Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/91

 r method of counting. jg?

May not this have fome explanation, by the " Ancient of days,'* as exprefled by the prophet Daniel magnifying the number, by joining one of the names of God to it according to a frequent cuftom of the Hebrews ? This feems to be illuftrated with fufficient clearnefs, by the numerical method of the Chikkafah for they call an hundred, Pokoole Tatbleepa ; and a thou- fand, Pokoole fatbleepa Tatbleepa IJhto ; the hft of which is a ftrong double fuperlative, according to the ufage of the Hebrews, by a repetition of the principal word ; or by affixing the name of God to the end of it,, to heighten the number. Ifhto is one of their names of God, expref- five of majefty, or greatnefs v and Soottatbleepa *, the name of a drum, de rived from Sootte r an earthen pot, and Xatfjleepa t perhaps the name or num ber of fome of their ancient legions.

TheMufkohge method of counting is, Hammai i, Hokkole 2, 'footchena 3, Ob/la 4, Cbakape 5, Eepdhge 6, Hoolophdge 7, Cbeenepa 8, Ohftape 9, Po- kole 10, &c. I am forry that I have not fufficient fkill in the Mufkohge dialect, to make any ufeful obfervations on this head ; however, the reader can eafily difcern the parity of language, between their numerical words, and thofe of the Chikkafah and Choktah nations ; and may from thence con clude, that they were formerly one nation and people.

I have feen their fymbols, or fignatures, in a heraldry way, to count or diftinguifh their tribes, done with what may be called wild exadnefs. The Choktah ufe the like in the dormitories of their dead ; which feems to argue, that the ancienter and thicker-fettled countries of Peru and Mexico had for merly, at leaft, the ufe of hieroglyphic characters-, and that they painted the real, or figurative images of things, to convey their ideas. The prefent American Aborigines feem to be as fkilful Pantomimi, as ever were thofe of ancient Greece or Rome, or the modern Turkifb mutes, who ddcribe the meaneft things fpoken-,, by gefture, aftion, and the paffions of the face- Two far-diftant Indian nations, who underftand not a word of each other's language, will intelligibly converie together, and contract engagements,, without any interpreter, in fuch a furprizing manner, as is fcarcely credible. As their dialects are guttural,, the indications they. ufe,. with the hand or

long,,
 * The double vowels, oo and ee, are always to be joined in one fyllable, and pronounced

fingers,,

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