Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-02-10
NUMBER 6.
WHERE INDIANS CAME FROsu.

Tho latest Intelligence from our Pa
ctc 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
II storm of Japan, and had drittcd $500
miles in nine months, twenty-threc of the
crew perishing with hunger and exposure.
The striking occurrence is by no means
japanese vessel, with living men on
board, came ashore near the mouth of the
! Columbia river, in Oregon. 1t had u
cargo of rice, and the crew consequently
had enough to eat, though their only
drink was water from occasional rains.
Such occurrences assist greatly in eX-
planning how America was peoped-a
question very perpleXing to our ances-
tors, though late geographical and ethno-
logical researches show clearly that there
is very litte mystery about it. The Jap
anesc 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 all unlikely that, during the
thousands Of years to which Japanese
history goes back, many vessels may
have iloated from their shores to ours,
bearing living persons of both sexcs.
But even if it were impossible for them
to cross the ocean, it is certain that Ash
atics could easily make their way to
America across Behring's Straits, or by
tho Aloutian Islands, the distances be-
tween which would be an easy voyage
for II canoe. Ten or twelve years ago the
Appletons published an account of II voy-
age down the Amoor, by Perry McDon-
ough Collins, the first American who
ever descended that river.
In his journal he constantly spoke Of
the wild tribes on its banks rs Indians"
We remember asking him at the time
why he called them such, and he replied,
" Because they are Indians" lIo was
familiar, by long personal observation,
with the tribes in Oregon and CaliCor-
mia and declared he could see no material
difference between them and the Tribes ON
the Amoor. He is man of plain COM
mon sense, with mind not obiuscated
by chronological or antiquarian studios
and the idea had apparently never entered
his head that the Amoor tribes were not
Indians. Their appearance, their gar
mcnts, their mode Of life, and the lodges
in which they dwclt, he said, were all
similar to those of the natives of Oregon.
Their language, also, seemed to him
very much the same, though, OF course,
he had no critical knowledge of their di-
alocts. Taking this resemblance for grant
ed, therefore, and there being no great
difficulty in crossing the ocean by way of
the Alcution Islands, even in canoes,
there is no longer any mystery about tho
peopling of America. DR.. Le Plongcon,
n learned gentleman, now in our city, in
fact, maintains, after long study of Peru
Wan antiquities, that civilization and pop
ulaton originated on this continent, and
that the arts, customs, manners and re-
ligions of the Chinese, the llindoos, the
Assyrians and Egyptians are only devel-
oped limitations of Peruvian originals
1t is well known that, according to Agas-
sz and other eminent goologists, this
continent was the first land that rose
above the ocean that formerly covered
the whole surface of the earth.