Zoraska, or Zawraska, name of a river somewhere between Quebec and James'
Bay, of which I know nothing more, having only heard it spoken of by
moose-hunters. Probably it is in a country where the language would be the
Montagnard.

Yamaska, a river on the south side of the St. Lawrence, having much marshy
ground about it, particularly near its junction with the Grand River.

Kamouraska, or Camouraska, islands in the St. Lawrence below Quebec, taking
their name from a seigneurie on the mainland; a level plain surrounded by
hills, and dotted all over with mounds. Bouchette says,--

"D'apres la position, l'apparence, et l'exacte ressemblance de ces
especes d'iles en terre-firme avec celles de Camouraska, entre
lesquelles et le rivage le lit de la riviere est presqu'a sec a la
maree basse, le naturaliste sera fortement porte a croire que ce qui
forme a present le continent etait, a une epoque quelconque, submerge
par les vagues immenses du St Laurent, et que les elevations en
question formaient des iles, ou des rochers exposes a l'action de
l'eau," &c.--_Description de Bas-Canada, &c._, p. 551.

There can be no doubt, if _aska_ relate to water, that this district is
appropriately named.

We may presume the language prevalent here to have been the Algonquin,
since the inhabitants, when first visited by Europeans, were either the
Micmac or Abenaqui, both tribes of that great family.

Still further eastward, flowing from Lake Temisconata into the River St.
John, we find the Madawaska, in a country where the language was either the
Abenaqui, or a dialect of the Huron, said to be spoken by the Melicite
Indians of the St. John. Aska does not occur again in this part of North
America, as far as I call ascertain; but on looking southward it does so,
and under similar circumstances, viz. associated with water.

Tabasca, or Tobasco (for it is written both ways), a country on the borders
of Yucatan, described by the conquerors as difficult to march through, on
account of numerous pools of water and extensive swamps. Clavigero says the
present name was given by the Spaniards; but I know of no Spanish word at
all resembling it, therefore presume they must have adopted the native
appellation. The language was, and perhaps is, the Maya.

Tarasca; name of a people inhabiting the country of Mechouacan, celebrated
for its numerous fountains of fine water. Language appears to have been
Mexican. (See Clavi