The nations I have mentioned formerly covered the country to the sea-coast; but a traveller at the present day must penetrate more than a hundred leagues into the interior of the continent to find an Indian.

Not only have these wild tribes receded, but they are destroyed; *b and as they give way or perish, an immense and increasing people fills their place.

There is no instance upon record of so prodigious a growth, or so rapid a destruction: the manner in which the latter change takes place is not difficult to describe.
[Footnote b: In the thirteen original States there are only 6,273 Indians remaining.

(See Legislative Documents, 20th Congress, No.

117, p.