, 1875-01-10
PACIFIpWAST RACES,

| PAGlFI0CUAST RAOEH.
Tur NATIVE RACES OF TIE PACIFIC STATES OF NORTH
AMERICA. By HunEnr HOWE BAsoRorr. Vol. I.
WILD Tn1pEs. New York: D. Appleton l. Co. 1874
| Mr.. Eancfott's is an ambitious and laborioua
| Undertaking. To write series Of works on al
things ur most things pertaining to the aboriginal
inhabitants Of the Pacific States,-a name by
yhicl, bl7. Bancroft dosgaates all Of the terri
tory bordering On tho Western Ocean from Alas
ka to :Darien, including Mexico and Central
America.-ia no small task for one man to ac-
complish in a. lifetime. Tile magnitude Of
the work may be OWNED when it is
known that the aboye volume of
!! nearly 800 pages large octave, and de-
voted exclusively to the Wild Tribes. ia only
one-fifth Of the whole. The second volume will
treat of the Civilized Nations, and the three re-
naming volumes of their Mythology, Languages,
Antiquities, and Migratons.
From what Mr. Bancroft tells us in his
preface, we laye every reason to believe that he
has had access to ali possible sources Of in
formation on the subject which he treats. Be-
ginning in 1850 to collect material for his work,
be assures us-and his book Affords preBumptiye
internal evidence of the fact-that he has &c.
cured everything in America within his reach
the races of the; Pacific States. q, visited
Europe twice, and spent two years OF research
Oh the Continont, on matters connected with his
subject When the Biblioteca Imperial de Me-
iico, belonging to the Emperor Maximilian, was
sold, ho secured 900 volumes On topics connect
cd with hls literary undertaking. When, in 1869,
lie had accumulated 5000 books, pamphlets,
aud manuscripts be. aided by numerous
corps of assistants, began the work Of which the
first volume is before US. Mr.. Bancroft certain
~ deserves very great credit for undertaking 80
peculiar q labor, and we deyoutly hope he may
successfully carry it out Barring few defects
Of style. and few grammatical errors, which
any author is liable to fall into, the first volume
is an earnest that, if he completes his enter
prise. ho will do 80 acceptably to students Of
history and athnology, IS well a. creditably to
himself.
Besides the chronological introduction,
the present volume contains chapters on
the Hyperboreans, Columbians, Califor-
nians, New Mcxicans, on the wild tribea OF New
Mexico, and on the wild tribes of Central
America, respectively. The Hyperborcans are
those races which inhabit the territory north Of
the 55th parallel and the Columbians those WHO
live between the 55th End 42d parallels. The
Califo1nians inhabited California and the Great
Basin; the New Mexicans include the natives Of
the Colorado River and Northern Mexico. Their
names sufficiently explain the habitat Of the
other tribea. The Eskimos are the first to whom
we are introduced. We NAV 6ay Of the descrip-
ton given Of them by Mr. Bancroft, what may
be said with equal justice Of his description of
all : the others, that it is graphic, and,
judging from the numerous quotations with
which he fortihes his position, accurate. Our
authors descriptive powers are by 10 means
small. Take this picture OF the Eskimo land:
Before them [the Esdmosj is vast unknown. icy
ocean npon which they scarcely dars venture beyond
the night Of lind beniad them, hostile mountains,
ever ready to dispute encroachmeut. Their very
Mother Earth, on 1hose cold bosom they h2ve been
born, age after age through countless generations
nights and seasons aud yeazs are not like thote of
other men. Three months Of sunless winter; three
months Of nightless summer; SIX months Of gnmner-
ing twilight. About the middle Of October
uences tho long night Of winter. The earth
and reg put On icy covering beasts birds depart
Tor Egsons sheltered or more eongenlal humanity
into The little beat left by the retreatnR
soon radiates ont into the deep bus realms Of
low freezing the air is hushed the calm, the
sky cloudless. An awful painful stiffness pervades
the dsear5 solitude Not sound is heard the distant
din Of bty and the noisclesa hum Of the wilder
ness alikea wanting. Whispers become audible at
considerable distance and insupportab}a Of
loneliness Expresses the inexperienced yistor. Occa-
sionally the Aurora Boreahs flashes out in prismatIc
coruscatous, throwing brilliant arch from East to
West,-now IN variegated oscillations, graduating
violet and crimson; darling, fashng, streaming,
in yellow colu.nns. upwards, downwards; now blazing
steadily now in vary untalations, sometimes up to
grandeur the cheeress frozen scenery but only to fA
back with exhausted force, leavins dense obscurity
Natures electric lantern, suspended for tne in ths
b81Veu.-TuUnffcADf
worss with tho Polar owl Polar BEAR and the Polar
In january, tie brtiliancy Of the stars are dfmmea
pgecep.ibly At noon; In February golden tint rests
upon the horizon 1t the same hour; In March,
tie incipicnt dawn brondens in April, the doing
Eskimo rubs his eyes and cr1wls forth in Msy, the
snow begins to melt-the impatient grass and flowers
arrive as # departs. In June, the summer has fairly
sun c snow speedily Disappears. ~ tho % ice broais aS
the glacl Garth softena for depth Of one, two,
three feet; circulation is restored to 7egetation
shroua Of white, and i brilliant tint Of emerald
oyerspresds tho landscape: AL Nature, With
isSSso'n& ~ y ''He efd ssRs
lurea from their wnter-holnes fill the air with their
cries. the moose and the reindeer flock down from the
forests; from the resonant comes the noiee Of
sponsing whales and barking seals: and this lately
life equaled only by ths shorsnesa Of ta Duration
And, III token Of just appreciation Of the Creators
goodness this animated medley-man, and beast, and
bird, and fshes-rises up, divides falls to, and ends
in eating or In being eaten.
Mr. Bancroft is very minute and reliable in his
information on the personal adornments. dress,
dwellings,, customs, habits, imp;ements, COM
morcial customs, social economy, amusements
ETC., Of the Eskimos, ns indeed ha is OF ali the
tribes which ho describes. We notice Rome little
difference between the accounts given of the Es-
limo method Of sa1utation by Mr. Bancroft and
by Sir John Lubbock. Tho latter writer says
that an Eskimo in some tribes at least. salutes
hls fiiond by pulling his nose. Mr.. Bancroft in-
forms us that safutations arc made by rubbing
noses together. Bancroft is probably correct,
having derived his information from Kotzebue,
who, speaking of the Eskimos, saya: '*They
came up to lhe one after the other; each Of them
embraced rue, rubbed his nose hard against mine,
and ended his caressss BY splitting in his hands
aud wiping them several times over my face"
Other instances Of similar differences betwoon
our author and other well-knoxn vritera might
be produced.
To give an adequate idea Of the contents OF