Indian Languages in J\'*orth America, 359 



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« Taken after the figlit at Norridgwock among Father Ralle's Papers, and given 

 bj the late CoL Heath to Elisfia Cooke, Esq. 



Dictionarj of the Norridgewalk Language." 

 The volume consists of two parts, the first of which is a general Dictionary 

 of the language in French and Indian. This part consists of 205 leaves (as they 



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are numbered) about one quarter part of which have writing upon both sides, and 

 the remainder, upon one side only. The pages are divided, though not with 

 regularitj throughout, into two columns ; the first of French, and the second of 

 Indian, containing each about twenty five lines. Tlie second part of the volume 

 consists of twenty five leaves, almost all written upon both sides, and has this 

 Latin title — ^' Farliculoe*^^ In this part the Jnt/ian words are placed first, and 

 the author gives an account of i\\^ particles^ making his explanations sometimes 

 in French and sometimes m Latin. 



From a comparison which I have made of several words of the language now 

 spoken by the Pienofiscoi Indians (as we call them) who, at the present time, 

 occupy a small territory on the river Penobscot, it appears to be, as we should 

 naturally expect, exactly the same with that of RdWs Dictionary. A few years 

 ago one page of this Dictionary, containing the Indian numerals, was published in 

 our Massachusetts Historical Collections, vol. x. p, 137; but a very natural mis- 

 take, either of the printer or of the transcriber, runs through this extract, in con- 

 stantly printing aii instead of a/?. This error probably arose from the uncommon 

 use of the diseresis, which is here put over a consonant (N) instead of a vowel, as 

 is the practice in other languages. Rale seems to have used the diaeresis thus, in 

 order to point out when the letters an were not to have the nasal sound which 



they had in the Frencn language. 



So copious a dictionary, compiled a century ago by a man of acknowledged 

 abilities and learning, and who had resided more than thirty years among the 

 Indians, is one of the most important documents now existing, relative to the 

 history of the North American languages; and measures ought to be taken with- 

 out loss of time, either under the direction of the University or of the American 

 Academy, to effect the poblication of it, before anj accident happens to the manu- 

 script. The Legislature of our own State would, without doubt, be fully sensible 

 of the importance of publishing it, and would lend its aid in making provision for 



the expense of printing in a manner becoming the Governmeut, a work which 



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