368 The Smithsonian Institution 



number of persons who had become interested in the work 

 contributed toward the means required for carrying it on ; 

 finally, in 1871, the Congress made an appropriation, to be 

 expended under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 for continuing the explorations and surveys. Both before 

 and after this enactment, Professor Henry warmly encour- 

 aged the work and guided it by wise counsel. His aid is 

 commemorated, and will be so long as our language lives, 

 in a noble monument — the Henry mountains. 



When the survey was organized under Congressional pro- 

 vision it was designated "The United States Geographical 

 and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region." The 

 work was placed in Major Powell's charge. In pursuing the 

 researches, much attention was given to the aboriginal in- 

 habitants, and extensive collections representing their arts, 

 languages, institutions, and beliefs were made, and the ob- 

 jects collected were preserved in the Smithsonian Institution. 

 On July I, 1874, the survey was transferred to the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior, while its plan was extended, though not 

 materially modified save that the anthropological researches 

 were made more prominent; and in 1876 a series of reports 

 on the Indians, entitled " Contributions to North American 

 Ethnology," was projected, with the concurrence of the Sec- 

 retary of the Smithsonian Institution, and during the ensu- 

 ing year two volumes of the series were published. At this 

 stage the work seemed to be definitely established under 

 federal auspices, and, in accordance with a wise and liberal 

 custom, the head of the Smithsonian Institution withdrew 

 from active investigation of the Indians and freely transferred 

 to the survey the rich collection of linguistic manuscripts 

 accumulated during the preceding thirty years. 



At the opening of 1879 there were four organizations en- 

 gaged in surveys and researches in the Western Territories, 



