PftEFACE. IX. claims the merit of originality, while it brings to good account the labors of all preceding writers. * At the request of the Committee, a list of books published in the Indian language's by the American Board of Commis- sioners for Foreign Miss* ins, was prepared by the Rev. David Greene, one of the Secretaries of the Board, and communicated for publication in the present volume ; but, as it has been since given to the public through the medium of another work, which possesses a wide circulation ,f it is deemed sufficient to state here the number of books printed in each language. They are as follows: In Cherokee, 18 distinct works ; Choctaw, 19 do. ; Creek or Muskhogee, 3 do. ; Osage, 1 do. ; Ojibway or Chippe- way, 5 do.; Seneca, 4 do. ; Ottowa, 1 do. ; Abenaki, 2 do ; Si- oux, 1 do. With the exception of those in the Cherokee, which have been printed in the syllabic alphabet invented by Guess, one of the tribe, the works have been printed in the orthography proposed by Mr. Pickering, as a uniform method of writing the Indian languages. J This we regard as a most important im- provement, which is calculated to obviate a very serious diffi- culty resulting from the various systems of orthography adopted by writers of different nations. In addition to the above list of publications by the Board, (which consist of elementary school- books and religious works, prepared by the Missionaries,) the Rev. Mr. Byington has composed a Grammar and Dictionary of the Choctaw language, the latter containing about 15,000 words, which may be hereafter published.
- In regard to the details of the publication, it may be proper to state
that the correction of the press has been performed without the aid of the Author. The whole of the Introductory Essay, however, together with some other portions of the work, passed under the careful revision of a member of the Publishing Committee, (Mr. Folsom.) by whom the entire duties of the Committee, in reference to the present volume, have been performed, in consequence of the engagements of the other members. f Missionary Herald, for July, 1836. Boston. t Mem. Am. Acad. Vol. IV. VOL. II. b
