Though they have lost the true meaning of their religious emblems, except what a very few of us occasionally revive in the retentive memories of their old inquisitive magi; yet tradition directs them to apply them properly.{70} They use many plain religious emblems of the divine names, YOHEWAH, YAH, and ALE,—and these are the roots of a prodigious number of words, through their various dialects. It is surprising they were unnoticed, and that no use was made of them, by the early voluminous Spanish writers, or by our own, for the information of the learned world, notwithstanding the bright lights they had to direct them in that æra, when the decorations of their holy temples and priests, their religious ceremonies, and sacred hymns of praise to the Deity, of which hereafter, so nearly corresponded with the Israelitish, and might have been readily discovered by any who eyed them with attention. In our time, by reason of their long intercourse with foreigners, we have necessarily but a few dark traces to guide our inquiries, in the investigation of what must have been formerly, shining truths. I must beg to be indulged with a few more remarks on their verbs.[28]—If we prefix _As_ to _A-a_, “to move,” it becomes _A-sâ-a_, “to offend.” The monosyllables _Ish_ and _Che_, variously denote the second person singular; but when the former is by custom prefixed to a verb, the latter then expresses either the accusative or ablative case singular of the pronoun relative; as _Ish-a-sâ-ah_, “you are offended, or moved to say Ah;” _Ish-a-sâ-a-re_, “you were displeased;” but _Che-a-sâ-ah_ signifies “I am displeased with you;” and _Che-a-sâ-a-re_ “I was offended by you;” _Che-a-sâ-a-chee-le_ is “I occasion, or have occasioned you to be displeased,” literally, “I produce, or have produced offence to you;” and _Che-a-sâ-a-cheê-le Awa_, “I shall not cause you to be displeased.” In like manner, they say _A-ân-ha_, which signifies “I despise,” or literally, “I move _ha_;” for the mid letter is inserted for distinction-sake, according to their idiom. So _A-chîn-ha-chu_, “I shall contemn you;” _A-chîn-ha-cheê-la A-wa_, “I shall not cause you to become despicable.” _Chee-le_ signifies literally, “to bring forth young.” So that the former method of expression is very significant, and yet it shews a sterility of language, as that single word is applicable to every species of female animals, fowls not excepted: Thus, _Phoo-she Chee-le_, “the birds lay.” _Oe-she_ signifies “a young animal,” of any kind—and likewise an egg. When mentioned alone, by way of excellence, it is the common name of an infant; but when the name of the species of animals is prefixed to it, it describes the young creature. _An-push-koosh oo-she_, is what the tender mother says to her well-pleased infant. The two words import the same thing. The former resembles the Hebrew, and the latter is likewise a substantive; they {71} say _Chool-loo-she Teeth-lâ-a-ta-hâh_, “the