40 EEPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1885. 



An illustrated catalogue of the Catlin collection of Indian paintings 

 has been prepared by Mr. Thomas Donaldson, and constitutes Part V 

 of tfiis report. 



Mr. J. E. Watkius, of Camden, N. J., who is one of the leading 

 authorities iu the country upon the history of railroads and steam 

 transportation, and who is indorsed by many of the leading railroad 

 men of the country, was in June appointed honorary curator of the sec- 

 tion of Steam Transportation. It is intended, as opportunity offers, to 

 gather in the Museum a collection of objects illustrating the history of 

 American railroads and steamlwats, with a view to preserving perma- 

 nently the memorials of the growth of this most important interest, which 

 has been so closely connected with the material progress of the United 

 States. Several important specimens have already been received, not- 

 ably the "John Bull" locomotive engine, which was built in 1831, in 

 England, by George and Kobert Stephenson, for theCaraden and Amboy 

 Eail and Tramway Company, by whom this engine was used from 1831 

 to 1861. This is now stored at the Armory building, but will be on ex- 

 hibition as soon as proper space can be provided. 



{b) Department of Ethnology. 



The Department of Ethnology has made rapid advances under the 

 care of its new curator. Prof. Otis T. Mason, although his detail for 

 special services in connection with the jS^ew Orleans Exposition ne- 

 cessitated his absence for nearly two months. During the remainder 

 of the time he has been occupied in preparing for exhibition mono- 

 graphic collections of those classes of objects in which the Museum is 

 rich, paying special attention to the subject of aboriginal baskets, 

 thro wing-sticks, and weapons. 



(c) Department of American Prehistoric Fottery. 



Mr. William H. Holmes, of the Bureau of Ethnology, has continued 

 the installation of aboriginal pottery, directing his efforts chiefly to 

 labeling, cataloguing, and classifying the accessions received in the 

 summer and fall of 1884. The very extensive collections of Pueblo 



structed in 1847 was the first of the kind ever used, and this was only used once, when, 

 on January 12, 1850, two hundred men, women, and children were saved from the 

 wreck of the ship Ayrshire. This life-car is now on exhibition in the National Mu- 

 seum. 



After the discovery of corrugating iron many metallic forms of boats, military 

 pontons, ponton-wagons, buoys, steamers, floating-docks, whale-boats, canal-boats, 

 &c., were produced. 



In the "History of Life-Saving Appliances and Military and Naval Constructions," 

 from which many of the above facts are derived, is a very interesting account of the 

 exhibition and test of the iron corrugated military ponton-wagon at Closternewburg, 

 before the Emperor of Austria. His interviews with foreign potentates were numer- 

 ous, and the exhibitions of his wonderful inventions always aroused great enthusiasm. 



