ALGONQUIAN LANGUAGES. 



401 



Pierson (A.) — Continued. 



itants of Lynn, "finding themselves strait- 

 ened " in their town, had determined to form a 

 new settlement elsewhere. They therefore 

 organized a new church, over which Mr. Pier- 

 son was installed as minister in November of 

 the same year. In the following December 

 they removed to the southeast shore of Long 

 Island, and began a new town at Southampton, 

 Mr. Pierson remained there about four years, 

 until the place was brought under the jurisdic- 

 tion of Connecticut in 1644, when, being dissat- 

 isfied with the consequent change in some of 

 the laws relating to church government, he 

 removed with a portion of his congregation to 

 Branford, in New Haven Colony, where a new 

 settlement had already been made. There be 

 organized another church, over which he offici- 

 ated for more than twenty years. 



In that neighborhood, and westward along 

 the northern shore of Long Island Sound, were 

 the settlements of the savages whom Mr. 

 Pierson undertook to Christianize some years 

 later. The Quiripi, or " long water " Indians, 

 as the natives of "these southwest parts" are 

 called by Dr. J. Hammond Trumbull, spoke a 

 "dialect having a.place between the dialects 

 of Massachusetts, Narragansett, and eastern 

 Connecticut, and those of the Middle States ; 

 showing nearer affinity than other New Eng- 

 land dialects to the (true) Delawares or Renapi 

 of New Sweden." The names Quinnipiac and 

 Quillipiac, which also belonged to places near 

 New Haven, and signified "long-water land" 

 or country, are thus explained by Dr. Trum- 

 bull : " In the Mohegan and Narraganset dia- 

 lects, the first syllable was pronounced, quin,- by 

 the Conn, river Indians, quil; and by the 

 Indians west of the 'long water,' ^tnr." The 

 earliest reference to Mr. Pierson's work among 

 them appears to be in a letter from the Com- 

 missioners of the United Colonies to the Corpo- 

 ration in England, dated at New Haven, Sep- 

 tember 10th, 1651, in which they wrote that 

 "Mr. Leweridge, Mr. Blinman, Mr. Person &c. 

 are studying the language that they may 

 the better treat with them conserning the 

 thinges of Iheire peace." In another letter, 

 dated September 12th of the same year, and 

 addressed to Mr. Eliot, they wrote: " Mr. Hig- 

 genson hath spent som time formerly about the 

 Indian language and Mr. Peirson hath done the 

 like and contineweth with much seriusnes 

 therin." In September, 1653, Mr. Rawson was 

 ordered by the Commissioners "to pay Mr. 

 Pearson of Braynford within Newhauen Juris- 

 diction the summe of twelue pound towards 

 his Charge and paines in fiting himselfe to 

 teache the Indians;" and in September, 1654, it 

 was "agreed that Mr. Pierson for his paines 

 and Charges and fiting himselfe for the Indian 

 "Worke shalbee paied fifteen pounds out of the 

 Corporation stocke." 



The Commissioners wrote to the Corporation 

 in London, September 25th, 1654, in reference to 

 Mr. Eliot's work among the Indians, as follows: 



ALG 26 



Pierson (A.) — Continued. 



" one Cattachesme is alreddy printed and M' 

 Person is preparing another to sute these 

 southwest ptes where the languige differs from 

 theires who Hue about the Massacheuesetts." 

 At their meeting in New Plymouth two years 

 later, in September, 1656, "A letter from M*" 

 Pearson of Bramford dated the 25"" August 

 last was read and some pte of a Cattichlsme by 

 him framed and propounded to convince the 

 Indians by the light of Nature & Reason that 

 there is onely one God who hath made and 

 Gou'neth all thinges (fee was considered and 

 the Commissioners advised that it bee pfected 

 and turned into the Narragausett or Pequott 

 language that it may bee the better vnderstood 

 by the Indians in all ptes of the Countrey and 

 for that purpose they spake with and desired 

 Tho : Stanton to aduise with M'' Pearson about 

 a fltt Season to meet and Translate the "same 

 accordingly without any vnessesary delay that 

 it may bee fltttd for and sent to the press and 

 they promised him due Satisfaction for his time 

 and paines ; it was agreed that M'" Pearson bee 

 allowed fifteen pounds for his paines bee shall 

 take in this worke the yeare Insuing." The 

 catechism was completed and a copy transcribed 

 for the press before the next meeting of the 

 Commissioners in September, 1657, when they 

 wrote to the Corporation on the 19th of that 

 month, that ' ' wee have alsoe Improued his [Mr. 

 Stanton's] skill in healping M"" Person an able 

 and vsef nil Instrument for other Indian ssperit- 

 uall good in Translateing a Catichisme M"" 

 Person hath made for theire vse and Instruc- 

 tion and as the account will shew haue giuen 

 him a suitable allowance; . . . wee haue 

 alsoe sent you . . . M"" Persons Catta- 

 chisme; which wee haue desired M' Ince to 

 Transcribe whome you may please to Improne 

 to overlooke the presse to preuent mistakes 

 especially of the Indian wee desire the worke 

 may bee expedated and that 1500 Coppies bee 

 sent hither to vs by the first oppertunitie." 

 This catechism, however, never reached Eng- 

 land, as the ship which carried it was lost at sea 

 with all on board. The Corporation replied to 

 the Commissioners, April 30, 1658 : "As for Mr. 

 Person wee concure with you concerning his 

 fitnes and Abillitie for the Indians sperituall 

 good ; and for the Cattichismes mencioned in 

 youer letter of his Composing for theire vse and 

 Instruction which wee should haue taken care 

 to haue printed according to your Desire and 

 should haue sent ouer the number mencioned in 

 youer letter but wee feare it is miscarryed being 

 sent as wee vnderstand in Mr. Garretts shipp 

 which is yett mising ; and therfore wee Intreat 

 you to send it oiier by the first oppertunitie." On 

 the 16th of September, 1658, theCommissioners 

 wrote to the Corporation that " Mr Person wee 

 heare is repairing his Catichisme for the presse 

 and is expected heer ouery day; wee hope to 

 send it yoa by the next together with this 

 yeares actes which as yett wee haue not had 

 time to perfect;" and again in a letter dated 



