seas against press-gangs, that topic re- of slavery as seamen in British ships-ofceived the earliest attention. The Ameri- war. When Jonathan Russell, minister cans contended that the right of impress at the British Court, attempted to nement, existing by municipal law, could gotiate with that government (August, not be exercised out of the jurisdic- 1812) for a settlement of disputes betion of Great Britain, and, consequently, tween the Americans and British, and proupon the high seas. The British replied posed the withdrawal of the claims of that no subject of the King could expatri- the latter to the right of impressment ate himself-" once an Englishman, al- and the release of impressed seamen, Lord ways an Englishman "-and argued that Castlereagh, the British minister for forto give up that right would make every eign affairs, refused to listen to such a American vessel an asylum for British proposition. He even expressed surprise seamen wishing to evade their country's that, "as a condition preliminary even service. Finally, the British commission- to a suspension of hostilities, the governers stated in writing that it was not in- ment of the United States should have tended by their government to exercise thought fit to demand that the British govthis claimed right on board any American ernment should desist from its ancient vessel, unless it was known it contained and accustomed practice of impressing British deserters. In that shape this por- British seamen from the merchant-ships tion of a treaty then concluded remained, of a foreign state, simply on the assurand was unsatisfactory because it was ance that a law was hereafter to be passed based upon contingencies and provisions, to prohibit the employment of British and not upon positive treaty stipulations. seamen in the public or commercial serThe American commissioners then, on vice of that state." The United States their own responsibility, proceeded to treat had proposed to pass a law making such upon other points in dispute, and an agree- a prohibition in case the British government was made, based principally upon ment should relinquish the practice of Jay's treaty of 1794. The British made impressment and release all impressed some concessions as to the rights of neu- seamen. Castlereagh acknowledged that trals. The treaty was more favorable to there might have been, at the beginning the Americans, on the whole, than Jay's, of the year 1811, 1,600 bona fide American and, for the reasons which induced him, citizens serving by compulsion in the the American commissioners signed it. It British navy. Several hundreds of them was satisfactory to the merchants and had been discharged, and all would be, most of the people; yet the President, con- Castlereagh said, upon proof made of their sulting only his Secretary of State, and American birth; but the British governwithout referring it to the Senate, re- ment, he continued, could not consent "to jected it. suspend the exercise of a right upon which the naval strength of the empire mainly depended, unless assured that the object might be attained in some other

A Cause of War.-The British government claimed the right for commanders of British ships of war. to make up any deficiency in their crews by pressing into way." There were then upward of 6,000 their service British-born seamen found cases of alleged impressment of American anywhere not within the immediate juris- seamen recorded in the Department of diction of some foreign state. As many State, and it was estimated that at least British seamen were employed on board as many more might have occurred, of of American merchant-vessels, the exer- which no information had been received. cise of this claimed right might (and Castlereagh had admitted on the floor of often did) seriously cripple American ves- the House of Commons that an official sels at sea. To distinguish between Brit- inquiry had revealed the fact that there ish and American seamen was not an easy were, in 1811, 3,500 men claiming to be matter, and many British captains, eager American citizens. Whatever may have to fill up their crews, frequently impressed been the various causes combined which native-born Americans. These were some produced the war between the United times dragged by violence from on board States and Great Britain in 1812-15, their own vessels and condemned to a life when it was declared, the capital question,

IMPRESSMENT OF AMERICAN SEAMEN-ONE OF THE CAUSES OF THE WAR OF 1812

Legend of the Grain. - While Capt. Miles Standish and others of the Pilgrims were seeking a place to land, they found some maize in one of the deserted huts

32,050,017 of the Indians. Afterwards Samoset, the 72.982,160 66,014,429 friendly Indian, and others, taught the 41,455,599 Pilgrims how to cultivate the grain, for 34,791,857 it was unknown in Europe, and this sup19,162,652 ply, serving them for seed, saved the lit14,436,861 tle colony from starvation the following 5,062,312 year. The grain now first received the name of "Indian corn." Mr. Schoolcraft $346,908,740 tells us that Indian corn entered into the

INDIAN CORN-INDIAN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS

Such is the legend of the origin of Indian corn, or maize.

Indian Industrial Schools. In addition to a large number of day, boarding, and other schools maintained by the federal government, various religious organizations, and each of the five civilized tribes in the Indian Territory, there were in 1900 a total of twenty-four schools for Indian youth, in which in addition to the ordinary branches special attention was paid to industrial education on lines that would render the youth self-supporting in the future. These special schools combined had a total of 262 instructors in industrial work, and 3,076 male and 2,288 female pupils, and the total expenditure for the school year 1898-99 was $198,834. The most noted of these schools is

School, established in Carlisle, Pa. It had in the above year twenty-nine instructors and 1,090 pupils, of whom 487 were girls. In addition to the foregoing schools the federal government was hav

mythology of the Indians of the region of the Upper Lakes. In legend the Indians tell us that a youth, on the verge of manhood, went into the forest to fast, where he built himself a lodge and painted his face in sombre colors; and then he asked the Master of Life for some precious gift that should benefit his race. Being weak from fasting, he lay down in his lodge and gazed through its opening into the blue depths of the heavens, from which descended a visible spirit in the form of a beautiful young man dressed in green, and having green plumes on his head. This embodied spirit bade the young Indian to rise and wrestle with him as the only way to obtain the coveted blessing. Four days the wrestlings were repeated, the youth feeling each time an increasing moral and supernatural energy, the United States Indian Industrial while his bodily strength declined. This mysterious energy promised him the final victory. On the third day his celestial visitor said to him: "To-morrow will be the seventh day of your fast, and the last time I shall wrestle with you. You will triumph over me and gain your wishes. As soon as you have thrown me down, strip off my clothes and bury me in the spot of soft, fresh earth. When you have done this, leave me, but come occasionally to visit the place to keep the weeds from growing. Once or twice cover me with fresh earth." The spirit then departed, but returned the next day; and, as he had predicted, the youth threw him on the ground. The young man obeyed his visitor's instructions faithfully, and very soon was delighted to see the green plumes of the heavenly stranger shooting up through the mould. He carefully weeded the ground around them, and kept it fresh and soft, and in due time his eyes were charmed at beholding a full-grown plant bending with fruit that soon became golden just as the frost touched it. It gracefully waved its long leaves and its yellow tassels in the autumn wind. The young man called his parents to behold the new plant. "It is Men-du-min," said his father; "it is the grain of the Great Spirit." They invited their friends to a feast on the excellent grain, and there were great rejoicings.