ON ETHNOLOGY. 
251 
Two great facts may be considered as ascertained in the history of the 
American idioms; the first is that they all belong to one system of lan¬ 
guages with reference to organic construction. This analogy is by no means 
accounted for by the explanation proposed, that it is merely a result of a 
particular stage of mental culture prevalent among all the nations of America. 
Many nations in the Old World hare passed through the same stage of 
social development, indeed through all itestt^es; but there are no languages in 
the Old Continent, as far as we know, which have the same laws of coDj*truc- 
rion as the American languages. Nor is It true os matter of fact tliat the 
nations of America were in the same stage of mental culture; there was a 
great difterence between the Mexicans, for eianiple, and the Earjuimaux ; 
yet the idioms of both these races Itelong to what has heeu termed U»e Poly- 
syniheric class of languages. Tlic analogy indeed between these tiujwerous 
languages is too particular, and depending on what may be termed arbitrary 
arraugemenis, to be explained by referring it to any circumstances iu the 
moral condition of the people. It must be the effect of comniuuication, or 
pherof origination from a common source; and perhaps we may hence be 
juitified in concluding that all the tribes of America, from the Arctic Sea to 
ibeM^ellanic Islands, are the offspring of one stock, or the subdivisions of 
one original nation. 
A Mcond general fact is, that in America, as elsewhere, we find a few great 
famUits of languages spread over immense spaces. There is inihicd l>eside8 
these a great number of tribes appurtmtly insulated, whose language* cannot 
be referred to any of the principal tongues 5 but this is probably owing to 
the deficiency of our information respecting tlieni, and, as they become 
better known, the number of distinct groupe* is continually diminished. 
I must not tenuinate this paper without taking a rapid survey of the prin¬ 
cipal families of languages in America. 
It we begin from the north, we find in the first place the various tribes of 
^quhnaux, who inhabit a narrow strip of land running across the whole con- 
tiuftnt to the norlhvranl of ail the other inhabited countries. The Esquimaux 
are essentially a people of the soa-coast, from which they never are found at 
MV great distance. 
To the southward of the Esquimaux, the whole breadtii of the American 
continent to a considerable distance towards the south, is occupied by two 
great families. On the western side the Athapascas, of wliora the Chepewy- 
ans of Mackenaie are a ])articular tribe, extend southward to the river Mis- 
sinippi, which falls into Hudson’s Bay. On the eastern side are the gi’eat 
Algonquin family, reaching southward llirough a great part of the old terri¬ 
tory of the United States, and itwlosing within their own doininuin the coun¬ 
try ol the Iroquois or Six Nations, who are diffeixujt in language, but closely 
Related in their history with their perpetual enemies the Algonquin or 
WDapian race. 1 shall not attempt to enumerate the nation* which belong 
to this great stock, itihubiting the greater part of Canada and the country of 
the United .States nearly as far souOward as the Alleghany Mountains. 
To the southward of these nations, hiuI over the Floridas to the Gulf of 
Mexico, the Clierokees, the Chikkasahs, Choktahs, and otlier nations con¬ 
nected with then>, form a particular grou]>e. 
Between the Misrissippi and the chain of the Kooky Mountains, ten or 
twelve apparently distinct races and languages have been traced by M. Gal¬ 
latin. Two of these naUdus, the Sioux and the Black-foot Indians of the 
Rocky Mountains, are among the most numerous races of North America. 
Of the former there are many distinct tribos. 
To tho westword of the chain of Uocky Mountains, and in the countries 
