The Indians are year by year decreasing in numbers. The government agents' reports are not very reliable, as they tend to over-estimate the Indian population. Dr.'Robert Brown, whose classification is given above, gives some carefully prepared approximate statistics in his Races of Mankind. He says: "In California and the states n. of it I question if there are now over 10,000 or 12,000 Indians; while in the British possessions the number may be 30,000." A fair estimate would probably give Alaska 20,000; British Columbia, 20,000; Vancouver's island, 9,000; Canada, 5,000; California, Oregon, and states n. of it, 10,000; prairie lands w. of the Rocky mountains, 10,000; other portions ,, of the United States, 2,000; in New Mexico and Central America, 20,000. This would give us a total of about 110,000 for the whole of North America, exclusive of half-breeds, etc. Some twenty tribes have become partially Civilized, and live by agriculture, under the protection of the American government, on what are called "Indian reservations." There are in these Indian communities many men and women whom education has developed into most valuable, intelligent, and even polished members of a highly civil ized community. Two tribes (Choctaws and Cherokees) have become wholly civilized, and have a settled form of government modeled on that of the United States. The Cherokees stand alone amongst modern nations in having produced a second Cadmus, one Sequoyah, or George Guess, who actually invented an alphabet. It must be stated, however, that fully one-half of these civilized tribes are, like Sequoyah, half-breeds. Even whites marrying Choctaw or Cherokee women are admitted, if they choose, into these tribes.
Again, M. d'Orbigny has classified the Indians of South America under three great groups, viz.: the Andian group, the Mediterranean group, arid the Brazilio-Guarani group:- and these he' subdivides into thirty-nine distinct nations, viz.: "1, QUielma; 2, Aymara; 3, Chango; 4, Atacama; 5, Yuracares; 6, Mocetenes; 7, Tacana; 8, Maropa;, 9, Apolista: 10, Araucananian; 11, Fuegian; 12, Patagonian; 13, Puelehe; 14, Charrua; 15, Mbocobi; 16, Mataguayo; 17, Abipones; 18, Lengua; 19, Samucu; 20, Chiquito; 21, Saraveca; 22, Otuke; 23, Curuminaca; 24, Covareca ; '25, Curaves; 26, Tapiis; 27, Curti eaneca; 28, Paiconeca; 29, Corabeca; 30, Moxo; 31, Chapacura; 32, Itonama; 33, Cam chana; 34, Movima; 35, Cayuvava; 36, Pacaguara; 37, Itenes; 38, Guarani; 39, Botocudo." Other classifications have been attempted, but all more or less arbitrary. Morton is content with two grand divisions, viz., the "Toltecan nations" and the "bar barous tribes," the former embracing the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians, and the latter all the, uncivilized or semi-civilized tribes from the extreme n. to the extreme south. The Toltecans are said to be the builders of the remarkable series of mounds found through out North America.
On this subject the reader may consult the works of Prichard. ntham; Morton, Humboldt, Du Ponceau, D'Orbigny, Gallatin, Schoolcmft, Catlin, Pickering, Prescott, Stephens, Tschudi, Fremont, and G. M. Sproat, a recent ingenious writer on western Itribes. The ablest recent original authority is Dr. Robert Brown's Races of _Mankind (vol. I.).