The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-09-13
Chr WRstern gRmotrat.
CHARLOTTE, N. C.
We have received from DIR. J. III. Gibbon the
following interesting articles.
NATIVE HABITATIONS OF INDIAN
CORN

At the last meeting of the American Scientific Asso-
citation at Springfield Mass, Dr. j. H. GIBBoS of n c.
read paper in answer to the question Is Indian Corn
(Zea Maize) native of three Continents like cotton
and tobacco?
The grains of maize (indian CORN had been
ported untary weights for certain divisions guam
titles and values in China. Some curiosity felt
ascertain proofs of its existence there. Mr. Gaatn
garded maize plant exclusively American in its ORR
GIN but certain European Boanists who travelled extern
sivcy in India; express opinion it is natural to the
warmer portions of Asia.
A French Missionary of reputation who traversed
China, Mongolia and Thbet notices that Indian corn
in its green state, presented to him. roasted
food, while crossing mountains the Both parallel
of latitude, his from Lassa in Thibet Can
ton An English Traveller in Abyssinia mentions
Indian variety of grain well known
the head waters of the Nile. He describes it
rather scarce in the up-country, but mutually ex-
changed by friends as present of compliment. at
is seldom ground, being frequently eaten with
butter delicacy after being roasted the embers
or boiled like pease."
DIR. Livingston states that the Makololos. Lake
Ngam, (who had never seen a white man, before his
arrival among them, made garden and planted maize
for him. that he might have bread to eat as well as
other people, "The ripe maize pounded by the
women into fine meal, in large wooden mOrtars, the
cOunterpars OF which may be depicted ancient
Egyptian monuments" They prove exceedingly like
Southern hominy-bloeks. Indian is not gen.
orally understood throughout Europe In Great Britain
the "Corn describes every kind of bread-stuff
including oats. Some years ago, young English gen.
tleman carried homo with him. q walking cane,
Stalk OF indian corn neatly vanished HIS OLD cOun-
try friends admired in very much and farmers enGuired
:'what wood it made off,? naturally comparing its
lightResS with their own heavy timber The youugster
gravely informed them :" it the straw of American
corn. with which the Yankees Uttered their cattle
He then added to their surprise by presenting large
OF Indian corn the grain produced by such straw
The English farmers invariably placed the cOrn-ear
the top of the stalk suppOsng grew like
An objection that maize not represented on the
sculptures of the ancient Egyptians, does not prove
they were ignorant of this grain, since other we'll
Ofa mir itV natl tn hat Onnt
were omitted on their monuments But such en-
blem is strongly suspected upon certain Assyrian
MAINS though doubted by European travellers we'll
acquainted with the pecuartes of this plant. The
Greeks, in derisiOn, called the ancient Egyptians
Bread-eaters." 1t was said of them, 'they baked
bread less from barley wheat of which they had
abundance than from the meal of sort of grain called
Yea or Oyra."
Something very much like Indian corn was known in
Babylon, for ancient writer, (Herodotus, said he
feared to describe it to his countrymen, "as it
seven feet high, and was very productive European
authorities who have written about the Islands of the
East Indian Archipelago, declare the ndtUc title of In
with the Arabians, who introduced the Mahomedan
religion long before the discovery of America, any
intercourse with Europeans there.
Some ancient laws of the Hebrews, with distinct por-
tions Of their history, apply strongly to the pro-
ducts of Indian corn.
Dr. Gibbon proceeded to enquire what the char
acter of the "Manna of the Wilderness" that sur
prised some portions of the Hebrew people with its
novelty; of which so many varied accounts have
this substance is distinctly represented to have
been prepared for food like ordinary bread-Stuff:
Gathered and ground in mills, beat crushed in a
mortar, baked i'll pans, and made into cakes. Num-
Gers Xl chap. " The specific details of the natural
color flavor and qualities of this substance similar
those which Indian would fulfill 1t readily
spO after being baked boiled but proves very du
rable after the grains matured and we'll dried.
measure of mama" cautiously ordered to be pre-
served in the dry as memorial, that future genera
tOnS might certainly know what kind of food supported
that people during their wandering migration. 1t
in accordance with the devotional feeling of the age
Dr. Gibbon said, that this bread should be attributed
directly to the Almighty all natural acts usually
by every intelligent primitive people "Man did
angels food the modern English tranSla-
ton of the 18th Psalm; but Hebrew scholars of
authority insist the Interpretation be "Oxens
foOd'-a very different illustration, perfectly inte-
gble wherever Indian corn and oxen are known. With
similar impulse of sincerity and devotion, the abo-
rhymes of America regard maize "a special gift. The
AlgOnguns name it =" the grain berry of the Great
Spirit There is little geographical information also
carefully inserted in the original Hebrew quite mpor-
tant to eucdate without deracting from the interest
of this Record of an ancient people. a South East
wind facilitates navigation in the upper branches of
the Arabian Gulf in the direction of the Emigrant
Camp, sometimes within sight of the sea. The same
southeast wind brought up fOcks of birds, called
equals, which are not water fowls; and aided the
transportation of grain 4" from the sea- in the proper
direction. Maize, in leather sacks, continues be
carried from the of Africa, the outlet of
the Red Sea- to feed Turkish soldiers the opposite
shores of Arabia Such cargoes in native boats being
in the commercial statistics of the present day.
INDIAN "NegrO Corn some German travellers
it, is described by DIR. Barth taken to
market at TmbuctoO, in the of Africa in leather
sacks cames backs like rice and other products of
that country. In ancient Assyran Sculpture, men
described similarly loaded with grain of special
title dzaru Maize may therefore prove have wild
native range in the central portions of Asia and of
Africa, like other plants hitherto attributed each
continent alone.
The notice of cotton and tobacco harvest in the in
terror of Southern China and III Africa induces opu-
ion that these plants had also been placed by the
Creative Hand in portions of the earth from each
Othcrin the several continents of Asia Africa and
America.
Prof Gray, of Cambridge College, who had early in
terrupted the reading of this paper said "Dr GibbOn
had proved that the people of the countries to which he
referred used breadstuffs in the way in which
Indian corn; but be would like to hear single
piece of evidence that Indian was known before
the discovery of America by Columbus"
DIR. Gibbon Thought in scarcely courteous in Prof
Gray to deny such evidence when he had intercepted
the proofs"
Mr. J. H. Alexander, of Baltimore in ian Universal
Dictionary Weights and Measures inscribed to
Prof Bache of Washington city, mentions that some
Chinese weights deduced from the grains of maize
Indian corn; know English Troy weights to
be derived from the irregular standard of wheatcorn
grains.
Cotton, grew native in any portion of Europe;
yet he had doub: those plants existed in Asia
and Africa before Columbus discovered America!
Prof w. D. Whitney, ofNew Haven, said he Thought
it hardly fair rob America of the honor of having
furnished such important esculent Indian
the world" He objected to general disposition to
take away from America the credit of her natural