;
that this root carried its general and primary meaning into all words or
phrases of which it was a compound; and that every syllable or sound of
a letter, put before or behind it, conveyed a new and distinct meaning.
By keeping the purposes of a strict philological analysis before me, and
by preserving a record of my work, the language soon revealed its
principles. When I had attained a clear idea of these principles myself,
and had verified them by reference to, and discussion with, the best
native speakers, I could as clearly state them to another. This is what
Mr. Duponceau means by the term "most philosophical." The philosophy of
the syntax I did not in any respect overstate, but merely recognized or
discovered.

In one respect it seemed to me a far more simple language than this
eminent writer had represented the Indian languages generally. And this
was in this very philosophy of its syntax. By synthesis I understand the
opposite of analysis--the one resolving into its elements what the other
compounds. If so, the synthesis of the Chippewa language is clearly, to
my mind, homogeneous and of a piece--a perfect unity, in fact It seems
to be, all along, the result of one kind of reasoning, or thinking, or
philosophizing. If, therefore, by the term "polysynthetic," which Mr.
Duponceau, in 1819, introduced for the class of Indian languages, it be
meant that its grammar consists of many syntheses, or plans of thought,
it did not appear to me that the Chippewa was polysynthetic. But this I
could not state to a man of his learning and standing with the literary
public, without incurring the imputation of rashness or assumption.

_15th_. P. de Tchehachoff, the Russian gentleman before named, writes to
me in the idiom of a foreigner, from Peoria, on his progress through the
western country. "I am anxious," he remarks, "to take advantage of the
first opportunity of writing to you from this remote western world,
where since seven days I did not meet with any other beings but wolves
and money-getting Yankees. I must acknowledge that one must have a large
lot of curiosity to visit these one-fourth civilized regions (that are
by far worse than any real wilderness), for, although they are getting
settled at an incredible speed, they don't offer to the mere lover of
the beauties of nature, or improvement of human civilization, any great
charm. Here nature is rich, but, _farmerly_ or _businessly_ speaking,
killingly prosaic--no r