44 On the Ethnography of Russian America. 



method that the true value of the Esquimaux group becomes 

 recognised. 



1. Each has affinities with the Athabascan tongues, and 

 perhaps equal affinities. 



2. Each has affinities with the Oregon languages, and each 

 perhaps equally. 



3. Each has definite affinities with the languages of New 

 California, and each perhaps equal ones. 



4. Each has miscellaneous affinities with all the other tongues 

 both of North and South America. 



These facts that connect the Esquimaux languages with 

 those spoken to the south of them involve, as maybe easily seen, 

 a theory of much higher importance than the position of groups 

 like the Kolooch. They are taken along with the geographical 

 position of the Esquimaux race in respect to Asia, and point to 

 the parts in question as the starting-points for the population of 

 the New World. Upon this latter I can only say at present, 

 that I find Esquimaux words in the following languages : — 



1. The Koriack. 



2. The Kamskadale. 



3. The Aino of the Curulian Isles. In respect to this last 

 group, it is remarkable that whilst I only find two words (the 

 names for house and eye) common to the Western Esquimaux 

 vocabularies of Lisiansky and the Aino ones of Langgsdorf, I 

 find between the latter and the Eastern Esquimaux of Parry 

 a considerable number. 



4. The Corean. 



5. The Japanese. 



This is in the way of direct evidence. The Oregon and 

 Kolooch languages have similar and equal affinities ; whilst the 

 Asiatic languages enumerated have themselves affinities in the 

 Old World known and recognised. 



From what has been laid before the Society, it may be seen 

 of how great importance it is to determine, whether the lan- 

 guages of Russian America pass into each other gradually, or 

 are divided by trenchant lines of demarcation. 



