THE MONTAGNAIS INDIANS AND THEIR FOLK-LORE 327 



j Manikan I build. 



( Maniitseu He bui 



( Iliniuin... ...I live. 



9. kau-tseu, as . __ 



( Maniitseu He builds. 



10. uin-uio, as -. 



I Ilmiuio He lives. 



An illustration of the many forms of some of these 

 conjugations is afforded by the following : 



Ni tipelten I rule or govern. 



Ni tipelimau I govern him, or her. 



Ni tipelimitishun I govern myself. 



Ni tipeltamuan I govern for him, or her. 



Ni tipeltamuau I govern him, or her, for him, or her. 



Ni tipelimokon I am governed. 



Ni tipelimoko I am governed by him, or her. 



Ni tipelimokoshin I am fit to be governed. 



Ni tipelimitonan We govern one another. 



Kecent years have witnessed a radical change in the 

 appearance of the Montagnais language as printed and 

 written by the Oblat missionaries. These zealous men, 

 for the purpose of simplifying the art of reading for 

 their Indian converts, have reduced the letters of the 

 alphabet to sixteen, having eliminated b, c, d, f, q, v, 

 w, x, y, z. 



It has been well remarked that in the conjugation 

 of some of its verbs the Montagnais language much 

 resembles the Hebrew. Perhaps Father Labrosse 

 took this fact into consideration in formulating his 

 theory as to the origin of these Indians ! 



Little matters it what their pedigree! In the 

 waters that are the highways through their Northern 

 hunting-grounds they are the most skilful canoemen 

 and best of guides. Ashore, in the practically track- 



