PROCEEDINGS OF THE EEGENTS. 207 



together with the Mutsun and Yakama grammars, fills the programme fur that 

 year. 



On your subscription for 1862 (on which no payment has yet been made) 

 Smith's Nevome is the first. The vocabulary of the Mutsun is now going 

 through the press, and will be immediately followed by a number containing 

 three of my larger vocabularies, the Chinook proper, the Clallam, and the 

 Lummi, the last two being languages of the Selish family. 



Shea proposes to follow up for 1863 with the Mohawk radicals, a valuable 

 Jesuit manuscript, a Jesuit grammar of the Micmac, and my dictionary of the 

 Nisqually. 1 trust sincerely you will find it convenient to continue your aid, 

 for I am not alone in considering this the most valuable series of philological 

 publications now going on. Mr. Moore, the librarian of the New York His- 

 torical Society, recently told me that neither England nor France could show 

 anything to equal it. 



The Chinook jargon is now finally in hand, and I trust to send you the 

 proofs of the first signatures this week, as also of the circulars. 



GEORGE GIBBS. 



January 21, 1863. 



Mr. Buckingham Smith called upon me to-day and showed me a letter from 

 Don Jose Fernando Ramirez, of Mexico, from which I enclose an abstract : 



" There exist no vocabularies of the languages, nor have the grammars ever 

 been preserved, written by the early missionaries. It is almost impossible to 

 bring together those that have been printed. On this subject a work has been 

 commenced, entitled Cuadvo descriptivo y comparativo de las lenguas indigenas 

 de Mexico,' compendium descriptive and comparative of the native tongues of 

 Mexico, by Don Francisco Pimentel. The first volume only has been printed, 

 which comprehends the analysis of twelve languages. Unfortunately, material 

 is wanting. Those contained in the first volume are the Huaxteco, Mixteco, 

 Mame, Othomi, Mexican, Zapateco, Tarahumar, Tarasco, Totonaco, Opata or 

 Teguema, Cahita, and Matlaznica. If you have succeeded in publishing the 

 grammars of which you informed me, (Pima and Sieve,) and they should arrive 

 in time, they Avill be examined in the work. I have not and am unacquainted 

 with the 'Archeology of the United, States, by Samuel F. Haven,' about which 

 you write me. Of the Smithsonian Contributions I have only the second, third, 

 and fourth volumes, unless the first volume should be 'Ancient Monuments of the 

 Mississippi Valley,' which 1 possess. At present there is no way of sending 

 books to Mexico, unless the Department of State will take charge of them." 



Mr. Smith has handed me the above with the view that I might ask of you to 

 send to Senor Ramirez such other papers of the •'Contributions" as belong to 

 archaeology. That gentleman is well known as one of the most distinguished 

 scholars in that department in Mexico, and one whom it would be 'desirable for 

 the Institution to number among its correspondents. I am, however, astonished 

 at the account he gives of the paucity of works on the indigenous languages of 

 that country, so entirely opposite to our general belief here. Under any circum- 

 stances, Pimentel's work should be procured if possible. 

 I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



GEORGE GIBBS. 



Prof. Joseph Henry, 



Secretary to the Smithsonian Institution. 



New York, November 1, 1862. 

 Dear Sir : The Indian works now printing and to be completed before the 

 close of the year, beside the Sextapay or San Antonio vocabulary, are : 



I. The Mutsun vocabulary of Padre Felipe Arroyo de la Cuesta. This is a 



