PliEFACE. Vii 



" Should jou consider it wise to thus intrust rue with this material I will 

 proceed with the publication as rapidly as the matter can be prepared, and 

 when published I shall be pleased to give the proper credit to the Institu- 

 tion for the great work performed in the collection of the material, and to 

 those who have taken part in the work. 



"I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, 



"J. W. POWELL. 

 " Prof Joseph Henky, 



^^ Secretary Smithsonian Imtitution, 



^'Washington, D. C. 



" Smithsonian Institution, 



''Washington, October 10, 1876. 



" Dear Sir : Your letter of October 2, proposing that the Smithsonian 

 Institution should turn over to you for publication all the material it has 

 collected in regard to Indian linguistics, has been received, and after due 

 consideration I have concluded, on the part of the Institution, to accept 

 your proposition, and to place in your hands all the materials of the kind 

 mentioned now in our possession, it being understood that full credit will 

 be given to the Institution for the materials thus received by yourself, and 

 also to the several contributors. 



"Among the latter, Ave would especially call your attention to the claims 

 of George Gibbs, whose elaboration of the materials in his possession j-ou 

 will find of importance in the preparation of the vocabularies for the press. 



" This transfer is made in accordance with the general policy of the 

 Smithsonian Institution of doing nothing with its income which can be 

 equally well done by other means. 

 " Yours, very truly, 



"JOSEPH HENRY. 

 "J. W. Powell, 



"In charge U. S. Geographkul and Geological Survey, 



"Washington, I), t'." 



This threw into my hands several hundred manuscrijit vocabularies. 

 with extensive grammatic notes collected from tribes scattered throughout 



