ly any. If
we speak to them of God, it appears to them like a dream; and we are
compelled to speak of him, not under the name of Menetto, whom they
know and serve--for that would be blasphemy--but of one great, yea, most
high, Sackiema, by which name they--living without a king--call him who
has the command over several hundred among them, and who by our people
are called Sackemakers; and as the people listen, some will begin to
mutter and shake their heads as if it were a silly fable; and others, in
order to express regard and friendship for such a proposition, will say
Orith (That is good). Now, by what means are we to lead this people to
salvation, or to make a salutary breach among them? I take the liberty
on this point of enlarging somewhat to your Reverence.

Their language, which is the first thing to be employed with them,
methinks is entirely peculiar. Many of our common people call it an easy
language, which is soon learned, but I am of a contrary opinion. For
those who can understand their words to some extent and repeat them,
fail greatly in the pronunciation, and speak a broken language, like
the language of Ashdod.(1) For these people have difficult aspirates and
many guttural letters, which are formed more in the throat than by the
mouth, teeth and lips, to which our people not being accustomed, make
a bold stroke at the thing and imagine that they have accomplished
something wonderful. It is true one can easily learn as much as is
sufficient for the purposes of trading, but this is done almost as much
by signs with the thumb and fingers as by speaking; and this cannot be
done in religious matters. It also seems to us that they rather design
to conceal their language from us than to properly communicate it,
except in things which happen in daily trade; saying that it is
sufficient for us to understand them in that; and then they speak only
half sentences, shortened words, and frequently call out a dozen things
and even more; and all things which have only a rude resemblance to each
other, they frequently call by the same name. In truth it is a made-up,
childish language; so that even those who can best of all speak with
the savages, and get along well in trade, are nevertheless wholly in the
dark and bewildered when they hear the savages talking among themselves.

(1) An allusion to Nehemiah xiii. 24.

It would be well then to leave the parents as they are, and begin with
the children who are still