Internal evidence proves that these legends were written down by a converted native some time in the seventeenth century. They carry the national history back about two centuries, beyond which all is professedly mythical. Although both translations are colored by the peculiar views of their makers, this is incomparably the most complete and valuable work on American mythology extant. Another authority of inestimable value has been placed within the reach of scholars during the last few years. This is the _Relations de la Nouvelle France_, containing the annual reports of the Jesuit missionaries among the Iroquois and Algonkins from and after 1611. My references to this are always to the reprint at Quebec, 1858. Of not less excellence for another tribe, the Creeks, is the brief "Sketch of the Creek Country," by Col. Benjamin Hawkins, written about 1800, and first published in full by the Georgia Historical Society in 1848. Most of the other works to which I have referred are too well known to need any special examination here, or will be more particularly mentioned in the foot-notes when quoted. FOOTNOTES: [2-1] Waitz, _Anthropologie der Naturvoelker_, i. p. 256. [2-2] Carriere, _Die Kunst im Zusammenhang der Culturentwickelung_, i. p. 66. [6-1] It is said indeed that the Yebus, a people on the west coast of Africa, speak a polysynthetic language, and _per contra_, that the Otomis of Mexico have a monosyllabic one like the Chinese. Max Mueller goes further, and asserts that what is called the process of agglutination in the Turanian languages is the same as what has been named polysynthesis in America. This is not to be conceded. In the former the root is unchangeable, the formative elements follow it, and prefixes are not used; in the latter prefixes are common, and the formative elements are blended with the root, both undergoing changes of structure. Very important differences. [9-1] Grimm, _Geschichte der Deutschen Sprache_, p. 571. [11-1] Peter Martyr, _De Insulis nuper Repertis_, p. 354: Colon. 1574. [12-1] They may be found in Waitz, _Anthrop. der Naturvoelker_, iv. p. 173. [13-1] The only authority is Diego de Landa, _Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan_, ed. Brasseur, Paris, 1864, p. 318. The explanation is extremely obscure in the original. I have given it in the only sense in which the author's words seem to have any meaning. [14-1] Humboldt, _Vues des Cordillères_, p. 72. [14-2] Desjardins, _Le Pérou avant la Conquête Espagnole_, p. 122: Paris, 1858. [16-1] An instance is given by Ximenes, _Origen de los Indios de Guatemala_, p. 186: Vienna, 1856. [17-1] George Copway, _Traditional History of the Ojibway Nation_, p. 130: London, 1850. [18-1] Morse, _Report on the Indian Tribes_, App. p. 352.