1870.] '^^^ [Brinton. 



aboriginal tongues north of Mexico. In 1562, Rene Laudonniere, coasting 

 among the sea-islands between the months of the Savannah and St. John 

 rivers, collected a vocabulary, which unfortunately he did not think of 

 sufficient interest to insert in his narrative.^ Father Rogel applied himself 

 with success both to the words and structure of the tongue,^ but his man- 

 uscripts are not known to be in existence. Consequently, the earliest 

 specimens of Muskokee proper, except the few words given by Foiitanedo, 

 date after the settlement of the colony of Georgia by the English. The 

 Moravian missionaries who settled at Ebenezer, near Savannah, attempted 

 to study the language in order to use it in converting the natives. Their 

 success was poor, though they collected a number of words. In writing 

 them they used the Greek alphabet, as better adapted to exj)ress the na- 

 tive sounds. Hence we find in their reports such strangely familiar-look- 

 ing words, as ryrxr/ fire, properly tvtke, dtxas sun jDroperly basse, «•£//_ 

 a-rhya shoe, etc.'' The use of the accents in their vocabularies is one ad. 

 vantage over the modern alphabet. I believe, however, no translation 

 was ever published in this character, and the missionaries soon became 

 discouraged in their proselytizing eiforts. 



The first printed books in Muskokee, which I have been able to find, were 

 published in 1835. One of them is a translation of the Gospel of John, by 

 the Rev. John Davis ; the other a duodecimo tract of 35 pages, entitled : 



A short sermon : also hymns, in the Muskokee or Creek language, by 

 Rev. John Fleming, missionary of the American Board of Commissioners 

 for Foreign Missions (Boston, 1835). 



Since that date a number of rehgious and educational works have ap- 

 peared, the titles of some of which in my possession I add : 



Nakcokv Setempohetv. Introduction to the shorter Catechism, trans- 

 lated into the Creek language by Rev. R. M. Loughridge, A. M., and Rev. 

 David Winslett. Second edition, revised and improved. Presbyterian Board 

 of Publication, Phila., 1858, 12 mo., pp. 34. 



Nakcokv es Kerretv Enhvteceskv. Muskokee or Creek First Reader, 

 by W. A. Robertson, A. M., and David Winslett. Second edition. New 

 York, 1867, 12 mo., p. 48. 



Nakcokv esyvhiketv. Muskokee Hymns, collected and revised by Rev. 

 R. M. Loughridge, A. M., and Rev. David Winslett, interpreter. Fourth 

 edition, revised and enlarged by Rev. W. S. Robertson, New York, 1868, 

 12 mo., pp., 221. 



Cesus oh uyares. I will go to Jesus. Translated into Creek by Thos. 

 Perryman and Mrs. A. E. W. Robertson, Tullahassee Mission, American 

 Tract Society, no date : 12 mo., pp., 23. 



A Grammar of theMaskwkee or Creek Language, to which are prefixed 

 lessons in spelling, reading, and defining. By H. F. Buckner, a mission- 



' He says : "mettant par escrit les termes et locutions Indlennes, je pouvois entendre la plus 

 grande part de leur discours." Hist. Notable de la Floride, p. 29. 



" He says: "In six months I was able to speak and preacnlnit." Letter of Wt Dec, \o7(i. These 

 early students, to take them at their word, must have had more linguistic talent than our genera- 

 tion is favored with. 



' Urlsperger, Nachrinhen. Anno 17.34. 



