It is surprising in what countless swarms the bees have overspread the far west, within but a moderate number of years. the indians consider them the harbinger of the white man, as the buffalo is of the red man; and say that, in proportion as the bee advances, the indian and buffalo retire. we are always accustomed to associate the hum of the bee-hive with the farm house and flower garden, and to consider those industrious little animals as connected with the busy haunts of man, and i am told that the wild bee is seldom to be met with at any great distance from the frontier. they have been the heralds of civilization, steadfastly preceding it as it advanced from the atlantic borders, and some of the ancient settlers of the west pretend to give the very year when the honey bee first crossed the mississippi. what is the main topic of the first paragraph? a) the narrator establishes the setting and introduces the main conflict. b) the narrator traces the history of the bee from europe to the new world. c) the author shows how the indians have come to place the bee in high esteem. d) the author discusses the spread of bees across the country and their reception.