Clinton's introductory discourse. 55 



becoming acquainted with his own species in every form of existence, 

 and in every stage of society from the erratic savage of the forest to 

 the polished inhabitant of the city. In this country we behold man in 

 every shape and modification of insulated and social being. When we 

 peruse Herodotus' description of the Scythians, Thucydides' of the 

 ancient Grecians, Caesar's of the Gauls and Britons, and Tacitus' of the 

 Germans, we perceive the prototypes of our Indians ; but we have it in 

 our power to view man in a savage state with our own eyes, without 

 relying upon the reports of others ; and it is to be regretted that so 

 much time has transpired without more attention being bestowed on 

 this interesting subject. Dr. Robertson says, " almost two centuries 

 elapsed after the discovery of America before the manners of its inha- 

 bitants attracted, in any considerable degree, the attention of philoso- 

 phers." This neglect can, perhaps, never be fully retrieved. An 

 intercourse with civilized man has changed our Indians in almost every 

 respect; but there is still a sufficient remnant of their manners, lan- 

 guages, and traditions left to interest inquiry, and invite investigation : 

 in some very remote quarters they may still be found in the unsophisti- 

 cated forms of original barbarism, unaltered by extrinsic intercourse. 

 Many of their languages may still be redeemed from oblivion, their per- 

 sons may be delineated, and their manners and traditions may be de- 

 scribed ; and the knowledge which may be obtained, added to what has 

 already been collected, may furnish invaluable illustrations of the human 

 species.* The number of languages in Mexico is thirty-five, of which 

 fourteen have grammars and dictionaries. The Bible has been translated 

 by Eliot, the Indian apostle, into the Algonquin language :f two thou- 

 sand copies of the Mohawk version of St. John's gospel have been 



* See Note L. f Clavigero's Mexico, vol. 2. 



