_During Foster’s connection with the Indian Bureau at Washington, John Q. Smith held the position of Commissioner of Indian Affairs and it is not improbable looked with little favor on the scheme. In any event the_ RECORD _is a desideratum in most collections and as such, even a portion of it may not be amiss in this reprint. Unfortunately its short existence did not permit of finishing the sketches of the Iowa or Winnebago, though it would appear that in the instance of the former but little more would have been added. It is hoped however, that in the foreword the more necessary data are given and that it is appropriately terminated._ _The actual worth of the_ INDIAN RECORD _is slight. Foster’s idea with reference to several monographs relating wholly or in part to certain tribes was a worthy one and could be executed to advantage even at this date. The two treatises attempted in his short-lived publication were on the Iowa and their parent stock, the Winnebago, although several shorter tribal sketches, as for example those on the Attacapa,[1] Oroyelles,[2] Arapahoes,[3] and Eries[4] are included among other features, these being as scattered notes through the forty-eight columns and of more or less value, particularly as concerns the linguistics.[5] It is evident from his Introduction that Foster must have had many difficulties to contend with, especially in the matter of procuring suitable faces of type for his Indian vocabularies as well as in the matter of actual printing. At the best the work is poorly done. The proof-reading is wretched and the statements of fact often in grave error. Abject carelessness in the matter of transcription appears without excuse, hence quoted portions through the present text have invariably been read and compared with the originals, obviously enhancing the value of such a reissue. Although a praiseworthy effort for the period and due every consideration at this time, a project of the kind attempted today would fail ingloriously unless handled with requisite care._ _In the absence of any cognate facts referring in detail to the Iowa tribe it has been deemed best to reprint Foster’s sketch in its entirety from the_ Record _and to add to it, as appendices, some features which will be of special interest and value to the student of American aboriginal history and ethnology. In this textual portion will be found much from Schoolcraft’s_ INDIAN TRIBES OF THE UNITED STATES, _also extracts, some of considerable length, from the first volume of the Minnesota Historical Society’s_ COLLECTIONS, 1850-56, _and Neill’s_ HISTORY OF MINNESOTA. _Nevertheless such facts as are garnered from sources of this character although purloined, are to be welcomed, and in a certain sense it may be considered fortunate that all of the material is not wholly original._