er
Lakes--Love of one's native tongue--Death of Gen. Harrison--Rush for
office on his inauguration--Ornamental and shade trees--Historical
collections--Mission of "Old Wing."

1841. _Jan. 12th_. The Rev. Thomas Hulbert, of Pic, Lake Superior, who
has studied the Chippewa language, says: "I fully concur in your remarks
on the claims of philology. Circumstances may be easily conceived in
which the missionary could in no way serve the cause of Christianity so
effectually as by the study of barbarous languages. His primary object,
it is true, is Christian instruction; but he would, at the same time,
serve the cause of science, by assisting in the advance of comparative
philology. In this light I view your _Algic, Researches_, which I
consider a valuable acquisition to the missionary, as it introduces him
into the stronghold of Indian prejudices. The introductory remarks I
studied with peculiar interest.

"I find the principal difficulty in getting at the principles of the
language to be in the compounds. I have long thought upon the subject,
but have as yet ascertained no rule to guide me. However, I do not
despair. If it cannot be taken by a '_coup de main_,' patience and
perseverance may in the end prevail. I intend to bend my mind to this
subject for the future. It will probably require much research to settle
this matter. There are some compounds that I form readily, in others I
fail. I have not observed anything in the language like the rythmatic
flow of Greek and Latin poetry; there is no alternation of long and
short syllables; some words are composed entirely of long syllables,
others of short ones, but generally there is at least one of each in
a word.

"I have nothing in the shape of Indian poetry or hieroglyphics, neither
have I seen the rocks you mention south-east of this place, but I have
heard of them. All their traditions, or comic and tragic lore, should be
collected, though it could not all be published in consequence of its
obscenity. Almost all the _Ah-te-soo-kaum_ I have heard, has had more or
less of this ingredient."

Those who contend for a Welsh element in the languages of the American
stocks, find little or no support in modern vocabularies.

ENGLISH. GERMAN. WELSH. ALGONQUIN.

Fire, Feuer, Tan, Schoda.
Water, Wasser, Duel, Neebi.
Earth, Erde, Daal, Aki.
Welt,
Wind, Wind, Gwint, Noden.
Sky, Volka, A