Reverend Heckewelder (1743-1823) was an American missionary for the Moravian Church who was an evangelist to the Indians and assisted in treaties with them. His extensive studies of the languages and customs of the American Indians, particularly the Delawares, resulted in the publication of this work in 1818, and he was the author of several other similar studies. Reprinted from the revised edition of 1881 with additional notes.