New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-08-29

was delayed until the closing session. lhc afternoon
session was devoted to sectional work. Tomorrow
the members of The association will make an eXeuI-
SION to jamestown on the invitation of tic Erie
Railway Company. The closing session will be bed
Oh Wednesday afternoon no meeting TO be held iii
the morning Of that day.
GREAT SUCCESS OF THE MEETING.
tHE ASSOCIATION AT PEACE WITHIN TrsElF-TiiE
EVOLUTION THEORISTS HAVE EVERYTHING fiiiIR
OWN INTELLECTUALLY OF TUE PEOPLE OF
RfrrrAIO AND NIGARA-THE MYTHOLOGY OF
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.
iFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TEH'UNE.l
BuFFAIO. Aug 26-In nearly every particu-
lar the generally expressed view OF the members oil the
American Association for the Advancement OF science Ia
cutie authorized by fact that this is the best meeting
In many years One circumstance that has much 10 40
with this happy condition is tn absence OF Internal
broils The long fght organization, constitution
ana bylaws that used to form part of tho proceedings OF
each meeting came to an end last year and
has shown no symptoms of renewal No size
issues have been brought into TIE arena, like
the temperance question, which was dragged into
one of the Western meetings, creating absurd disturb
anee The yearly conflict between the Eycuh0niss ana
the Creationis;s is renewed The latter having Dfch
gradually diminishing numbers and having no strong
champion present. while the EyOdiiOniss are Ill great
force and are having things all them way. In last
wears letters stated choice OF officers indicated
preponderaace OF the Evolution theorists III the man
agemcnt for this year; but was not prepared Ior the
almost utter silence and withdrawal OF tor opponents
Nor is this to be accounted fol- by Prof Huxeys arrival
for although few the leaders the other side or the
controversy would care to swords with our hugsh
visitor there is az least enc, Dr. Dawson OF Montreal
who il he were present would not hesitate TO enter the
lists.
In addition 20 peace within the ASSOCIATION has been
equally favored by circumstances. Tho weather
fItraf fallh a4
loepitalty and attention of the good people Of Buffalo
Nothing more than they have done for the association
could asked by the NEST unreasonable Sruhbel Inc
best citizens OF the place have insisted u"On housing
large proportion OF the members an told that each o.
tine Buffalo ladies' who have thus opened their homes Is
perared to insist that has had the most agreeable
rest Tie RECEPTION given by the Buffalo Cuba purely
social organizatiOIlwas admirably manage 2tair
Gen RUFUS L. Howard the president OF tie club, sha I'd
with Prof Rogers, the association president IN tae
honors of reception Prof Huxley Of course Tie lion
of the evening This brilliant agdir-anG II was very
brilliant as q social gathering-vaa followed
carly this morning by excursion % Niagara Fails W.
II Vanderbilt provided the train. The prOiTieioTs OF
property on both sides Of Ma Fails gave all iaeil
ties TO the association for tTampiug ov their gronns
for several Mr.. John r. Bnsli on the Canada
side whose mansion aud grounds front opposite the
American fan, gave nuu'f.ent entertainment Many
mewbers WHO he'd Frequently visited Niagara before de-
Glazed that they had never known so pefect day Tor
seeing the Falls and the abundant facilities given IN
every direction made it specially enjoyable Tor all
these attentions The association is most largely III
dsbted 10 the pre- oas efforts and interest excited by the
DuGllo Society Of Natural Sciences The road 10 The
lavish private hospitality has been constructed by the
efforts OF it, officers
NORTH AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY.
take this opportunity 70 give an abstract OF paper
read in the anthropolosical section and which hfs not
hitherto been published Major J. W. Powell, well known
san intrepid explorer OF our Western wds presented
paper of unusual interest in tho anthTOpoogy section
Its title was The Mythology Of North American lu-
dians" Though necessarily long, the was rainy
simple summary OF facts In endcayorng to give IL III
smaller compass must here be tile abstract Of an ab
sraet since he deaa presented by the author In
highly condensed form.
The paper began with the general statement that IN
the study Ct the mythology OF any race OF people we
discover ~ that they have cosmology or cosmism
Co theory of worlds and explanation o; the Lni
verse (2j q theism embracing class OF peTsonaecH
with exfrahuman powers 81 body Of fable lore con
corning the words and actions OF the gods ) religion
explaining the relation between gods and men.
knowledge Of all these four Of facts is requisite
10 an acquaintance with given mythology j" e2"h III
stance vher, North American mythology has been
studied a cosmisn has been found enL -. ng system
OF worlds L. C. the world of this life and two or more
worlds of the future and also account OF the origin
OF natural phenomena Many tribes believe that the
worlds where the spirits Of the dead 80 are separated
from this by mountains, g0rges, ana olihcmt pa u
was OF by river. The riycI-DelieYcrs
invariably divide their dead into good that 60 to enc
yorld and bad that go another. Sometimes the happy
land il beyond the world Of and in the latter the
Traveller is bcsct by evil beings or magical obstacles
sometimes there easy 10 the land OF misery
and difficult path that OF bliss. Fewer tribes believe
that tie worlds lie above anOther there y always In
such cases world below and one or more aboVe but
with some tribes the good world is below ana the bad
sbove: with Others These worlds sus-
tanned by pillars or magic. The lower world ID sometimes
IN be reached through a cave OF by by jour
pey around the edge Of the horizon TO tie world above
the way Is sometimes by mountain sometimes by the
air. sometimes by miraculous ladders Thrs there are
two classes Of wOrdsthose arranged horizontally, and
those arranged vertically Tue personnel OF the mythol-
Ogy In these two classes differs greatly.
The gods OF the Indians ~ fetch eods namate
things supposed to have life will aud active power t2)
animal gods-wonderfu beings prosenItors or p-oto-
types present anmas-possessed OF power TO govern
the COSMOS C) hero acknowledgement and women
of supernal powers and who knew the secrets of
az gods the personhed ana deifed lheuOlhera
aud powers OF To these might be added deBed
ancestors not very remote who tutClr deties
for each who Opts hiIa as has god There
% authentic instance known To Major Powell OF person
tfeaon CT abstract qualities attributes. Belief in
spirit refined interior peTsonase is universal among
North American tribes Gods as well as men have q
spiritual as well Il material exist nee.
Tue lowest form OF fetehism does not exist Indian
tongues perhaps Invariably, distinguish animate from
inaI. mate things by gender. But the thing which has
no life may have spirit especially hing see1nng 70
spring Thus there the spirit Of the pine, the spirit OF
Monnf Nebo Ind the like; there are thus water gods
land gods and tree gods affixed tcsPeeia objects with
the last Of these TO class or species OF tlce MAYOR
Powell calls this belief thcofeticsm.' Tfere ~ uni
yersa tendency appropriate these gods to attach one
OF them individually TO the fortunes OF an Indian; in
short 20 have tneiar gods secured by the Of
ire In