In the Choctaw ull is the sign of the passive, and is inserted in the body of the verb proper tokche, between t and okche. We have another similar instance in the negative form of the Massachusetts. Wadchan um oo un, he does not keep.' Oo is the negative sign, and is inserted within the pronominal combination umun.

It has already been remarked that, in the passive voice of the Choctaw, (as well as in some intransitive verbs,) the pronoun, which with us is in the nominative, is put in the objective case. The same observation, for the passive at least, applies to the Muskhogee and to the Cherokee. Yest is the nominative of the first person singular in Muskogee, and cha is the objective case singular: he ties me,' cha wonni ist; 'thou tiest me,' cha wonni yichkist. The plural objective of the same person is po. (See Table B.)

In the passive voice we have:

6

'I am tied,' cha wonnagist; we are tied,' homulgiad

6

we two are tied,' hokolid, po wonnagist.

In the Cherokee, a verbal termination ung is the sign of the passive, (as gussi, or ri in the Delaware); and, in the verb to tie,' lungiha is converted into lungung. But, besides that change, the pronoun is put in the objective case.

'He ties you,' tetsa lungiha,
'Ye are tied,' telsa lungung

"They tie me,' ungqua lungiha ;
'I am tied,' gungqua lungung;
Tsiya (I), and etsa (we), are the respective nominative cases.

The reason of this use of the objective case is obvious. We put the pronoun in the nominative case, on account of its connexion with the verb substantive: but, in reality, the person is, in the passive voice, the object and not the subject of the action. But the pronouns are also used, in the objective case, in the negative form of the Choctaw verb; and for this I cannot account.

The visible correspondence of the pronominal combinations between the Delaware, the Chippeway, and the Massachusetts, is less evident in the signs of the tenses, voice, and negation. The preterite and future in the Chippeway are expressed respectively by ke (or, gi) and gah, prefixed, instead of being affixed to the verb proper. The sign of the passive voice in the Massachusetts is it. That of the negative form is, in the Chippeway, kaw prefixed; in the Massachusetts, Oo inserted as above stated.

Although our information respecting the Iroquois is limited, Zeisberger has given the conjugations of the Onondago, (one example of which will be found in the appended tables of simple conjugation,) and general rules for the formation of the tenses, and of the passive voice.

There are various modifications of the inseparable pronouns. They are prefixed to the verb, and there is a distinct series for the passive, by which alone that voice is distinguished from the active.

When the verb begins with wa or t, the pronoun is inserted between the first and second syllable of the verb, instead of being prefixed to it.

There are two future tenses corresponding with the English will and shall. The first, or simple future, is formed by prefixing in, 'n ; and the future imperative by prefixing na to the pronoun; the Imperative by inserting or prefixing a, (the second person singular being thus converted from sa into assa). The preterite tense is formed by affixing to the present a termination, ochne, squa, chta, &c., varying according to the termination of the verb.

In every other respect, the verbs are conjugated like the present of the indicative, the differences of number, gender, and person being distinguished only by the pronouns as above stated. Various prepositions meaning in, on, to, under, near, &c., and some conjunctions, (as sé, 'for,' because,') may be affixed to the verb and modify or alter its meaning.

No mention is made by Zeisberger of a subjunctive mood, of a dual or special plural, or of transitions. The few specimens of those of the Mohawk, collected by Mr. Dwight, are not sufficient for any general inference. But Zeisberger's Grammar, translated by Mr. Duponceau, from which the preceding notes have been extracted, and which is in the library of the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, contains much additional interesting information; and it is desirable that it should be published. A very voluminous manuscript German and Onondago dictionary, compiled by Mr. Zeisberger, is also in the same library.

Examples have been given of the relative position of the particles which denote tenses, voice, and negation, both with each other, and with respect to the pronoun and to the verb proper. The view even of that branch of the subject is not complete; and materials are wanted to throw any light on the selection, or position of the various prepositions or other particles, which, being either prefixed, affixed, or inserted, modify or alter the meaning of the verb. Although the Chilian Grammar of Father Febres is far more complete and satisfactory than any we have of our Indian languages, he has not been able to give more than a few very partial rules; and declares the choice and collocation of those particles to be the most difficult part of the language, and to be acquired only by usage.

