C 3 D0 ) 



others from the Algonquin tongues, which they very 

 ill remembered, and which often fignified fomethlng 

 very different from what they imagined. How many 

 errors have been oecafioned by fuch mi (lakes in tra- 

 vellers ! 



The Algonquin language has not the fame force 

 with the Huron, but much more fweetnefs and ele- 

 gance. Both have a richnefs of expreffion, a varie- 

 ty of turns and phrafes, a propriety of diction, and 

 a regularity, which are perfectly, aftonifhing. But 

 what is ftili more wonderful is, that amongft Bar- 

 barians, who never ftudied the graces of elocution, 

 and who never knew the ufe of letters or writing, they 

 never introduce a bad word, an improper term, or 

 a faulty conftruction, and that the very children re- 

 tain the fame purity in their lighter!: and mod fami- 

 liar difcourfe. 



Belides, their manner of animating whatever they 

 fay leaves no room to doubt their comprehending all 

 the force of their expreffions, and all the beauty and 

 delicacy of their language. The dialects which are 

 derived from both, have retained neither the fame 

 force nor the fame graces. The Tfonnonthouans 

 for inftance, one of the five Iroquoife cantons, pafs 

 amongft the Indians for being the moft ruftick m 

 their f^eech of any Indians. 



In the' Huron language every word is inflected 

 or conjugated there is a certain art which I cannot 

 well explain to you, by which they diftinguifh 

 verbs from nouns, pronouns, adverbs, &c. Simple 

 verbs have a twofold conjugation ; one abfolute, 

 and the other relative or reciprocal. The third per- 

 fons have two genders, which are all known in 

 their tongues : to wit, the noble and ignoble. As 



