of those who, until recently, had no mode of preserving knowledge, for coming generations, necessarily lack precision of statement; and the old story-tellers of a tribe unconsciously repeat as ideas of their race, those which have been obtained by intercourse with white men. Sir William Johnson, Bt., British Superintendent of Indian Affairs, more than a hundred years ago, in a letter to the distinguished Virginian, Arthur Lee, M.D., F.R.S., wrote: "Relying solely on oral traditions for the support of their ancient usages they have blended some, with customs amongst ourselves, so as to render it exceedingly difficult, if not almost impossible, to trace their customs to their origin."
Prefixed to Mr. Warren's work has been placed a sketch of his life, and as a supplement has been added another article on the Ojibways, based upon official and other records. The intelligent reader will not be surprised by the discrepancies which he will notice between the traditional and documentary history.
Hoping that the Society, at no distant day, may issue a similar history of the Dakota people, this volume is submitted by the
