and sick will be allowed. You may find it necessary to furnish these Indians with a small quantity of cooking utensil and with axes to procure fuel, as I understand they were driven from their homes in such haste as to lose nearly or quite all their property of every description.

The most difficult part of the duties assigned you will no doubt result from the necessity you will be under to make these purchases on the faith of the Congress of the United States making the appropriation to meet any indebtedness you may create, there being now no funds belonging to the Indian Department applicable to that purpose.

You can, however, assure those having for sale that articles that you need that there can be little if any doubt that Congress will so soon as the condition of these people is made known to them hasten to provide for their, especially so when it is considered that these very necessities are the result of a failure on the part of the United States to meet her treaty stipulations with these people.

I would again remind you that much more care and labor will be necessary in purchasing these supplies than would probably be necessary had you funds in hand to make prompt payment. You will therefore be careful to seek out if possible such parties from whom to make these purchases as are willing to sell to the Government without extortion.

Superintendent Coffin has been instructed to receive of you the articles herein authorized to be delivered to him and provide storage to keep on hand at least one week's provision in advance. I do not think it advisable that your purchases should exceed at any time an amount necessary for a supply or thirty days, as it is hoped that our Government will return them t their homes early in the spring and protect them there where they can provide for themselves.

I am advised by the officers of the commissary department at Fort Leavenworth that one pound of meal and one pound of beef per day for each will in all probability be sufficient for these people.

Your compensation will be at the rate of $6 per day from the date hereof until you return to your place of residence, and your actual expenses, for which you should in all cases where practicable take vouchers to accompany your account which must be certified on honor to the Indian find it impracticable to take vouchers a memorandum of items of expenditure should be kept and reported with you account, also certified on honor.

A suitable sum of money will be placed in your hands to enable you to pay all incidental expresses to soon as you bond with security to be approved at this office is receive, conditioned that you will faithfully account for the disbursements of the same in accordance with the duties hereby prescribed and hereafter to be prescribed under this appointment, a form of which bond is herewith inclosed. *

You will from time to time inform the Indian Department of your progress in supplying the wants of these Indians, and in all cases where there is no positive necessity for acting promptly in any matter under this commission you will advise with this Department before acting at all.

Your obedient servant,

W. P. DOLE,

Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

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* Not found.

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