No. 345.
Mr. Evarts to Sir Edward Thornton.

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have received a letter from my colleague, the Secretary of the Interior, in which he says that [Page 574] it has been represented to him that there is a trading establishment located at Woody Mountain in the Dominion of Canada, about 30 miles from the north line of the Blackfeet Reservation, Fort Beck Agency, Montana Territory, which is a rendezvous for robbers and murderers, and a point from which arms and ammunition are supplied to Indians who are hostile to this country.

In view of the grave character of the complaints in regard to this matter which have reached this government from sources deemed to be entirely trustworthy, I feel it to be my duty to lose no time in bringing this subject to your attention, in order that Her Majesty’s Government may cause inquiries to be made into the facts of the case, so that, if the representations made to the Secretary of the Interior, above referred to, shall be ascertained to be well founded, prompt action for the remedy of the evil complained of may be taken by the Canadian authorities.

I have, &c.,

WM. M. EVARTS.