Adair's History of the American Indians

The Chikkasah and Choktah method of adjuring a witness to give true evidence, is something similar to the former attestation, by To e u hah: when they ask them, whether they do not lie, they adjure them thus, Chiklooska ke-e-u Chua? The termination implies a question of the second person, singular number, and the whole oath signifies literally, “Do not you lie? Do you not, of a certain truth?” To which he answers by two strong negative asseverations, Aklooska Ke-e-u-que-Ho, “I do not lie; I do not, of a certain truth.” When the Choktah are averring any thing asked of them, they assert it, by saying Yah. This shews their ignorance of the vowels of the supposed divine four-lettered name, in comparison of the Cheerake; and that they are become less religious, by prophaning the divine name, Yah; which confirms me in the opinion, that the Cheerake Indians were a more civilized people than any of the other neighbouring Indians.

We are told that the northern Indians, in the time of their rejoicings, repeat YO Ha Han; which, if true, evinces that their corruption advances, in proportion as they are distant from South-America, and wanted a {51} friendly intercourse with those who had an open communication with those southern regions^[XIII]. Living in moderate high latitudes, would naturally prevent them from sinking into effeminacy, and inspire them with martial tempers, (as we are told of the Chili Indians) without being originally a bloodier people than any of the southern nations. However, we should be sparing of credit to what unskilful writers have carefully copied from each other, and transmitted to the learned world.

I shall hereafter, under another argument, shew, that the Indians variously transpose, shorten, and lengthen, each syllable of the great divine name, YO He Wah, in a very extraordinary manner, when they are singing and dancing to, and before, the divine essence: and that they commonly derive such words as convey a virtuous idea, from, or compound them with that divine, essential name.

I shall now shew a farther parity, between the Hebrew language, and the Aboriginal American dialects.

Pushkoosh signifies an infant, Neetta a bear, Nassooba a wolf, &c.——By joining the word Ooshe, to the end of the names of animals, it makes a {52} distinction; as Nassoob-ooshe, a wolf-cub, Neett’-ooshe a bear-cub: but though the word Oophe signifies a dog, as an exception to their general method of speech, they call a puppy Ooph-ishik, because he is so domestic, or sociable, as ישק, to kiss, or fondle. In like manner, Pishi signifies milk; and Pishik a woman’s breast, or the udder of any animal; as the young ones, by kissing, or sucking, shade the breast, פי, with their mouth, and thereby receive their nourishment. With the Hebrews,עפך (Oophecha) signifies active, or restless: which, according to the Indian idiom, expresses the quality of a dog; Oophe is therefore the name of this animal, and their period denotes a similarity, according to the usage of the Hebrews.

Shale and Shatèra, signify to carry, Shapore, a load. The former word consists of Sheth and Ale. Illeh imports dead, and Kaneha lost. They say Shat Kaneha, to carry a thing quite away, or to Canaan.—Likewise, Illeht Kaneha, literally, dead, and lost, or probably, gone to Canaan. Several old Indian American towns are called Kanāai; and it hath been a prevailing notion with many Jews, that when any of their people died in a strange land, they passed through the caverns of the earth, till they arrived at Canaan, their attractive centre. And the word Oobèa, likewise imports dead, or cut off by O E A, or Yohewah; for they firmly believe, as before hinted, they cannot outlive the time the Deity has prescribed them. They likewise say, Hasse Ookklīlle Cheele, “the sun is, or has been, caused to die in the water,” i. e. sun-set. When they would say, “Do not obscure, or darken me,” they cry Ish-ookkīlle Chīnna, verbatim, “Do not occasion Ish, me, to become like the sun, dead in the water.” They call the new moon, Hasse Awáhta, “the moon is called upon to appear by Yohewah:” which plainly shews, that they believe the periodical revolutions of the moon to be caused, and the sun every day to die, or be extinguished in the ocean, by the constant laws of God. When we ask them, if to-day’s sun is drowned in the western ocean, how another can rise out of the eastern ocean to-morrow? they only reply, Pilla Yammi, or Yammi mung; or such is the way of God with his people. It seems to be a plain contraction of יה and אממי Ammi; which was the name of Israel during the theocracy. Besides, Aeemmi signifies, “I believe;” as the peculiar people believed in Yohewah. And it likewise imports, “I am the owner of, &c.”——according to the Hebrew idiom, the words and meaning nearly agree. {53}

Ette signifies wood; and they term any kind of chest, box, or trunk, Eette Oobe; and frequently, Oobe; which seems to point to the “ark of the purifier,” that was so fatal to the laity even to touch; a strong emanation of the holy fire, light, and spirit, residing in it, as well as in that which the priests carried to war, against the devoted enemy.

The Chikkasah settled a town, in the upper, or most western part of the Muskohge country, about 300 miles eastward of their own nation, and called it Ooe-ása;^[25] which is derived from O E A, and Asa, “there,” or “here, is;” i. e. “YO He Wah presides in this place.” And, when a person is removing from his former dwelling, they ask him, Ish-ooè-à (tūm?) “are you removing hence, in the name, or under the patronage, of YO He Wah?” And it both signifies to ascend, and remove to another place. As, O E A, Aba, the omnipresent father of mankind, is said to dwell above, so the Indian hopes to remove there from hence, by the bounty of Ishtohoollo, the great holy One: according to their fixed standard of speech, had they made any nearer approach to O E A, the strong religious emblem of the beloved four-lettered name, it would have been reckoned a prophanation.

Phutchik signifies a star, and Oonna “he is arrived:” but Phutchik Oonnache, “the morning-star;” because he is the forerunner of light, and resembles the sun that reflects it. And Oonna-hah signifies to-morrow, or it is day. The termination denotes their gladness, that the divine light had visited them again: and, when they are asking if it is day, they say Onna He (tak?). The last monosyllable only asks a question; and the fæminine gender treble note is the mid syllable of the great divine name—which may reflect some light upon the former observations.

Although the Hebrews had a proper name for the human soul, calling it נפש; yet in Prov. xx. 27, it is called נר יהוה, “The candle, or lamp of God;” and figuratively applied, it conveys a strong idea of the human soul: Thus the Indians term it, Nāna Ishtohoollo, “something of, or a relation to, the great holy One;” very analogous to the former method of expressing the rational Fire, as they believe the Deity resides in the new year’s, supposed principle, in allusion to the celestial cherubic name אש, Ashe, holy fire. Because Ish, Man, received his breath from the divine inspiration of the beneficent creator Yah, they term the human {54} species, in their strong-pointing language, Yāhwè; which, though different from the divine, essential, four-lettered name, in sound has יה, Yah, for its radix. But, because the monkey mimics Yahweh, or the rational creation, more than any other brute, in features, shape, gesture, and actions; in proportion to the similitude, they give him a similar name, Shaw-we. This indeed makes a near approach to Ish and Yah, and to Yahwe; but it wants the radix of both, and consequently bears no signification of relation to either. While they urge, that the regularity of the actions of the brute creatures around them, expresses a nice understanding or instinct; they deny their being endued with any portion of the reasoning, and living principle, but bear only a faint allusion to Nana Ishtohoollo, the rational soul. The most intelligent among them, say the human soul was not made of clay, like the brute creation, whose soul is only a corporeal substance, attenuated by heat, and thus rendered invisible.

