OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 243 



causes, and the ethnological facts which relate to this interesting and important 

 question, which for the present must be passed. 



Another remarkable fact connected with this area is the unprecedented number 

 of stock languages spoken within it, and which have been found in no other of the 

 same limited dimensions. Mr. Gallatin, whose reduction of dialects was founded 

 upon the vocabularies of Hale and Dana, states the number at fourteen.' He 

 adopts Hale's synopsis Avith a change in the orthography of a single name, and 

 thus confirms its correctness. These languages were then (in 1841) spoken in a 

 large number of dialects, of which twenty-six are represented in his tables. 



Lewis and Clarke describe in their work and locate upon their map some thirty- 

 four distinct nations, whom they found in 1805-1806, upon the Columbia River 

 and its tributaries, and on the neighboring sea-coasts. Most of the nations visited 

 by them have since been identified under different names. 



Although a large amount of labor has been expended upon these languages, 

 further mvestigations will probably reduce their number. A very considerable 

 reduction would leave the number disproportionately large. These languages have 

 recently been taken up anew by George Gibbs, Esq., of New York, who spent 

 several years in Oregon and Washington Territory as a member of the Northwestern 

 Boundary Commission, and before that, of the Pacific Railroad Engineer Corps 

 upon the northern parallel. From the rare facilities which he enjoyed, and from his 

 high qualifications for linguistic investigations, we may expect in his forthcoming 

 work a thorough elucidation of the philology of this area of Indian speech. 



Mr. Gibbs has kindly furnished me with the following synopsis of the stock 

 languages of this area as they are named and classified by him. — 



1. Tinne (Athapascan, of Gal). 2. Kootenay (Kitunaha, of Gal.). 3. Salish. 

 4. Maka (Wakash, of Gal). 6. Sahaptin. 6. Kayuse (Waiilatpu). 7. Chinook. 

 8. Shoshonee. 9. Kalapuya. 10. Yakama (Jacon, of Gal.). 11. Kalawatset. 12. 

 Lituami, 13. Shaste.^ 



It will be observed that three or four of the stock languages of Hale and Gal- 

 latin are consolidated with others, or disappear in the synopsis of Mr. Gibbs ; and 

 that the remainder, with one or two exceptions, are the same under the old or a 

 new name. Some of these languages are spoken in but one or two dialects, whilst 

 others have a large number, one of them, the Salish, having upwards of fifteen. 



The subdivision of the inhabitants of this area into such a large number of petty 

 nations, which was their condition when first discovered, and which has continued 

 to be the foct, notwithstanding their reduction in numbers, to the present time, Avas 

 the inevitable result of their domestic institutions and mode of life. But the 

 present existence of such a number of stock languages in so inconsiderable an area 



' 1 Salish. 4. Kitunaha. 1. Lituarai. 10. Jacon. 13. Athapascan 



2. Sahaptin. 5. Waiilatpu. 8. Saste. 11. Wakash. 14. Shoshonee. 



3 Chinook. 6. Kalapuza. 9. Palaik. 12. Skittagets. 



' The remaining stock-languages in British and Russian America along the northwest coast are 

 named by him as follows : 1. Thlinkit, or Kolosh. 2. Haida. 3. Chimsyan. 4. Belbella, or Kailt. 

 5. Nootka, the last two probably related. 



