372 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



river term here is " oosa." This is considered an old Saxon word for water (see 

 Webster — " ousa "). It is, however, found in ancient river nomenclature in 

 every quarter of the world. It is often in the native Indian names. It is doubt- 

 less a corruption of either Acha^or Ogha. 



We see in the name, as we have it divided, Talk p-oosa, three factors; a 

 descriptive prefix in "talla"; with the suffix "oosa,"an acknowledged river 

 word. What are the functions of the other element in the word — the simple 

 letter p ? Indisputable testimonies give response to our query. 



First, what is the other natural fact in connection with this muddy river ? 

 It is a YQry powerful stxQSiVCi. The immemorial legend says that the word means 

 a ''swift current" or "swift water." Well, swift waters are generally waters of 

 power. But do the verbal facts coincide with these testimonies? Opening our 

 Latin authorities again, we find that this letter p is a recognized Roman abbre- 

 viation of the word pondo, which means powerful. These are facts which the 

 most skeptical cannot reject. 



This tell-tale letter P — like the neighboring one M — is a curious exponent of 

 verbal and historical facts. It is found in many native Indian names where the 

 rivers are rivers of great available waterpower. (All great rivers have a certain 

 element of " power." But we are now considering the available feature of that 

 power.) Some of the most noted rivers in America, where the motive power is 

 developed or available, have this letter P in the tide. The Potapsco is the most 

 powerful river of Maryland. The Saxa-p-ahaw turns more machinery than all 

 the other North Carolina rivers. The Winnepeg, the Winnepesocket (or really 

 the Winne-pisc-aqud) , the Penobscot, the Rappahannock, the (Upper) Potomac, 

 and many others having the letter P in the Indian name, are all noted for their 

 water powers. 



(The Potomac betrays either Greek origin [in potamos — river] or in poto and 

 the abbreviation of tnagnus — mag or mac. Virginia has many rivers that reveal 

 both Latin and Greek in their "native Indian names." There are for instance 

 Fluvanna [from the l-.dXxn fluvius — river] and also Rivanna — from rivus, another 

 Latin word for river. Rapidanna and Rappahannock also show Latin words.) 



There are some very interesting and suggestive facts in connection with sev- 

 eral of the examples cited in the above paragraphs — independent of the mere 

 Latin theory. Let us indicate specially the Saxa-p-aha, the Penob-scot (or the 

 Penapscd) and the Potapsco. The former contains the pure Teutonic term Aha, 

 and also the Latin root of our English word for rocky — Saxeum. This Latin 

 word, however, has its remote origin in the Sanscrit Sax, or Ska. 



Scholars are familiar with' the derivatives of the Latin word Saxeum, and the 

 Sanscrit term Ska — such as "rough," "rocky," "stony," "scabby," "scaly," 

 etc., etc. 



Now if we investigate the character of the waters, their channels, etc., in 

 America, having in their names either of the terms, the Sanscrit Ska or the Latin 

 Sax — which, as we have observed, are identical — we are met with the startling 

 fact that they are among the very roughest and rockiest on the continent. The 



