The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1875-06-24
Who Oiscov cred America Z

There has been Just published in
London, by Trubner & Co., the emf
nent Oriental publishers, a volume
which is likely TO create considerable
excitement in America. II is entitled
"Fusang; or, tho Discovery Of Anne.
rica," by Mr.. Charles q. Leland,
better known by the soubriquet Of
"Hans Brietminn," aud, later, Of
"The English Gypsy" For the last
century scholars have known tho ex-
istenco of theory which assigned
the merit of the discovery of Ameri.
ca to n Chinaman, but never before
has this theory been openly support
ed by prominent American. The
worst of it is, Mr. Iceland, as n
practiced writer, and as one who is
fully aware Of the sensation which
his book is likely to create in his
native land, has proceeded about the
business he has taken in hand in II
thoroughly cool and practicalmannor,
has consulted eminent scientific AT.
thorties, aud has ttkcn tho utmost
pains TO hoap proof on proof in favor
Of his startling hypothesis. He holds,
and does his best to prove i'll his
work. that America was first dis
covered, not by Columbus, and not
by Sebastian Cabot, of Bristol, rs
learned men have, as rule, recently
held, but by Hpci Shin, Chinese
Buddhist priest, in the fifth century
of the Christian ora. From the view
of tho case entertained by Mr.. Lo-
land, it appears that in the year \.
ID. l9J Hoci Shin (tnglicc, universal
Jmpassion') returned to Singan,
ut that time the capital of China, he
claring that no hal been 10 Tahan
CKamtchatlll). aud from thence on
to country about 2O,00) Il (short
Chinese milcs) east of that country
This gives, it appears. according TO
careful recent measurement, the dis
tanco between China aud Now Mex
leo or California. Hoci-Shin called
the country he discovered Fusang,
from the name which he gave t. the
principal plant he found in it ; aud
this plant appears, from his account.
clearly to have been the huge and
striking great American aloe, 50
abundant in Mexico or California,
called locally the 'migdcy." Hoei.
Shin makes several strange remarks,
all of which add, in various ways, to
the evidence which fixes the site of
his discovery rs Mexico or California
lie says, for instance, that gold, sill
yer, aud copper were not esteemed in
tho land, since they abounlel morc
than other ores common i'll other
countries. The accounts of lIoai.
Shin concerning marriage rites, royal
customs, aud rockonings by cycles of
ten years, each and all also cor
respond remarkably with facts known
Of American Indians, OF of Peruvians.
In 1861, when hardly anything was
known satisfactorily about ancient
America, DaSuignes, French
scholar, made the Chinese accounts
of tho voyages of Hoei-Shin known
to Europe. De8uiSnes delivered his
information without difficulty, as
Hoei. Sims account of his pcregri-
nations was registered in Chinese
official annals, and had been copied
from time to time by several Oriental
historians. In 1871, Professor Carl
Neumann, of Munich, translated the
Chinese into German, and also, with
Mr. Leland q help, into English. The
latter translation, given in the pros
ont work, was read and approved of
b,r the distinguished ethnologists,
Albert Gallatin, aud Professor Nor
ton, of Philadelphia, The account Of
Hoei- Shin, it is fair to state, has
been subjected to much criticism, and
Mr.. Leland's present work will,
doubtless, evoke much more. The
main theories of Chinese discoveries
OF America have been keenly attacked
by Klaproth, the Orientalist, and by
DR.. Bretschneider, the Chinese
scholar; and defended as keonly by
several scholars, especially by Gustav
d'Eichthal, in the Recme Irchgpiogi-
gpe, Paris, 1868. Mr.. Leland's work
is tho result of great research and
preserving inquiry but it gives in
its pages, fairly and equitably, the
cons as well as pros concerning his
contention. A mass of fresh evi-
dence is, however, adduced, which,
for the present, seems to turn the
scale fairly in favor Of the author.
Mr.. LELAND has obtained the advan-
tage of one remarkable piece of evi-
dence in favor of his theory. Colone!
Barclay Kennon, the we'll known
marine geographer, formerly os the
United States North Pacific Survey.
and who has had ut least three years
experience OF those waters, has placed
at Mr.. Leland's disposal latter in
which all the required distances are
given. Colonel Kennon distinctly
ceriiiies that any sailor in an open
boat could easily pass from China to
California in summer, and never be
more than an hour or two out OF
sight of land.
To Mr.. Leland's work there are
two sides; it is a popular work, yet it
is also scientific. For instance, men
of science will notice that the author
has investigated the journals of a
large number of Buddhist missona
riea To India Some of these apnaar|