it a synonym
for Catawba, while Brinton incorrectly asserts that it is an Algonquian term, fanci-
fully rendered, ' ' inhabitants of the great wilderness. ' ' Among the western Cherokee
it is now the name of a powerful secret society, which had its origin shortly before the
War of the Rebellion.
Cherokee — This name occurs in fully fifty different spellings. In the standard recog-
nized form, which dates back at least to 1708, it has given name to counties in North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, within the ancient territory of the
tribe, and to as many as twenty other geographic locations within the United States.
In the Eastern or Lower dialect, with which the English settlers first became famil-
iar, the form is Tsa'ragl', whence we get Cherokee. In the other dialects the form
isalso in the Iroquois name for the opossum, which is a
burrowing animal. As is well known, the Allegheny region is peculiarly a cave coun-
try, the caves having been used by the Indians for burial and shelter purposes, as is
proved by numerous remains found in them. It is probable that the Iroquois simply
translated the name (Chalaque) current in the South, as we find is the case in the
West, where the principal plains tribes are known under translations of the same
names in all the different languages. The Wyandot name for the Cherokee,
Wataiyo-ronon', and their Catawba name, ManteraiV. both seem to refer to coming
out of the ground, and may have been originally intended to convey the same idea
of cave ] pie.
Rickahockan — This name is used by the German explorer. Lederer,