Through a seeming war-contempt of each other, they all use a favourite termination to their adjectives, (very rarely to their substantives) and sometimes to their verbs; especially when they are flourishing away, in their rapid war-speeches, which on such occasions they always repeat with great vehemence. I shall give a specimen of two words, in the dialects of our southern Indians. RI is the favourite period of the Katāhba Indians; as Mare-ŕi, or Wahre-ŕi, “Good,” and Maretawah-ŕi, or Wah-rètawàh-ŕi, “best,” or very good; Wah, the last syllable of the great divine name, is evidently the radix, and magnifies the virtuous idea to a superlative. In like manner, Shegàre-Wahŕi, “not bad,” but Sheekàre-ŕi, signifies “bad.” With these Indians, Sheeke is the name of a buzzard, which they reckon to be a most impure fowl, as it lives on putrid carcasses; upon which account, they choose that word to convey a vicious idea.

Quo is the sounding termination of the Cheerake; as Seohsta-quo, “good,”—and O-se-u, “best,” or very good. Here they seem to have studiously chosen the vowels:—As the following words will illustrate, Tonnàte-ū, “very honest,” or virtuous, and Y-O-U, “Evil,” or very bad. To corroborate the hints I gave, concerning the Indian names of monkey, and the human species, let it be observed, that though their words convey a virtuous or vicious idea, in proportion as they are constituted out of {55} any of their three divine names, Yohewah, Yah, and Ishtohoollo; or contain the vowels of the great sacred name, yet the aforesaid word Y-O-U, is so far from being a deviation from that general custom, it is an emphatical, and emblematical term to express evil, by the negative of good; for, as it is the only substantive or adjective of that word, it is a strong expressive symbol of the nature, and physical cause of moral evil, by separating YO, the first syllable of the divine four-lettered name into two syllables; and adding U, as a superlative period, to make it malum malorum.

Shèh is the sounding criterion of the Muskohge, or Creek Indians,—a kind of cant jargon, for example; Heettla-sheh, signifies “good,” and Heettla-wah-E-sheh, “very good;” according to their universal standard of speech, it becomes a superlative, by subjoining that part of the divine name to it. With the Chikkasah and Choktah, Heettla signifies dancing; probably because that religious exercise was good and highly pleasing to them, when, according to ancient custom, they danced in their symbolical circles, to, and before, YO He Wah. With the former, Apullowhage sheh, expresses “bad,” or evil, thereby inverting the divine letters.

Skeh is the favourite termination of the Chikkasah and Choktah—as Chookòma-skeh, “good,” Chookòmasto-skeh (alluding to Ishto) “very good;” and Ookproo-skeh, “bad.” Likewise, Ookproosto, “worst,” or very bad; for, by annexing the contracted initial part of the divine name, Ishtohoollo, to the end of it, it is a superlative. These remarks may be of service to the inhabitants of our valuable and extensive barriers, in order to discover the national name of those savages, who now and then cut them off.

Ookproo-see, with those Indians, signifies “accursed;” the two last letters make only a samech, which implies a neuter passive: and, as Ookproo is the only substantive or adjective they use to express “evil,” by doubling the leading vowel of the four-lettered divine name, both at the beginning and end of the word; may we not conjecture at its origin, as glancing at the introduction of sin or evil by man’s overacting, or innovating, through a too curious knowledge, or choice? “Ye shall be as gods,” and, in order to gain the resemblance, they ate what was forbidden. {56}

The greater number of their compounded words, (and, I believe, every one of them) which convey a virtuous or pure idea, either have some syllables of the three divine names, or visibly glance at them; or have one or two vowels of the sacred name, Yo He Wah, and generally begin with one of them; which I shall exemplify, with a few Chikkasah and Cheerake words. Isse-Ahowwè, “Deer;” Yanàsa, Buffalo, which as it begins with the divine name, Yah, contains no more of their beloved vowels: in like manner, Wahka, “cattle;” Ishke-Oochēa, “a mother.” This last seems to be drawn from Isha, the mother of all mankind. Ehó and Enekia signify “a woman.” The latter is derived from the active verb, Akekiuhah, signifying “to love ardently,” or like a woman; Nakkàne Askai, “a man.” From this word, the Chikkasah derive Nakke, the name of an arrow or bullet: and with the Cheerake Askai signifies “to fear;” as all the American brute animals were afraid of man, &c.

Words, which imply either a vicious or impure idea, generally begin with a consonant, and double those favourite vowels, either at the beginning and end, or in the middle, of such words; as Nassooba Woheea, “a wolf.” With the Chikkasah, Eassooba signifies “bewildered;” Patche, “a pigeon,” and Patche Eassooba, “a turtle-dove.” Soore and Sheeke are the Chikkasah and Cheerake names of a “Turkey-buzzard;” Choola and Choochòla, “a fox;” Shookqua and Seequa, an “opossum,” or hog; Ookoonne, “a polecat;” Ookoonna, “a badger;” Chookphe and Cheesto, “a rabbet.” The last word is derived from the defective verb Chesti, “forbear,” or do not meddle with; and rabbets were prohibited to the Israelites. In like manner, Ooppa and Ookookoo, “a night-owl;” Oophe and Keera, “a dog;” Nahoolla and U-nēhka, “white people,” or “impure animals.” The Chikkasah both corrupt and transpose the last part of the divine name, Ishtohoollo; and the Cheerake invert their magnifying termination U, to convey an impure idea. And through the like faint allusion to this divine name, Hoollo signifies “idols, pictures, or images;” a sharp-pointed sarcasm! for the word, Hoollo, signifies also “menstruous women,” who were for the time an equal abomination to the Israelites, and with whom they were to have no communion. These two words seem to bear the same analogy to each other, as אל, Al, a name of God, and אלה, Aleh, signifying the covenant of the holy One to redeem man, and אלוה, Aloah, execrated, or accursed of God, as idols were. {57}

With the Cheerake, Awwa, or Amma, signifies “water,” and Ammoi, “a river;” not much unlike the Hebrew. They likewise term salt, Hawa; and both the conjunction copulative, and “to marry,” is Tawa. The name of a wife is Awah; which written in Hebrew, makes הוה, Eve, or Eweh, the name of our general mother. So that the Indian name of a wife, is literally and emphatically, his And, “One absolutely needful for the well-being of Ish, or man;” Ishtawa (tim?) signifies “have you married?” We gain additional light from the strong significant appellative, Ish-ke, “a mother;” which is an evident contraction of Isha, the mother of Yawe, or mankind, with their favourite termination, ske, subjoined; the word becomes thus smoother than to pronounce it at its full length, Isha-ske. If we consider that the Hebrews pronounced ו, Vau, when a consonant, as W, here is a very strong, expressive gradation, through those various words, up to the divine, necessary, And, who formed and connected every system of beings; or to the Hebrew divine original YO He Wah: at the same time, we gain a probable reason why so many proper names of old Indian places, in South-Carolina, and elsewhere, along the great continent, begin with our Anglo-Saxon borrowed character, W; as Wampee, Watboo, Wappoo, Wadmolā, Wassamèsāh, &c. Chance is fluctuating, and can never act uniformly.

