22. The Indian languages bear little resemblance to those of other races. The Red man's vocabulary was very limited. The principal objects of nature had special names, but abstract ideas could hardly be expressed. Indian words had a very intense meaning. There was, for instance, no word signifying to _hunt_ or to _fish_; but one word signified "to-kill-a-deer-with-an-arrow"; another, "to-take-fish-by-striking-the-ice." Among some of the tribes, the meaning of words was so restricted that the warrior would use one term and the squaw another to express the same idea. 23. The Indians were generally serious in manners and behavior. Sometimes, however, they gave themselves up to merry-making and hilarity. The dance was universal--not the social dance of civilized nations, but the solemn dance of religion and of war. Gaming was much practiced among all the tribes. Other amusements were common, such as running, wrestling, shooting at a mark, and racing in canoes. 24. In personal appearance the Indians were strongly marked. In stature they were below the average of Europeans. The Esquimos are rarely five feet high. The Algonquins are taller and lighter in build; straight and agile; lean and swift of foot. The eyes are jet-black and sunken; hair black and straight; skin copper-colored or brown; hands and feet small; body lithe, but not strong; expression sinister, or sometimes dignified and noble. 25. The best hopes of the Indian race seem now to center in the Choctaws, Cherokees, Creeks, and Chickasaws of the Indian Territory. These nations have attained a considerable degree of civilization. Most of the other tribes are declining in numbers and influence. Whether the Indians have been justly deprived of the New World will remain a subject of debate. That they _have_ been deprived of it can not be questioned. The white races have taken possession of the vast domain. To the prairies and forests, the hunting-grounds of his fathers, the Red man says farewell. [Illustration] REVIEW QUESTIONS.--PART I. 1. What is meant by the Aborigines? 2. What evidences indicate an earlier race than the Indians? 3. What is known of the Mound-builders? 4. What are the most notable mounds? 5. Where are they located? 6. Describe the shapes of the mounds. 7. For what supposed purposes were they built? 8. What are sometimes found in the mounds? 9. Why were the native races of America called Indians? 10. What is said of the origin of these races? 11. To what family of men do the Indians belong? 12. Name the principal Indian nations in America. 13. What regions did the Algonquins inhabit? 14. Where did the Huron-Iroquois live? 15. What were the characteristics of this nation? 16. Where did the Cherokees and Mobilian nations live? 17. What were the principal tribes of the Mobilians? 18. What regions did the Dakotas inhabit? 19. Give the names of other Indian nations. 20. What regions did they inhabit?