9. The Algonkin myth relates that Michabo or Nanaboj after having formed the earth on the primal ocean, walked round and round it, and by this act increased it constantly in size.
Rafinesque's translation is:—"Being born creeping, he is ready to move and dwell at Tula;" and in his note to the line he adds, "Tula is the ancient seat of the Toltecas and Mexican nations in Asia; the Tulan or Turan of Central Tartary."
The entire absence of connected meaning in this and other lines of Rafinesque's translation is strong evidence that he did not fabricate the text; otherwise he would certainly have assigned it some coherent sense.
The turtle is, as usual, the symbol of the land or earth ([see page 133]).
12. Manito-dasin, the Divine Maiden, or the Daughter of the Gods, as it might be freely translated. The reference is to the Virgin who at the beginning of things descended from heaven, and alighting on the back of the turtle became the mother of Nanaboj and his brothers. She was well known in Eastern Algonkin mythology, as I have already shown. ([See above, p. 131].)
13. This and the three following verses form, observes Rafinesque, a rhymed hymn to Nanabush.
14. In this line the men are referred to as Linapi, not lennowak as before. Here then begins the particular history of the Lenape tribe, whose chief sub-tribe was the Turtle clan.
The meaning of the line is very obscure. It seems to refer to the origin of the Unami, or Turtle sub-tribe of the Delawares.
16. Kwamipokho, translated by Raf. "plain and mountain," does not appear to me to bear any such rendering. I take it as a form of champeecheneu, Z. "it is still or stagnant water," the appropriateness of which to the context is evident.
Sitwalikho, Raf. renders "path of cave," deriving it obviously from tsit, foot, and woalheu, a hole. It has no sort of meaning in this rendering, and I assume, therefore, that it is a derivative from tschitqui, silent.