To elucidate the aforesaid remarks, it may not be amiss to observe, that, according to the Israelitish custom both of mourning, and employing mourners for their dead, and calling weeping, the lifting up of their voices to God, the Choktah literally observe the same custom; and both they and the Chikkasah term a person, who through a pretended religious principle bewails the dead, Yah-ah, “Ah God!” and one, who weeps on other occasions, Yāhma, “pouring out salt tears to, or before God;” which is similar to יהמי. When a person weeps very bitterly, they say, Yahmishto, which is a compounded word, derived from יה, and ומי, with the initial part of the divine name, Ishtohoollo, subjoined, to magnify the idea, according to the usage of the Hebrews. When the divine penman is describing the creation, and the strong purifying wind, which swept along the surface of the waters, he calls it, “the air, or spirit;” and, more significantly, “the wind of God,” or a very great wind: and, in other parts of the divine oracles, great hail, a {58} great lion, and the like, are by the same figure, called the hail of God. They also apply the former words, Yah-ah, Yah-ma, and the like, to express the very same ideas through all the moods and tenses as Cheyaàras, “I shall weep for you;” Sawa Cheyaàra Awa, “Wife, I will not weep for you.” And when the violence of their grief for the deceased, is much abated, the women frequently, in their plaintive notes, repeat Yo Hé (tà) Wāh, Yo Hé (tà) Weh, Yò Hé ta Há, Yo Hê tà Héh; with a reference probably to the Hebrew custom of immoderately weeping and wailing for their dead, and invoking the name of God on such doleful occasions; and which may have induced these supposed red Hebrews to believe the like conduct, a very essential part of religious duty. Neetak Yah-ah signifies “a fast day,” because they were then humbly to say Ah, and afflict their souls before Yah. In like manner, Yah Abe signifies “one who weeps for having killed, or murdered another.” Its roots are יה, Yah, their continual war-period, and, אבל, Abele, signifying “sorrow or mourning;” for, as killing, or murdering, is an hostile act, it cannot be drawn from אבה, which signifies brotherly love, or tender affection. Nana-Yah-Abe describes a person weeping, while another is killing him. Now, as Nana is “a relation,” Yah “God,” and Abe as above, the true meaning seems to be, “One, like bleeding Abele, weeping to God.” Likewise their name for salt, Hawa, may inform us, that though at present they use no salt in their religious offerings, they forbore it, by reason of their distant situation from the sea-shore, as well as by the danger of blood attending the bringing it through an enemy’s country; for, according to the idiom of their language, if they had not thought salt an essential part of the law of sacrificature, they most probably, would not have derived it from the two last syllables of the great divine name; whereas they double the consonant, when they express water, without drawing it from the clear fountain of living waters, YO He Wah.

With the Hebrews, as before observed^[XIV], טפל, Tephale, signifies “shaking or pulling of the hand, cohesion, conjunction, or entering into society;” and “praying, or invoking.” In conformity to that original standard, when the Indians would express a strong, lasting friendship, they have no {59} other way, than by saying, Aharattlè-la pheena chemanumbóle, “I shall firmly shake hands with your discourse, or speech.”

When two nations of Indians are making, or renewing peace with each other, the ceremonies and solemnities they use, carry the face of great antiquity, and are very striking to a curious spectator, which I shall here relate, so far as it suits the present subject. When strangers of note arrive near the place, where they design to contract new friendship, or confirm their old amity, they send a messenger a-head, to inform the people of their amicable intention. He carries a swan’s wing in his hand, painted all over with streaks of white clay, as an expressive emblem of their embassy. The next day, when they have made their friendly parade, with firing off their guns and whooping, and have entered the beloved square, their chieftain, who is a-head of the rest, is met by one of the old beloved men, or magi, of the place. He and the visitant approach one another, in a bowing posture. The former says, Yò, Ish la chu Anggòna? “Are you come a friend in the name of God?” Or, “Is God with you, friend?” for, Yo is a religious contraction of Yohewah,—Ish “the man,” La a note of joy, Chu a query, and Anggona “a friend.” The other replies, Yah—Arahre-O, Anggona, “God is with me, I am come, a friend, in God’s name.” The reply confirms the meaning of the questionary salute, in the manner before explained. The magus then grasps the stranger with both his hands, around the wrist of his right hand, which holds some green branches—again, about the elbow—then around the arm, close to his shoulder, as a near approach to the heart. Then his immediately waving the eagles tails over the head of the stranger, is the strongest pledge of good faith. Similar to the Hebrew word, Phále with the Indians, signifies “to wave,” and likewise to shake; for they say, Skooba—Phále, “shaking one’s head.” How far the Indian oath, or manner of covenanting, agrees with that of the Hebrews, on the like solemn occasion, I refer to the intelligent reader. Their method of embracing each other, seems to resemble also that custom of the Hebrews, when a stranger became surety for another, by giving him his wrist; to which Solomon alludes, “If thou hast stricken hand with the stranger, &c.”—Their common method of greeting each other, is analogous with the above; the host only says, Ish-la Chu? and the guest replies, Arahre-O, “I am come in the name of O E A,” or Yo He Wah. {60}

When O is joined to the end of words, it always denotes a superlative, according to their universal figurative abbreviations of the great beloved name; thus with the Chikkasah, Isse, “deer,” and Isse-O, “very great deer;” Yanása, “a buffalo,” Yanas-O, “a very extraordinary great buffalo;” which is, at least, as strong a superlative, as אל ביח אל, signifying “the house of the Omnipotent,” or “the temple.”

With the Cheerake Indians, A (wàh tà) howwe signifies “a great deer-killer:” it is compounded of Ahowwe, “a deer,” Wah—the period of the divine name, and Ta, a note of plurality. The title, “the deer-killer of God for the people,” was, since my time, very honourable among them, as its radical meaning likewise imports. Every town had one solemnly appointed; him, whom they saw the Deity had at sundry times blessed with better success than the rest of his brethren, in supplying them with an holy banquet, that they might eat, and rejoice, before the divine essence. But now it seems, by reason of their great intercourse with foreigners, they have left off that old social, religious custom; and even their former noted hospitality. I will also observe, that though necessity obliged them to apply the bear’s-grease, or oil, to religious uses, they have no such phrase as (Wah ta) eeōna; not accounting the bear so clean an animal as the deer, to be offered, and eaten in their religious friendly feasts; where they solemnly invoked, ate, drank, sung, and danced in a circular form, to, and before, YO He Wah.

