i36 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, 8^c. 



aman was salt. These two words I was particular in setting 

 down with their true pronunciation; and I found them, after 

 I learned the Cherokee language, to correspond precisely 

 to the same thing amongst them. The other words, which 

 I was rather careless about, have some similar sounds; but 

 every one knows how difficult it is to seize the pronuncia- 

 tion of a dialect we do not understand. 



Cherokee. 

 Othomite, 



English, Sun, 



Nay taw, 

 Noatsaw, 



ellaw, Chennoyhay, 



Deghton, 

 Corn 



Chonoyay, 

 Nigh^, 



Catouch, 



Cahatogh, 



Mountain, 



These are the common names which I find in my jour- 

 nal, and if corn differs thus much, it is not improbable that 

 they did not know that grain, before they left the som-ce 

 from which they both took their origin. Cahato, in Cher- 

 okee, means bread, and cato means the earth, catouch 

 means mountain; and in Othomite, cahatogh means moun- 

 tain, where we find resemblance in the sound, and with the 

 word cato, the earth, and cahato, a loaf of bread ; but I 

 doubt whether they knew how to make bread before they 

 knew corn. 



Digression on the province of Michiwacan. 



Whilst I am adverting to the province of Michiwacan, (al- 

 though it is far out of ray present sphere,) I will add some- 

 thing on that topic. 



In the province of Michiwacan, or from Tobuca to Sala- 

 manca, and more particularly about Acambaro, to the west 

 of lake Gasquaro, there is a number of thick veins of vit- 

 reous lava, running in all directions. In some places they 

 occur in large bodies, all shivered confusedly. This kind 

 resembles perfectly, the glass of the English porter bottles; 

 it is very compact; the Spaniards call it pedernal. I have 

 seen it no where else, except some few small pieces used 

 for arrow points, found in the numerous Indian mounds 

 which cover the greatest part of these western countries. 



Indian Mounds. 



They have a great resemblance to the old Mexican villa- 

 ges, bXiilt with raw bricks of fourteen inches square, and 

 covered with limbs, and turf on top, which, when moulder- 



