408 EEPORT— 1891. 



the shore of the Pacific in 1793. As a result of this iutercommunication 

 between the Bilqula and Tinneh it is found that houses essentially similar 

 to those of the Coast Indians in mode of construction and ornamentation, 

 though smaller and less skilfully built, occur far inland on the upper 

 waters of the Salmon and Blackwater Rivers ; while, on the other hand, the 

 practical identity of some points in the mythology of the Bilqula with 

 that of the Tinneh of the interior is a clear instance of reciprocal 

 influence. 



The second part of the report will be found to contain the most com- 

 plete series thus far obtained of anthropological measurements relating to 

 the tribes of the North- West Coast, with a discussion by the author of the 

 data which these afford, in which several points of value are brought out 

 and imjiortant suggestions ai'e made for further inquiry. In this connec- 

 tion it must be mentioned that the committee are much indebted to the 

 courteous and enlightened liberality of Major J. W. Powell, Director of 

 the U.S. Bui'eau of Ethnology, who has permitted Dr. Boas to incorpo- 

 rate with the measurements obtained in British Columbia those made by 

 him in Washington and Oregon under Major Powell's directions. It has 

 thus been possible for Dr. Boas to give to his treatment of this subject a 

 comprehensive character, which could not otherwise have been obtained, 

 by enlarging the scope of his discussion so as to include the more or less 

 intimately related tribes of the Pacific States with those of the Province 

 of British Columbia itself. 



Third Heport on the Indians of British Coltimbia. 

 By Dr. Franz Boas. 



The following alphabet has been used in the report : — - 



The vowels have their continental sounds, namely: a, &s in father ; 

 e, like a in mate ; i, as in machine ; o, as in note ; u, as in rule. 



In addition the following are used : d, o, as in German ; d^=aw in 

 law; E=e in floiver (Lepsius's e). 



Among the consonants the following additional letters have been 

 used : g', a very guttural g, similar to gr ; h', a very guttural k, similar 

 to Jcr ; q, the German c/t in bach; H, the German ch in ich; a, between 

 q and H; c=sh in shore; r, as th in thin; tl, an explosive I; dl, a palatal 

 /, pronounced with the back of the tongue (dorso-apical). 



THE BILQULA. 



The Bilqula, who are generally called Bella Coola, are the most north- 

 ern tribe belonging to the Salish family. They are separated from the 

 tribes speaking allied languages by the Chilcotin (of the Tinneh stock) in 

 the interior, and on the coast by the Kwakiutl. Their language is — considered 

 grammatically — more closely related to the dialects of the Coast Salish than 

 to those of the tribes of the interior. A number of terms referring to the 

 sea and sea-animals are the same in Bilqula and in the dialects of the Gulf 

 of Georgia ; so that we may safely assume that the two groups of tribes 

 were at one time closely related, and that the Bilqula were differentiated from 

 this group. They inhabit the coasts of Bentinck Arm and Dean Inlet, as 

 shown on the map accompanying the sixth report of the committee, and 

 extend far up Bella Coola River. Since the end of last century they 



