Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-12-28

RELICS OF PRIMITIVE MAN.
Tssoes Of Towns That Flourished ON tn
Pacific Coast Ages Ago.

Traces of Towns That F1ourished ON the
Pacific Coast Ages Ago.
In glancing over the thriving city of Hasa-
dsna. with its Thousands Of Caucasian resi-
dents, its evidences of culture and high
civilization, it is difficult to realize that q
few hundred years ago it was peopled by
many more thousands, who constituted q
race far in advance of many Of the western
tribes of tohay. They lived in fourishing
towns, had their laws, built temples, manu-
factured beautiful stone implements, and the
smoke of their campflres arose from every
hilltop in the length and breadth of this
summer land. Who were they, and where
did they come FRONT My own opinion is that
the native population of this section can be
traced to many branches of the Mongoloid
stock. This country, if we judge by the
works of art, language, ETC.. was the meeting
ground for many widely differing races In
looking for the ancestors should go to the
Chinese, the Japanese, the people of the
Malay country, to limited extent, and
possibly the islands of the South Pacific,
while other tribes may have reached here
from the interior Of the continent and the
south.
Some years ago map was made showing
the location on the Pacific Of junks and yes
sells that had been blown from the coasts of
China and Japan. They were shown to have
been picked up all the way across, many
having been carried below San Diego by the
Japanese current before the crews were res
cued; SO it was an easy matter for the Jap
anese to reach these Shores Others un-
doubtedly found their way here by way of
the Kurile and Aleutian islands, and we
have as a result a people combining in their
lives and customs many remarkably distinct
characteristics. Even $50 years ago or less
there was so great a variety IN language that
the Spaniards found different dialect every
few miles, and even Boscana says that in his
time the natives at San Diego could not un-
derstand those at San Juan.
There is little or no evidence to show that
there was any advancement or Improvement
in these people, and we know little about
them up to the time of the discovery of the
coast by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, in June,
l642-nearly $50 years ago. In sailing up
the coast they sighted three islands-Cle-
menti and Catalina-the two divisions of
Catalina appearing like two distinct islands,
The vessels of Cabrillo stopped at various
points from San Diego to Santa Bar
bara and beyond, and from the meager
descriptions We can form something of
an idea Of the inhabitants. They were In
dians, curiously marked with slashes upon
the thighs and body with some white pig
ment. They dressed in SKINS and were
armed with bows and flint tipped arrows
At Wilmington or San Pedro the natives
fred at them, and wounded several of the
Spaniards.
They were undoubtedly peaceful people,
living in large villages in the open spaces III
the canyons of Catalina and San Clementi
and near the springs. That they were idola-
tors there is little doubt. Cabrillo refers to
a temple which he saw upon one of the
islands, the walls of which were painted and
which contained idols. This temple was
built of wood, and has been the object of re-
peated search by archmologists, so far with
out success As to whether it was built upon
Catalina or Clementi opinion is divided.
Mr.. Schumacher, who has taken many valu-
able collections from the islands, believes
Catalina to have been the spot, while others
favor Clement. Chicago Herald