Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/563

 Record of American Folk- Lore. 2 1 5

word familiar in New England as one of the appellations of the large and long-named lake at Webster, Mass. Among others, the deriva- tions are given in this paper of : Croton, Mamaroneck, Mokegan, Chap- paqua, Sing Sing, Tuckahoe, Tanracken. Another interesting fact about some of these names is the way in which local tradition has preserved the general or particular signification of the Indian term in the Dutch or English name. Incidentally Mr. Tooker points out some of the errors of Schoolcraft, who was all too ready, with his knowledge of Ojibwa, to interpret Algonkian place-names anywhere. Athapascan. Dent. In the " Transactions of the Canadian In- stitute " (vol. vi. pp. 75-83), Rev. A. G. Morice discusses " The Classification of the D6ne Tribes." — The same number of the Transactions contains another paper by Father Morice on " The Use and Abuse of Philology" (pp. 84-109), which contains some inter- esting derails of D6ne phonetics and word-formation. Both papers are in the nature of a severe criticism of the " comparative philology " of Professor John Campbell, of Montreal, whose efforts to connect the American Indian tongues with the ancient and modern languages of Asia are no less industrious than mistaken. Father Morice also criticises Petitot's interpretation of certain names occurring in Dene legends, and points out some of the mistakes, which even the best writers about the Dene have made. Among other things, the author notes that the -proportion of " truly Dene words " in* the Navaho "Mountain Chant" of Dr. Washington Matthews "cannot be less than 75 per cent." This is remarkable when we consider that the Dene are "perhaps 2000 miles from the nearest Navaho." Father Morice utterly rejects Professor Campbell's idea that Dene and Otomi are connected, not a single item of proof existing. — Navaho. Dr. A. Hrdlicka's paper on " Physical and Physiological Observa- tions on the Navaho," in the "American Anthropologist" (vol. ii. N. S..pp. 339-345) for April-June, 1900, contains a few items of folk-lore. According to the author, " each Navaho man makes his own moccasins and leggings," and the " regular and often beautiful designs " on the blankets woven by the women are "individual crea- tions, produced without .the aid of actual patterns." The water- gourds " are said to be derived from the Utes, among whom they are common," and are only occasionally used by the Navaho. Among these Indians " hoarding is unknown." The Navaho has an " almost phenomenal" knowledge of his country, is an endless improviscr of short songs, has a keen sense of humor, and is very fond of racing and gambling. The Navaho creation-legend makes them come into this world from an underworld, and the opening into this world is pointed out by some as situated in the La Plata mountains. Accord- ing to some authorities, "the early history of the tribe is intimately

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