OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 161 



another degree the children of snch persons as were thus made brothers, are in like 

 manner, brothers and sisters to each other, and the same is true of such of them as 

 were thus made sisters. This relationship of brother and sister amongst the male 

 descendants of brothers, and the female descendants of sisters, continues downward 

 theoretically ad infinitina at the same degree of remove from the common ancestor. 

 But with respect to the children of a brother and sister the relationship is more 

 remote and not uniform. Amongst the Senecas, whose system is now imder con- 

 sideration, they are cousins to each other ; the children of these cousins are cousins 

 again ; the children of the latter are cousins also ; and this relationship continues 

 downward theoretically ad infinitum. And, lastly, whenever the relationship of 

 brother and brother, or of sister and sister at any one of these degrees is found, it 

 determines at once the relationships of the descendants of each one of them to the 

 other ; thus, the son of either one of these, my collateral brothers, is my son if I 

 am a male, and my nephew if I am a female ; and the son of either one of these my 

 collateral sisters is my nephew if I am a male, and my son if I am a female ; and 

 the children of these sons and nephews are my grandchildren. These several 

 relationships do not exist simply in theory, but they are practical, and universally 

 recognized amongst the Iroquois. 



Diagram, Plate VIII, represents the lineal, and the second, third, and fourth 

 collateral lines, male and female, on the father's side ; and Diagram, Plate IX, 

 represents the lineal and same collateral lines on the mother's side, with Ego in 

 both cases a male. Each line in these diagrams proceeds frpm the parent to one 

 only of his or her children, for greater simplicity, as well as from actual necessity 

 in its construction. The first collateral line is omitted, and the second, which is 

 presented in full in Plates VI and VII, is retained for comparison with the third 

 -and fourth. It requires no further exi^lanation, except such as it may receive 

 incidentally. 



In the third collateral line male on the father's side, with myself a male (Plate 

 VIII) my father's father's brother is my grandfather, Eoc'-sote, and calls me his grand- 

 son. This is a tenth indicative feature of the system, and the last of those which 

 are treated as ^uch. It places the several brothers of my grandfather in the rela- 

 tion of grandfathers, and thus prevents collateral ascendants from falling out of this 

 relationship. In other words, the principle by which the collateral lines are merged 

 in the lineal works upwards as well as do^vnwards. The son of this collateral 

 grandfather is my father Ha-)iJi, and calls me his son. At first sight this rela- 

 tionship seems to be entirely arbitrary, but in reality it is a necessary consequence 

 of those previously established. This will be made clear by reversing the question, 

 and inquiring whether I am his son. This has already been shown in the male 

 branch of the second collateral line, where my father's brother's son's son is found 

 to be my son. The son of this collateral father is my brother, elder or younger. 

 Our grandfathers are own brothers, and our fathers are collateral brothers, either 

 of which determines our relationship to be that of brothers. Again the son of this 

 collateral brother is my son, and calls me father, and the son of the latter is my 

 grandson, and calls me grandfather. 



My father's father's sister is my grandmother, Oc'-soie, her daughter is my aunt, 



21 January, 137 0. 



