The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-09-23

From the Boston Transcript.
E55' We are obliged to our correspondent
TO- the following article. Our readers, we
doubt not, will be pleased, should ne favor
Us further with the result ofhis Investigations
Indian Names.
IT is q fact often alluded to with interest,
that among the ancients the appcllatlons, OF
persons and objects were significant; linus
among the Hebrews, the son OF Abraham was
called Isaac, or laughter, because para,
LAUGHED when a son was promised hef III leI
old are-The name in itself is historical
record, and perpetuates fact Inc same
holds true Of a multitude OF names III the oi-
bic.
The Aborigines of this country observed a
similar rule in the names which they gave
to persons and prominent objects. My pur-
pose in this communication Is barely to notice
the names given to few Of the rivers and
bodies Of water.
The adiectives q,sini, and nish great, COM
pounded after the Indian manner, with some
word signifying water, will help US to gain
the specification Of the names Of not few OF
the rivers and eXpanses of water in this
country.
Roacr Williams, in his Key to the Indian
LANGUAGE, JClS us IlluU lilc IlttIllS .
which he writes Quinnipjac, is derived from
quin, long, and nips, water, and signifies
lonc-riyer We observe the same original
terms in the aboriginal name of New Haven,
OginaiDjac. first applied to the bay: Long
acqter. Ouiaa5auq, Long-Water, is the name
of one of the rivers forming the ancient Pc
Quod river.
Not lone since we saw it stated that the
e Io+ loo,,4Ifl rIoat of Inln nd NVntO1,
Kiuaipc5si0qee, signifies the smile ofthe great
Spirit This is modern romance and not the
simplicity of a native Indian, and may well
name QuinnjpS, or whicE is similar in sound,
TVlnips, are obviously seen here. The last
part of the word, as in other instances, prob
ably added by reason of some dialect spoken
in the vicinity, or for the sake Of ease in
speaking. Mls1niPsie, Large pond, is the
name Of beautiful lake in Ellington, Con-
necticut 1Eshaum, mish-staum, (spring,)
is the name of large spring near Boston.
Hence lIjsAaeoam, Charlestown.
The name Sipj or Scpe, was sometimes Civ
en- to ponds, but oftener to rivers. Quinj,
long, and Sipj, water, with the Indian flourish,
forms the name of our own beautiful town
Quinsiqamond Long pond.
upon the Father of waters we have the SIM
pie appelation of the mighty river of the
West, 1Lsa, great, sipi, river, changed for
the sake Of euphony into Mississippi. This
beautiful change in the letters which blend
in words is common in all the languages of the
natives. Great river was the utmost extent
of aboriginal eption.-1ijsh-$ou"i, may
be the same name in a different dialect, OF
pronounced differently for the sake Of dis
tinction.
DEshHlmaclina,v is derived from the same
qualifying word miS1, and a word signifyine
turtles back. The name being applied to ar
Island which rises fromthe water of the strait:
in the form of great turtles back.
There is a beautiful cxpanse of water il
the town Of Coventry, Connecticut, upon thI
southern border Of which has recently beer
erected q monument to The Memory Of Ma
than Hale, IVonqnnJaug. We took occasion
some years ago to ask one Of the ancient faith
ers of the town the Specification of this name
He replied 'crooEed-pond,' which answer
we'll to its winding form. In looking into
vocabulary Of Indian words, we found Won
kun, signifying crooked, which confirmed
the statement. The Indians at the bend o
the river Connecticut near midtown, wer
called the IYongu1hS, or the Indians at tn
bend, from the change in the course of thu
river at that place.
These notices, which one familiar wit
historical records can greatly extend, ar
sufficient to show the Importance ofthc fact
that the names given to rivers and places b.
the ancient inhabitants Of the land were sig
nifcant, and therefore may greatly aid us il
historical researches.
When we hear of the Father Of rirers
and of the 'Smae ofhe Great Spjru,' we ar
amused but we infer that the authors {
these conceptions were least Of all familia
with the simplicity of the Indian tongue.
Worcester, July 9TH, 1917 GULIELMUS
The N. York Observer suggest that churc1
es should compel their members topay thci
honest debts and make it a matter of churc
discipline, This is right No man who