XVHr BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



texts wliicli are especially valuable not only as indices of lin- 

 guistic structure but as records of tribal history, customs, social 

 organization, and beliefs. 



Mr J. N. B. Hewitt spent the autumn in the field in nortliern 

 New York and neighboring parts of Ontario, collecting lin- 

 guistic and sociologic data required for tlie full comparative 

 study of tlie Iroquoian tribes. He was also able to obtain new 

 and valuable additions to the series of creation myths for which 

 these Indians are notable, and through which their names have 

 become extensively incorporated in tlie literature of the world. 



On November 4, 1897, Mr J. B. Hatcher, of Princeton Uni- 

 versit^ , who was about to sail for Argentina, was specially com- 

 missioned to make collections among the Indian tribes of South 

 America; and toward the end of the fiscal 3'ear he sent his first 

 shipment of material, representing the natives of Patagonia, 

 whose characteristics have attracted attention for centuries. 



On Jiuuiary 11, 1898, Mr Gerard Fowke was employed tem- 

 porarily to make archseologic surveys and excavations in an 

 interesting locality in Kentucky. These excavations were par- 

 ticularl}' successful, yielding a considerable quantity of valua- 

 ble material, which has been forwarded to Washington. 



Shortly liefore the opening of the fiscal year Dr Robert 

 Stein, attached to Lieutenant R. E. Peary's Arctic expedition 

 for the purpose of exploring a little-known stretch of the coast 

 of western Greenland, Avas commissioned to make archseologic 

 researches and collections. He was landed on August 10, 1897, 

 and remained until September 1, when he was taken up by 

 Lieutenant Peary on his return trip. During Dr Stein's stay 

 on a part of the coast not now inhabited, he discovered abun- 

 dant traces of ancient habitation by the Eskimo, and collected 

 a quantity of somatologic and other material. 



The objective material collected during these explorations 

 has been placed in the National Museum; portions of the new 

 data have been added to the archives, but the greater part are 

 incorporated in memoirs now in preparation or completed for 

 piiblication, as is indicated in other paragrajihs. The scientific 

 results of the work are summarized in the following pages. 



