KEPOKT OF THE SECRETARY 21 



an archeological expedition to south Vv est ern Florida, where but little 

 work of this character has previously been done. With the aid of 

 Mr. E. M. Elliott and his associates, of St. Petersburg, Doctor Fewkes 

 began the excavation of certain large shell mounds on Weeden Island 

 near St. Petersburg, One of the largest mounds proved to be a ceme- 

 tery, and from November until March about one-half of it was ex- 

 cavated. A large collection of aboriginal objects and skeletons was 

 made, which gives evidence of two distinct cultures, one al)ove the 

 other. The lower contained crude pottery and a few implements 

 mostly of shell bearing considerable likeness to the so-called Archaic 

 Antillean culture of Cuba. The upper layer gave very fine specimens 

 of decorated pottery and other objects which show close relationship 

 to the Indian culture of Georgia, indicating a southward extension of 

 population possibly allied to the Muskhogean into the Florida Pen- 

 insula. This field work of the bureau in Florida inaugurates a plan 

 of cooperation of members of the staff and others to determine the 

 boundaries and extension of the great Muskhogean culture of the 

 Gulf States, the object being to obtain information on the relation- 

 ship of the mounds of our southern States to those of the Huastecs 

 on the Gulf coast of Mexico. 



Dr. John R. Swanton completed the translation of stories from his 

 Koasati, Alabama, Hitchiti, and Creek texts; edited a manuscript on 

 Indian trails by the late W. E. Myer ; and began the preparation of a 

 card index of all words in the Timucua language in the religious 

 works of the Franciscan missionaries Pareja and Mo villa, nearly all 

 that is left to us of this old Florida tongue. Dr. Truman Michelson 

 carried on etlmological studies among the Indians of Labrador. 

 From his work it appears that the language of the Nascopi and Davis 

 Inlet Indians is the same, and merely a Montagnais dialect rather 

 than a distinct language. It may be noted that the folklore of the 

 Indians of Labrador contains more elements occurring among Cen- 

 tral Algonquians than has been suspected. At the close of this work, 

 he continued his researches of former years among the Fox Indians 

 at Tama, Iowa, devoting especial attention to the ceremonial runners 

 of these Indians. 



Mr. J. P. Harrington took charge of the exploration of the Burton 

 Mound at Santa Barbara, Calif., under a joint arrangement with the 

 Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. Many facts of 

 interest for the prehistoiy of the Santa Barbara Indians and the early 

 culture of the Pacific coast in general were recorded, and a great 

 number of skeletons, utensils, weapons, and trinkets were secured. 

 Mr. J. N. B. Hewitt was engaged during the greater part of the year 

 in working up the material gathered in former years relating ro the 

 league or Confederation of the Five Iroquois Tribes or Nations. In 

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