are 8287 people, the most populous being Zuni, with 1621 souls; and the least, Pajuaque, with but 20 persons.

At the time of the first Spanish Conquest they were as far advanced as now, raising grain, vegetables, and cotton, and manufacturing fine blankets. Their houses are sometimes built of stone, but generally of adobe, and

are usually several stories in height, each one receding from the one below, leaving a terrace or walk. The general plan is a hollow square, circle, or irregular ellipse; although in some cases they are built in a solid mass like a pyramid, six or eight stories in height. In each pueblo there are large rooms, sometimes underground, for religious observances or council, or for both purposes, which are called in Spanish estufas. The towns are sometimes built upon the summits of high terraces or mesas, extremely difficult of approach.

The Moki, who are semi-civilised Indians, live in six villages on the plateau between the San Juan and the Colorado Chiquito rivers, in north-eastern Arizona.

Their villages are perched upon the summits of mesas, 400 to 600 feet above the surrounding level. The houses are built of stone, laid in adobe mortar, in terrace form, seldom exceeding three stories in height, and are reached only by ladders. The people are extremely kind

hearted and hospitable. They raise maize, squashes, pumpkins, and peaches. They also have large herds of sheep and goats. The women knit, spin, and weave, making fine blankets, women's robes, and other like articles. They use no intoxicating drink; and are, men and women, industrious and virtuous. The men have adopted the usual Mexican dress, while the women wear a woven tunic, and a small blanket, fastened over the shoulders. Before marriage the hair of the women is worn in two large rosettes, one on each side of the head, and after marriage it is worn loose down the back, or rolled up on the back of the head.

Their pursuits are agricultural.

By a census taken in 1890, the population of these six towns was 1996 souls.

Numbers of the Indians

The last census, 1890, tells the following tale regarding the present number of this people. The total was 248,253. Of these 58,806 had abandoned tribal relations, had left their reservations, if they ever had any, and were taking chances for subsistence among the whites. 189,447 remained under tribal relations, lived upon reservations, and were supported more or less fully from the bounty of the United States Government.

Are the Indians dying out?

It has long been the popular belief that Indians are fast dying out, that they were rapidly disappearing before the advancing wave of civilisation, that in the struggle for existence in progress on this Continent barbarism is giving way, but in recent years this belief has been questioned. It has been shown that the statements of

the numbers of Indians made in the early days of settlement in this country were grossly exaggerated. It has been shown that, living as most Indians do and did by pastoral pursuits, and hunting, the land was never capable of supporting the dense population it was said to have contained. In recent years statistics of the number of Indians, which have been carefully obtained, show that on the whole this people is about holding its own.

It seems probable, looking at all of the evidence, that the Indian tribes, which formerly inhabited the eastern part of the country, have greatly diminished in numbers. Indeed those who inhabited the north-eastern part of the United States have been almost entirely wiped out, the only fragment of any importance remaining being the relics of the Six Nations now located in western New York.

In the south the Creeks, Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, and Seminoles unquestionably lost numbers during the wars with the whites, prior to being moved to Indian Territory: But since their removal they have at least held their own, and the western tribes also have, on the whole, not lost in numbers.

The total area comprised in the reservations is not less than 134,176 square miles, on an average of a little more than half a square mile for each man, woman, and child. This is an ample allowance; indeed, far more than ample for agricultural uses, but it is not sufficient to support these people if engaged in pastoral pursuits, or in hunting

There is expended annually for the support of Indians, including the expenses of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the support of agents and their employés, about seven million dollars, or about 28 dollars per head of Indian population.