HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 137 



western Europe one community is known to exist, speaking a 

 language which in its general structure manifests a near likeness 

 to the Indian tongue. Alone of all the races of the old continent 

 the Basques or Euskarians of northern Spain and southwestern 

 France have a speech of that highly complex and polysynthetic 

 character which distinguishes the American languages.* 



This was but a likeness, but it led Air Hale to say of western 

 Europe : " The derivation of the American population from this 

 source presents no serious improbability whatever." He after- 

 ward showed how the many Indian dialects might have origi- 

 nated about the Columbia river. 



According to one writer 12 letters will answer for all Iroquois 

 sounds, though this requires the hardening of some. In this 

 scheme we have a, e, f, h, i, k, n, o, r, s, t, w. The English mis- 

 sionaries used 16 for the Mohawk tongue : a, d, e, g, h, i, j, k, n, o, 

 r, s, t, u, w, y. L is much used by the Oneidas, and R by the 

 Mohawks, D and T, G and K, are interchangeable. Dual and 

 plural numbers have proper prefixes in most cases. Local rela- 

 tions are shown by affixed particles. Adjectives may follow sub- 

 stantives, but more commonly coalesce. Pronouns exceed those 

 in European languages, and verbs have three modes. The fre- 

 quent differences in personal nouns are often due to the dropping 

 of a pronoun or particle, or its addition. 



Chapter 2 



Surrounding nations. Food, houses, forts and weapons. Weaving and 

 dress. Sepulture. Wampum. Stories and songs. Etiquette. Adoption. 

 Orators and diplomats. Intoning and pantomime. 



Brief notices may here be given of some other nations with 

 whom the Iroquois came in contact at various times, but some 

 are sufficiently noticed elsewhere. Thus it may be enough to say 

 of the Hurons, called Quatoghies and Agaritkas by the Iroquois, 

 that they and the Petuns were the Wyandots of later days, 

 Wendat being the collective name given in 1639. 



Algonquin was contracted from Algomequin, a people living 

 on the Ottawa river and noted in their day. In 1736 but 20 of 

 their men lived at Montreal, and a French writer said : " This 



