4. Bin-nah! neen be-zhe-wa-wah ke-meen-waw-bum-me-na.
Behold! I am wild cat; I am glad to see you all wild cats.
This figure, with open eyes and erect ears, denotes earnestness and attention.
The word ke-meen-waw-bum-me-na, affords a strong instance of what has been called the synthetic character of this language; ke, the inseparable pronoun, in the accusative plural, meen, from ne-mee-noan-dun, (I love, or am pleased,) and waw-bum from ne-waw-bo-maw, (I see.)
5. Ne-man-i-to, o-wa-she-na a-ai-gah nee-na ketto-we goh-we-ke-na.
I am a spirit; what I have I give to you in your body.
This is the figure of a medicine man, with his pah-gah-ko-gua-un, or the instrument with which he beats his drum, in his hand. He appears to be boasting of his own powers.
6. Ah-ne ah-gah, kah-neen-na ke-taus-saw-wa-unna ke-nis-se-go-na.
Your own tongue kills you; you have too much tongue.
This is addressed to the malicious man, and the slanderer, one who speaks evil of others. His crooked and double speech goes out of his mouth, but is changed to an arrow in his hand, and turned against himself; his own body bears the marks of the injuries he would have inflicted on others. The lines across the chest are the traces of misfortune, brought on him by the indulgence of his own malicious disposition. In the songs and addresses of some of the most esteemed chiefs, or persons, who may be considered in some measure set apart for the Metai, are many attempts to convey and enforce moral instruction, or rather the inculcation of those opinions and actions which constitute the virtues of savage life.