38 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



tion. It so happened that while the surveyors were among these In- 

 dians, messengers arrived from the Go-si- Utes, of Western Utah and 

 Eastern Nevada, bringing information of great rains and of the gradual 

 rising of the Great Salt Lake, indicating, as they supposed, a great 

 calamity, and calling upon the tribes we have mentioned to join them 

 in religious ceremonies to appease the anger of the waters, lest in their 

 rage and coming power they should destroy all the land and the people 

 who lived thereon. The state of religious excitement which ensued 

 enabled Professor Powell to increase his knowledge of their mythology 

 and religion, in directions which previous to that time had been closed 

 to him. On these subjects the Indians are usually reticent. Believing in 

 sorcery and that a knowledge of their religion and organization can be 

 used by their enemies to their disadvantage, they forbear to give any 

 information on these subjects. But under the excitement above men- 

 tioned their reserve was neglected, and facts revealed which had pre- 

 viously been only partially understood. Previous to this no definite in- 

 formation had been obtained as to their religious worship, or whether 

 they had any system of appeasing the displeasure of their gods. 



A large number of articles to illustrate the various arts among these 

 people, in addition to those made in previous years, was collected, so 

 that the specimens in the National Museum for the study of the civili- 

 zation of these tribes are more extensive, perhaps, than for any other on 

 the American continent. Attention was also given to the ancient re- 

 mains in the valley of the Colorado, and interesting additions have 

 been made to the facts already known. A number of additional ruins 

 were discovered, and observations made for depicting on a map scores 

 of ancient towns or hamlets. Copies of picture-writings and stone im- 

 plements of various kinds were obtained. The ethnological investiga- 

 tion embraces language, mythology, folk-lore, and the means of obtain- 

 ing subsistence. 



A large number of photographs was taken, which served to assist the 

 draughtsman in delineating the topographical features of the country; 

 also another series of the Indians themselves, intended to illustrate 

 their dress, habits, and other characteristics. 



Survey under Hon. Archibald Campbell. 



This survey was for the continuation of the boundary-line along the 

 forty-ninth parallel of latitude, between the United States and the 

 British possessions. The distance remaining to be surveyed during 

 1S74 was three hundred and fifty-eight miles, from longitude 106° 12' 

 to longitude JL1 4° 05'. It was divided into two parties, the astronomical 

 and the topographical. 



During the season of 1874 the work was executed in the same manner 

 as before, under the agreement made between the chief astronomers of 

 the United States and British commissions, to the effect that the officers 

 of the United States were to determine astronomical stations at inter- 

 vals of forty miles, and to survey a belt of territory five miles wide south 



