OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. XLV 



expression, but may be partially indicated by the fact that, 

 apart from the linguistic and sociologic problems involved, the 

 mere mechanical compilation has produced over twenty thous- 

 and cards of synonymy. The present condition of this inter- 

 connected work is encouraging. 



Col. Garrick Mallery was engaged during the year in the 

 continued study of sign language and pietographs. A num- 

 ber of important collections of gesture signs were procured 

 from parts of the United States not before thoroughly explored 

 in this respect. Collections of great value were also obtained 

 from Japan, Asiatic Turkey, and from several of the Polynesian 

 groups. These increase the probability of preparing a useful 

 monograph on the gesture speech of man. 



The amount of material now collected, with its collation and 

 study, confirms the view stated in a former report, that while a 

 general system of gesture speech has long existed among the 

 North American Indians it is not to be regarded as one formal or 

 definite language. Several groups, within which there is a con- 

 siderable body of distinctive signs, with their centers of origin, 

 are indicated, though, as before explained, the fundamental char- 

 acter of sign language permits of communication by its means 

 between all the groups. Five of these groups appear, from pres- 

 ent information, to be defined as follows : First, the Arikara, Da- 

 kota, Mandan, Gros Ventre or Hidatsa, Blackfeet, Crow, and 

 other tribes in Montana and Idaho; second, Arapaho, Cheyenne, 

 Pain, Kaiowa, Caddo, Wichita, Apache of Indian Territorv, 

 and other tribes in the Southwest as far as New Mexico, and 

 possibly portions of Arizona; third, Pima, Yuma, Papago, 

 Maricopa, Hualpai (Yuman), and the tribes of Southern Cali- 

 fornia; fourth, Shoshoni, Banak, Pai Uta of Pyramid Lake, 

 and the tribes of Northern Idaho and Lower British Colum- 

 bia, Eastern Washington, and Oregon; fifth, Alaska, embracing 

 the Southern Eskimo, Kenai (Athabaskan), and the Iakutat, 

 and Tshilkaat tribes of the T'hlinkit or Koloshan stock. The 

 gestures of Alaskan tribes present some distinctive features 

 as compared with those of any of the southern groups. The 

 collections of the gestures still used by the Indians of British 

 Columbia and of the northern part of Vancouver's Island, also 



