a
brilliant display of the military, our windows overlooking the Park,
which was the focus of this turnout.
_28th_. In conversation with the Rev. Henry Dwight, of. Geneva, he made
some pertinent remarks on the Toltecan monuments, and the skill of this
ancient people in architecture, in connection with some specimens of
antiquities just deposited in the New York Historical Society. This
nation had not only preceded the Aztecs in time, as is very clearly
shown by the traditions of the latter, but also, there is every reason
to believe, in knowledge.
_29th_. Texas papers contain the following statistics of the Indian
population of that Republic, of whom it is estimated that there may be
20,000. "The different tribes known as wild Indians, comprise about
24,000, west and south-west. There are on the north ten tribes, known as
the 'Ten United Bands,' between the Trinity and Red River, numbering
between 3 and 4000. Of these latter tribes, three are said to have
wandered off beyond the Rio Grande and the Rocky Mountains. Of the
_Comances_, nearly one-half of the Indians known by that name are, and
have always been, _without_ the limits, and press upon the tribes of New
Mexico. In all it appears that we have within the limits of Texas, an
Indian population of 20,000--of whom one-fifth may be accounted
Warriors. There are one or two remnants of tribes (perhaps not more than
fifty in number) living within the settlements of the whites, whom they
supply with venison, and in that way support themselves.
"Some of these tribes are the hereditary enemies of Mexico, who has
nevertheless furnished them with arms and ammunition, in the hope of
inciting them against our people, at a risk to her own. If, looking
beyond our borders, we turn our eyes to the north, we behold within
striking distance of the United States frontier on the north-west, an
indigenous Indian population of 150,000, and on their western frontier
46,000; in all between 2 and 300,000 Indians within the jurisdiction of
the United States--against whom, were they to combine, they could at any
moment direct a war force of 60,000 men."
These popular estimates, may serve the purpose of general comparison,
but require some considerable abatements. There is a tendency to
estimate the numbers of Indian tribes like those of flocks of birds and
schools of fish. We soon get into thousands, and where the theme is
guessing, thousands are soon added to thousands.
_Dec. 4th_
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