REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 29 



The Institution was at that time in iiossession of a large collection of 

 vocabularies and manuscripts, as yet unpublished, which were placed 

 in the hands of Maj. J. W, Powell, who had been previously studying 

 the tribes of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and jSTew Mexico, and who had 

 himself collected many vocabularies, and he was requested to report 

 upon their availability for the purpose in question. Major Powell made 

 a report upon these, showing to what extent they would bear upon the 

 subject and what was necessary to complete the work. Soon after, the 

 task was put in his charge, and it has been in progress since that time. 



In carrying on this work it was essential that all the languages of the 

 United States should be studied. It was not known at that time how 

 numerous these langnages were, but since then a large number of vocab- 

 ularies have been collected in addition to those previously obtained. It 

 has been found by Major Powell that these vocabularies may be 

 grouped into about sixty classes, each representing a distinct family of 

 languages. 



The linguistic investigation has always had for its object to group 

 the Indians by their aflinities or their languages, and to determine what 

 tribes may be thrown together oji reservations. This linguistic study 

 has been continued to the present time, and constantly, mouth by 

 month, and year by year. Major Powell has been in communication with 

 the Indian OflQce, furnishing the facts necessary to group Indian tribes 

 upon reservations. 



At the request of Major Powell an appropriation of $20,000 was made 

 for this work in 1870. The work previously done, including the collec- 

 tion of vocabidaries, was without expense, by missionaries, teachers, 

 and Army officers, and various students of American ethnology have 

 been employed without remuneration. 



When this new ap;- opriation was made, it was further asked that the 

 scope of the research be enlarged so as to embrace the habits and cus- 

 toms of the Indians, and especially their methods of tribal organiza- 

 tion and government, and the system of tribal laws in vogue among 

 the tribes. With that understanding the appropriation was made, 

 and it was soon afterwards somewhat increased, and has remained the 

 same amount, about $40,000, except that one year $50,000 was given, 

 so that Major Powell might retire from the Geological Survey and 

 devote himself exclusively to the Bureau of Ethnology. Circum- 

 stances prevented this at the time, but recently he has severed all con- 

 nection with the Geological Survey, and is devoting himself" entirely to 

 the ethnological work of the Institution. 



The prosecution of investigations relating to the ethnology of'the 

 American Indians has been carried forward during the year in accord- 

 ance with law under the effieient control of Maj. J. W. Powell, the 

 director, aided by Mr. W J McGee, ethnologist m charge, as executive 

 officers. These researches of the Bureau of American Ethnology 

 embrace the subjects of ^rchaiology, descriptive ethuologyj sociology, 



