Most of the American nations are extremely deficient in words to express number. The Abipones can only express three numbers in proper words. _Iñitára_, one. _Iñoaka_, two. _Iñoaka yekainì_, three. They make up for the other numbers by various arts: thus, _Geyenk ñatè_, the fingers of an emu, which, as it has three in front and one turned back, are four, serves to express that number. _Neènhalek_, a beautiful skin spotted with five different colours, is used to signify the number five. If you interrogate an Abipon respecting the number of any thing, he will stick up his fingers, and say, _leyer iri_, so many. If it be of importance to convey an accurate idea of the number of the thing, he will display the fingers of both hands or feet, and if all these are not sufficient, show them over and over again till they equal the number required. Hence _Hanámbegem_, the fingers of one hand means five; _Lanám rihegem_, the fingers of both hands, ten; _Lanam rihegem, cat gracherhaka anámichirihegèm_, the fingers of both hands and both feet, twenty. They have also another method of making up for want of numbers. When they return from an excursion to hunt wild horses, or shoot tame ones, none of the Abipones will ask them how many horses have you brought home? but, how much space will the troop of horse which you have brought home occupy? to which they will reply, the horses placed in a row would fill the whole market-place, or they extend from this grove to the river's bank. With this reply, which gives them an idea of the quantity of horses, they remain satisfied, though uninformed of the exact number. Sometimes they take up a handful of sand or grass, and showing it to the interrogator, endeavour in this way to express an immense quantity. But when number is spoken of, take care you do not readily credit whatever the Abipones say. They are not ignorant of arithmetic, but averse to it. Their memory generally fails them. They cannot endure the tedious process of counting. Hence to rid themselves of questions on the subject, they show as many fingers as they like, sometimes deceived themselves, sometimes deceiving others. Often, if the number about which you ask exceeds three, an Abipon, to save himself the trouble of showing his fingers, will cry _Pòp!_ many. _Chic leyekalipì_, innumerable. Sometimes, when ten soldiers are coming, the assembled people will exclaim, _Yoaliripì latenk naúeretápek_, a very great number of men are approaching.