18.—The First Book of Genesis. 1 vol. 12mo. 178 pages. Toronto: A. D. 1835.
This volume is printed by the Auxiliary Bible Society of Canada, at the office of the Christian Guardian. J. H. Laurence, Printer. It is the work of Rev. Peter Jones, the native missionary, and is deemed by missionaries and teachers, who have devoted their attention to the language, an authentic rendering of the entire fifty chapters of the original. There is no attempt to exhibit a plan of orthography, or to employ the English alphabet in a more fixed form than is known to common writers and speakers. As the influence of the juxtaposition of consonants to vowels, and their modifications from such contact, are well known, there is little or no difficulty in arriving readily at the sounds intended by the translator to be conveyed. The idiom of the Mississagie form of the Chippewa, which is employed throughout this translation, is perceptibly different from the more rigid and tense form of the vowel sounds, as heard in the region of Lake Superior; but the language is literally the same, and well understood by these northern bands. “Munedoo,” the term for God, instead of Monedo, the northern form of it, and other analogous words, present no difficulty to a northern ear or eye; for whatever indeed be the form of orthography used, the native reader will retain the mother sound of the word, and attach precisely such value to the syllables actually used in any given translation, as shall bring out the entire and complete sound as known to him from childhood.
19.—The Gospel according to Matthew, in Chippewa. 1 vol. 12mo. 112 p. Boston: Crocker & Brewster, A. B. C. F. Missions, A. D. 1839.
This is substantially a re-publication of the Gospel of Matthew, which originally appeared at York, now Toronto, Canada West, under the auspices of the Canada Auxiliary Bible Society. It is understood to have been the work of the brothers Jones. In this re-publication, the orthography has been adjusted to the system prepared by the late Mr. Pickering, with a few modifications, rendering it in all respects, conformable to the system uniformly adopted in the publications of the American Board.
20.—The Gospel of Luke, in Chippewa. 1 vol. 12mo. Boston: Crocker & Brewster, for the Am. Bd. Com. for For. Missions, A. D. 1837.
This translation is the joint production of George Copway, a converted and educated Chippewa, of the Mississagie tribe, of Canada West, and Rev. Sherman Hall, of the Lapointe Mission, Lake Superior.
21.—The Gospel of John, in Chippewa. 1 vol. 12mo. p. 83. Boston: Crocker and Brewster. Printed for the A. B. C. F. M., A. D. 1838.
This is the version of John and Peter Jones, No. 22, adapted to the orthography of the American Board.
22.—The Acts of the Apostles. 1 vol. 12mo. 105 p. Boston: Crocker & Brewster, for the A. B. C. F. Missions, A. D. 1838.
These sheets emanate from the Lapointe Mission, Lake Superior, which is under the superintendence and management of Rev. Sherman Hall, and is the joint production of that Missionary and Mr. George Copway of the Methodist Episcopal Mission of Canada.