Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/87

 Weir manner of counting time, 75

call the fun Euf-fe A-mn-to-ge^ the day-moon, or fun j" and the latter, Neuf-fe A-nan-ti-ge^ or " the night-fun, or moon." In like manner, the Chikkafah and Choktah term the one, Ntetak-Ha/eb, and the other, Neennak^ Haffih i for Neetak fignifies " a day," and Neennak, " a night."

Here I cannot forbear remarking, that the Indians call the penis of any animal, by the very fame name, Haffe, with this difference only, that the termination is in this inftance pronounced fhort, whereas the other is long, on purpofe to diftinguifh the words. This bears a ftrong analogy to what the rabbins tell us of the purity of the Hebrew language, that " it Is fo chafte a tongue, as to have no proper names for the parts of generation." The Cheerake can boaft of the fame decency of ftyle, for they call a corn- houfe, Watobre and the penis of any creature, by the very fame name j intimating, that as the fun and moon influence and ripen the fruits that are flored in it, fo by the help of Ceres and Bacchus, Venus lies warm, whereas on the contrary, fine Cerere &f Bacchus, friget Venus.

They count certain very remarkable things, by knots of various colours and make, after the manner of the South-American Aborigines ; or by notched fquare flicks, which are likewife diftributed among the head warriors, and other chieftains of different towns, in order to number the winters, &c. the moons alfo their fleeps and the days when they travel, and efpecially cer tain fecret intended acts of hoftility. Under fuch a circumftance, if one day elapfes, each of them loofens a knot, or cuts off a notch, or elfe makes one, according to previous agreement -, which thofe who are in the trading way among them, call broken days. Thus they proceed day by day, till the whole time is expired, which was marked out, or agreed upon ; and they know with certainty, the exact time of any of the aforefaid periods, when they are to execute their fecret purpofes, be they ever fo various. The au thors of the romantic Spanifli hiftories of Peru and Mexico, have wonder fully flretched on thefe knotted, or marked firings, and notched fquare flicks, to (hew their own fruitful inventions, and draw the attention and furprize of the learned world to their magnified bundle of trifles.

The method of counting time by weeks, or fevenths, was a very ancient^ cuflom, praftifed by the Syrians, Egyptians, and moft of the oriental nations ;

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