The Indian dialects, like the Hebrew language, have a nervous and emphatical manner of expression.—The Indians do not personify inanimate objects, as did the oriental heathens, but their style is adorned with images, comparisons, and strong metaphors like the Hebrews; and equal in allegories to any of the eastern nations. According to the ages of antiquity, their war-speeches, and public orations, always assume a poetical turn, not unlike the sound of the measures of the celebrated Anacreon and Pindar. Their poetry is seldom exact in numbers, rhymes, or measure: it may be compared to prose in music, or a tunable way of speaking. The period is always accompanied with a sounding vehemence, to inforce their musical speech: and the music is apparently designed to please the ear, and affect the passions. {61}

After what hath been said of their language, it may be proper here to shew how they accent the consonants: I shall range them in the order of our alphabet, except those they pronounce after our manner. When CH begins a word, or is prefixed to a vowel, it conveys a soft sound, as Cháa, “high;” but otherwise it is guttural: as is D, which is expressed by fixing the tip of the tongue between the teeth, as Dawi, for David. G is always guttural, as we accent Go. They cannot pronounce Gn; and they have not the Hh, neither can it be expressed in their dialects, as their leading vowels bear the force of guttural consonants. They have not the Jod, as I can any way recollect, or get information of; nor can they repeat it, any nearer than Chot. They pronounce K, as in Ko; L and N, as D—S, by fixing the tongue to the lower teeth; T like D, as in the old Hibernian, or Celtic affirmative, Ta. They cannot pronounce V, or X; they call the governor of Moveel, (Mobille) Goweno-Moweeleh: and they have not a word which begins or ends with X. KS are always divided into two syllables; as Hak-se, “mad,” &c. They have not the letter Z; much less any such harsh sound as Tz, although they have Tl. As they use the Hebrew consonants Y and W, in their most solemn invocation YO He Wah, instead of the present Hebrew Jod and Vau; so they seem to exclude them intirely out of their various dialects: the pronunciation therefore of the Hebrew characters, which are supposed to convey the other sounds, they are unacquainted with; and those which seem to be transposed, may be clearly ascertained by persons of proper capacity and leisure, by comparing a sufficient number of Hebrew and Indian words together. The Indian accents, Oo, and O, Qu, and Tl, may, prove a pretty good key to speculative enquirers.

Tl often occur in their words; as Tlumba, “to bleed with a lancet, to bore, scoop, or make any thing hollow;” and Heettla, “to dance.” And the South-Americans, we are told, had likewise the same sound, as in that national name, Tlaskala: it seems to have been universal over the extensive continent. And, from a similarity of the Hebrew manners, religious rites, civil and martial customs, we have a strong presumptive proof, that they used the aforesaid double vowels, and likewise a single vowel, as a termination, to give their words a soft accent: and it is plain to me, that the Hebrew language did not sound so harsh, as it is now commonly expressed, but like the American dialects it was interspersed with vowels, {62} and a vowel was commonly subjoined to each word, for the sake of a soft cadence; as Abele, and Ale, instead of אבל, Abel, and אל, Al &c.

The English characters cannot be brought any nearer to the true pronunciation of the Indian words, than as above set down: so that former writers have notoriously strayed, by writing conjecturally, or taking things on the wing of fame. What Indian words we had, being exceedingly mangled, either by the fault of the press, or of torturing pens, heretofore induced skilful persons to conjecture them to be hieroglyphical characters, in imitation of the ancient Egyptian manner of writing their chronicles.

The Indians express themselves with a great deal of vehemence, and with short pauses, in all their set speeches; but, in common discourse, they express themselves according to our usual method of speech, only when they scold each other: which I never observed, unless they were intoxicated with spiritous liquors, or casually overheard a husband when sober in his own family. They always act the part of a stoic philosopher in outward appearance, and never speak above their natural key. And in their philosophic way of reasoning, their language is the more sharp and biting, like keen irony and satyr, that kills whom it praises. They know, that thus they correct and subdue the first boilings of anger; which, if unchecked, proves one of the most dangerous passions to which human nature is subject. So that remote savages, who have heard only the jarring screeches of night-owls, and the roaring voices of ravenous beasts of prey, in this respect give lessons, and set a worthy example to our most civilized nations.

I have heard several eloquent Indian leaders, just as they were ready to set off for war, to use as bold metaphors and allegories in their speeches—and images almost as full and animating, as the eloquent penman of the old divine book of Job, even where he is painting, with his strong colours, the gladness and contempt of the beautiful war-horse, at the near approach of the enemy. I heard one of their captains, at the end of his oration for war, tell the warriors that stood outermost, he feelingly knew their guns were burning in their hands; their tomohawks thirsty to drink the blood of their enemy; and their trusty {63} arrows impatient to be on the wing; and, lest delay should burn their hearts any longer, he gave them the cool refreshing word, “Join the holy ark, and away to cut off the devoted enemy.” They immediately sounded the shrill whoo-whoop, and struck up the solemn, awful song, Yo, &c.

In Virginia, resides the remnant of an Indian tribe, who call themselves Sepóne;^[26] which word, with the Egyptians, signifies the time of putting their wine into vessels; derived, according to mythologists, from Saphan, “to inclose or conceal.” From thence they formed the fictitious Tisiphone, the punisher of sins, animated with hatred; and also the rest of their pretended furies, from the like circumstances of the year. Our early American writers have bestowed on these Indians an emperor, according to the Spanish copy, calling him Pawhatan—contrary to the Indian method of ending their proper names with a vowel; and have pictured them as a separate body of fierce idolatrous canibals. We however find them in the present day, of the same temper and religious tenets, as the rest of the Indian Americans, in proportion to their situation in life. Considering the nearness of Egypt to Judea, they might have derived that appellative from the Egyptians,—especially, as here, and in several of our American colonies, (particularly on the north side of Susquehāna river, in Pensylvania) are old towns, called Kanāa. There was about thirty years ago, a remnant of a nation, or subdivided tribe of Indians, called Kanāai; which resembles the Hebrew proper name, כנענ, (Canaan, or Chanoona). Their proper names always end with a vowel: and they seldom use a consonant at the end of any word^[XV]. I cannot recollect {64} any exceptions but the following, which are sonorous, and seem to be of an ancient date; Ookkàh, “a swan;” Ilpàtak, “a wing;” Kooshàk, “reeds;” Sheenuk, “sand;” Shūtik, “the skies;” Phutchik, “a star;” Soonak, “a kettle;” Skin, “the eye;” Ai-eep, “a pond;” and from which they derive the word Ai-ee-pe, “to bathe,” which alludes to the eastern method of purifying themselves. Ilbàk signifies “a hand;” and there are a few words that end with sh; as Soolish, “a tongue,” &c.

