tribes. The variety of languages and dialects was so great, that, in the lack of a common tongue, the Indians could hold but little communication by speech. Certainly the original tribes have been more mixed and confused together since they have been scattered, reduced, and driven from their original homes by the whites. But this fact does not appear to have availed towards aiding them to understand each other's speech. The penalty visited upon our whole race, in the confusion of tongues at Babel, has inflicted its full share on our Indians.
General Custer, rehearsing his experience among Southern and Western tribes in our own days, says: —
“Almost every tribe possesses a language peculiarly its own;
and what seems remarkable is the fact, that, no matter how long or
how intimately two tribes may be associated with each other, they
each preserve and employ their own language; and individuals of
one tribe rarely become versed in the spoken language of the other,
all intercommunication being carried on either by interpreters, or in
the universal sign-language. This is noticeably true of Cheyennes
and Arapahoes, — two tribes which for years have lived in close
proximity to each other, and who are so strongly bound together,
offensively and defensively, as to make common cause against the
enemies of either, particularly against the white man. These tribes
encamp together, hunt together, and make war together; yet but
a comparatively small number of either can speak fluently the
language of the other. I remember to have had an interview at one
time with a number of prominent chiefs belonging to five different
tribes, — the Cheyennes, Kiowas, Osages, Kaws, and Apaches. In
communicating with them, it was necessary for my language to be
interpreted into each of the five Indian tongues, no representatives
of any two of the tribes being able to understand the language of
each other.”
De Soto, in his invasion of Florida, Georgia, and
Alabama, — as we have noted, — had valuable service from
Juan Ortiz, as an interpreter, in 1539 and onwards. Ortiz
had, eleven years before, been captured by the Indians, in
