135 



dies forth, and colours as it were on the wing. If it was attempted, 

 it would probably no longer be the fame glowing picture. Even their 



orations, 



ii/is is ufed to denote a month, (a moon) ^s naiiion-ii/is, Miy, the month of flowers: 

 The heavens, as the feat of the great luminary, are called (from ii/is the fun) l-ijii, 

 a word which occurs in the fourth line : the (ley, as it is the boundary of fight, 

 is called ifpim'ink, more commonly fpimink, the high bank, or boundary on high, for 

 ijp'i figniiies high, and gam'ink a bank or border ; and in corapofition the firft fyllable 

 ga is funk. I was pleafed with the Indian name for the milky way, Tchipai-mikan, 

 the way of the dead or departed fpirits. Note 3, The laft word in the firft line 

 properly Cgnifies lightning in aBion ; it is derived from tajfcia, which denotes brightnefs. 

 vajfdak, the verb which occurs in the fourth line, is formed from this fubftantive, by 

 the addition of the fingle letter k. The changing fubllantives into verbs is conftant ; 

 thus pipoon fignifies winter ; hence pipoonichi, he winters in fuch a place. Pipoones is 

 the plural oi pipoon; Mitajfo pipoones tza winters, hence mltajfu pipooneJJi,\ie\s ten win- 

 ters ithe Indian phrafe, that h years) old; thus making the whole fentence verbal, 

 according to a fixed analogy. Note 4, Nipagan a bed, in the fecond line, this is 

 derived from nipa fleep, Nipe Cgnifies death Note 5, iiionikc excavated, the verb 

 is santie, uaniian fignifies a cave, nanac a canoe hollowed out of a tree. Kisanike is 

 the part time of the verb, formed by adding ki to the prefent time ; for the pafl time 

 is formed by prefixing ki or gi, as the future time is marked by adding ga, accord- 

 ing to an eftablilhed law. Note 6, Kichi-kichi-gami the ocean, in the third line. 

 Ktchi Cgnifies great, kichi-gami the great water or lake, and by duplication, according 

 to a fixed analogy, kichi-kichi-gami the ocean. Note 7, chinquichinahan (he laid 

 her down ; chinquichin is the verb, alan added makes the paft iniperfcifl time, (as it 

 is alledged) but certainly a paft time, according to a fixed rule ofinileftion. Noted, 

 Sakia loves, in the laft line ; this verb illuftrates a peculiarity in the language. It can 

 only be ufed fpeaking of a perfon or thing perfonified, when fpeaking of inanimate objefls or 

 animals, the fynonimous verbs, _/ay^; or yij^'oo arc ufed. Thus there are two clartcs of verbs 

 of the lame fignification to be applied to different clalfes of objefls, according to certain fixed 

 rules. Note 9, in the fecond colleftion of words, ifpatina a mountain ; this is derived from 

 ifpi high : ifpina fignifies to raife on high ; ifpitina is fometimes elegantly ufed as a 

 verb, to fay (V raoanramx, (it rifes into mountains,) as we fay it thunders. Note io, iva- 

 li/i a fwan, in the fecond line ; this is derived from maii white ; ivalan or aabttn 

 Cgnifies The dawn or point of day, and tvnhano is the exprelTive name for Lucifer 

 or the morning ftar. Note 11, papimijjl he flits on the" wing; pini Cgnifies a 

 bird, pimijfe (as if it were pinijfe) fignifies to fly as a bird, animijfe to fly on one 

 fide, papimijfe to fly hither and thither, to fport oh the wing. Note 12, nakooma 

 fhe repeats ; hence na-na-koocji the name for egho, where, by the repetition of the 



firlt 



