Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-12-17
A~yALrAnLE WORK.


There IL no class OF labor requiring
.uch indomitabls energy and perssvsr-
nee, and which is bssst with more per-
pls1iiss than the compilation OF history
OF the early nceso Of mankind. their origin.
character, customs. traditions. religions
and fate. The Pacific coast has within
its boundaries tribes Of native Americans
whose history goes backward to the ear.
lier ages Of the world. Their mythol-
ogy and language. their origin and mi
grations. their antiquities and architsc-
tural remains will form for all time an
interesting study and . link between the
past aud present Of the worlds history.
As We said. the collation. Of materials
necessary for the history Of the native
dsnizens. both savage and civilized. OF
the Pacific coast is q work OF great labor
and requiring not only psristsncy. but
time.
Fifteen years ago Mr.. Hubert II. Ban
croft Of San Francisco. addressed him.
self to the task Of collecting materials
and producing such q work. In this he
has persisted until 1t is nearly ready
for publication. II has been collat-
ed with great care, with reference to
over 10000 different volumes. q
uscripts and scraps, and embodiss
nearly all human knowledge Of the Pa
cihc Coast. its history and antiquities.
The title OF the work 10 The Native
Races Of the Pacific States" and 1t will
consist Of Ave volumes; the arst treat
ing Of the Wild tribes, their manners
and customs; the second OF the civil
lizsd nations Of MEXICO and Central
America; the third. Of the mythology
and languages Of both savagS and eivili-
zsd nations; the fourth. Of their antiq-
uiiss and architectural remains; and
the fifth Of aboriginal history and migra-
tons.
An inspection Of the advance sheets Of
the nrst volume. and Of the plan Of the
others now outlined. reveals the extent
Of the fields that have been cleaned and
the care With which their results have
been arranged. Tho list OF authorities
cited amounts 10 some twelve hundred,
and the copious notes show the extent to
which they have been used. Az under
the hands OF some great comparative
anatomist. scattered and disjointsd
bones which the spade has turned up
from their long burial. grow into the
shape Of some mighty monster OF pre-
human times. so from athousand scat
tered sources facts have been brought
together and ranged In proper order and
sequence int one connected and oohs-
rent whole. which 1t Is possible not
merely to understand but to bring into
relations with the rest Of the universe.
The value Of such q work as this 1t is
difficult to ovsrestimats. II will shed q
hood Of light upon the ancient history Of
our continent. and by its bearing upon
general sthnolog and pathology, upon
the grandsst problems with which the
human mind can occupy itself; and will
become n Of the great quarries from
which the science Of the future may hsw
material for the reconstruction Of the
prehistoric world. Mr.. Bancroft's work
has already received the warmest in
dorssmsnt Of such men as Lowell.
Whittier. Emerson. Parkman, President
Portsr, Longfsllow and Draper. and 10
will, va are assured. meet recognition
throughout the world Of literature rs
grand contribution Of human knew
ledge.
The time Ia coming when such a work
will b fully apprsciaied-whsn every
shred. or scrap, or trace Of the earlier
ages Of mankind upon this western con-
tinsnt win be Of almost incalculabls
worth. From out the musty ages OF the
past Mr.. Bancroft has unesrthed the
history Of dead and now well nigh for
gotten races. lie has brushed the dust
from the scraps and legendary tales OF
Mexico aud its strange peoples. and
brought to light the customs Of dead
men who walked the earth when per-
haps Christ was yet an infant-vhoss
very names have well nigh fed from hu-
man grasp. From out the ruins OF old
cities he has dug fragments which tell
the fate Of tribes and even nations ; has
traced backward into the dimly lighted
past the wonderful traditions Of the abo-
riginss-thoss peoples who lived and
hourished ere this Western Continent
knew or had seen the Latin or Teutonic
races. at the approach Of whom they
Vanished like frost upon q window pane
before the rising sun. It is q work
which treats Of strange destinies, OF
strange racss-which glances at the flight
Of peoples known only by their relics.
There are no living people like these ma
tive Americans OF earlier epochs. Their
history Is Of deep interest to the whole