FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 
OF THE 
Bai AC Oat) Ha EN OLOGY. 
By J. W. POWELL, Director. 
INTRODUCTORY. 
The exploration of the Colorado River of the West, begun 
in 1869 by authority of Congressional action, was by the same 
authority subsequently continued as the second division of the 
Geographical and Geological Survey of the Territories, and, 
finally, as the Geographical and Geological Survey of the 
Rocky Mountain Region. 
By act of Congress of March 3, 1879, the various geological 
and geographical surveys existing at that time were discontin- 
ued and the United States Geological Survey was established. 
In all the earlier surveys anthropologic researches among the 
North American Indians were carried on. In that branch of 
the work finally designated as the Geographical and Geologi- 
cal Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region, such research con- 
stituted an important part of the work. In the act creating 
the Geological Survey, provision was made to continue work in 
this field under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, on 
the basis of the methods developed and materials collected by 
the Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mount- 
ain Region. 
Under the authority of the act of Congress providing for 
the continuation of the work, the Secretary of the Smithsonian 
Institution intrusted its management to the former director of 
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