29th.  I have, for some time, relinquished the expectation of being selected to conduct the exploring party, intended to be ordered by government, into the region of the St. Peter’s, at least the present season.  A letter of this date terminates the uncertainty.  “Major Delafield,” says a correspondent, “informs me that an exploring party has been ordered under Major Long, to make the tour which was intended for you.  Why this arrangement has been made, and the original plan abandoned, I cannot conjecture, unless it resulted from the necessity of placing a military officer at the head of the party.  I presume this was the fact, for I am certain that the change in the project did not arise from any feeling in Mr. C.’s mind unfriendly, or even indifferent to you.  Upon that subject I can speak definitely, and say to you, that you have a hold upon his esteem, not to be shaken.”  Thus falls another cherished hope, namely, that of leading an expedition to the North.

30th.  Minute particulars are often indicative of general changes.  This is the first day that the mosquito has appeared.  The weather for a few days has been warm.  Vegetation suddenly put forth; the wild cherry, &c., is now in bloom, and gardening has commenced with fine prospects.

31st.  Odjibwa language.—­There are two generic words in the concrete forms of the Chippewa for water or a liquid, in addition to the common term neebi.  They are aubo and gomee.  Both are manifestly compounds, but, in our present state of knowledge, they may be temporarily considered as elements of other compounds.  Thus, if the letter n be prefixed to the former, and the sound of b suffixed, the result is the term for soup, nabob.  If to the same element of aubo, the word for fire, iscoda, be prefixed, the result is their name for ardent spirits, iscodawabo, literally fire-water.  In the latter case, the letter w is thrown in as a coalescent between the sound of a, as a in hate; and the a, as a in fall.  This is out of a mere regard to euphony.

“If they (the Chippewas) say ‘A man loves me,’ or ‘I love a man,’ is there any variation in the word man?” They do not use the word man in either of these instances.  The adjective white takes the animate pronoun form in iz zi, by which the object beloved is indicated, waub-ishk-iz-ze Saugiau.

“Does the object precede or follow the verb?” Generally, it precedes the verb.  Fish, have you any? not, Have you any fish?

The substantive preceded the verb in the organization of the language.  Things were before the motion of things, or the acts or passions of men which led to motion and emotion.  Hence, all substances are changed into and used as verbs.

I this day completed and transmitted the results of my philological inquiries, hoping they might prove acceptable to the distinguished individual to whom they were addressed, and help to advance the subject.  This subject is only laid aside by the call of business, and to be effectual must be again resumed with the recurrence of our long winter evenings.