The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-04-28

WHERE DID THE INDIANS CoME FRoM?
The latest intelligence from the Pacific
coast reports that Japanese Junk had
come ashore on one of the islands of
Alaska, with three living Japanese on
board. The vessel had been disabled in
storm of japan, and had drifted Q. 500
miles in nine months, twenty-three of
the crew perishing from hunger and ex-
posure. Tie striking occurrence is by
no meaus unparalleled. Just forty years
ago, Japanese vessel with living men
on board came ashore near the mouth of
the Columbia Rivor. in Oregon. It had
a cargo OF rice, and the crew had conse-
quently enough to eat, though their
only drink was water from occasional
rains. Such occurrences assist greatly
in explaining how America was peorled
"a question very perplexing to our an
cestors, though late geographical and
chronological researches show clearly that
there is very littls mystery about it. The
Japanese are evidently Of the same race
with our Indians, their language being
to some extent similar to those of our
tribes; and it is not at oil unlikely that.
during the thousands of years to which
Japan history goes back, many vessels
have hoated from their shores to ours.
bearing living persons of both sexes.
But, even If it were impossible for them
to cross the ocean, it is certain that
Asiatics could easily make their way to
American shores, Behring's Straits. or
the Aleutian Islands, the distances be-
tween which would be an easy voyage for
canoe. Ten or twelve years ago. the
Appleton's published On account of q
voyage down the Amoor, by Perry
McDonough Collins, the first American
who ever descended that river. In this
journal, he constantly spoke of the wild
trlbes on its banks as Indians" We
remember asking him at the time why
ne called them such, and he replied,
.'because they are Indiana" He was
famlllar, by long personal observation,
with the tribes in Oregon and Califor.
mia, and declared he could see no mate
rial difference between them and the
tribes of the Amoor. He is O man of
plain common sense, with a mind not
obfusticated by chronological or antioun-
rian studies; and the idea had apparently
never entered his head that the Amoor
tribes were not Indians. Their appear
ance, their garments, their mode of life.
and the lodges in which they dwelt, he
said, were all similar to those of the na-
tives of Oregon. Their language. also.
seemed to- him very much the same,
though, OF course, he had no critical
knowledge OF their dialects. Taking this
resemblance for granted. therefore, and
there being no great difficulty in GROSS
ing the ocean by way of the Aleutian
Islands. even in canoes, there is no
longer any mystery about the peopline
OF America. DR.. De Plongeon, q learned
gentleman. now in our city, in fact,
maintains. after long study of Peruvian
antiquities, that civilization and popuIs-
tion originated on this continent. and
that the arts, customs. manners and reli-
gions, OF the Chinese, the Hindooa, the
Assyrians and Egyptians are only deve-
loped limitations Of Peruvian originals.
1tis we'll known that according to Agassiz
and other eminent geologists, this conti-
nent was the first land that rose above
the ocean that formerly covered the
whole surface of the earth.-Exchange
The touching spectacle of boy lead.
ing home his drunken parent, was wit
messed ut Burlington, Iowa. recently.