location elsewhere; and they were now urged
to send delegates to the head waters of the Osage River, where they can
be provided with fine lands, and placed in juxtaposition to
cognate tribes.
_29th_. Received a letter from the editor of the "Knickerbocker." [79]
[Footnote 79: Birchen Canoe: Song of the Ship.]
_May 18th_. Received notice of my election as one of the vice presidents
of the American Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, at
New York.
_23d_. William Ward, Esq., of the War Office, Washington, D.C., writes:
"I have received two communications from Dr. Warren, of Boston, on the
subject of a collection of crania and bones of the aborigines. He is
desirous of procuring specimens from the different tribes, and from the
mounds in the different sections of the country.
"Trusting, in a great measure, to your readiness to co-operate in every
effort to advance the cause of science, I have promised him to use the
means my connection with the office might give me to forward his views.
His high reputation must be known to you, and I am sure you will aid him
to complete a collection which, I understand, he has been occupied many
years in making.
"I gather from his letters, that he wishes to procure a few complete
skeletons, and a number of crania, and that it will be desirable to have
as much as possible of the history of each head."
_June 4th_. Michilimackinack. Received a copy of _Bush's Grammar of the
Hebrew Language_, and commenced comparing the Indian tongues with it.
This language has twenty-two letters. In order to impress the elements
upon my own mind, as well as improve theirs, I commenced teaching my
children the language, just keeping ahead of them, and hearing their
recitations every morning.
_26th_. Receive a letter of introduction from Governor Mason, by Mr.
Massingberd, of England, an intelligent and esti
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