266 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



these rude and simple characteristics of a mixed Tahtar and 

 Finnic form of speech, there are Scythic words, that is, words 

 of Sanscrit origin, which can scarcely be coincidence*, and 

 rather show that some tribes, perhaps of kindred Yuchi, passed 

 over to the western continent. Again, Semitic words occur 

 rather profusely in the Carib and Makusi dialects* and strik- 

 ing coincidences of similarity between certain tribes of Aus- 

 tralia and the Fuegians of the Straits of ^Magellan are pointed 

 out by Captain Stokes, in his voyage of discovery lately pub- 

 lished. 



One, more, or all the nations of America had, besides, creeds, 

 usages, and traditions, in common with stems of the Old 

 Continent, and particularly with Asiatic tribes. Such, among 

 others, were the diluvian legends and the celestial dragons' 

 attempts to devour the moon during the appearance of an 

 eclipse. Next, there still exists in the northern portion a basis 

 of pure Deism, coinciding with the common belief of all the 

 nations of high and northern Asia. It was ever independent 

 of tribal and subordinate divinities, and admits of various 

 forms, such as Shamanism, with its demonology, and the more 

 moral system of Budhism ; one being outwardly remarkable 

 for sorcery, incantation, the magical drum, and rattles ; the 

 other for several religious monastic orders, for penances, self- 



* Thus, in the Dakotah dialects, which convert 31 to W, the Teutonic 

 Mag, large, becomes Wdh and Wak, great, superior, master. Wehrman, 

 warrior, is converted to Wcroicanic. a war chief, &c. Sachem, a priest 

 chief, ma}' be derived from the same root as segher, a priest, from sagen, 

 to speak, and belong to the series with gesach, schah, &c, authority, right 

 to speak, to command. Hooloo is holy, sacred ; min, many, plural ; Hogh 

 or Oug, high, superior, &c. In other dialects we find Eloa to denote 

 God ; and, in the Carib, Makusi, &c, there are, among many other, 

 Tavxoosi, Phoenician, Tammus, for God ; Karbet is the same as Grabit, 

 a house ; together with usages and opinions closely allied to those of the 

 ancient nations of Syria. The Mexican words, Atzlan, Tlapallan, Teno- 

 titslan, without radical meanings in the language, are readily convertible 

 into very appropriate appellations in several Caucasian la" guages. 



