438 REVIEWS — AMERICAN PHILOLOGY. 



tance with the grammar and literature of civihzed and learned lan- 

 guages to enable him to mark the analogies and differences that exist 

 between them and the less known tongues whose genius and cha- 

 racter he would desire to make the property alike of the comparative 

 philologist and the missionary. 



In this respect the languages of the western continent have hitherto 

 been unfortunate ; while men of the highest mental calibre, a 

 Henry Martyn, a Sir William Jones, a Claudius Buchanan, a Lee and 

 a Morisson, have applied their fine intellects and varied attain- 

 ments to the elucidation of the languages of the east which they had 

 previously thoroughly mastered, no one has yet arisen who can be said 

 to occupy the place with reference to the languages of the western, 

 that those eminent and highly gifted men did towards those of the 

 eastern continent. It is true that many eminent men both in America 

 and in Europe have directed their attention to the North American 

 languages, but they have been groping in the dark, they have been like 

 skillful miners who had gone down into a rich but new mine without 

 the accustomed light to direct them ; they pass along extensive galleries 

 on every side of which the richest jewels protrude, but they discern 

 them not. They painfully take with them to the surface what they sup- 

 pose to contain the riches that they were in quest of, but which when 

 exposed to the light of day are found to contain nothing valuable. 

 There are others again who during a long intercourse with the abor- 

 iginal tribes have made themselves thoroughly acquainted with their 

 language, but, through deficiency of general education and entire un- 

 acquaintance with philological science are unable to make their know- 

 ledge available for the guidance and information of others. But we 

 have yet to find the man who combines those two qualifications and 

 when we do, we may expect much more light to be thrown on the 

 genius and peculiarities of the western languages than has yet been 

 done. 



Our republican brethren will at once reply that the vacant post has 

 already been filled by their countryman Mr. H. R. Schoolcraft. This 

 position has been claimed for him by the American press ; we have 

 seen it more than once asserted in popular periodicals published in the 

 United States, that Mr. Schoolcraft understands the languages of the 

 American continent better than any other living white man. It has 

 been claimed by that gentleman himself, for he says at page 354 of 

 volume 2, speaking of himself, " He may plead on his behalf the 



