208 PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 



collection of phrases, but seems to include all the known words of the language, 

 and, with the grammar already printed, will furnish all necessary means of com- 

 paring the language with others. To complete the subject, nothing will be 

 needed but good comparative vocabularies of the Solcdad, and other dialects. 



II. The Micmac grammar of M. Maillard. Mr. Gallatin drew some ideas 

 from an extract from fragments of this, but the entire work is necessary as the 

 best known treatise of the most easterly branch of the Algonquin family. 



III. The radical words of the Mohawk lauguage by Rev. James Bruyas. 

 This work treats the language on the system introduced by the Port Royalists, 

 of learning the roots or radical words of a language and then deducing the 

 derivatives. It divides the whole language into conjugations, and gives under 

 each root the derivatives with many examples. 



IV. An alphabetical vocabulary of the Chinook language by Mr. George 

 Gibbs, in all probability the largest that will ever be made, as the tribe is fast 

 vanishing. I have also in hand, and may have ready in time, some others, as — 



V. Vocabularies of the Klallam and Lummi, by Mr. George Gibbs. 



VI. A Nevome or Pima grammar, edited by Buckingham Smith, esq. 

 Next to these I wish to bring out — 



VII. A Nisqually dictionary, by Mr. Gibbs. 



VIII. An extremely valuable and ample dictionary of the Illinois language, 

 compiled, I judge, by the Rev. Father Le Boulanger, and for extent, clearness, 

 and variety, one of the most important labors of the kind known to us. 



IX. Huron radical words by Father Carheil, revised by Father Potior, also 

 a very ample and important work. Nos. 8 and 9 will each form a volume of 

 500 pages, such as the Onondaga dictionary published by me, and their publi- 

 cation is an undertaking of such magnitude that it can be carried out only by 

 the active co-operation of those interested in philological studies. 



I thank you for the information as to the forthcoming Cree grammar, which I 

 will make note of in the Historical Magazine. 

 Your obedient servant, 



JOHN GILMARY SHEA. 



Devon, Saskatchewan, Hudson's Bay Territories, 



July 4, 1862 

 Sir : I beg to forward to you the enclosed schedule, which I received about 

 a fortnight since, and have now tilled up according to the request of L. H. 

 Morgan, esq. I have had some little difficulty in ascertaining the precise word 

 for some of the relationships noted down, but I trust that the results of my 

 investigations will be as free from error as can well be expected, and that the 

 paper as now returned will meet the wishes of the gentleman who sent it to me. 

 The postal arrangements of this country are in so primitive a state that I fear 

 some months will elapse ere this letter and the enclosure reaches you; but it 

 shall be despatched from here by the first opportunity that may occur. I have 

 been living amongst the Cree Indians for ten years, and have long been so far 

 acquainted with their language as to be able to preach to my congregations 

 extempore. For some time past my scraps of spare time have been devoted to 

 the work of compiling a dictionary of the native tongue, as nothing of the kind 

 is yet extant, and my own experience in past years has taught me that it is 

 greatly needed. I have now completed the first part, namely, the English-Cree, 

 which contains very nearly 6.000 English words, with their corresponding 

 Indian terms, and numerous idiomatic expressions; but I have still sufficient 

 to occupy my disposable hours for many months in order to complete all that 

 I contemplate. A friend had advised me to apply to yourself respecting the 

 publication of the work when finished, and it was my intention to do so; but as 



