OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 205 



It will be seen, by consulting the Table, that the principles of classification in 

 the first collateral line are applied to the second, third, and fourth collateral lines, 

 as in the Seneca and Yankton ; thus, the sons and daughters of my step-brothers, 

 and of my male cousins, Ego a male, are my step-sons and step-daughters, while the 

 children of my step-sisters and of my female cousins are my nephews and nieces. 

 With Ego a female, the children of the former are my nephews and nieces, and of 

 the latter are my sons and daughters. 



Amongst the Gichigamian nations the relationship of cousin is found, but 

 restricted, as usual, to the children of a brother and sister ; thus, my father's sister's 

 son and daughter are my male and female cousins, Ne-ta-wis and Ne-ne-moo-sha' ' . 

 In like manner, my grandfather's brother's grandson and granddaughter are my 

 cousins. On the mother's side, my mother's brother's son and daughter, and my 

 grandmother's brother's grandson and granddaughter, are respectively my male 

 and female cousins. 



In the marriage relationship the Ojibwa system is in equally striking agreement 

 with the Seneca and Yankton. Each of the wives of my step-sons and nephews is 

 my daughter-in-law, Ne-sim! ; and eah of the husbands of my several step-daughters 

 and nieces is my son-in-law, Ne-nin-gwun', the same as the wife and husband of my 

 own son and daughter. In like manner, the wives of my several step-brothers and 

 male cousins are respectively my sisters-in-law, and the husbands of my several 

 step-sisters and female cousins are my brothers-in-law. For a further knowledge 

 of these relationships reference is made to the Table, in which they will be found 

 fully presented 



If the Seneca-Iroquois and Yankton-Dakota forms are placed side by side with 

 the Ojibwa, the differences are found to be so inconsiderable, both in the relation- 

 ships of consanguinity and affinity, as to excite astonishment. We have crossed 

 from one stock language into another, and from one of the great stems of the 

 Ganowanian family into another, and find not only the radical features of the 

 common system intact, hut their subordinate details coincident down to minute 

 particulars. At the same time, the terms of relationship are changed beyond the 

 reach of recognition. One set of diagrams, with scarcely the alteration of a rela- 

 tionship, would answer for the three forms, the classification of blood kindred and 

 of marriage relations being substantially the same in all. The chief difference 

 consists in the substitution of the step-relationships for a portion of the primary, 

 which will be found to be simply a refinement upon an original system in all 

 respects identical with the Seneca and Yankton. This is conclusively shown by 

 the present condition of the system amongst their nearest congeners, the Mississippi 

 nations, among whom the step-relationships are unknown in this connection. A 

 further and still stronger impression is thus obtained of the great antiquity of this 

 extraordinary system of relationship in the Ganowanian family, of its power to 

 perpetuate itself, and of the fact of its transmission with the blood. 



2. Otawas. 3. Potawattamies. The forms which prevail in these nations agree 

 so closely with the Ojibwa, that it will not be necessary to consider them separately. 

 It will also be seen, by consulting the Table, that their dialects approach each other 

 very nearly. At the time of the settlement of Detroit, a portion of the Otawas 



