New-York tribune., 1885-02-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS

PREH,sT1k.o Trsnsided by n DAnvers: Edited ny
w. h. Dali $40. PIP. sx, 5G6 g. r. PUTNAM ,I. oon'
Al de Nadsillac's extremely careful and valnapie
work appeared in Paris only two years ago, but 80
I'll and extensive is the progress of arch@olog
zeal Investigation in our country that 1t already
moods considerable revision. This revision Slr.
Dau undertook to give to the English translation'
with the sanction of the original author. freciscS
wnat his amendments are we cannot say ~, .ney
ure rarely indicated IN the book, rs tney o"sn' "
be: nut 1t Is evident from the rcierehcos W io
searches and publications made since oio u"'o "a
Naaaillac's writing that the chapters roia'ins "
the antiquities of tie North American coh''nono
have been industriously reviewed. Inc "oiA 70
NOT n .reotise in support of any theory, but fun
we had almost said an exhaustive, summary oi ."o
facts which have come to light respecting .n'
native races of America before the European ois
coverv. and we know of no other work "h'ch
,rcsents the whole array of discoveries so terseS
md systematically. NJ de Nedaiilac remarks ~ us
Preface that we are able to conclude tnae az 'iiO
time of the first European invasion tilo wv
of the Americans the slow growth OF ages was "
some respects not inferior to that Oh .hon 0o"
ouerorsu He does not claim for the prehistoric ree
men. however, that apocryphal amphtuuc oi 0ui
tpro which some less judici0us writers have oeen
,od 20 ottrihnte to them. and what he says of the
condition of the early inhabitants OF MeAico' 0oh
troI America and Peru is more than admitted
facts will sustan Nevertheless in speaking Oh Tue
mound builders we think that he does overstate the
semi civilization of tile Mississippi valey ia .io
sixteenth century, and that the superiority oi .ii0
Indian of the time of Columbus 10 the WIN inui'--
of TODAY is not great as he assumes ii0 uo0'
not admit that the mound builders were ois''i''
and vanished race; he regards them rs Vlr'"aii9
identical with the tribes of the perod OIL 'nc 'ol.
opest or at auv rate as their immediate ana not
The difference between
cnl.urc and that of the Indians whose habits we
know was only difference of degree; and the ldea
once entertained that their skeletons revealed an
etbnic distinction seems less reasonable as 'lio
material for comparison Increases Moreover, ho
saws there are Indians and Indians Inc inuian'
of the North should MT be cOnfounded with 'hoso
met with by the Conquistadores in the SOUTH anu
who we're certainly in a much more advanced st''e
of culture II may be supposed that the via 'r'oes
from the North and the Northwest hfSt drove 'ho
ound-buding people from Illinois ana ilhuiaha,
that those of Ohio, protected by sohd Nno u
fortified camps or villages, offered more efoacious
resistance but that they, in their turn were driven
beyond the Mississippi; that the stru2 gle went on
in Kentucky and Tennessee, until the day when tho
remnants of this ancient people were driven pacE 10
the districts bordering on the Gulf where the Vah-
ouished were gradually merged with the cohquefois,
and that thus united they contended bravery anu
often with success against toreign YOKE. ",'i
regard TO the age of the mounds. NJ de Nadaiiiac
expresses 10 decided opinion. but ne eVldehty secs
no reason at present for assigning them very heh
tiquity What may be called the epocn oi iIoonu M
bnilding ended at a quite recent period; when ="
began we have absolutely no means OF detelihiii-
ing: but remote as it was, it is certain that the
,nopnds have so far Welded traces OF the extihct
animals of the earlier ages.
After surveying the facts known respecting the
builders OF the kitchenmiddens of the coast ana Oh
the mounds of the Mississippi valley, the cI'-
dvellers. the inhabitants of the pnebloS. and the
people of Central America and Peru, NJ. dc Nadaii-
lac considers the general question of the Origin ana
clinical relations of man In America. lie reJec1s
numerous fanciful theories OF migration from tho
Old World to the New he explains the similarity VI
many beliefs and customs in the two hemlspheres
by the natural tendency of parallel stages OF cul-
tu,, "a exhibit the same phenomena; but he pro-
nounces unhesitatingly for unity OF origin; anu
I'm the concluding chapter, for which, however, DIT.
Dali assumes the chief responsibility, the stream OF
nonulation is regarded as having crossed over from
Asia by Behring's Strait, and perhaps also from
Melanesia to South America. "Ihe American,
saws NJ de Nadallac. no matter how remote the
antiouitv 70 which he may be assigned, hardly
differs from the who now inhabt the shores OF
the Atlantic and Pacific The fauna and the hora
are changed: climate and biological conditions
have undergone Eprofound notifications; man
alone. if not entirely unchanged, has yet remained
without serious differences. similar IN his pony
framework similar in his physique and IN his
pathological affections. Everywhere he has had to
subnit to the stern laws of life, he has gone
through the same struggles and where possible he
has been led to similar progress. second conclu-
sion is no less important Between the men OF the
New World and those of tho Old, there exists no
essential physical difference. The unity OF the
human race stands out as the great law dominating
the history of humanity"
In somerespects this valuable work is printed with
becoming elegance; but the Illustrations appear
to have been reproduced by an imperfect process,
and not few of them are positive disfgurements.
The two views of the canons of the Colorado, on
pages 3S and 199 are conspicuous examples OF bad
printing; and the pictures of cliff-dwellings on
pages POI and POS are not much better
JOHN HOWARD PAYNE, Dramatst; Poet, Actor. and
Author of Home sweet Home" Hi. Life and
Writings. BY GagslEr HAhhIsoS ~ Revised edition.
svo. PIP. 404. ]. B Lppincott Co.
Mr. Harrison Issued what is known as private
edition of his biography of John Howard Payne
from the press of joel Munsell in 1875. lie il now
induced to revise the work and present it in more
popular shape principally it would appear from
his preface, by the apprehension that somebody
else will take advantage Of the revived interest in
PAYNE to steal his thunder. Moreover some fresh
material has beenI discovered since the original
publication, including eight volumes of Payne's
private correspondence, Transcribed IN his own
hand and minute diaries and otber memoranda
1t does not strike us that Mr. Harrison has made
very judicieus use Of this new matter. His book
still remains the production of laboriOus dramatic
antiquary. highly interesting as chapter in the
history of the American. and to some extent of the
T., Hat, lint yip lIo rdl ly mt af ha