The Indians call the lightning and thunder, Eloha, and its rumbling noise, Rowah, which may not improperly be deduced from the Hebrew. To enlighten the Hebrew nation, and impress them with a reverential awe of divine majesty, God spoke to them at Sinai, and other times during the theocracy, with an awful or thundering voice. The greater part of the Hebrews seem to have been formerly as ignorant of philosophy, as are the savage Americans now. They did not know that thunder proceeded from any natural cause, but from the immediate voice of Elohim, above the clouds: and the Indians believe, according to this Hebrew system of philosophy, that Minggo Ishto Eloha Alkaiasto, “the great chieftain of the thunder, is very cross, or angry when it thunders:” and I have heard them say, when it rained, thundered, and blew sharp, for a considerable time, that the beloved, or holy people, were at war above the clouds. And they believe that the war at such times, is moderate, or hot, in proportion to the noise and violence of the storm.

I have seen them in these storms, fire off their guns, pointed toward the sky; some in contempt of heaven, and others through religion—the former, to shew that they were warriors, and not afraid to die in any shape; much less afraid of that threatening troublesome noise: and the latter, because their hearts directed them to assist Ishtohoollo Eloha^[XVI]. May not this {65} proceed from an oral tradition of the war which the rebellious angels waged against the great Creator; and which the ancient heathens called the war of the giants? Nothing sounds bolder, or is more expressive, than the Cheerake name of thunder, Eentaquàróske. It points at the effects and report of the battles, which they imagine the holy people are fighting above. The small-pox, a foreign disease, no way connatural to their healthy climate, they call Oonatàquára, imagining it to proceed from the invisible darts of angry fate, pointed against them, for their young people’s vicious conduct. When they say, “I shall shoot,” their term is, Ake-rooka. The radix of this word is in the two last syllables; the two first are expressive only of the first person singular; as Akeeohoosa, “I am dead, or lost;” and Akeeohooséra, “I have lost.” Rooka seems to have a reference to the Hebrew name for the holy Spirit.

The most southern old town, which the Chikkasah first settled, after the Chokchoomah,^[27], Choktah, and they, separated on our side of the Missisippi, into three different tribes, they called Yanèka, thereby inverting Yahkàne, the name of the earth; as their former brotherhood was then turned into enmity^[XVII]. The bold Creeks on the opposite, or north side of them, they named Yahnàbe, “killing to God,” or devoting to death; for the mid consonant expresses the present time. And their proper names of persons, and places, are always expressive of certain circumstances, or things, drawn from roots, that convey a fixed determinate meaning.

With the Muskohge, Algeh signifies “a language,” or speech: and, because several of the Germans among them, frequently say Yah-yah, as an affirmative, they call them Yah-yah Algeh, “Those of the blasphemous speech;” which strongly hints to us, that they still retain a glimpse of the third moral command delivered at Sinai, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain,” or apply the name of Yohewah, thy Elohim, to vain, or created things. {66}

These Indians, to inculcate on their young people, that YO He Wah is the Author of vegetation, call the growth of vegetables, Wahráah, “moved by Yohewah;” for Aàh signifies to walk, or move; and the consonant is an expletive of distinction. In like manner, Wah-àh signifies, that “the fruits are ripe,” or moved to their joy, by Yohewah. They likewise call the flying of birds, Wahkáàh; as Yohewah gave them that swift motion. And, when young pigeons are well feathered, they say, Patche hishshè oolphotàháh—Patchè signifies “a pidgeon,” Hishshè, “leaves, hair, or feathers,” oolpha, or oolpho, “a bud,” ta, a note of plurality, and háh of admiration, to make it a plural superlative. But, when the pigeons, in winter, fly to a moderate climate in great clouds, they use the word, Wah-àh, which in every other application describes vegetation, and say, Patche Wah-àh, “the pigeons are moved to them by Yohewah;” which seems to allude to the quails in the wilderness, that were miraculously sent to feed the Israelites.

Clay basons they call Ai-am-bo, and their old round earthen forts, Aiambo Cháah, this last word signifying “high,” or tall: but a stockade, or wooden fort, they term, Hoorèta, and to inswamp, Book-Hoore, from Bookse, “a swamp,” and Hoorèta, “a fort, or place of difficult access.” High waters, conveys to them, an idea only of deepness; as Ookka phobe, “deep waters.” And they say, Ookka chookòma intáa, “The water glides, or moves along pleasantly, or goodly.” That the word Intâa, has Ya-ah for its radix, is apparent from their name for a rapid current, Yahnāle, “it runs with a very extraordinary force;” the mid consonant is placed there, to give the word a suitable vehemence of expression—and the word is compounded of יה, Yah, and אל, Ale, two names of God. In like mannermanner, Yahnhà signifies “a pleurisy,” fever, and the like; because they reckon, when Yah says ha in anger, to any of their vicious people, he immediately fires the blood, and makes it run violently through all the veins of the body. Ashtahále signifies the reflection of the celestial luminaries, which is composed of two of the divine names; as אש, Ash, the celestial, cherubimical name of God, signifying fire, ta, a contraction of the conjunction copulative, and אל, Ale, the strong, or omnipotent. They say a river, or warm victuals, is A-shu-pa; that is, the former is become fordable, and the latter eatable. They here divide Ash into two syllables; and the termination alludes to the word, Apà, which signifies eating. {67}

Páàh signifies to raise the voice, Vocifero—for פי, Phi, signifies “the mouth,” and Aàh, “to move.” Opáe is the name of a war-leader, because he is to move his mouth to O E A, or invoke YO He Wah, while he carries the beloved ark to war, and is sanctifying himself and his party, that they may obtain success against the enemy. But Pae-Minggo signifies a far-off, or distant chieftain. Pa yak Matàháh, is the high name of a war-leader, derived from Páah, to raise the voice to Yah, and Tahàh, “finished,” meaning his war-gradation: the M prefixed to it, makes it a substantive, according to the usage of the Hebrews. Any thing liquid they term Ookche, from Ookka and che: and Ookchaah signifies “alive.” It is drawn from Ookka, “water,” Ch, a note of resemblance, and Aàh, “moving;” i. e. a living creature resembles moving water. In like manner, Ookchà signifies to awake out of sleep; and also to plant any vegetable substance, alluding to their three different states—they first were enabled to move about—then rest, or sleep is necessary, and also being planted in the earth—but they hope that in due time, they shall be moved upward, after they have slept a while in the earth, by the omnipotent power of Yah. They have an idea of a resurrection of the dead body, according to the general belief of the Jews, and in conformity to St. Paul’s philosophical axiom, that corruption precedes generation, and a resurrection.

