.ODg5.NTE2NA

�Prof. Ganong has given me what I consider an excellent definition of Neddick (Cape Neddick) or the "Nubble" - a small rock separated by a narrow gut. It has a real bite to it in [illegible] to the flat [illegible] and unprofitable translation of the Agamenticus River. I quite agree that he can do good work when he lets himself go and doubtless gets bull's eyes [?] in Nova Scotia where he knows the localities from personal observation.

How far did the Indian go in his place names? Your reference to Michigan and Machegonne brings it up. It has been noted before-- in connection with "bow" or "elbow." Did he or could he visualize such a territory topographically as [Michigan?] and say it looked like a bow or an elbow? If so he could say the continent looked like a piece of cheese and call it so. I doubt whether he had place names for every locality and they did not range far -- distinctive areas which they utilized or knew as landmarks. I doubt that many islands were named. They had no charts to aid in fixing island nomenclature. High mountains and rivers certainly were.

The basis for Indian place names is uncertain crutch to lean on. We have only the crude efforts of English sailors who knew enough to hold a quill and endeavor to reproduce an entirely unknown tongue to Roman letters -- supposing they were certain that the native was talking about names of places and not signalling for a drink or a tin whistle. They were dealing with a new type of speech -- the agglutinative, entirely foreign to his ideas and his method of forming sounds. All one has to do is to put himself in John Smith's shoes and start registering the grunts emitted by the Abenakis[?] and