70 THE GREAT DENE RACE.

perhaps on account of its novelty to them, is simply white, as are also hazel
eyes, though they have special terms for hair which has become white through
age and for eyes that are affected by albinism. It is also strange that the
same root which means blue in the east (det’lezi) is denotive of green in
the west (teelt’tez). Similarly, titso, which is the Navaho for yellow, is used
by the Hupas in connection with green or blue.

With practically all the tribes, red, brown, bay, sorrel, russet, pink, rose,
scarlet, claret or magenta are the same colour, i. e. red: te@el’ke@en in Carrier.
If remonstrated with, they cannot be any more precise than by stamping said
colours as “a little red” (teel’keen-yaz) or reddish (utcenil’koen). Purple, violet,
mauve or lilac are called indifferently bluish or reddish by such as are parti-
cular in their vocabulary. A majority of speakers would simply say blue or
ted, according to the way their senses are thereby affected.

And this, I repeat, is by no means the result of linguistic deficiencies.
Blind as they seem to be to many shades of a primary colour or even to
the differences between two materially distinct hues, their dialects are very
particular in differentiating the terms employed according to the proportions
of the object thereby qualified. Thus while ¢yé/, in Carrier, serves their pur-
pose for any kind of white or whitish tint, the face of an individual which
is white or cognately coloured will be called nelyél, because it is part of a
spheroid; his legs will become delyél, because they are notably longer than
wide; his house, hwolyél, because of its vastness or comprehensiveness; his
kettle, pehwolyél, as the colour is inside, and a silver ring, deenelyél, on
account of its circular shape (rendered by no) and the length of the object
for which it is intended (expressed by de).

Before we leave this subject, we may remark that the Dénés often go
so far as to invert the offices of the senses. One would be tempted to say
that, in connection with objects in close proximity to the bystander, most of
them see through the hands, since the very first thing they do when shown
anything new is to feel it with the tips of the fingers. Before that operation
they seem unable to pronounce on its merits or demerits.

Their Fortitude in Times of Distress.

In the south, the Navahoes are reputed so good workers that their ser-
vices command better wages than those of the Mexicans. As much cannot
be said of the northern Dénés. Their powers of endurance are great; but
continued exertion for any number of days is beyond their capacity. They
quickly tire of any steady work, especially if this entails physical energy.
Yet, when it is a question of mere locomotion, to which their early education
has accustomed them and on which their very life greatly depends, there is
not a white man, nay, hardly a horse, that would be a match for them. This
is chiefly true of the Sékanais and other intermediate Dénés, whose profi-
ciency in travelling, loaded with their camping outfits, over the most awkward