Keenta signifies “a beaver,” Ookka “water,” and Heenna “a path;” but, for a smooth cadence, they contract them into one word, Keentookheenna; which very expressively signifies “a beaver-dam.”

The Indian compounded words, are generally pretty long; but those that are radical, or simple, are mostly short: very few, if any of them, exceed three or four syllables. And, as their dialects are guttural, every word contains some consonants; and these are the essential characteristics of language. Where they deviate from this rule, it is by religious emblems; which obviously proceeds from the great regard they paid to the names of the Deity; especially, to the four-lettered, divine, essential name, by using the letters it contains, and the vowels it was originally pronounced with, to convey a virtuous idea; or, by doubling, or transposing them, to signify the contrary. In this they all agree. And, as this general custom must proceed from one primary cause, it seems to assure us, they were not in a {68} savage state, when they first separated, and variegated their dialects, with so much religious care, and exact art. Blind chance could not direct so great a number of remote and warring savage nations to fix on, and unite in so nice a religious standard of speech. Vowels are inexpressive of things, they only typify them; as Oo-E-A, “to ascend, or remove:”—O E A, a most sacred affirmation of the truth. Similar to these are many words, containing only one consonant: as To-e-u, “it is very true;” O-se-u, “very good;” Y-O-U, “evil, or very bad;” Y-â-a, “he moves by the divine bounty;” Nan-ne Y-a, “the divine hill, or the mount of God,” &c. If language was not originally a divine gift, which some of our very curious modern philosophers deny, and have taken great pains to set aside; yet human beings are possessed of the faculties of thinking and speaking, and, in proportion to their ideas, they easily invented, and learned words mixed with consonants and vowels, to express them. Natural laws are common and general. The situation of the Indian Americans, has probably been the means of sinking them into that state of barbarism we now behold—Yet, though in great measure they may have lost their primitive language, not one of them expresses himself by the natural cries of brute-animals, any farther than to describe some of the animals by the cries they make; which we ourselves sometimes imitate, as Choo-qua-lê-qua-lôô, the name they give that merry night-singing bird, which we call “Whip her will my poor wife,” (much like our cuckoo) so termed from its musical monotony. No language is exempt from the like simple copyings. The nervous, polite, and copious Greek tongue had the loud-sounding Böô Böao, which the Romans imitated, by their bellowing Boves Böum; and the Indians say Pa-a, signifying the loud noise of every kind of animals, and their own loud-sounding war Whoô Whoóp. Where they do not use divine emblems, their words have much articulation of consonants. Their radicals have not the inseparable property of three consonants, though frequently they have; and their words are not so long, as strangers conjecturally draw them out. Instead of a simple word, we too often insert the wild picture of a double, or triple-compounded one; and the conjugation of their verbs, utterly deceives us. A specimen of this, will shew it with sufficient clearness, and may exhibit some useful hints to the curious searchers of antiquity.

A-nô-wa signifies “a rambler, renegadoe, or a person of no settled place of abode.” A-nó-wah, the first person, and Ish-na, the second person {69} singular, but they have not a particular pronoun for the third; they distinguish it by custom. Si-a, or Sy-ah, is “I am;” Chee-a, or Chy-ah, “you are;” and Too-wah, “he is.” Ay-ah signifies “to go;” Ay-a-sa, “I remain;” Ish-i-a-sa, “you remain;” A-sa, “he remains.” A-OO-E-A is a strong religious emblem, signifying “I climb, ascend, or remove to another place of residence.” It points to A-nó-wah, the first person singular, and O-E-A, or YO He Wah; and implies, putting themselves under his divine patronage. The beginning of that most sacred symbol, is, by studious skill, and a thorough knowledge of the power of letters, placed twice, to prevent them from applying the sacred name to vain purposes, or created things. In like manner they say, Nas-sap-pe-O Ish-OO-E-A, “You are climbing a very great acorn-tree,” meaning an oak; for Nas-se is the name of an acorn; and the mid part of that triple compounded word, is derived from Ap-pê-la, “to help;” Che-ap-pê-la A-wa, “I do not help you.” The termination, according to their mixed idiom, magnifies it to a superlative. Quoo-ran-hê-qua, a noted old camping place, fourteen miles above the settlement of Ninety-six, and eighty-two below the Cheerake, signifies, in their dialect, “the large white oaks.” Oos-sak is the name of a “hickory-nut,” and Oos-sak Ap-pe-O as above. Oot-te signifies “a chestnut;” Noot-te, “a tooth;” Soot-te, “a pot;” and Oo-te, “to make a fire,” which may be called an Indian type for eating boiled chestnuts.

When they say, “He is removing his camp,” they express it in a most religious manner, Al-bé-na-OO-E-A. Al-be-nâs-le signifies “I camped;” Al-be-nâs-le-chû, “I shall, or will, camp:” but, according to their religious mode of speaking, Al-bé-na A-OO-E-A-re, expresses the former, and Al-bé-na A-OO-E-A-ri-chû, the latter phrase; likewise, Al-bé-na OO-E-As signifies Castra Moveto, imperatively. It is worthy of notice, that as they have no pronoun relative to express the third person singular, they have recourse to the first syllable of the essential word, Toowah, “He is.” In allusion to that word, they term the conjunction copulative, Ta-wah, and Tee-U-Wah, “resting.” So mixed a train of nice and exact religious terms, could not be invented by people, as illiterate and savage as the Indians now are, any more than happen by accident.

Though they have lost the true meaning of their religious emblems, except what a very few of us occasionally revive in the retentive memories of their old inquisitive magi; yet tradition directs them to apply them properly.{70} They use many plain religious emblems of the divine names, Yohewah, Yah, and Ale,—and these are the roots of a prodigious number of words, through their various dialects. It is surprising they were unnoticed, and that no use was made of them, by the early voluminous Spanish writers, or by our own, for the information of the learned world, notwithstanding the bright lights they had to direct them in that æra, when the decorations of their holy temples and priests, their religious ceremonies, and sacred hymns of praise to the Deity, of which hereafter, so nearly corresponded with the Israelitish, and might have been readily discovered by any who eyed them with attention. In our time, by reason of their long intercourse with foreigners, we have necessarily but a few dark traces to guide our inquiries, in the investigation of what must have been formerly, shining truths.

I must beg to be indulged with a few more remarks on their verbs.^[28]—If we prefix As to A-a, “to move,” it becomes A-sâ-a, “to offend.” The monosyllables Ish and Che, variously denote the second person singular; but when the former is by custom prefixed to a verb, the latter then expresses either the accusative or ablative case singular of the pronoun relative; as Ish-a-sâ-ah, “you are offended, or moved to say Ah;” Ish-a-sâ-a-re, “you were displeased;” but Che-a-sâ-ah signifies “I am displeased with you;” and Che-a-sâ-a-re “I was offended by you;” Che-a-sâ-a-chee-le is “I occasion, or have occasioned you to be displeased,” literally, “I produce, or have produced offence to you;” and Che-a-sâ-a-cheê-le Awa, “I shall not cause you to be displeased.” In like manner, they say A-ân-ha, which signifies “I despise,” or literally, “I move ha;” for the mid letter is inserted for distinction-sake, according to their idiom. So A-chîn-ha-chu, “I shall contemn you;” A-chîn-ha-cheê-la A-wa, “I shall not cause you to become despicable.” Chee-le signifies literally, “to bring forth young.” So that the former method of expression is very significant, and yet it shews a sterility of language, as that single word is applicable to every species of female animals, fowls not excepted: Thus, Phoo-she Chee-le, “the birds lay.” Oe-she signifies “a young animal,” of any kind—and likewise an egg. When mentioned alone, by way of excellence, it is the common name of an infant; but when the name of the species of animals is prefixed to it, it describes the young creature. An-push-koosh oo-she, is what the tender mother says to her well-pleased infant. The two words import the same thing. The former resembles the Hebrew, and the latter is likewise a substantive; they {71} say Chool-loo-she Teeth-lâ-a-ta-hâh, “the fox-cubs are run off;”—Choo-la being the name of a fox. Phut-choos-oo-she Wah kâ-as, “let the young duck fly away;” and Phoo-soo-she Hish-she Ool-pha-quî-sa, “the young wild bird’s hairs, or feathers, are not sprung, or budded.” Pa-se signifies the hair of a man’s head, or the mane of animals. Sha-le signifies pregnant, literally, “to carry a burthen;” as Oo-she shâ-le, “she bears, or carries, an infant;” but, when it is born, Shoo-le is the name for carrying it in their arms. This bears off from the divine radix, with great propriety of language. Im prefixed to a verb, denotes the masculine and feminine pronouns, illum and illam. As this is their fixed method of speech, the reader will easily understand the true idiom of their language. Sal-le signifies “I am dead,” Chil-le, you, &c. Il-leh, he, &c. And this is likewise a substantive, as Il-let Min-te, “death is approaching,” or coming: Min-té-cha signifies “come you;” and A-min-té-la A-wa, or Ac-min-tá-qua-chu, “I will not come.”

The former word, Shâ-le, “to carry a burthen,” or, she is pregnant, seems to be derived from ש and אל and, as A-shâ-le, Ish-shâ-le, and E-shâ-le, are the first, second, and third persons singular of the present tense, the latter may allude to her conception by the power of the Deity: and it also points to שול, Sha-wô-le, or Saul, “the grave, or sepulchre,” out of which the dead shall come forth to a new world of light. In like manner Chee-le “to bring forth,” or A-chee-lá-le, “I brought forth,” appears to be derived from כ, a note of resemblance, and אל, A-le, the fruitful Omnipotent. All the American nations, like the Jews, entertain a contemptible opinion of their females that are barren—sterility they consider as proceeding from the divine anger, on account of their conjugal infidelity.

To enable grammarians to form a clear idea of the Indian method of variegating their verbs, and of the true meaning they convey, we must again recur to the former essential word, or rather divine emblem, A-ah, “he moves.” They say A-as, “let him move,” and Ee-má-ko, or Blâ-sas A-â-á-re, “I now move,” or “yesterday I moved;” for, like the Hebrews, they sometimes use the preterperfect, instead of the present tense. A-â-a-ra-chu is the first person singular of the future tense, in the indicative mood. A-â-ta-hah expresses the third person plural of the present tense, and same mood. A-â-ta-hâh-ta-kô-a signifies, by query, “have ye, or will ye move?” It is their method of conjugating their verbs, that occasions any of their {72} radical or derivative verbs to exceed three or four syllables; as we see by this, which, though composed only of two vowels, or short syllables, is yet so greatly deflected. With them two negatives make an affirmative, as Ak-hish-ko-quá, “I shall not drink;” add the strong negative termination A-wa, it is, “I will certainly drink.” An affirmative question frequently implies a strong negative; as Ai-a-râ-ta-kô-a, literally, “will, or should, I go?” that is, “I really will not, or should not go:” and on the contrary, a negative query imports an affirmative assertion; as A-kai-u-quâ-ta-kô-a, “should not I go?” or, “I surely should go.” Ee-á ko A-pâ-ret Sa-kâi-a-qua-ta kô-a, is literally, “if I ate, should not I be satisfied?” which implies, “If I ate, I should be fully satisfied.”satisfied.” To drinking, they apply a word that signifies content; and indeed, they are most eager to drink any sort of spiritous liquors, when their bellies are quite full. When they are tired with drinking, if we say to any of them, Un-ta Ang-go-na Che-ma-hîsh-kó-la Chû, “Well, my friend, I will drink with you;” Che-a-yôok-pa-chêe-re Too-gat, “for, indeed, I rejoice in your company;” he replies, Hai-a, Ook-ka Hoo-me Hish-ko Sa-nook-tá-ra; which is, “No; for I am content with drinking bitter waters.” They constantly prefix the substantive before the adjective, and place the accusative case before the verb. If we translate the following words, Ook-ka Pangge Hum-ma Law-wa A-hish-kó-le Bla-sas, they literally signify, “yesterday I drank a great deal of red-grape water,” meaning claret. Thus they say, Tik-ké-ba, Ing-glee-she Fren-she Ee-lap A-bing-ga E-tee-be, “formerly, when the English and French fought against each other;” Fren-she Ing-glee-she A-be-tâ-le, “the French were killed by the English.”

The verbs are seldom defective, or imperfect: though they may seem to be so to persons who do not understand the idiom of their language, they are not; they only appear as such by the near resemblance of words, which convey a different meaning—as A-kai-a, “I go,” Sa-kai-a, “I am satisfied with eating,” and Sal-kai-a, “I am angry, cross, vexed, or disturbed in mind;” Shee-a, Che-kai-a, and Chil-kai-a, in the second person; Ai-a, E-kai-a, and Al-kai-a, in the third person singular. A-pee-sa signifies “to see,” and Al-pêê-sa, “strait, even, or right;”right;” Al-poo-ê-ak, the general name of mercantile goods, I subjoin, as such a word is uncommon with them; they seldom use so harsh a termination. I shall here close this argument, and hope {73} enough hath been said to give a clear idea of the principles of the Indian language and dialects, its genius and idiom, and strong similarity to, and near coincidence with the Hebrew—which will be not easily accounted for, but by considering the American Indians as descended from the Jews.

Argument VI.

They count Time after the manner of the Hebrews.

