OJIBWAYS, or CHIPPEWAS, a tribe of North American Indians of the Algonquin stock inhabiting the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the shores of lake Huron and lake Superior, with a rendezvous at La Pointe. They were discovered by the French about 1610, to which nation they were friendly, but continually at war with the Sioux. They were also allies of Pontiac, the great lighting chief of the Ottawas. When first discovered they were domiciled at Sault Ste. Marie, deriving the name of Sautear from that place, by which they are still known to the Canadians. They have the customs of the Algonquins; they are brave and never knew defeat in their wars with the Foxes, Sioux, or Iroquois, their constant enemies. War had thinned their ranks, and in 1660 there were only 550 at the Sault. During the revolutionary war they were on the side of the British, but cynic over to the side of the colonists in 1785-89, turned against them subsequently and joined the Miamis, but again made peace in 1795. In 1805 they gave up nearly-all their possessions as far e. as lake Erie. In the war of 1812 they were hostile, but iu 1816 participated in the general treaty of the tribes, and in 1817 gave up all their lands in Ohio. In 1851 all but a few roving bands had been removed w. of the Mississippi and had ceded all their lands to the government except small reser vations. The bands living near lake Superior and in Michigan are generally-peaceable and industrious. Those w. of the Mississippi still have extensive tracts of land, amount ing to more than 5,000,000 acres as established by treaties 1854-67. In 1872 the govern ment owed them $750,000. In 1871 there were 1974 of this tribe in different parts of Canada,-1502 on the n. shore of lake Superior, and some scattering or living with other tribes. Missionaries have not been appreciated, the majority still clinging to their idols, although Roman Catholic and Protestant missions are still maintained. They believe in
Kitchie .Manitou, the great or good spirit, and Ma tehie Manitou, the evil spirit. Their priests are called medal. Their principal occupation is making mats and hunting and fishing; they have no taste for agriculture or hard work of any kind. They speak the language of the Algonquins which is found in Eliot's Indian Bible, but in their use it is so inter mixed with others that few original dialect forms remain. There are a dictionary and grammars by bishop Baraga and the rev. G. A. Beleourt, and treatises by Schoolcraft and others. A newspaper is printed in their language; and in 1851 George Conway, a native Ojibway wrote a Traditional History of the Ojibunty iVation, and iu 1861 Peter Jones of the same tribe was the author of a History of the Ojibtra? Indians.
°TA, an important commercial river of central Russia, the principal affluent of the Volga from the s., rises in the government of Ore], and flows in a generally n.e. direc tion, forming a common boundary between the governments of 'Pula, Kaluga, and Mos cow; and afterwards flowing through the governments of Riazan, Vladimir, and Nijni Novgorod. It joins the Volga at the city of Nijni-Novgorod. after a course of 837 miles. Its basin, estimated at 127,000 sq in. in extent, comprises the richest and most fertile region of Russia. The principal towns on its banks are Orel. Beleff or Bielev, Kaluga. Riazan, and INInrom; the most important effluents are the rivers Moscow. Kliasma. and Tzna. During spring. the Oka is navigable from Orel to the Volga; but in slimmer the navigation is obstructed by sandbanks. It communicates with the ports on the Baltic. Caspian, and White seas; and the cargoes annually shipped down the river amount in value to se tft•e-m-se--Ifc,