556 CATALOGUE OF LINGUISTIC MANUSCRIPTS. 
the codperation in this object of all officers of the United States Goy- 
ernment, and travellers or residents who may have it in their power to 
render any assistance.” 
Under the head of Philology, Mr. Gibbs gave a brief account of some 
of the peculiarities of Indian languages, with general directions for the 
best method of collecting certain words; a simple and practical alpha- 
bet; and a vocabulary in English, Spanish, French, and Latin of 211 
words. Speaking of the latter, he says: 
“In view of the importance of a uniform system in collecting words 
of the various Indian languages of North America, adapted to the use 
of officers of the government, travellers, and others, the following is 
recommended as a STANDARD VOCABULARY. It is mainly the one pre- 
pared by the late Hon. Albert Gallatin, with a few changes made by 
Mr. Hale, the Ethnologist of the United States Exploring Expedition, 
and is adopted as that upon which nearly all the collections hitherto 
made for the purpose of comparison have been based. For the purpose 
of ascertaining the more obvious relations between the various mem- 
bers of existing families this number is deemed sufficient. The remote 
affinities must be sought in a wider research, demanding a degree of 
acquaintance with their languages beyond the reach of transient visit- 
ors.” 
The vocabulary given in this paper was separately printed on writing 
paper, 10 1l., 4°, and reprinted, 6 1l., folio, and was distributed widely 
among the missionaries, Indian agents, travelers, and local collectors 
in ethnology, and has served a valuable purpose, resulting in the col- 
lection by the Smithsonian Institution of a large number of vocabula- 
ries, comprising many of the languages and dialects of the Indian 
tribes of the United States, British America, and Mexico. 
This material, as it was received, was placed in the hands of Mr. 
Gibbs for revision and classification—a work in which he was engaged 
at the time of his death, which occurred before any of it was published. 
In 1876, Professor Henry turned this material over to Maj. J. W. 
Powell, then in charge of the United States Geographical and Geologi- 
cal Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region, to be consolidated and pub- 
lished in connection with like material collected by himself and his 
assistants while among the Indians of the western portion of the United 
States. A number were accordingly published in the “Contributions 
to North American Ethnology,” Vols. I and ILI, a quarto series issued 
by the Survey. 
Wishing to extend the work already begun by the Smithsonian Insti- 
tution, Major Powell, in 1877, prepared the following paper: 
Introduction | to the | Study of Indian Languages, | with words, phrases, and sen- 
tences to be collected. | By J. W. Powell. | Washington: | Government Printing 
Office. | 1877. 
Pp. 1-104, 10 ruled Il., 4°. 
In his opening remarks, referring to the manuscripts derived from 
the distribution of Mr. Gibbs’ paper, the author says: ‘It has, in fact, 
