that upon which nearly all the collections hitherto made for the purpose
of comparison have been based. For the purpose of ascertaining the more
obvious relations between the various members of existing families this
number is deemed sufficient. The remote affinities must be sought in a
wider research, demanding a degree of acquaintance with their languages
beyond the reach of transient visitors."

The vocabulary given in this paper was separately printed on writing
paper, 10 ll., 4^o, and reprinted, 6 ll., folio, and was distributed
widely among the missionaries, Indian agents, travelers, and local
collectors in ethnology, and has served a valuable purpose, resulting in
the collection by the Smithsonian Institution of a large number of
vocabularies, comprising many of the languages and dialects of the
Indian tribes of the United States, British America, and Mexico.

This material, as it was received, was placed in the hands of Mr. Gibbs
for revision and classification--a work in which he was engaged at the
time of his death, which occurred before any of it was published.

In 1876, Professor Henry turned this material over to Maj. J.W. Powell,
then in charge of the United States Geographical and Geological Survey
of the Rocky Mountain Region, to be consolidated and published in
connection with like material collected by himself and his assistants
while among the Indians of the western portion of the United States. A
number were accordingly published in the "Contributions to North
American Ethnology," Vols. I and III, a quarto series issued by the
Survey.

Wishing to extend the work already begun by the Smithsonian Institution,
Major Powell, in 1877, prepared the following paper: