There does not seem to be any solid foundation for the opinion of those who would ascribe to the Eskimaux an origin different from that of the other Indians of North America. The color and features are essentially the same; and the differences which may exist, particularly that in stature, may be easily accounted for by the rigor of the climate, and partly perhaps by the nature of their food. The entire similarity of the structure and grammatical forms of their language with those of various Indian tribes, however different in their vocabularies, which will hereafter be adverted to, affords an almost conclusive proof of their belonging to the same family of mankind.

KINAI, KOLUSCHEN, AND OTHER TRIBES ON THE PACIFIC. Two tribes are found, on the Pacific Ocean, whose kindred languages, though exhibiting some affinities both with that of the Western Eskimaux and with that of the Athapascas, we shall, for the present, consider as forming a distinct family. They are the Kinai, in and near Cook's Inlet or River, and the Ugaljachmutzi (Ougalachmioutsy) of Prince William's Sound. The Tshugazzi, who inhabit the country between those two tribes, are Eskimaux and speak a dialect nearly the same with that of the Konagen of Kadjak Island. The vocabulary of the Kinai was taken by Resanoff, and is extracted from Krusenstern.

From Mount St. Elias in about 60°, to Fuca's Straits in about 48° north latitude, several tribes are found, both on the main and on the numerous adjacent islands, apparently in some respects superior to the more southern tribes along the shores of the Pacific Ocean; and whose languages offer some remote analogies with that of the Mexican. Although similar affinities have been observed even in the dialect of the Ugaljachmutzi already mentioned, these observations apply more specially to the Koluschen, (the same with the Tshinkitani of Captain Marchand,) who inhabit the islands and the adjacent coast from the sixtieth to the fifty-fifth degree of north latitude. Those best known to the Europeans, are the natives of King George the Third's Islands, called "Sitka" by the Russians: The influence of their language has been said to extend as far south as the southern extremity of Queen Charlotte's Island in 52° north latitude. But it is the opinion of several intelligent Americans, who have carried on a trade with the natives along

that coast, that a greater diversity of languages is found amongst them than had been presumed by earlier travellers.*

The language of the Wakash Indians, who inhabit the island on which Nootka Sound is situated (49° north latitude), is the one in that quarter, which, by various vocabularies, is best known to us. The appended specimen is extracted from the Narrative of J. R. Jewitt, who was among these Indians from 1803 to 1806. That of the Koluschen was taken by the Russian Davidoff. We have added the few words given by Mackenzie, of the language of the Friendly Village near the sources of Salmon River in 53° of north latitude, some of that of the inhabitants of the Straits of Fuca, taken from the Spanish Voyage of the "Sutil y Mexicana," and a short vocabulary of those on Queen Charlotte's Islands, lately supplied by the Hon. William Sturgis, of Boston.

These languages appear to belong to distinct families. But those several tribes have been introduced here, principally in reference to their geographical situation.† Bounded on the east by a range of mountains, which may be traced southwardly to California, and which, running parallel to the coast, no where recedes far from it, those seashore tribes do not extend, so far as has been ascertained, farther inland than the sources of the short rivers which empty in that quarter into the sea. They, like the Eskimaux, form a belt of about one hundred miles in breadth, which separates the Inland Indians from the seashore. We at least know with certainty, by Harmon's and Mackenzie's accounts, that the inland Athapascas extend westwardly within that distance of the Pacific Ocean.

Sir Alexander Mackenzie, in his voyage to the Pacific, after having descended the Tacoutche Tesse, or Fraser's River, which he mistook for the Columbia, as low down as 52° 30′ of north latitude, ascending it again about one hundred miles, and then steering his course by land westwardly, across the chain of mountains last mentioned, arrived at the sources of Salmon River. Descending that short stream to its mouth in Fitzhugh's Sound, he reached the ocean in latitude 52° 20′. He could not collect a vocabulary of the language of the inhabitants of the seacoast, but represents it as differing from

* See Appendix,

Note by the Publishing Committee.

It is also proper to observe, that though placed on that account under this head, it is without any reference to the unsettled question respecting the boundary between the United States and Great Britain west of the Rocky Mountains.

that of the Friendly Village, situated near the source of the river and about ninety miles from its mouth. All the other tribes along the route of Mackenzie, from the Lake Athapasca, or" of the Hills," to the sources of Salmon River, belong to the Athapasca family. The southern point which he reached on the Tacoutche Tesse, is on the boundary line between the Athapascas and the Atnahs, another inland tribe which extends thence southwardly.

The chain of mountains nearest to the Pacific is a natural limit, which separates the inland tribes from those on the shores of that ocean. But nature had erected no such barrier between the Eskimaux, who inhabit the seacoasts of the Arctic seas, and their southern neighbours, the Athapascas. They are in a perpetual state of warfare; but neither covets the territory occupied by the other. The deeply rooted and irreconcilable habits of the two nations, derived indeed from their respective geographical positions, have rendered the boundary between them as permanent, as if it had been marked out by

nature.

ATHAPASCAS.

