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On the Indian Tribes inhabititig the North-West Coast of 

 America. By John Scouler, M.D., F.L.S. Communi- 

 cated by the Ethnological Society.* 



The ethnography of the tribes inhabiting the north-west 

 coast of America, although far from being so well known as 

 that of the Indian races to the east of the Rocky Mountains, 

 has of late made considerable progress. In addition to the 

 materials scattered through the works of the older voyagers, 

 much valuable matter is to be found in Baer's recent work 

 on the Russian Settlements on the north-west coast ; and, 

 in the Proceedings of the Geographical Society, I have pub- 

 lished a very extensive series of Vocabularies of Indian Lan- 

 guages, collected by Dr Tolmie, which have been illustrated, 

 and made the subject of comment by Dr Latham, in two com- 

 munications, read before the Ethnological Society. In the 

 following observations it is my intention to attempt a classifi- 

 cation of the various tribes found between Behring's Straits 

 and the Columbia River, and included between the Rocky 

 Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. As all our more authen- 

 tic information respecting the more northern tribes of Esqui- 

 maux and Koluschians, have been derived from Wrangel's 

 communications to Baer's work, it will not be necessary to 

 enter minutely on that part of the subject. In attempting 

 this synopsis of the Indian tribes of the north-westward, we 

 have to premise that it is merely an attempt, and one which 

 will necessarily be subject to much correction. The number 

 and names of the tribes is very imperfectly known ; and, in 

 many cases, we have no specimens of their language to en- 

 able us to fix their place, and often the indications of travel- 

 lers are so vague, and even contradictory, that their state- 

 ments only produce perplexity. The following is, therefore, 

 to be considered rather as an exhibition of what is known on 

 the subject, than as a complete monograph. The distinction, 

 however, between facts and probable inferences has been 

 carefully observed. 



With respect to the tribes inhabiting the Russian territory, 

 it may be remarked, that we find there three very distinct 



* B«ad before the Ethnological Society, 29th April 18^6. 



