The Arizona sentinel., 1884-12-20
d Remarkable Work.

vi tu6 TlCu eSt pOIl vi iut
globe, which has been unnoticeG
for the greater part of the centu
ry. To understand its capacitie.
we must go back to the records OF
0 the first discoveries and conques
. of the Isthmus, when it paiG
tribute to Spain in thousands o.
gold and silver, and baskets oI
0 finest pearls. Its great cities held
palaces whose walls were a mile
: square, and fortresses which
surpassed those of Europe. The
5 ceiba tree and tropic creepers
have hidden the site of these
grand ruins, but guided by the
light Of history, the daring eX-
plorer will yet find not only these
but the deserted mines of gold
and beds of sacred turquoise and
of pearls. The history of Mexi-
co and the Isthmus in their early
days, is one of the most fasciuat-
ing pages in the world, whether
to scholars or men of business,
and it is fortunate that the
period of reviving interest in
these countries, also sees the
announcement of the remarkable
literary work which includes
their history. The wealth of
preparation lavished by Mr.. III.
H. Bancroft on his great History
of the Pacific States, affords a
satisfaction 10 the world, of which
the volumes so far issued are a
rich and surprising forlaste. The
story Of the conquest of new
world must have an absorbing
interest, but the splendor of the
natural resources of the countries
reads like the tales Of Eastern
romance. From the treasures of
material at command in his
matchless library of $4,000 VOL
umes of Pacific history, for which
he has ransacked American and
continental collections and gov
ernmenT archives, Mr.. Bancroft
has drawn story Of plain,
authentic fact, which wears the
coloring of romance. Old manu-
scripts, unknown to recent histo-
rians, and archives, supposed lost
but brought 10 light by in
telligent research, have added of
late the missing links in the
wonderful history of the discov-
cry of America. The archives OF |
Central American governments,
rare Spanish works, ard manu-
scripts from the collections made |
by the Emperor MaximiIian, and |
the eminent Mexican, Ramirez,
have been sources o. fresh and |
extremely interesting material,
to fiily condence and convey
which has been the labor to
which Mr.. Bancroft has devoted
his best energies for twenty
years, with the assistance OF from
twelve 10 twenty educated secre
tarieS in translation and reference
work. The history thus produced
by an author of uncommon ability
must take place as a standard
Authority on Western America,
giving not only its past, but its
natural history, in accounts OF the
scenery, productions aud inhabi~
tantS of the countries from the
Rocky Mountains to the Pacific,
from Darien and Sonora te New
Mexico, Arizona, California, Ore
gOn anu their sister States. The
information of all the writers that
have ever written about these
countries will be cOntaine d IN Mr..
Bancroft's Pacific History, work
so interesting that we expect to
see it in every town and school
library, if not in every household
the delight of the school boy, for
its marvellous stories Of adventure;
of the politician and the literary
man alike, for its clear precision
and its rich grasp of fact. In
Europe, an order of nobility
would be the honor assigned a
labor of such value-but the au-
thor's best reward will be to see
his work read and beloved by
the people for whom he wrote.
The praise cf the great scholars
of Europe and America; of
Carlyle, Herbert Spencer. Whit
tier, LoUgfellow and Draper, has
been warmly given to his work,
which however, was writtOn with
the purpose to bring the informa-
ton of princely library within
reach of American homes. The
large open print, firm paper and
binding have been selected to
make a book welcome to the eye |
and lasting for use; one which
will take the first rank among
standard histories. and equally so
I N h n in fnrok 0f r.anarol roQnnrG