lii 



Grammar, and Edwards's Observations on the Mohegan Language, 

 with introductions and notes. He used to speak of the former as 

 a German labor, and so, too, it was regarded by his friend, Mr. 

 Du Ponceau, who thanked him for the great service he had 

 thereby rendered to the cause of learning. Various other ancient 

 works, relating to the Indian languages, were brought into new 

 light by Mr. Pickering's unwearied care. He prepared Roger 

 Williams's Vocabulary of the Narraganset Indians for the Rhode 

 Island Historical Society, and Cotton's Vocabulary of the Massa- 

 chusetts Indians, for the Historical Society of this State. But the 

 greatest work of this description which he undertook was the 

 publication of Father Rasles's Dictionary, already mentioned, of the 

 Norridgewock, or Abnaki, language, with an introductory memoir 

 and notes, — a work which called forth expressions of admiration 

 from those of the learned, both here and in Europe, who could 

 best appreciate the severe toil it must have cost him. 



The elaborate article which Mr. Pickering prepared for the 

 Encyclopmdia Americana, on the Indian languages of North Amer- 

 ica, is as scientific as it is comprehensive, and exhibits the extent 

 of his researches and the depth of his learning on this copious 

 subject. It was translated into German and published at Leipsic 

 with marks of distinguished honor. 



The able and spirited articles published by him in the New 

 York Revieio, in 1 826, in reply to an article in the North American 

 Review, which had unjustly assailed the philological reputation of 

 two of his most distinguished friends, and traduced the character 

 of the Indians as well as misrepresented their dialects, shows with 

 what vigor he could wield the pen of a Junius, when truth and 

 justice demanded the effort, while it manifests his profound and 

 familiar knowledge of the whole subject. 



