LII REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY 



proved timely, for within an hour representatives from another 

 institution appeared on the ground, prepared to arrange for 

 the removal of the material. Work was at once beeruu and 

 was continued tlu-oughout the month. The quarrA- has been 

 largely cleared of debris and refuse and has been found to be 

 the finest example of aboriginal soapstone quarry known m 

 eastern United States. A large amount of material, including 

 some eight}' partly complete soapstone pots, a number of 

 imj)lements used in the work, and many of the pits or depres- 

 sions from which pots have been removed have alreadv ];)een 

 collected, and a good series of photographs "and drawings 

 representing the quarry and the mode of operation lias been 

 made. The work is still under way. The indications are tliat 

 the Clifton soapstone quarry will come to form the type for 

 eastern United States, and that the collection therefrom in the 

 National Museum will become the standard for that class of 

 aljoriginal industry. 



TT"(»7,- ill western archeolorjij — Mr Cosmos Mindeleff remains 

 in the field and reports satisfactory progress in working up 

 the results of explorations and surveys. Inclement weather 

 during most of the month prevented field operations, so that 

 the explorer's time was spent chiefly in camp, arranging notes, 

 executing' plans, etc. 



JVork in syuonymy — ^Ir James Mooney spent the month in 

 elabt)rating the material for the synonymy of the eastern 

 Siouan peoples and in arranging copy for text and illustrations 

 of his report on the Ghost-dance religion of the plains tribes 

 In connection with the work on synonymy he lirouglit together 

 a considerable amount of collateral material unsuitable for in- 

 troduction in the condensed work, and this was ])nt in the form 

 of a paper on the Siouan Tribes of the East, which was pnr- 

 tiidlv completed. 



^Ir F. AV. Hodge continued to divide his energies between 

 the work on synonymy and his duties as librarian. He, too, 

 in his reseai-ches for the synonymy, found collateral material 

 which he brought together in the form of a separate paper 

 on the Jumano Indians, whicli \\'as nearly completed during 

 the month. 



