2 CIRCULAR OF QUERIES. 



importance attached to burial ceremonies have formed an almost invariable 

 part of all works relating to the different peoples of our globe ; in fact no 

 particular portion of ethnologic research has claimed more attention. In 

 view of these facts, it might seem almost a work of supererogation to con- 

 tinue a further examination of the subject, for nearly every author in writ- 

 ing of our Indian tribes makes some mention of burial observances ; but 

 these notices are scattered far and wide on the sea of this special literature, 

 and many of the accounts, unless siqjported by corroborative evidence, may 

 be considered as entirely unreliable. To bring together and harmonize 

 conflicting statements, and arrange collectively what is known of the sub- 

 ject has been the writer's task, and an enormous mass of information has 

 been acquired, the method of securing which has been as follows : 



In the first instance a circular was prepared, which is here given ; 

 this at the time was thought to embrace all items relating to the disposal 

 of the dead and attendant ceremonies, although since its distribution other 

 important questions have arisen which will be alluded to subsequently. 



"Washington, D. C, June 15, 1877. 

 " To , 



" Sir : Being engaged in preparing a memoir upon the ' Burial Cus- 

 toms of the Indians of North America, both ancient and modern, and the 

 disposal of their dead,' I beg leave to request your kind co-operation to 

 enable me to present as exhaustive an exposition of the subject as possible, 

 and to this end earnestly invite your attention to the following points in 

 regard to which information is desired : 



" 1st. Name of the tribe. 



"2d. Locality. 



"3d. Manner of burial, ancient and mdflern. 



" 4th. Funeral ceremonies. 



"5th. Mourning observances, if any. 



"With reference to the first of these inquiries, ' Name of the tribe,' the 

 Indian name is desired as well as the name by which the tribe is known to 

 the whites. 



