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Correspondence from Charles E. Banks to Fannie Hardy Eckstorm ca. 1915-1930, Part 2

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 Dear Mrs. Eckstorm
-I am vastly intrigued by your forcible confession of faith in Penaquid.  I have never been there, but I look upon it as an old friend from much reading about it.  There too, I have always been an amateur student of the Indian tongue as a part of my flair for philology.  I may have exposed my kindergarten views on some of your Maine words to you in the past.  I have always been in somewhat extended correspondence with so-called experts-the late [?] [?] particularly of Sag Harbor N.Y. (deceased) also Prof. [?].  It is a dangerous plaything for an amateur.  But if one thing I am convinced that it is futile for any 'expert' to fasten a scientific (underscored) definition to a place name without personal knowledge of the terrain.  I hate to criticise [?] who have made study of the construction of the Indian tongue a specialty, but I [?] amazed at their definitions.  If the Indian could do no better than they report his descriptive power as [?] place names,, I wonder the Indians [?] knew where they were at.
+I am vastly intrigued by your forcible confession of faith in Pemaquid.  I have never been there, but I look upon it as an old friend from much reading about it.  There too, I have always been an amateur student of the Indian tongue as a part of my flair for philology.  I may have exposed my kindergarten views on some of your Maine words to you in the past.  I have always been in somewhat extended correspondence with so-called experts-the late William Wallace Tooker  particularly of Sag Harbor N.Y. (deceased) also Prof. Ganong.  It is a dangerous plaything for an amateur.  But of one thing I am convinced that it is futile for any 'expert' to fasten a scientific (underscored) definition to a place name without personal knowledge of the terrain.  I hate to criticise Algonkinologists (?) who have made study of the construction of the Indian tongue a specialty, but I am [?] amazed at their definitions.  If the Indian could do no better than they report his descriptive power as customary place names, I wonder the Indians ever knew where they were at.
-For example -[?] the name of Portland.  [?] was given me-"the great ridge place",-that is like an animals back.  It is admitted [?] in the various dialects, the syllables following Mach-means variously, [?] and camp.  But how would an Indian know when he had arrived at the great ridge place?  Portland has two  hills at each end of
+For example Machigonne the name of Portland.  [?] was given me-"the great ridge place," -that is like an animals back.  It is admitted that in the various dialects, the syllables following Mach-mean variously, ridge and camp.  But how would an Indian know when he had arrived at the great ridge place?  Portland has two  hills at each end of

Revision as of Sep 21, 2018, 12:08:45 AM

�Boston, October 6, 1930

Dear Mrs. Eckstorm I am vastly intrigued by your forcible confession of faith in Pemaquid. I have never been there, but I look upon it as an old friend from much reading about it. There too, I have always been an amateur student of the Indian tongue as a part of my flair for philology. I may have exposed my kindergarten views on some of your Maine words to you in the past. I have always been in somewhat extended correspondence with so-called experts-the late William Wallace Tooker particularly of Sag Harbor N.Y. (deceased) also Prof. Ganong. It is a dangerous plaything for an amateur. But of one thing I am convinced that it is futile for any 'expert' to fasten a scientific (underscored) definition to a place name without personal knowledge of the terrain. I hate to criticise Algonkinologists (?) who have made study of the construction of the Indian tongue a specialty, but I am [?] amazed at their definitions. If the Indian could do no better than they report his descriptive power as customary place names, I wonder the Indians ever knew where they were at.

For example Machigonne the name of Portland. [?] was given me-"the great ridge place," -that is like an animals back. It is admitted that in the various dialects, the syllables following Mach-mean variously, ridge and camp. But how would an Indian know when he had arrived at the great ridge place? Portland has two hills at each end of