NOTE. Zeisberger's paradigms having been examined first in order, his definition of moods has been followed throughout-e. g. what Eliot more properly calls the suppositive mood, is here termed the subjunctive.

g nearly as in English, but approaching to k; d nearly as in English, but approaching to t; h, k, l, m, n, q, s, t, w, y, as in English.

Syllables beginning with g, except s, have sometimes the power of k; ^, s,, are sometimes sounded to, tu, tv; and syllables written with tl, except £, sometimes vary to dl.

NOTE BY THE PUBLISHING COMMITTEE.

[See page 15.]

SINCE the printing of this volume was commenced, two sources of information respecting the Indian tribes inhabiting the northwest coast of America, from lat. 48° to lat. 59°, have been consulted, viz. the manuscript journal of Capt. William Bryant, now of Springfield, Massachusetts, kept on that coast during the years 1820-7, embracing vocabularies of several dialects, originally communicated through George Bancroft, Esq., and now in the hands of the Committee; and a "Report of an Exploring Tour" amongst the same tribes, made in 1829, by the Rev. J. S. Green, an American Missionary, and published in the Missionary Herald, Vols. xxvi., xxvii. (Boston, 1830-1.)

Capt. Bryant enumerates twenty tribes within those limits, inhabiting the numerous islands, and the coast near the sea; but, if considered according to the difference of language, they compose only four grand divisions. Commencing on the north, from lat. 59° to lat. 55°, there are found ten or more petty tribes that speak the SITKA language, viz. the Chilcart, one of the most numerous and powerful of these tribes; the Sitka, on the island called by the Russians Baranoff, and by the English King George IIId.'s Island; the Hoodsunhoo, at Hood's Bay; the Ark and Kake, on Prince Frederick's Sound; the Eelikinoo, in Chatham's Straits; the Kooyou, near Cape Decision; the Hennega, on Prince of Wales' Island; the Stickeen, and Tumgarse.

Mr. Green reckons the whole number of those who speak the SITKA language to be 6500. He describes this language as soft and musical. It is well known that the Russians have a settlement on Sitka Island, at Norfolk Sound, called New Archangel, where a governor resides, whose jurisdiction extends over all the Russian settlements in that quarter. New Archangel was originally founded by Baranoff, a Russian governor, in 1800, but, being soon after destroyed by the Indians, it was rebuilt by Lisiansky, the Russian navigator, in 1805. It was visited by Kotzebue in 1824. Mr. Green found here two ecclesiastics of the Greek Church.

The second division includes those Indians who speak the NAss language. Of these, three tribes only are mentioned, viz. the Nass, on Observatory Inlet, lat. 55°; the Shebasha, a powerful tribe inhabiting the numerous islands in Pitt's Archipelago; and the Millbank Indians, on Millbank Sound. This language is described as excessively harsh, and difficult to be written, from the multitude of strong guttural sounds. It is spoken, according to Mr. Green, by about 5500 Indians.

The third division comprises the tribes on Queen Charlotte's Island, and others speaking the same language. These are the Cumshewar, the Massit, and the Skiddegat or Skittigeet, which inhabit different parts of Queen Charlotte's Island; the Keesarn, and the Kigarnee. The language spoken by these tribes, of which Mr. Sturgis has furnished a specimen, is partially known to most of the Indians on that coast, and is generally used by the traders as a medium of intercourse with them. Skiddegat, the principal Indian village on Queen Charlotte's Island, is in lat. 53°. It has been much visited by American traders, together with other places on this coast, for furs; but the trade has declined, and almost ceased, of late years.

A fourth language was found by Capt. Bryant on the northwest extremity of Quadra and Vancouver's Island, in lat. 51°, which he terms Newettee or Nooitty, and of which he has preserved a specimen. An interesting account of the manners and habits of these various tribes is furnished by the same gentleman, in his journal; but our limits forbid us availing ourselves of it at the present time.

VOCABULARIES

AND

SELECT SENTENCES.