Report of the President. 1 3 



the Curators in this connection will give a general idea of the re- 

 sults of the several expeditions during the past year. 



The Jesup North Pacific Expedition. — Dr. Berthold Laufer 

 continued his work on the Amoor and returned to Japan early in 

 November. According to last reports he was awaiting the arrival 

 of his collections, which are to be shipped from Japan to the 

 Museum. His reports indicate that the results of his investiga- 

 tions are of great importance. Dr. Laufer investigated thoroughly 

 the Aino and Gilyak of the Island of Saghalin, and later he vis- 

 ited the Gold and Gilyak tribes inhabiting the banks of the Amoor. 

 On his journey down the river he discovered interesting archaeo- 

 logical remains. His collections illustrate the industries, customs 

 and beliefs of the peoples he visited ; he also secured much 

 information relating to the native languages. 



Mr. Harlan I. Smith spent five months on the coast of Wash- 

 ington and British Columbia continuing his investigations on the 

 archaeology of that region. The most important results of his 

 journey are the establishment of the southern limits of North 

 Pacific culture and of the distribution of cairn burial on Van- 

 couver Island. He made an extensive collection illustrating the 

 archaeology of the Puget Sound region and of the interior of 

 southern British Columbia, which is of great importance for a study 

 of the distribution of the prehistoric tribes in that area. 



Mr. George Hunt continued his work among the Kwakiutl 

 tribes of northern Vancouver Island. He has sent an interesting 

 collection of the ceremonial objects, tools and implements of that 

 tribe, accompanied with full explanations. 



Mr. James Teit visited the Lillooet tribe, and made a collection 

 which shows the influence of the Coast tribes upon this people. 



North American Indian Research. — A beginning has been 

 made in the investigations on the Indian tribes of North America, 

 with the special view of studying the vanishing customs of the 

 Plains Indians. The results of these investigations are very en- 

 couraging, and it is to be hoped that the Museum may be able to 

 continue and extend its work in this direction. 



Through the generosity of Mr. C. P. Huntington an explorer 

 was sent to California. The work was intrusted to Mr. Roland 



