The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-06-17
miscelI
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AMERICA PREVIOUS TO ITS
DISCOVERY BY C4ERgSTO-
PHEls COLUMBUS.
Hon. George S. Boutwell,, of
Mass, in a lecture, began by stating
that America must have been known
to the ancients; but that, on &C
count of the difficulties which then
existed Of interchanging IDEAS ard
preserving them, link had evi-
IDENTIFY been dropped in the great
Chain of evidence which has been
since taken up, without, however,
etfectiny a satisfactory connection.
From evidences which have been
collatel ana examined by scientific
men, We can safely affirm that all
parts Of the world were populated
Us soon as they became inhabitable.
After giving some theories about
the divisions of the human family
based on the color of the COM
pl"xion. the formation Of the body
and the growth of the hair. the
speaker proceeded to prove that
from the specimens OF architecture
and mining which have been dis
covered on this continent we can
naturally infer that the civilization
of the old countries was transplant
el here at al early date. In the
vicinity of Vera Cruz, in Mexico,
there are to be found the ruins Of
cities and town buried beneath the
earth which give evidences Of al
enlightened civilization and which
silently wait for an interpreter to
chronicle their history. In Califor-
MIA there are extensive mines, at
the bottom Of which have been
found specimens of human bones
and affairs for worship, whose for
nation plainly indicate that they
We're erected by Europeans. In the
Lake Superior regions, too. mines
have been discovered which show
unmistakable signs of European
skill, equal if not superior to that
which now exists.
Mr.. Boutwell, gave three reasons
for the belief that the population
of America was not indigenous, and
that this continent was visited by
Eastern mariners at an early age Of
the worlds history. The sphericity
Of the earth was known in the time of
Herodotus, and taught by his dis
ciples: it was handed down from
generation to generation so that
| Columbus made it the basis of his
! theory. The mariners compass IS
not new invention but belongs al
so to the ancients. Herodotus, in
his history, alludes to an instrument
in the possession of the Indians,
which always pointed due north,
and it is matter of history that IN
! the fourth century of our era the
Chinese mariners used the magnet
! ic needle. Then, again, the enter
prise of the ancient mariners was
equal to passage over the Atlantic
or Pacific Ocean. In the sixth cen
trry, the Phpnicians had so far pro
grcssed in the knowledge Of navl-
CATION that they occupied the Black
! Sea, the Mediterranean, and even
as far as the Baltic Sea; they be
come familiar with the passages
into the Indian Ocean; had obtain
cd possession of ports along the
costs. and were familiar with the tides
and changes of the sea. Their ships
! were known to be away for three
wears at a time. and as they had so
far perfected navigation as to be
able to sail $50 miles per day, the
j distance which they could travel III
q three-years cruise must have been
considerable. Their great success
was in voyages after silver an3 gold,
and as the mines Of Spain and Eng,
land could not possibly yield the
large supply which they constantly
exhibited We can easily infer that
another and a more prolific land
had been discovered, whose exist
ance they we're unwilling to disclose.
lest it's treasures should be utilized
by their neighbors. 1t is well
known they made their ordinary
drinking-vessels: and even the anch
ors of their ships from silver. and
this further proves that they hac
more extensive mines than those
which existed in Spain and Afi
ca.
He further proved the possibility
of these hardy mariners having