Trans. N. Y. Ac. Set. 60 ^'^•^. i8, 



however, such leagues were not rare, but had been commonly 

 formed among other Indian tribes. 



The reason of the great difference in the language of the Tus- 

 caroras from those of the other tribes, was due to the fact 

 that the Tuscaroras formerly lived in North Carolina, and 

 were thence driven out, in 17 12, came North to the Confederation 

 of the five tribes of the Iroquois, and formed the sixth tribe. 

 Their original isolation had probably caused these dialectic differ- 

 ences. 



General Ely Parker, spoke on the early history of the Tus- 

 caroras, a;id the necessary conciseness of their language, which 

 contains no circumlocutions, hardly any words with double-mean- 

 ing. A similar mythology runs through all the tribes, which em- 

 braces a multiplicity of gods, i.e., the spirits of familiar but im- 

 portant objects, e.g., of the strawberry, maple, chestnut, oak, etc. 

 At the annual festivals, as that of First Fruits (the strawberry), or 

 that of Green Corn, they refer to all these spirits, but at the same 

 time to a great Good Spirit, who presides over them all. They 

 believe also in many evil spirits. They have never had any writ- 

 ten language ; oral tradition was their only possible means for 

 handing down matters of history ; but it was necessary to present 

 them in a fanciful form in order to impress the youthful mind— not 

 merely the bare abstract facts. These people are dying out, and 

 the valuable materials of their history, language, etc., are passing 

 beyond our reach. Even in New York State, the few remaining 

 Indians on the Reservation, are being affected by the influences of 

 civilization around them, and wdl soon lose their tribal connection, 

 their Indian habits and Indian memories. It is important to col- 

 lect this material now, and assist investigations of this kind. 



Dr. B. N. Martin expressed his gratification over researches so 

 original, novel, and interesting, and remarked, that it sounded 

 strangely to speak of the history of the races, who so recently trod 

 and ruled over our soil, as a novel subject. The peculiar feature of 

 the Indian language, the use of undivided long words, conveying 

 all shades of thought without separation, throws light on the origin 

 of language among primitive peoples. 



Rev. Dr. Dacosta referred to recent re-searches of a student of 

 the Indian languages, who by means of carefully compiled tables, 



