5

Copy
Los Angeles, California
March 28th 1865

Honorable Austin Wiley,
Sir,

Your communication of the 20th of the kindness
of Mr. Hoffman was duly received. I can assure you I feel very much
gratified by your favorable reception of my application, and if appointed I shall
endeavor faithfully to perform the duties entrusted to me.

As you may not be perfectly informed of the condition of the
Indians in this portion of the State, you may not think it presumption
on my part to offer a few suggestions in regard to them.

I presume you are already aware that nearly all the Indians
in the lower portion of the State excepting those on the Colorado River
are partially civilized and were at a time connected with, or under the
influence of, the various missions in this part of the State, and by
the breaking up of the missions they became scattered again throughout
the mountains and established their rancherias wherever they could find
a small tract of land with sufficient water for irrigation and as
water is not abundant they have been obliged to occupy many small
places to obtain sufficient land for cultivation.

The San Luis Indians are much further advanced in civilization