cxxvi GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



of the Indians of Northwestern America, for which purpose 

 he visited Alaska and various points on Puget Sound. Large 

 collections were made by him and shipped to Washington. 



Mr. Stephen Powers, well known from his researches into 

 the Indianology of California, was also engaged by the In- 

 dian Bureau to make explorations in California and Nevada 

 in search of ethnological objects. 



Major J. W. Powell, in addition to his surveying work, 

 made many collections, illustrating Indian life, of pre-eminent 

 value. 



The ethnological inquiries of Dr. Edward Palmer in the 

 southwestern portion of the United States, especially in the 

 vicinity of San Diego, have furnished satisfactory returns. 



In addition to these more extended and noteworthy re- 

 searches, numerous investigations of less importance have 

 been prosecuted in the Mississippi Valley and elsewhere, 

 yielding very gratifying results. 



For the purpose of securing a proper representation at the 

 International Exposition of the tribes of Northern Alaska, 

 the services of Dr. Bessels were engaged by the Indian Bu- 

 reau, and the occasion of a cruise of the United States steam- 

 er Sardnac, in northern waters, was embraced by him, with 

 the permission of the Secretary of the Navy, to proceed to 

 the North, for the purpose of making full and exhaustive col- 

 lections. Unfortunately, the Saranac was wrecked not far 

 from Victoria and totally lost, thus putting a summary end 

 to the expedition. 



For further information relative to explorations in North 

 America in 1875, reference may be made to the chapter on 

 Geography in the body of this work. 



There is little to be said in regard to the work of explora- 

 tion in Central and South America during the past year. 

 The Narragansett, as already mentioned, under Commander 

 Dewey, performed good service in the waters of Lower Cali- 

 fornia and the west coast of Mexico, the results of which 

 have been published in the form of a report. 



The labors of Professor Gabb in Costa Rica have been 

 brought to a close, and that srentleman is now en^asfed in 

 working up his collections and notes, with a view to an ex- 

 haustive report, interrupted for a time by a visit to San Do- 

 mingo. The extent of his collections in general natural his- 



