The New York herald., 1878-11-13

was "The Finnc Race" In attempting to trace back
to its earliest ancient race like the one
before to-day said the lecturer led almost
inevitably the great unsettled question of the origin
of man. But the opinions Of the learned differ so
fundamentally, and are all yet entirely with.
out firm. indisputable basis. that we can only wait
patiently hoping that advancing knowledge may at
last bring us to some clear ncontroverble conclusion
upon the matter. The lecturer gave dates to prove
that Finnic people must have inhabited the valleys
of tho Euphrates and Tigris at time prior to
the earliest Semitic settlements there. more
than four thousand years ago. This view.
however, she said, has been warmly
opposed as advanced. 1t is generally received
opinion that the Firms migrated at very early date
into Europe, where they became the aboriginal in
habitants Of Russia and probably greater part Of
the whole Continent. 1t has been supposed that
they Britain and the earliest inhab
tants of SPAIN the present Basques Of the Pyrenees
are classed as of Finnic stock The Etruscans have
also been traced to the and the French
ethnologst, Beoquet, argues that the preAryan
in France must have been Fnnic. The name Finn
among the ancents seems always TO have designated
an aboriginal people. The Firms described in
Russian legends of powerful and stately appear
ance. fair complexions and mild and peaceable dis
position. They were famous for their fne horses
and cattle as well az for their agriculture, and were
skiful in the working Of metals. especially Of iron.
This metal is everywhere IN the old Finnish
legends and songs the mystical symbol of strength
and well being. The Russian chronicles attribute fab
ulous wealth to these Tshuds. they called and
they described wearing robes of costly fur aud
precious golden ornaments and jewels, obtained
through their trading with the East They lived in
small village communities. commanded by ctades.
enemies Who attracted their wealth. often attacked
and attempted to pilage them. But they knew well
how to defend themselves and reported the best
archers Of their day.
LOVERS OF LIDEnry.
They loved liberty with an undying love. and this
has ever been and still is, fundamental charac-
teristic of the whole They had slaves among
them and could never be ensaved themselves. They
are said to have prepared curious with huge
granite blocks artihcially piled up; to these they
tired in cases Of fatal defeat and there buried them
selves their households and their treasures III the
words of the chronicles they preferred rather to be
buried beneath the earth recmen than to live upon
its surface slaves The sagas relate that they
finally, with the assistance of the sons of Kalevaa,
the whole North and became its undisputed
rulers Thus have seen that powerful pre-
Aryan Finnic race must once have occupied North
Atlantic Ocean It is accepted that the Firms mi
grated from the southeast to the northwest Unms-
taxable traces of them are still to be found In the gov
ernment of Tobolsk g s.8.A s
The White Sea Rjarmey Firms seem to have resem-
bled the early Tschuds both in appearance customs
chronicles speak OF them by this naine which they
seem to have applied indiscriminately to all Firms.
They also called them Savolatchien people living be-
yond the water" The Icelandic sagas relate numer
Gus adventures Of Morse heroes who visited them.
These vikings made many expeditions of pill
lage into Bjarmeland and sowed the seeds Of
an undying hatred and dstrust among the Firms
toward the Swedish nationality which even centuries
OF enlightened and moro or less beneficial political
union with them have not entirely destroyed The
first accounts Of the people Of Bjarmeand given
by the famous Morse explorer Otha. whom King
Alfred Of England sent about the end Of the ninth
century. Toward the close Of the twelfth century
the Novgorodians had obtained partial possession of
Bjarmeland Here they built monastery near the
mouth OF the river Dvina and early in the following
cent founded the town of Ulstjug near the same
spot In 1877 we hear of army, from Bulgaria the
great. which came TO oppose the common Slavic foe
and succeeded in obtaining possession of Ulstjug.
But the victory was only passing one.