472 The Smithsonian Institution 



collected a series of Indian vocabularies, to adopt those of 

 the Institution, and to publish the whole in connection with 

 his researches under government in regard to the ethnology 

 of the Indian tribes inhabiting the country watered by the 

 tributaries of the Great Colorado of the West. In accordance 

 with the general policy of the Institution in not expending 

 its funds on anything which can be as well done by other 

 means, the proposition of Major Powell was accepted, the 

 only conditions exacted on which the transfer was made be- 

 ing that full credit should be given in the publication to the 

 name of Smithson for collecting and arranging the articles, 

 and also that extra copies be furnished the Institution for 

 liberal distribution." ^ 



For eighteen years the Bureau of Ethnology has carried 

 on important investigations of the distribution, languages, 

 customs, and beliefs of the North American Indians, and has 

 published a valuable series of works relating thereto. A de- 

 tailed account of the labors of the bureau has been given by 

 Mr. McGee in an earlier chapter of this volume, and need 

 not be recounted here. 



The cooperation of the Institution in government explo- 

 rations cannot be dwelt upon more at length, and it is 

 necessary to return to the consideration of the explorations 

 which were set on foot through its influence and encourage- 

 ment and were sustained as far as possible by grants of 

 money. The number of these explorations is very great, 

 and the territory they cover is of vast extent. In importance 

 also they have varied greatly, and some — a majority per- 

 haps — are no more than collecting excursions. Yet, as no 

 earnest collector of natural objects in the field can fail to 

 make new observations of more or less value, even these col- 

 lecting expeditions may perhaps fairly be regarded in the 

 light of explorations. The policy adopted by the Secretaries 



1 " Smithsonian Report," 1876, page 35. 



