Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-01-23
Dailp ARGUS.
ru.,asy. January %. 1879.
whore ala our Indians come Prom

whore ala our Indians come 'FRONT.'
The latest intelligence from our Pacific
coast reports that japanese junk had
como ashore on one of the islands OF Alas
ka, with three living Japanese on board.
The vessel had been disabled in storm
oil Japan. and had drifted two thousand
Ave hundred miles In nine months, twenty |
three of the crew perishing from hunger
and exposure. The striking oceurranceis
bv NO means unparalleled. Just forty
wears ago, japanese vessel with living
men ON board came ashore near the mouth
of the Collumba river, in Oregon. il
had a cargo OF rice and the crew conse
oueptly had enough 10 cat, though their
only drink was water from occasional
rains. such occurrences assist greatly IN
explaining how America was peopled--a
question very perplexing 10 our ancestors,
though late geographical and chronological
researches show clearly that there IS very
little mystery about it The japanese are
evidently OF the same race with the
Indians. their language being to some
extent similar 10 those of our tribes and
il IL not Al all unlikely that, during the
Thousands Of years to which japanese
history goes back, many vessels may
have hoated from their shores TO ours
bearing living persons of both sexes
But even if it were impossible for then
10 cross the ocean, 1t is certain tina
Asiatics. could easily make thei
way TO America across Behring's Strait
or by the Aleutian Islands, the distance
between which would DO an easy voysg
for canoe. Ten or twelve years ago tn
Appletons published an account cfa vo,
age down the Amoor, by Perry McDoI
ouUh Collins, the first American who eve
descended that river. In his journal }
constantly spoke of its wild tribes on
banks "a Indians" We remembers
asking him at the time why he Gale
them such, and he replied because IN,
are Indians" lie was familiar. by loi
personal observation with the tribes
Oregon and California, and declared
could see no material difference betwe
them and the tribes on the AmOOr.
is man of plain common sense, with
mind not obfusCated by chronological
ANTIQUARIAN studies and the idea had 8
parently never entered his head that
AMOR tribes were not Indians. TIL
appearance, their garments, their mode
life, and the lodges in which they dwt
no said, were al. similar % those of
natives Of Oregon. Their language, al
seemed 70 him very much the same, thou
Of course, he had no critical knowlcC
Of their dialects. Taking this resembla
for granted, therefore and there being
great difficulty in crossing the ocean
way OF the Aleutian Islands, every
canoes, There is no longer any myst
about the popping of America, DR.
Plongeon, learned gentleman, now
our city, in fact, maintains, after /
stud6 Of Peruvian antiquities, that CIV
zation and population originated on
continent, and that the arts, custo
manners and religions of the Chinese
Hindoos, the Assyrians and Egypt
only developed limitations ct PeruN
originals II is well known that, acc
ing toAgassiz and other eminent geolog
this continent was the first that rose at
the ocean that formerly covered the wi
surface Of the earth,