ON THE NOETH-WESTEEN TRIBES OF CANADA. 255 



speaks of tlie Hoopas with much, admiration, and styles them * the 

 Romans of Northern California ' ; he states that they had reduced most 

 of the surrounding tribes to a condition of semi-vassalage. Mr. J. P. 

 Dunn, an able and experienced writer, in his recent work, ' The Massacres 

 of the Mountains,' describes the Navahoes as the most interesting of all 

 the western tribes. They are a peaceful, pastoral, and agricultural people, 

 remarkable for their industry and for their ingenuity in various manu- 

 factures. Their women weave excellent blankets, which, he says, ' have 

 been the wonder and admiration of civilised people for many yeai's. They 

 are very thick, and so closely woven that a first-class one is practically 

 water-tight, requiring five or six hours to be soaked through.' They 

 make pottery, and ' have numerous silversmiths, who work cunningly in 

 that metal.' Their women are well treated, are consulted in all bargains, 

 and hold their own property independently. In 1884 the tribe numbered 

 17,000 souls, cultivated 15,000 acres of land, raised 220,000 bushels of 

 maize and 21,000 bushels of wheat ; they had 35,000 horses and 1,000,000 

 sheep. It has seemed proper to mention these facts as evidence that 

 the Indians who inhabit so large a portion of British America, and whose 

 descendants are probably destined to hold much of it permanently, belong 

 to a stock which, under favouring circumstances, displays a good aptitude 

 for civilisation. 



M. Petitot, it should be observed, speaks of the Sarcee language as 

 forming a connecting link between the languages of the northern and 

 southern Tinneh tribes. Mr. Wilson's vocabulary, though taken under 

 many disadvantages, will doubtless be found extensive enough to afford 

 useful data to philologists in classifying the idioms of this important family. 



The Committee ask for reappointment, with a renewal of the grant. 



Report of the Corresponding Societies Committee, consisting of Mr. 

 Francis Galton (Chairman), Professor A. W. Williamson, Sir 

 Douglas Galton, Professor Boyd Dawkins, Sir Eawson Eawson, 

 Dr. J. G. Garson, Dr. J. Evans, Mr. J. Hopkinson, Professor R. 

 INIeldola {Secretary), INIr. W. Whitaker, Mr. G. J. Symons, 

 General Pitt-Rivers, Mr. W. Topley, Mr. H. G. Fordham, and 

 Mr. William White. 



The Corresponding Societies Committee of the British Association beg 

 to report to the General Committee that the Conferences of Delegates 

 were held on Thursday, September 1, and Tuesday, September 6, 1887, 

 at 3.30 P.M., in the Court Room of Owens College. 



The following Delegates were nominated for the Manchester meeting : — 



Mr. Thomas Lister . . . Barnsley Naturalists' Society. 



Eev. H. H. Winwood, M.A., F.G.S. Bath Natural History and Antiquarian 



Field Club. 



Mr. William Gray, M.R.I.A. . . Belfast Naturalists' Field Club. 



Mr. W. P. Marshall, M.Inst.C.E. . Birmingham Natural History and Micro- 

 scopical Society. 



Eev. H. W. Crosskey, LL.D., F.G.S. Birmingham Philosophical Society. 



Mr. Sydney Young, D.Sc. . . Bristol Naturalists' Society. 



Mr. Horace Brown, F.G.S., F.C.S. . Burton-on-Trent Natural History and 



Archaeological Society. 



