Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-02-08
Origin of the Indian Races in America.
From Appleton's Journal

The latest intelligence from our Pa
cific coast reports that a Japanese junk
had come ashore on one of the islands
of Alaska, with three living Japanese
on board. The vessel had been disa-
bled in a storm Off Japan. and had
drifted two thousand five hundred
miles in nine months, twenty-three of
the crew perishlng from hunger and
exposure. This striking occurrence is
bv no means unparalleled. just forty
years ago, Japanese vessel, with liv-
ing men on board, came ashore near
the mouth of the Columbia River, in
Oregon. 1t had 4 cargo of rice, and
the crew consequently had enough To
eat, though their only drink was water
from occasional rains. Such occur
rences assist greatly in explaining how
America was peopled-a question very
perplexlng to onr ancestors, though
late geographical and chronological re-
searches show clearly that there is
really very little mystery about it.
The Japanese are evidently of the
'%aaA't aSt viii oIl ltlciE IAu-
guage being to some extent similar to
those of our Western tribes. and il is
not at all unlikely that. during the
thousands of years To which Japanese
history goes back. many vessels may
have iloatel from their shores 10 ours,
bearing living persons of both sexes.
But. even If 1t were impossible for them
to cross the ocean, it is certain that
ASlatics could easily make their way
to America across Behring's Straits, or
by the Alcntlan Islands, the distances
between which would be an easy voy-
aIc for canoe. Ten or twelve wears
ago the AppIetons published an ac-
count of voyage down the Amoor, by
Perry McDonough Collins. the first
American who ever descended that
river. In his journal, he constantly
spoke of the wild tribes on its banks
as Indians We remember asking
him At the time why he called them
such. and he replied Because they are
Indians He was familiar, bv long
personal observation, with the tribes in
~ -fti Aa4tt tAlli1l MA. anu tle titNlITttl
he could see no material difference be-
.wcen them and the tribes on the
Amoor. lie Is a man Of plain common
sense. with mind not ohfustlcated bv
chronological or antiquarian studies
aud the lica had apparently never en-
tered his heal that the Am)or tribes
were not Indians. Their appearance.
their garments, their mode OF life, and
the lodges in which they dwelt, he said,
were all similar 10 those of the natives
Of the Oregon. Their language, also,
seemed To him very much the same,
though Of course ne had no critical
knowledge Of their dialects. Taking
this resemblance for granted, therefore,
and there being no great difficulty in
crossing the ocean by way Of the Aleu-
tIIn Islands. even in canoes, there is
no longer any mystery about the peo-
ping Of America.
Dr. L. Plonsen, learned gentle
men, now II our city, in fact, main
taIns, after long study Of Peruvian an
tiquities. that civilization and popula-
ton originated on this continent, and
that the arts, customs, manners, and
religion Of the Chinese. the Hlndoos,
the Assyrians, ami Egyptians, are on
~ developed limitations Of Peruvian
originals 1t is we'll known that, ac-
coriing 10 Agassiz and other eminent
gcologlsts, tins continent Was the first
land that rose above the ocean that
formerly covered the whole surface of
the earth.