Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-02-07
Where did our Indians Come From,

The latest intelligence from our Pa,
ciho coast reports that Japanese
junk had como ashore on one Of tho
islands of Alaska, with three living
Japanese on board. The vessel had
been disabled in storm of japan,
and had driitod two thousand 'fvo
hundred miles In nine months, twenty,
three Of the crew perishing from hun,
ger and exposure. The striking oc,
currence is by no means unparalleled.
Just forty years ago, Japanese vessel
with living mon on board, came ashore
near the mouth OF the Columbia river,
IN Oregon. IT bad q cargo of rice,
and the crew consequently had enough
10 eat though their only drink was
water from occasional rains. Such
occurrences assist greatly in explain.
ing how America was peopled-a ques.
tlon very pcrpleying TO our ancestors,
though late geographical and olhno-
logical researches show clearly that
there is very little mystery about it.
The Japanese are evidently of tho
same race with our Indians, their
language being TO some extent similar
to those of our tribos; and il Is not at
all unlikely that, during the thousand
of years to which Japanese history
goes back, many vessels may have
hoated from their shores to ours, bear.
ing living persons OF both sexes, But,
even if il were impossible for them to
cross the ocean, il is certain that Asiatics
could easily make their way TO Amer.
lea across Behring's Straits, or by tho
Aleutian Islands, the distances be,
tween which would be an easy voyage
fora.canoe. Ten to twenty years ago
the Appetons published an account
OF voyage down the Amoor, by Perry
McDonough Collins, the first Ameri.
can who ever descended that river
In his journal, he constantly spoke Of
the wild tribes on its banks as NIndi.
ans" We remember asking him at
the time why he called them such and
he replied, "Because they are Indians"
He was familiar, by long personal OBJ
seravation, with the tribes in Oregon
and California, and declared he could
see no material difference between
them and the tribes on the Amoor-
He is man Of plain common sense,
with mind not obfuscated by chino.
logical or antiquarian studies; and
the idea had apparently never entered
bis bead that the Amoor tribes wero
not Indians, Their appearance, their
garments, their mode Of life, and the
lodges in which they dwelt, 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 dialects. Taking
this resemblance for granted, there.
fore, and there being no great difiicul-
ty in crossing the ocean by way Of
the Aeutian Islands, even in canoes,
there is no longer any mystery about
the peopling of America. DR.. lie
Plongeon, learned gentleman, now
in our city, in fact, maintains, after
long study Of Peruvian antiquities,
that civilization and population origi-
mated on this continent, and that the
arts, customs, manners and religions
of the Chinese, the Hindoos, the AS
syrians and Egyptions arc only de.
yeloped limitations of Peruvian origi-
mails! 1t is well known that, accord
ing TO Agassiz and other eminent
this continent was the first
land that rose above the ocean that