EEPORT OF THE SECEETAEY. 27 



are under its control and for whose welfare it is responsible. It is 

 not less a duty of the nation to preserve some record of this peculiar 

 race for the purposes of history and science, as neglect will become 

 a source of deep regret. An experienced ethnologist should make 

 investigations regarding the history, social institutions, religion, and 

 general culture of the people, and a physical anthropologist should 

 study their physical and mental characteristics. 



A work by Dr. N. B. Emerson — Unwritten Literature of Hawaii: 

 the Sacred Songs of the Hula — is now in press, and there is also be- 

 ing prepared by Dr. Cyrus Thomas, of the bureau's staff, and Prof. 

 H. M. Ballou, of Boston, Mass., a catalogue of books and papers re- 

 lating to the Hawaiian Islands. 



Another field for research that should be developed is among the 

 tribes of the Middle West. There is now a strong sentiment among 

 historical societies and educational institutions of this section in favor 

 of prosecuting more vigorously the studies of the tribal remnants of 

 the Mississippi Valley, for it is realized that when the old people of 

 the present generation have passed away the opportunity for collect- 

 ing historical and ethnological data will be lost forever. 



Mr. J. P. Dunn has been engaged as a collaborator of the bureau 

 on a study of the linguistics of the Algonquian tribes of this region, 

 and Prof. H. E. Bolton, of the University of Texas, has continued 

 his studies on the tribes of Texas. 



Other collaborators of the bureau have been making special 

 investigations relating to various tribes in different parts of the 

 country. 



INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES. 



For the purpose of more fully carrying into effect the provisions 

 of the exchange convention concluded at Brussels on March 15, 1886, 

 and proclaimed by the President January 15, 1889, a resolution was 

 passed by Congress during the year setting aside a certain number of 

 copies of the daily Congressional Record for exchange with the 

 legislative chambers of foreign countries. Under the authority 

 contained in this resolution arrangements for the exchange of the 

 parliamentary record have been entered into with 21 governments, 

 and the matter has been taken up with a number of other countries. 

 It should be stated in this connection that the convention here re- 

 ferred to was the second exchange agreement concluded at Brussels 

 between the United States and other countries on March 15, 1886. 

 The first convention was for the exchange of government documents 

 and scientific and literary publications, while the articles of the second 

 agreement made it obligatory on the contracting States to transmit, 

 immediately upon publication, a copy of the official journal to the 

 legislatures of each. The full text of the resolution, together with 



