December 4, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



821 



At length, after its long and arduous ser- 

 vice in the far West, the valiant regiment to 

 which he belonged was given the merited 

 reward of a pleasant and peaceful station 

 in the East. It came to the newly con- 

 structed post of Fort Ethan Allen, on the 

 shores of Lake Champlain. Here we hoped 

 our friend might long remain to enjoy his 

 well-earned repose before he went on 

 another campaign, but here it was destined 

 that his earthly campaigns should end for- 

 ever. 



" A courageous man," says Webster, "is 

 ready for battle, a brave man courts it, a 

 gallant man dashes into the midst of the 

 conflict." To the class of gallant men, Cap- 

 tain Bourke distinctly belonged, and he 

 represented the highest type of the Ameri- 

 can soldier. In his boyhood he won a 

 medal of honor — that decoration of the Re- 

 public which none but the bravest may 

 wear— for gallantry in the memorable bat- 

 tle of Stone River, in Tennessee. For gal- 

 lantry during Indian campaigns he was 

 tendered two brevet commissions, that of 

 captain and that of major, but both of these 

 he modestly declined. 



Some idea of the fierce battles which he 

 fought on the frontier may be gleaned from 

 his writings ; but in these, while fullest 

 justice is done to the bravery of his com- 

 rades, his own heroic part is modestly sup- 

 pressed. It is enough to say that, for years, 

 he served on the staff of that distinguished 

 warrior, General George Crook, for none 

 who had not ' A frame of adamant, a soul 

 of fire ' found favor in his eyes or could 

 long follow the severe labors which he de- 

 manded of his soldiers. 



So much for the military career of our 

 subject, over which we would gladly linger, 

 but which we must dismiss with brief 

 words, and proceed to consider his claims on 

 our attention as an ethnologist — the claims 

 which most interest the members of this 

 meeting. 



Like a true soldier, he honored a brave 

 foe. If the Indian found him a deadlj'^ 

 enemy in time of war, he found also a true 

 friend and advocate in time of peace. At 

 an early time in his career he became in- 

 terested in the customs and languages of 

 the Indians and began to note these. He 

 gained the confidence and respect of Indian 

 allies and was afforded rare opportunities 

 for investigation. The notes made from 

 his original observations form the basis of 

 most of his works; but he found means also 

 for enriching his fund of knowledge by 

 means of comparative studies. 



In 1886 he was ordered to Washington to 

 compile his ethnographic notes. He re- 

 mained at the Capital about five years, and 

 during this period spent most of his time in 

 the great libraries reading the works of 

 early explorers and ethnographers and 

 makings copious notes. How well he col- 

 lated and how wisely he compared is 

 evinced by his excellent works on the 

 ' Medicine-men of the Apaches ' and the 

 ' Scatalogic Rites of all Nations.' Had he 

 lived longer we have no doubt he would 

 have drawn further from his ample store of 

 notes. 



Of his published contributions to ethnog- 

 raphy, which were numerous, perhaps the 

 most noteworthy was his ' Snake Dance of 

 the Moquis of Arizona.' In this he set an 

 early example to students in the too long 

 neglected study of ceremony and showed 

 how minute and careful the observations of 

 ceremonials might be made. The existence 

 of this wonderful rite was known to few 

 when he first witnessed it, but his work 

 spread the fame of the Mokis and their 

 ophiolatry over the world. To-day the 

 biennial rite attracts visitors from every 

 quarter, and the high pueblo walls that 

 overhang the sacred rock are thronged with 

 hundreds of white faces, mingled with the 

 dusky ones that look down upon the awful 

 rite below. His work stimulated the 



