, 1886-03-25
A Merited Encomium.

ASS1, "i9 II L llAb4lSlel iii 1000. Gl-t
8 copy has Just been received here.
From this copy we make the follow
ing extract. On page -, under the
head of British Columbia, Washing
ton and Oregon" Professor Baird
says:
much the most important research
prosecuted under the auspices Of the
Smithsonian Institution was that by
Nr. james G.. Swan, il the Queen
Charlotte Islands. The aid rendered
by MIR. Swan to the Institution in its
various enterprises Is mentioned III
many OF the preceding annual reports;
for more than quarter of century
his contributions have been most
praiseworthy. To him we owe very
extensive collections illustrating the
life and work of the Indians Of Puget
Sound, as also everything relating to
the fisheries of that region, whether
prosecuted by the savage or white
man. The aboriginal fishing imple-
msnts collected by Mr.. Swan and ex
hibited by the United States at Ber-
lin and London attracted very much
attention. During the past year 1883
che Institution was enabled by the
appropriation for the prosecution Of
chronological researches, to send Mr..
Swan on an extended exploration to
the Queen Charlotte Islands-a re
gion of which but little has hitherto
been known Such is the ease Of com
munication with Alaska and the ad-
jacent regions at the present time and
such the extent of travel in that di-
Tsction, that objects of native manu-
fscture, whether prehistoric or mod
srn, are becoming extremely scarce
and very costly. As these character
istics increase day by day, there is,
Of course, no time to be lost in secur-
ing that complete representation re
quired for the service of the national
museum In Washington. Fortunate
ly for this object the Queen Char
lotte Islands have been more out of
the way of travel, and much less
known; and Mr.. Swan, with the
hearty cooperation of officers of the
Hudson Bay Co, especially of Mr..
William Charles, was able, at reason
ADlS 1dleS, W SeCuIc COllGCllOh OI
extraordinary magnitude and interest.
This, filling some thirty boxes, in
cludes full series of everything re-
lating to the life and customs of the
Indians, and especially to the modes
and results of their fishing, which, of
course, constitute a very prominent
feature in their life.
One of the most important results
OF Nr. Swans work was the discovery
Of the use of fish of great food value
known by the Makahs of Cape Flat
tery as the Beshowe, and by the
Haidahs as the Skill, and by the whites
as black cod This is the AnOplopo-
ara fnsbria of ichthyologists, and is
in no way related to the cod, although
improperly so called. 1t is an an ex
srsmely abundent fish, easily caught,
but lives in very deep water. When
salted it keeps well and ID very pal
etable. Specimens sent by the Z. S.
Fish Commission to Boston were
smoked and pronounced to be super
ior to the halibut similarly treated.
1t is not improbable that an extsn-
awe eastern demand can be estab-
hshed for this fish.
In he early part of the year, Mr.
Swan sent in some photography and
about 100 specimens supplemental to
his series, illustrating the fisheries of
the Indians in and around Cape Flat
terry, the complete collection went to
London. 1t is TO be hoped that his
forthcoming notes will prove as
valuable as those previously published.
4 better knowledge of the Haidah
totems and totemic carving is desired
The collection is rich in masks, wood
carving, ladies, ancient stone imple-
nents, robes, clubs, shamans, wands,
fishing gear, ETC., but particularly SO
IN the slate carvings, OF which he
sends 30 specimens, dishes, placques,
boxes and models of totem posts.
There was 9lready on hand suf-
ecsnt number Of specimens to illus.
trats the Haidah wood carvings and
workings in silver, but the additions
10 the slate carvings have made it
appear desirable to install the latter
% a monographs collection, illus
trating this art, which alone places
ths Haidahs at the head of the In
dams OF the northwest coast"
OF Mr. Swans care in labelling and
describing specimens, the report says:
"As RUE the earlier collections
have lost much of their value, both
from want of care in preserving the
accompanying data, and from the ab-
solute neglect of collectors to forward
any. Descriptive Icards should be
written By the collectors in the field.
Nelson, IN Alaska, and Swan, have
shown the best realization of this
principle"
On page 234 is description of q
rare fish, the third example known to
be preserved, which was found by
Thomas Stratton, late of Port Ange-
les, and sent by Mr. Swan to the
Smithsonian. This is tha Deiolepis
oir0atlls, an eel shaped fish of large
size. On the same page MIR. Swan is
credited with finding the Brdma rail-
whose occurrence in the North Pacific
ne was the first to detect, and also
ths AGefiTits Gcr0lepiS, a new species,
and the first specimen of the genius
kaoWn from the Eastern Pacific"
Thus has Mr.. Swan, in a quiet and
anostentatious manner labored in the
cause of science so effectively as to
win the praise and esteem of the first
scientific Institution OF the land.
Our citizens can now understand
Why MIR. Swan has SO many Indians
constantly visiting his Office, bringing
him specimens and enabling him to
study the NEUROLOGICAL connection
between all the coast tribes. He loses
no opportunity to study agd verify
his theories respective the origin of
the Indians Of the Northwest Coast,
and his Forthcoming report upon the
Qnaan Charlnitn Islands. which Will