34 REPORT OP THE SECRETARY. 



Early in July Mrs. Matilda Coxe Steveoson proceeded to Zuni pueblo for the 

 purpose of investigating certain ceremonies not adequately studied hitherto, to the 

 end that they luight be incorporated in her monograph on the ZuFii Indians, She 

 remained throughout half of the fiscal year, and was able to complete her researches 

 in a satisfactory manner. Incidentally, she obtained at Zuni and Sia a number of 

 sacred masks used in the peculiar religious ceremonies of the people of the pueblos, 

 which have been transferred to the National Museum. 



Toward the end of July Dr. Albert S. Gatschet repaired to eastern Maine and 

 adjacent portions of New Brunswick in search of linguistic material among the 

 tribesmen still living on St. Croix River. His mission was successfnl. A large body 

 of vocables, paradigms, and texts representing the Passamaquoddy dialects of the 

 Al«»-onquian linguistic stock was secured, and he was able also to trace definitely, for 

 the first time, the derivation of many of the peculiar place names of eastern Maine. 

 From the middle of August until the middle of December Mr. J. N. B. Hewitt was 

 occupied in collecting material representing the laTnguages and mythology of the 

 Iroquoian Indians located in central New York and southern Ontario. His work 

 was eminently productive, yielding a large amount of material of exceptional use 

 for comparative studies in the philology and sophiology of the Indians. 



Toward the end of September Mr. James Mooney repaired to Indian Territory and 

 Oklahoma, where he spent several months in collecting information and material 

 relating chiefly to the Kiowa Indians. The primary purpose of the trip was research 

 concerning the peculiar heraldic system of the tribe; another purpose was the con- 

 tinuation of study of the use of peyote or "mescal" (a toxic plant corresponding 

 measurably with hashish) in the ceremonies of the Kiowa, Apache, and other 

 Indians; later in the season advantage Avas taken of his presence on the ground to 

 make a collection representing the Kiowa camp-circle for exhibition at the Tennessee 

 Centennial Exposition at Nashville. 



In April Mr. W J McGee visited the Muskwaki Indian settlement near Tama, 

 Iowa, with the object of beginning a special study of the social organization of 

 this little-known tribe. Although preliminary only, his operations were successful. 

 Incidentally he collected a quantity of aboriginal material for the National Museum. 

 Early in 1896 Mr. J. B. Hatcher, of Princeton University, was commissioned as a 

 special agent of the Bureau to obtain photographs and other data pertaining to the 

 aborigines of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. He reached the field and commenced 

 operations in the course of a few mouths, and reports of progress were received 

 early in the fiscal year. His field work was completed in .June. The photography 

 was moderately successful only, bxit the pictures were supplemented by a small 

 though interesting collection of objects representing the handiwork of these south- 

 ernmost representatives of the American aborigines. The success of the work, due 

 in part to Mr. Hatcher's energy and intrepidity, was promoted through the courtesy 

 of various officials of Argentina and Chile, special credit being due to Dr. Estanisfeo 

 Zeballos, formerly minister islenipotentiary from Argentina to the. United States. 



On December 17, 1894, Dr. Willis E. Everette was given an honorary commission to 

 collect linguistic and other material among the aborigines of Oregon, Washington, 

 British Columbia, and western Mexico, and from time to time he has submitted val- 

 uable linguistic material produced by his researches in these provinces. Especially 

 noteworthy contributions during the year relate to the Ten6 or Athapascan Indians 

 of Oregon. 



Early in September Mr. E. T. Perkins, jr., of the United States Geological Sur- 

 vey, reported the discovery of certain remarkable Indian carvings in Snake River 

 Valley, Idaho; and Mr. Perkins was temporarily detailed, through the courtesy of 

 Hon. C. D. Walcott, Director of the Survey, to make studies and photographs repre- 

 senting these carvings. The work Avas completed about the close of October. 



Early in 1897 Mr. H. S. Gane, of the Geological Survey, while on a temporary fur- 

 lough, made a trip through the San Juan country in southwestern Colorado and 



