ALASKA. 29 



Fort Simpson, are foniid six distinct tongues tbrougli wbicli 

 their relations of afiinity may be traced, viz : tbe Aleutian; the 

 Kodlalc ; tbe Kenai, or CooA'.s' Inlet ; tbe YaMootat, or Mount 

 Saint El ias country ; tbe Sitkan; and thG Kahgan, or Prince of 

 Wales Island. 



The Aleutian tongue is tbe language of tbe inhabitants of 

 tbe Aleutian Islands and part of tbe Peninsula ; it is divided 

 into two dialects, one spoken by tbe Aleuts of Atka, and tbe 

 other by those of Ounalasbka. 



The KoDiAK TONGUE is the root of all the dialects spoken 

 on tbe shores of Bering Sea, and still farther north and to the 

 east; it is the tongue spoken by the Clwochkie of the Asiatic 

 side, and is divided into six distinct dialects, and tbese again 

 subdivided, so that tbe Kodiak root is the language of the fol- 

 lowing tribes : 



Tbe Malemutes, of Kotzebue Sound, Kortoii Sound, Port Clar- 

 ence, tbe Diomedes, King, Sledge, and Saint Lawrence Islands. 



Tbe Aziagmutes, of Saint Michael's, part of tbe Pastol Bay 

 and as far north as Norton's Sound. 



The Agoolmutes, of tbe moutb of tbe Yukon Kiver. 



Tbe Magmutcs, between CapeEomanzov and Cape Aviuov. 



The Koslcoquims, of Koskoquini Bay and liiver. 



Tbe Aglahmutes, of tbe Nushagak country, and part of tbe 

 Peninsula. 



The Xunivaks, of Nunivak Island, who use a dialect almost 

 like tbe pure Kodiak, which is spoken on tbat island. 



Tbe Kcyoukons, of the Middle Yukon Eiver. 



Tbe IngaleeJcs, of the Lower Yukon Iliver. 



The Choogaks, between Cape Elizabeth and tbe moutb of 

 Copper Eiver, (taking all tbe south shore of tbe Kenai Penin- 

 sula and Prince William's Sound.) 



Tbe Kenai tongue can hardly be called of Kodiak deriva- 

 tion; it is divided into four dialects: 



The Kenai, of tbe Gulf of Kenai, or Cook's Inlet. 



Tbe Maidnorskie, or people on Copper Eiver. 



Tbe Kolchans, or people of the Upper Koskoquim Eiver — 

 quite a large tribe, estimated at six or seven thousand. 



Tbe KahvicJqyaks, a people on the Upper Yukon. In this dia- 

 lect are many words of Kodiak and Yahkutat. 



The Kenai language is tbe most difticult of all tbe Indian 

 tongues, so abounding in a profusion of barsh, guttural sounds 

 that their own savage neighbors frequently try in vain to ac- 

 quire them when it is for their interest to do so. 



