TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1846-1859 189 chiefs of the southern Comanche, and have found many of them apparently united in their willingness to accede to the wishes of their "Great Father" in establishing a permanent settlement near their old wintering grounds upon the Clear Fork of the Brazos. These indians have never planted corn or cultivated the soil yet, they say they will attempt it, if their Great Father will send some white farmers to teach them. We have found a vacant tract of land upon the Clear Fork which is satisfactory to these indians and is situated about forty miles from Fort Belknap. There is an abundance of good water and wood upon it and the soil in the valley is of the first quality, corn has already been cultivated upon lands contiguous to the location sufficient to test its fertility. These indians are also altogether opposed to going farther north, and say they entertain the same fear of being depredated upon by the northern indians as the tribes before mentioned, and in our opinion will accept a location in no other place but upon the Clear Fork of the Brazos. As our instructions required that the lands selected should if practicable be in such proximity as to be within the control of one agency, we have located a tract of four leagues for the western indians immediately adjoining that for the Ioni, Ana- darko, etc upon the Brazos. These indians are at present living west of the Pecos River and consist of the Mescalero Apache, and the Lipan. We have had no opportunity of conferring with them or of obtaining any knowledge of their wishes in regard to the matter, but as many of the Lipan are now hostile it seems doubtful if they will come into the measure at all. Yet we learn from authority that is reliable, that in donating these lands the Legislature of Texas had in view the permanent settlement of these indians upon a portion of it, yet we did not however feel authorised from the tenor of our instructions, and from the present uncertainty re- garding their desposition to make a selection for them near their present homes. As the locality is West of the Pecos, and removed some three hundred miles from the lands which we have chosen for the Comanche, Ioni etc. We have therefore selected a tract of land for them on the Brazos River which has been surveyed and distinctly marked, but has been placed on file in the land office of the District in such a manner that according to the rules of the office it can be abandoned and an-
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