If from the mouth of the Churchill or Missinipi* River, which empties into Hudson's Bay, in latitude 59°–60°, a line be drawn, ascending that river to its source, where it is known by the name of Beaver River (latitude about. 54°), thence along the ridge, which separates the north branch of the River Saskachewan from those of the Athapasca, or Elk River, to the Rocky Mountains, and thence westwardly till within about one hundred miles of the Pacific Ocean in latitude 52° 30′; all the inland tribes, north of that line, and surrounded, on all the other sides, from Hudson's Bay to the Pacific, by the narrow belt inhabited by the Eskimaux and the other maritime tribes last

Both are

Missinipi, not to be confounded with the Mississipi. Algonkin denominations, the first derived from nipi, water; the last from sipi, river. Missi never means "father," but, in several dialects, "all, whole." In Algonkin and Knistinaux, missi ackki and messe aski, "the whole earth, the world," from achki, aski, earth, (Mackenzie.) In Abenaki, messisi, "all, whole;" French tout, (Rasle.) In Delaware, mesitscheyen, "wholly," (Zeisberger). I think therefore the proper meaning of Missinipi and Mississipi, to be respectively, "the whole water," and "the whole river." Both designations are equally appropriate. Rivers united form the Mississipi. The Missinipi receives and collects the waters of a multitude of ponds and lakes.

described, do, so far as they are known, belong, with a single exception, to one family and speak kindred languages. I have designated them by the arbitrary denomination of Athapascas, which, derived from the original name of the lake since called "Lake of the Hills," is also that which was first given to the central part of the country they inhabit. Their southern boundary as above described is not in all its details precisely correct, and is rather that which existed eighty years ago, before encroachments had been made on their territory by the Knisti

naux.

The exception alluded to is that of the "Quarrellers," or "Loucheux," a small tribe near the mouth of Mackenzie's River, immediately above the Eskimaux, whose language they generally understand, whilst their own appeared to Mackenzie and to Captain Franklin to be different from that of the adjacent Athapasca tribes. As we have no vocabulary of it, no definitive opinion can be formed of its character.

But a portion of the territory included within the boundaries. we have assigned to the Athapascas remains still unexplored. The Rocky Mountains are a continuation of the Mexican Andes. The Columbia is the only large western river, emptying into the Pacific, which, as well as its numerous tributaries, has its source in that chain. Between the 35th and 40th degrees of north latitude, the distance from the mountains to the sea may not be less than nine hundred miles. Their course being west of north, they gradually approach the shores, from which they are not farther than four hundred miles in the latitude of 570-58°. The coast thence recedes westwardly, whilst the chain continuing its course northwardly, terminates west of Mackenzie's River, within a very short distance of the Arctic Ocean. No part of the inland country west of the Rocky Mountains and north of the 59th or 60th degree of latitude, has as yet been explored; or at least no account of it has ever been published; and it is only from analogy, and because the whole of the extensive territory above described, which has been explored, is inhabited by Indians of the Athapasca family, that it is presumed, that this will also be found to be the case with the Indians of the portion not yet explored. The most easterly Athapasca tribe, which extends to Hudson's Bay, has received from the agents of the Company of that name the appellation of Northern Indians, as contradistinguished from the eastern Knistinaux, who inhabit the country south

of the Missinipi or Churchill River. It was under the guidance of those Indians, and without a single white attendant, that Hearne reached in July, 1771, the Arctic Ocean, at the mouth of the Coppermine River. Having no other instrument but an old quadrant, and having made but few observations, he placed the mouth of that river in 120° west longitude and almost 72° of north latitude. It has since been found, by the correct observations of Captain Franklin, to lie in 115° 37' west longitude and in latitude 67° 48'. Notwithstanding this enormous difference, full justice has been rendered to the correctness, in other respects, of his relation. All his distances are indeed apparently estimated from the fatigues of the journey and must be reduced. He wintered on his return on the Lake Athapasca, and he describes the country of the Northern Indians, as bounded on the south by Churchill River, on the north by the Coppermine and Dog-rib Indians, on the west by the Athapasca country, and extending five hundred miles from east to west. It is evident that a part of Mackenzie's Cheppeyans is included within that description. Hearne regrets (Preface) the loss of a voluminous vocabulary collected by him of the language of the Northern Indians. But, from the words scattered through his relation, it appears clearly to be the same with that of the Cheppeyans; and he states (June, 1771,) that the Coppermine and the Northern Indians are but one people, and that their language differs less than that of provinces of England adjacent to each other. The Cheppeyans generally trade at and are seen in the vicinity of the Lake Athapasca. According to Mackenzie, they consider the country between the parallels of latitude 60° and 65° and longitude 100° to 110° west, as their lands or home. It consists almost entirely of barrens, destitute of trees; and they are obliged to winter in the adjacent woods and in the vicinity of lakes. Though the most numerous tribe of that family, the highest estimate of their population is eight hundred men. They call themselves, according to Captain Franklin, Saw-eessaw-dinneh, “ Rising-sun Men"; and their hunting-grounds extend towards the south to the Lake Athapasca and to the River Churchill. The vocabulary of their language by Mackenzie is the only one we have of any of the Indian tribes of that family east of the Rocky Mountains. The geographical situation and the names of the other tribes are given either by Mackenzie or by Captain Franklin, or by both. But they are all expressly