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ADMINISTKATIVE RKPORT XVII 



]\Ir Mooney next })roec'eded to the mountain fountry of 

 Texas, southeast of El Paso, for the purpos(; of locating- the 

 pevote, from information given by the 31esfalero. Two or 

 moi'e varieties of the ])lant were found in this section, on both 

 sides of the Rio Grrande. In January ^Ir Mooney continued 

 southward to the Taraliumari country in quest of additional 

 information concerning the rites and customs of that tribe of 

 which peyote forms the feature. The Tarahumari form one 

 f the most populous tribes in Noi'th America, their number 

 being variousl)' estimated at from 50,000 to 80,000. They 

 occupy nearly the whole mountain region of the state of 

 Chihuahua. They perform a number of interesting ceremonies 

 in which peyote plays an important role. Indeed, the plant 

 is a prominent part of the medicine man's stock in ti'ade, rather 

 than something used by the tribe at large, as among the Kiowa 

 and associated tribes to the northward. Several varieties of 

 peyote are recognized b}^ the Tarahumari, who procure tlie 

 plant chiefly about Santa Rosalia, in southeastern Chihuahua. 

 Information concerning the ceremonial use of peyote by the 

 neighl^oring Tepehuan tribes was likewise gained, and the 

 southernmost limit of its use in Mexico was also detei'miued. 



Aside from his researches in this interesting subject, Mr 

 MooneA^ made an examination of some large burial caves near 

 Aguas Calientes, about 200 miles southwest of Chihuahua city. 

 Although the princi])al one of these caves had been excavated 

 by residents, in the hope of findhig buried treasure, and their 

 contents thereby disturbed, Mr Mooney succeeded in recov- 

 ering a well-preserved munnny with its original wrappings of 

 matting and native cloth and the accompanying food and water 

 vessels, which have been deposited in the National I\Iuseuni. 

 These and kindred observations throw iruich light on the little- 

 known mortuary customs of the region. 



During August and September Dr Albert S. Gatschet was 

 occupied in linguistic researches begun during the preceding 

 year among the Algonquian tribes in Maine and contig'uous 

 parts of New Brunswick. His work resulteil in the enrich- 

 ment of his vocabularies, and in the preparation of numerous 



19 ETH — 01 II 



