XVI ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 
and fooa plants were collected and their Indian names and 
uses ascertained. The general result of this investigation 
shows that the medical and botanical knowledge of the Indians 
has been greatly overrated. A study was made of Cherokee 
personal names, about five hundred of which were translated, 
being all the names of Indian origin now remaining in that 
region. The most important results of Mr. Mooney’s investi- 
gations were the discovery of a large number of manuscripts 
containing the sacred formulas of the tribe, written in Cherokee 
characters by the shamans for their own secret use, and jeal- 
ously guarded from the knowledge of all but the initiated. 
The existence of such manuscripts had been ascertained during 
a visit in 1887, and several of them had been procured. This 
discovery of genuine aboriginal material, written in an Indian 
language by shamans for their own use, is believed to be unique 
in the history of aboriginal investigation, and was only made 
possible through the invention of the Cherokee syllabary by 
Sequoia in 1821. Every effort was made by Mr. Mooney to 
obtain all the existing manuscripts, with the result of securing 
all of that material which was in the possession of the tribe. 
The whole number of formulas obtained is about six hundred. 
They consist of prayers and sacred songs, explanations of cere- 
monies, directions for medical treatment, and underlying theo- 
ries. ‘They relate to medicine, love, war, hunting, fishing, self- 
protection, witchcraft, agriculture, the ball play, and other 
similar subjects, thus forming a complete exposition of an ab- 
original religion as set forth by its priests in their own lan- 
guage. 
WORK OF MR. JEREMIAH CURTIN. 
Early in October Mr. Jeremiah Curtin left Washington for 
the Pacific coast. During the remainder of the year he was 
occupied in Shasta and Humboldt counties, California, in col- 
lecting vocabularies and data connected with the Indian system 
of medicine. This work was continued in different parts of 
Humboldt and Siskiyou counties until June 30, 1889. Large 
collections of linguistic and other data were gathered and 
myths were secured which show that the whole system of 
