The Red Cloud chief., 1880-10-07

D0dulity. To those whose sole
me wa. TO make the history OF man
IN America conform TO revelation.
Noah's ark presented itself as 3 conve-
nient deus eI macitsa- Lescarbot fails
10 see why Noah should have expe-
rienced any difficulty in reaching
America. when-his reason is remarka-
bic - Solomon's ships male voyages
lasting three years" Another opinion
Is that the sons of Noah reached Amer
ics by land: while Orrio. in order To
show that one human pair was equal To
the task Of populating the Old World
and the New. assures Us that one
woman can in 2i0 years become the an
cestOr Of l.647. 0s6 persons" In sup
port OF n derivation from Noah. we are
constantly referred 10 the tradition Of a
foreign origin and the native flood
myths. According 10 Lord Kingsbor-
ough, who is a willing believer in Scrip
tural a~nalogies. the Mexican tradition
Of the Deluge bears "unequivocal marks
Of having been derived from a Hebrew
source" But there is little reason TO
doubt that such of these traditions as
are not wholly spurious are in the most
essential parts improved by the
Spanish chroniclers and priests, who
were not unaccustomei 10 draw upon
their imiginations for their facts. As
a sequel 10 the Hood myths we come
upon traditions Of the building Of a
tower of refuge. and this has led some
writers To identify the Americans with
certain of the builders of Babel. who
were scattered over the earth after the
confusion of tongues. Indeed, there is
no limit to the fancy Of the chroniclers.
Fuerites. the chronicler Of Guatemala.
gives an interesting account of the
tabled descent of the Toltecs-the
builders Of many OF the finest structures
Of Central America from the house of
Israel. These amusing stories and
specuiations have their counterpart in
the more or less frivolous theories
which are put forward i'm later times
without the excuse Of being warped by
a religious purpose. The Celtic theory
is supportedupo characteristic grounds.
Ii is based upon the idea that our old
friend. the Welsh Prince. Madoc. son of
Owen Gwynedd. established his colony
in Mexico, and the proof of this start
ling assertion j. threefold: First, the
McXicans believed that their ancestors
came from "A beautiful country afar off,
inhabited by white people; secondly,
they adored the cross; and, thirdly, !
several Welsh names are found in
Mexico" In further confederation,
various stories are told which are sup
posed to point to existing traces Of the
Welsh COLONY.
But all these theories of the origin
of American races from an Israelitish
stock, or from IA kymric or a Gaelic, !
may be safely dismissed As the fruits of
misguided enthusiasm and perverted
ingenuity. There remain, then. three
hypothesis, each Of which has its
strenuous advocates-namely: First,
that the American races are dutOch-
hOHtc, and this wa held by AgaSsiZ. in
accordance with his doctrine of null
tlple centers of creation; second, that
they are of one blood with the races
inhabiting the Eastern continent. from
whom they were separated by the sub
sidence of the intervening land; third.
that they represent a migration from
Asia by way of Behring Strait or
across the Pacific in lower attitudes.
Either of the first two hypothesis,
could it be proved, would harmonic
many apparently conflicting circum-
stances connected with Mexican civili-
cation. At the same time it would
give to that civilization the peculiar in
terest which must attach to an indie
pendent development, presenting a
curious and suggestive parallel to that
with which we are familiar. True. there
are striking resemblanceS between the
architectural styles of American and
of several Old World countries. and
slight. but seemingly real, though in
fact fortuitouS, points of affinity in
language, while a consensus of tradi-
tions shows an aboriginal knowledge of
certain countries beyond the sea in
iiabited by .'white faces" But this is
not overwhelming evidence against
either the Atlantis or the dutochthOnic
theory, and is as nothing, indeed, COM
pared with the proof that can be adj
duced against any of the other
theories. 1t is difficult to say whether
we may expect much new light to be
thrown on this phase of the subject
from future investigations; but we can
rest assured that a nearer approach
will be made to the truth on the ac-
QUESTION of fuller and clearer knowl-
edge,