ON THE NORTH-VTESTEEN TEIBES OF CANADA. 233 



Fourth Report of the Committee, consisting of Dr. E. B. Tylor, 

 Dr. Gr. M. Dawson, General Sir J. H. Lefroy, Dr. Daniel 

 Wilson, Mr. E. Gr. Haliburton, and Mr. GtEORge W. Bloxam 

 {Secretary), appointed for the purpose of investigating and 

 publishing reports on the physical characters, languages, and 

 industrial and social condition of the North-Western Tribes of 

 the Dominion of Canada. 



The Committee report that, iu addition to Mr. Wilson, of Sault Ste. Marie, 

 who contributes some valuable remarks upon the Sarcee Indians, they have 

 been enabled to secure the services of Dr. Franz Boas (now of New York, 

 and one of the editors of ' Science'), who has been for several years engaged 

 in ethnological investigations in America, particularly among the Eskimo 

 and in British Columbia, and who has consented to return to that province 

 for the purpose of continuing his researches there on behalf of the Com- 

 mittee, and in accordance with the instructions comprised in their 

 ' Circular of Inquiry.' Only eight or nine weeks — in May, June, and 

 July last — were available for his trip, but, with the advantage of the 

 experience and information obtained in his previous journey, he has been 

 able to gather a large mass of valuable material. The results of his 

 inquiries will be given in his final report, to be presented nest year. For 

 the present occasion he has prepared some preliminary notes, with an 

 introductory letter (addressed to Mr. Hale), containing a brief account 

 of his proceedings, and some important suggestions concerning- future 

 inquiries and the condition of the Indians of that province. The letter is 

 as follows : — 



' I beg to transmit the foUowiug report of my proceedings, with 

 preliminary notes on the results of my researches in British Columbia. 

 In your instructions dated May 22, 1888, you made it my particular 

 object, on the present trip, to obtain as complete an account as possible 

 of the coast tribes and their languages. As on my previous journey, in 

 the winter of 1886-87, I had collected a considerable amount of material 

 respecting the southern tribes, I turned my attention at once to the 

 Indians inhabiting the northern parts of the coast, including the Tlingit. 

 On June 1 I arrived in Vancouver, and after ascertaining certain doubt- 

 ful points regarding the Skqomish, who live opposite the city, I proceeded 

 to Victoria on June 3. Mayor J. Grant, of that city, kindly gave me 

 permission to take anthropometric measurements of such Indians as were 

 in gaol. This proved the more valuable, as the natives were very reluctant 

 to have any measurements taken. I sought to obtain measurements and 

 drawings of skulls in private collections in Victoria, and was fortunate 

 enough to be able to measure eighty-eight skulls from various parts of the 

 coast. The results of these measurements must be reserved for the final 

 report. I will mention only the remarkable fact that skulls of closely related 

 tribes show great and constant differences. Comparisons of ten skulls 

 each from Victoria, Sanitch, and Comox give the following results : — 



Length-height 

 Index 

 7.5-0 

 80-8 

 Comox . . 176-6 77-9 77-4 