They divide the year into spring—summer—autumn, or the fall of the leaf—and winter: which the Cheerake Indians call Kogeh, Akooèa, Oolekóhstè, Kòra; and the Chikkasah and Choktah nation, Otoolpha, Tóme palle, Ashtòra-móona, Ashtòra. Kógeh is drawn from Anantòge, the general appellation for the sun and moon; because, when the sun returns from the southern hemisphere, he covers the vegetable world with a green livery. Akooèa alludes strongly to the essential divine name, as we have seen in the former argument. With regard to Oolekohste, “the fall of the leaf,” as they call a buzzard, Soore, or Soole; and as Soolekohste signifies troublesome, offensive, disagreeable, the word signifies, that “the fall of the year is as disagreeable a sight, as that of a buzzard.” Kora, as with the Hebrews, signifies the winter; and is likewise the name of a bone: and by joining Hah, an Hebrew note of admiration, to the end of it, as Kora-Hah, it becomes the proper name of a man, signifying, “all bones,” or very bony. Otool-phà, “the spring season,” is derived from Oolpha, the name of a bud, or to shoot out; because then the solar heat causes vegetables to bud and spring. Tomeh signifies “the solar light,” and Palle, “warm or hot;” Ashtora, “winter,” and Moona, “presently,” &c.

They number their years by any of those four periods, for they have no name for a year; and they subdivide these, and count the year by lunar months, like the Israelites, who counted by moons, as their name sufficiently testifies; for they called them ירחים, the plural of ירח, the moon. The Indians have no distinct proper name for the sun and moon; one word, with a note of distinction, expresses both—for example; the Cheerake {74} call the sun Eus-se A-nan-tó-ge, “the day-moon, or sun;” and the latter, Neus-se A-nan-tó-ge, or “the night-sun, or moon.” In like manner, the Chikkasah and Choktah term the one, Neetak-Hasséh, and the other, Neennak-Hasséh; for Neetak signifies “a day,” and Neennak, “a night.”

Here I cannotcannot forbear remarking, that the Indians call the penis of any animal, by the very same name, Hasse; with this difference only, that the termination is in this instance pronounced short, whereas the other is long, on purpose to distinguish the words. This bears a strong analogy to what the rabbins tell us of the purity of the Hebrew language, that “it is so chaste a tongue, as to have no proper names for the parts of generation.” The Cheerake can boast of the same decency of style, for they call a corn-house, Watóhre and the penis of any creature, by the very same name; intimating, that as the sun and moon influence and ripen the fruits that are stored in it, so by the help of Ceres and Bacchus, Venus lies warm, whereas on the contrary, sine Cerere & Bacchus, friget Venus.

They count certain very remarkable things, by knots of various colours and make, after the manner of the South-American Aborigines; or by notched square sticks, which are likewise distributed among the head warriors, and other chieftains of different towns, in order to number the winters, &c.—the moons also—their sleeps—and the days when they travel; and especially certain secret intended acts of hostility. Under such a circumstance, if one day elapses, each of them loosens a knot, or cuts off a notch, or else makes one, according to previous agreement; which those who are in the trading way among them, call broken days. Thus they proceed day by day, till the whole time is expired, which was marked out, or agreed upon; and they know with certainty, the exact time of any of the aforesaid periods, when they are to execute their secret purposes, be they ever so various. The authors of the romantic Spanish histories of Peru and Mexico, have wonderfully stretched on these knotted, or marked strings, and notched square sticks, to shew their own fruitful inventions, and draw the attention and surprise of the learned world to their magnified bundle of trifles.

The method of counting time by weeks, or sevenths, was a very ancient custom, practised by the Syrians, Egyptians, and most of the oriental nations; {75} and it evidently is a remain of the tradition of the creation. The Creator, indeed, renewed to the Hebrews the old precept of sanctifying the seventh day, on a particular occasion. And Christianity promoted that religious observance in the western world, in remembrance of the work of redemption. The Greeks counted time by decads, or tens; and the Romans by nones, or ninths. The number, and regular periods of the Indians public religious feasts, of which presently, is a good historical proof, that they counted time by, and observed a weekly sabbath, long after their arrival on the American continent.

They count the day also by the three sensible differences of the sun, like the Hebrews—sun-rise, they term, Hassé kootcha meente, “the sun’s coming out;”—noon, or mid-day, Tabookòre;—and sun-set, Hassé Oobèa, literally, “the sun is dead;” likewise, Hasse Ookka’tòra, that is, “the sun is fallen into the water;” the last word is compounded of Ookka, water, and Etòra, to fall: it signifies also “to swim,” as instinct would direct those to do, who fell into the water. And they call dark, Ookklille—derived from Ookka, water, and Illeh, dead; which shews their opinion of the sun’s disappearance, according to the ancients, who said the sun slept every night in the western ocean. They subdivide the day, by any of the aforesaid three standards—as half way between the sun’s coming out of the water; and in like manner, by midnight, or cock-crowing, &c.

They begin the year,^[29] at the first appearance of the first new moon of the vernal æquinox, according to the ecclesiastical year of Moses: and those synodical months, each consist of twenty-nine days, twelve hours, and forty odd minutes; which make the moons, alternately, to consist of twenty-nine and of thirty days. They pay a great regard to the first appearance of every new moon, and, on the occasion, always repeat some joyful sounds, and stretch out their hands towards her—but at such times they offer no public sacrifice.

Till the 70 years captivity commenced, (according to Dr. Prideaux, 606 years before the Christian æra) the Israelites had only numeral names for the solar and lunar months, except אביב and האתנים; the former signifies a green ear of corn; and the latter, robust, or valiant. And by the first {76} name, the Indians, as an explicative, term their passover, which the trading people call the green-corn dance. As the Israelites were a sensual people, and generally understood nothing but the shadow, or literal part of the law; so the Indians closely imitate them, minding only that traditional part, which promised them a delicious land, flowing with milk and honey. The two Jewish months just mentioned, were æquinoctial. Abib, or their present Nisan, was the seventh of the civil, and the first of the ecclesiastical year, answering to our March and April: and Ethanim, which began the civil year, was the seventh of that of the ecclesiastical, the same as our September and October. And the Indians name the various seasons of the year, from the planting, or ripening of the fruits. The green-eared moon is the most beloved, or sacred,—when the first fruits become sanctified, by being annually offered up. And from this period they count their beloved, or holy things.

When they lack a full moon, or when they travel, they count by sleeps; which is a very ancient custom—probably, from the Mosaic method of counting time, “that the evening and the morning were the first day.” Quantity they count by tens, the number of their fingers; which is a natural method to all people. In the mercantile way, they mark on the ground their numbers, by units; or by X for ten; which, I presume they learned from the white people, who traded with them. They readily add together their tens, and find out the number sought. They call it Yakâ-ne Tlápha, or “scoring on the ground.” But old time they can no way trace, only by remarkable circumstances, and æras. As they trade with each other, only by the hand, they have no proper name for a pound weight.