The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-26
Further Light on a Question of Great
Interest to Ethnologists.
from the Tacoma Daily Ne1Os.

FROM The Tacoma Daily AelOS.
If there is one man who knows more
about the coast and Puget sound Indians
than another it is Judge James Wicker
sham Of this city. His study in his home on
G street looks like an Indian curio store,
while his books touching upon Indian hts
tory are invaluable. When asked for his
opinion as to the relationship Of the Chinese
aud the coast Indians, the judge SAID that
there was no question that a careful COM
psrison of the Indian and Chinese languages
would reveal the affinity of the races. As
to the Indians of the sound known as
Siwashes, Mr.. Wiokersham stated that in-
designations Of government ethnologists for
years back show the Mongolian cast Of
features in the Indians from Alaska as far
south as Oregon, and that the similarity is
SO great as to be commonly referred to as
the Monaghan cast
There is one thing certain" said Mr..
Wickersham, 1.-THE first people to come to
this country came from Asia, because the
language Of the Maya Indians of Yucatan
aud Mexico is so similar to that Of the
Chinese. There seems to be no doubt that
the aboriginal people of America and the
people OF Asia are nearly related. There has
not yet been made sufficient comparison
to determine accurately that there is a de-
cided relationship, but the government is
Investigating. To arrive at g CORRECT solu-
ton some one must study the Mong0lian
language and compare it with the Indian
languages.
"As TO the Siwashes, the mistake is made
Of comparing them with the cultivated
Chinese. With the latter the Aztec lndi-
ans. the cultivated Indians, as it were, conn
pare, while the Siwashes must be likened TO
the low-class Mongolians. The Siwash
bears the same relation to the Aztec that
the Mongolian savage does to the cultivated
Chinese"
MIR. Wickersham displayed books that
went to show that there was conmunicS-
ton between ALASKA and Kamohatka even
IN ancient times. One OF his books was
printed in 1861. In it were claims that the
communication was frequent, aud that 10
took but DAY to make the trip across Ber-
ing strait in their primitive boats. Inc
Monaghan tribes are shown TO have come
clear up to the East cape, within forty miles
of America, across the strait.
In referring to japanese wrecks on the
Pacific coast, particularly on the Washing
ton coast in early days, which would indl-
cate what might have happened, George
Davidson, head of the United States geo.
detic survey, stationed at San francisco
stated in a letter TO Judge Wickersham over
year ago, Sin the chronological aspectol
the question that arises concerning these
WACShog Ctal ray bLdb 1 nave u pLObSS-NFT
OF Indians of Fraser river in which u
difficult to figure which may be pure In'
diaus and which may be japanese"
THE mistake is made by most people,
said MIR, Wickersham, "of not giving tn S
Siwashes credit for the amount OF inteiA'
gence they have. 1t is true that they hsys
no written language, but it is also true tna'
many Monaghan tribes do not have WrittS1
languages"
Remarkably fine work in the curving line
was exhibited by the judge. In relation V
the similarity of the Monaghan and slwasn
the judge stated further that he could SNOW
Indians on the reservation with the olas,cus
eyes. He said that there Yves one lndlan
there who was so like Chinese in looks 40
to be called "China." ..
1T may he,n concluded the judge, "tnae
the people whence came these indians arc
an offshoo5 of the nation when the jay
anese and Chinese were one people. IL eau
be seen in their characters, their langush9S
and their ways. In China you can nna
sights that may be found among Indians ~
this country. In the Mississippi valley, LOT
instance, the Indian mounds are idenVlca'
with the mounds found In China"
In book entitled America Discovers
by the Welsh" by Bowen, appears the Ioi.
lowing: I'm 1851 Degnignes. tren lsa
soldier, made known to the world that s s.S
Chinese discovered America in the nL.n
century. He derived the knowledge IRON
Chinese official annals. He affirmed tnaI ~
the year 400 a. D., Hoei Shin UNIVERSE
Compassion), Chinese Buddhist priest,
turned to Singsn. capital Of China, ana ana 20.
clared that he had been to Tahan (half
chatka) and from thence on to country
about 10000 Ii Short Chinese miles ol
about 1000 English miles. The measure,
ments are taken to be about the distaHc'
between China and California or Me1lS -.
He called the country Fusang, from . sne
name of an abundant plant, meAiSs1S
gold, silver, copper and other aads mace