REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 47 



the sounds of which are fixed by reference to well-known English 

 words in which these letters occur. In this way an attempt is made 

 to express the several sounds without confusing the inquirer with 

 new characters or numerous marks. 



That the number of dialects which exist on this continent should 

 be great is not surprising, when we reflect on the condition of the 

 people previous to the advent of the Europeans. They had, without 

 doubt, for a long time occupied the soil, and had probably arrived at 

 that condition as to numbers in which the struggle for life is carried 

 on with the greatest intensity, and in which sufficient food from the 

 chase can only be obtained by separation into small tribes, or even 

 families; a condition in Avhich various dialects of one prevailing lan- 

 guage would necessarily be produced. 



Instructions for researches relative to ethnology in general have 

 been prepared by Geo. Gibbs, esq., and were published in 18G3, and 

 a large number of copies distributed to officers of the United States 

 government and others, particularly to those residing in the western 

 portion of the continent. During the past year an appendix to these 

 instructions, together with blank forms for systematic records, has 

 been prepared by the same author and published by the Institution. 

 The instructions and blank forms which have been sent out have 

 produced a valuable return in vocabularies, weapons, implements, 

 dresses, and other illustrations of the arts, manners and customs, and 

 mental advancement of the aboriginal races of this continent. The 

 vocabularies received have been given in charge to Mr. Gibbs, to 

 whom the Institution is largely indebted for months of labor gratui- 

 tously rendered. 



It is proposed, as soon as the funds Avill permit, to publish a descrip- 

 tive catalogue of all the ethnological specimens in the possession of the 

 Institution. These include, beside those from different parts of this 

 countr}', those collected by the United States Exploring Expedition un- 

 der Captain (now Admiral) Wilkes, from the islands of the Pacific, the 

 East Indies, Africa, China and Japan, and Central and South Amer- 

 ica. Such a catalogue, properly illustrated with wood-cut engravings, 

 from photograph drawings, would be an acceptable addition to the 

 literature of ethnology. 



At the commencement of the war preparations were made by the 

 Institution to obtain records of the physical characteristics of the 

 soldiers composing the army of the United States, embracing a large 

 number of measurements of different parts of the body, to ascertain 

 the peculiarities of the different nationalities represented. This work 



