Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-15
BOOK REVIEW.

XXI. andIXXIII.: of the Works of Huber
Howe Bancroft, vols. XXyIT. and XVIII.
| San Francisco \. L. Bancroft & Co.
If any doubt existed as to the policy o
+ the voluminousness of these works, it Ger
! tainly has, by this time, been dispelled
While the elaboration of the text of tn
several volumes has been great, beginning
with the date 1901 and the history of Cen
trail America, and thence proceeding to tn
history of Mexico and California, with tn
date brought down to 1900, and the paral
ellis of the historical events preserved b,
passing from one branch of the subject /,
the other before bringing either to ful
completion, and finally the entry upon ant
bringing of the history of the Northwes
Coast down to 1916; nevertheless, i
is difficult to turn back and point to tn,
volumes we would have abridged
or the detail we would sugges
| should be lessened. 1t has developed tina
| those who were most loud in objections Il
| the extended character of these works
have ceased complaint, and are reading
| them TO the end. They will never become
historical textbooks for the young student
such intent never entered into theil
conception, but they are historical
treasure-houses, exhaustive libraries
and IS such must enhance constantly
in value, and be the chief resor
of the reading men of the present, and the
historian of the future Nor will these
deny to Mr.. Bancroft success in the art OF
narrative or write him down careless
or biased Judge.
piS;,,er from, ba ,,or,caJ ,,f ,I,o u
ume of the History of the Northw est
Coast, we found the second at our hand
somewhat earlier than was anticipated
and closing the latter at the 27lst page
with the interesting account OF the adycn-
lures of the noted fur-trader and hunter,
the ubiquitous-so happily styled by cur
author-Dona!d Mckenzie, we are pre-
pared before completing the remaining
half of the volume 70 make our comments
upon the two volumes in q single
notice. Nor does the necessity pre-
sent for greatly extended remark.
We have heretofore thoroughly ex-
planned the broad scheme of these his
tories, emphatically recorded our approval
of the methods OF Mr. Bancroft, our ad-
miration for his phenomenal patience
and his uncon4uerable devotion to the task
before him-which would have appalled,
the ordinary man-and unequivocalil ex-
pressed our respect for him as u historical
collector and for the monument he is
building to his memory in the form of the
invaluable library of history of the West
Coast OF the Americas. 1t is not necessary.
therefore, to more than point out that the
two volumes in hand more. in our opinion,
than any others, justify these judgments
we have formed and fortify the historian
in the methods he has adopted This can
not escape the attention of the reader He
will note now especially that the ground
work laid in the previous volumes proves
the importance OF its elaboratenesS and all
the vast array Of earlier proofs TO settle
issues and clear away doubts
The early hands that laid hold upon the
rich treasures of the west coast were not the
same south as north. In the first instance
il was the domination of the Spanish that
made its impress upon Pacific States in
the latter the more calculating, but none
the less memorable and cruel Northron
But the motive in each case was the same
gain at the expense of aboriginal rights; ter
ritoral possession by the law of might. In
the first there was the mask of religion in
the other the relentless acquisitiveness OF
trade; in both the greed of empire and the
merciessness of conquest.
o -, a. So, 4 =; +o,oat r ~ PoI
49, -. I - w ~. I'''.
that which introduced us to the romances
of Bastidas, the first Spaniard to plant
foot upon the soil of a Pacific State. and the
tragic adventures of the intrepid spirits who
succeeded him. A greater interest, we say.
since, as our author well puts it, the
North, in its photographic history, was
Il field of mystery and wild conjecture
I " W. Stho inCt LIZ
Iast t bn oyrioTad % 70 tIlo c,,.t ~ .ilt
nm, NJ Tho aarIt. ,.1,r.,rors Wa, - - ~
IL ,f I,J;. o,,i - H. ,ta,'ll: w
Land fornd did NOT unsat the mimi
tTo1~,. Eor the,. hoia II - Ia a., ;Sjni,'i
o,,I,- sa,,arat,d e. tl,e ,,,a;r H.. h,'t y
strait Snt No str,;t v.as fnnnd oit,,a, - .
fhm so,,thrrn or northern yo,-oa,a,,S and
f;n,1Iv if Itwned unar these str,no,,.. j., n
.trsI,, 70 world that thrrp was NJ Rel. fant
v,sf continent with a mirhiy u1altn or
Tyafcrs batuccn il and tho inIio, sLo,.as
i nov world was at thair ,nn,r,a,I -
world with seals of mystery 10 ha LrnI,on
nv ti,rir prnvcss The .t,;ri+ nf tho od,-e,lf-
urcrs was sf1rl, sc tn Ir.I tio,, fn nntdo
each other in marvellous storv-triii,,,.
This most rrr,,t1rDtIv I.d no hasis or ~
,norc s,,I,s.,u+;.,I f1,,r.i,;,, ,b.,,, 10
VlXI6upSS nj their fancy and Ia. f.rpl an
tho i,,a.e;not;,n Tbc f,,fi,-o ,.,,.e,.
the fever Of eyacocratinn. and rcoa}cd Tbc
strane,o,.s AZ ti,,v ran,a Viii nl',,'il,. le
fictitious tales So clear are fba nr11fs OF Of
tbe outraoeo,,s falsnhoods nf he or, ana
the indrITenrc in them bv tbn nat;,.nS that '''
Mr. Rapcroft concludes 4Lorr i rna-.,,, r.,
belinvn that the f,nnrIs ara f.h,,Il'y triIi
tion of an ohoriairal ,nirration ~ rnitoo
and Aztec tribns frnn :, ,33tborr ,.a,, -
civiliyotion had M other origin II y.,s -,
The interest nf = n, mall L1dr IF o,,Tlo,
f,s also to Mile the
for tho ,d,,aran,e,'t of tj,e;, ,,,,,, ssj'oo
Tho fair-hairaI nxrlora,,s v.ara not I,.iii;n,r
thai tLe dar,lnved rnn,,i,or|,rs Of tbo
sI,onId no counted more Iaroi,. ar s,,n,as
FIJI tL,n tbnv in Lietori,. ,c,.,,r,1, ~ :,
did not re miro many, vo,,of,es f., ds,oI t,,a
mysteries IF tho north ma ,Io,r ~, a.
f,1rifnI r,ranras woven ahont i
Mr. R,ncrnft n.act;(,lI,, bo,,ins tlo f.s+
volr,mn h,5 racaI|inr IN tbn rtafio,,l ,,,l,,
',[. tLe o,,3ct ,o,,,i;tion ,f MI,
n,.,nrt;1,, :; 15[o III
III ,;i,- ana ,,,t
,,rnnnI has hnen travnlsnd in tLo ,,rooI H.
,,ai1rrcs
ranfnre. of ,1isdn,-e,, L G;rjr- wv
the sIIlioct of ,Lo Nnr,hyest sst "F
mo nf thc T11s,i, ,ro,,,ro,,,,. IF ~, tt.,
hone If coni3ctnro md df ;ts i,na'@ ',r.'
theoretical snJ a,,ncrv,I.l ,,basaS ~
mystery tbus r,nsiInrdd in u ,no,,,,,,. ,nI
,nlotei tn nncb,in the ottontio, mn a,,j;s+
thn f,nrr ocrnnias thran f,ii lho,,+ars
more tLon r,snoII,. riah :, ,,,o,'. .,,,i
1l,orts ;iI,,s+r,,;,,a of It,.,,,,, ~
,,res and n,or,-clo,r, s,lac,,IS;i,,,s TI,o