Weekly Minnesotian and times. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1859-1860, 1860-04-07

TO learn wisdom Uotn thc IaS1, the coll
tor said:
Judge Goodrich has not appeared before
the Historical Society, in which he is Chair
man ofa department entitled, "Ante- Colum-
bian Discoveries in America" or public,
either by report or lecture, hence our re-
marks are more extended. He has in prepar-
alton paper upon "Ante-C Columbian Discov-
cries in America" from which we make the
following imperfect abstract. His report will
contain many matters Of interest, not only to
the Antiquarian but the general reader.
In it we may expect to read of mounds,
monuments, and fortifcations, reared by an
intelligent people now no more, people that
passed away long before the writings of Mar
co Polio, and Paul Toscanelli, stimulated Co.
lumbus to look for the "shorter passage to
the Indies," the regions "where the spices do
grow" He will speak of those who, in olden
times, "went down to the Sea in great ships"
of their superior knowledge Of the geography
of the heavens, Of the advantage this gave
them in surveying the heavens, the earth,
the stars-and in navigating the waters. He
speaks of the Astrolabe-not as it has been
spoken of by the eulogists Of Columbus, but
as it was known and understood by the Ptol-
emies of Egypt. His theory Of the Pyramids
while in conflict with the generally conceived
opinion, as to the design of their builders,
will not be devoid of interest. He converts
the plains of Gish into vast dial, and claims
for it practical superiority over the small
metallic dial now used, proportionate to its
size, that across the face of this un,rersaL dial
the heavenly bodies record their own history
Law down their own charts-by the shadows
1bn oIc<c Tod of <I,o
as indicated by the sides and apex of the Py-
ramids, and mark by their contractions and
expansions, as they sweep over the sandy
surface, and ''wax and wane," while indica-
ting not only the hours of the day, but the
lengthening and shortening of the several
days OF the year.
The Egyptians mingled science, navigation,
astronomy, and philosophy with their reli-
gion. So powerfully were they impressed
with the importance of commerce and COM
plcte dominion over the seas, that veneration
Tor maratime skill became part of their reli-
gion, hence we see Neptune, Oceanus and
Glaucus, embalmed by the historians and
poets of early times Here fortunately for the
cause of science the priest and the philoso
pher, labored in the same cause, for the same
end that which was true in philosophy was
true in religion That while the Gods OF the
Greeks delighted in the blood of human vic
Tins, the gods of Egypt looked with horror
upon human sacrifice; here Galeo was not
degraded for his wisdom, nor Servetus burn
ed for his faith. Whether holding commun.
ion with the hosts of heaven, amid the solitude
of night, or under the rays of an Egyption
sun, they marked its shadows on the plains
below. Each laborcd for the common good,
and
Looked through nature, up to natures Cod"
They were further advanced in the arts and
sciences than any people now on earth.
The altitude of these structures gave an i'm.
mensc range to the shadows cast upon the
adjacent plains, hence in part, the wonderful
accuracy of the knowledge possessed by the
ancient Egyptians touching times and seasons
the approach of clipses, comets and the va
rious phenomena of the heavens and the earth
He also contends that it was by the aid o
these Pyramids or of that column upon the
plains of Shinar, known as the 4" Tower of Ba
bel" which were set up as gnOmans, that the
zodiac and its 81 gns were perfected, that the
Pharoahs of Egypt were at their coronation
required to take an oath not to intercaate
the calendar" That Geometry, and the ar,
of surveying was so well known to the an
clients, that along the valley of the Nile, (Which
is subject to inundation, and the consequent
destruction of all artificial land marks,) the
lands were described and held, not i'll tn,
manner known to US; that each proprietor
ascertaincd the exact position Of his particu
lar spot of earth, by observing the heaven:
with the aStrOlabe and other instruments
known to the ancients; that this instrument
derived its name from the profession or sci
encc of Astrology; that Egypt, India, Arabia
China, and other nations of the East, haC
their national AstrOlogers; these were main
tained by the crown.
Diodorus says, "They pay great attention
to geometry and arithmetic For the rive
changing the appearance of the country very
materially every year, causes many and va
rious discussions among neighboring proprie
tors about the extent of their property; ant
it would be difficult for any person to decid
upon their claims without geometrical proc
founded on actual observation. Ofarthmeti
they have also frequent use, both in their do
mestic economy, and in the application of gee
metrical theorems, besides it's utility in tn
cultivation of astronomical studies: for tn
orders and motions of the stars are observes
at least as industriously by the Egyptians a
by any other people whatever; and they kee
a record of the motions of each for an incred
Die number of years, the studyof this scienc
having been, from the remotesttines, an Oh
ject of national ambition with them.
They have also most punctually observe
the motions, periods, and actions of the plan
cts, and not uncommonly predic
the failure Of crops, or an abundance, an
the occurrence of epidemic diseases anon
men and beasts; foreseeing also earthquake
and floods, the appearance Of comets, and
variety of other things which appear imposs
BILE to the multitude.
/ And Herodotus informs us that 1t ma
not be improbable to suppose that this wa
the origin of geometry, and that the Greek
learned it from hence Again we read tha
I" the natives of Thebes a6ore all Others, wer
renowned for their great wisdom. Their in
provements in geometry are thought to hav
been owing to the nature of their country"
This much is accorded to the people Q
Egypt, by eminent Greek historians who wrot
anterior to the christian era
So noted were they for superior learning
that in the sacred writings, it is recorded, ths
Moses and Solomon, were "wise in all tn
learning of the Egyptians"
If in the palmy days of Hebrew literature
this was an encomium upon the wisdom {
Moses and Solomon, is it not an eulogiur
upon the attainments of the Egyptians?
The Greek historians say that in the po
ished days of Athens, and Sparta, no phys
clan was deemed worthy of patronage, VIII
had not studied his profession in Egypt
The Jews and Greeks were indebted to EgyI
for the wisdom of their laws.
Could the builders of these proud mont
ments of nations glory and patriotism, hav
looked with prophetic eye down the dar
vista Of time to that fearful day that witnesse