Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-01


adrtft In this current and have fioated help
lessly all the way from Asia to America.
Some OF these instances are within the
memory Of man.
Leaving out OF the question those in
stances In which white men have drifted
with the Kuro Sivo II is on record that
during the last two centuries over a dozen
Asiatic vessels, mostly Japanese. have been
cast away and have hoated to America
with the current. In 1852 Japanese junk
hoated over to the Aleutian islands with
several men on board. The survivors were
rescued by one OF the Russian American
Company's vessels and were returned TO
Japan. In 1906 another junk which had
0rifted over from Japan went ashore near
They were rescued and cared for by the
Russians. In 1888 a junk drifted over to
the washington coast with three sur
vivors on board. A junk loaded with beee-
wax noated over to the mouth of the CO.
lumbia river and the crew Joined the In
dian population Of the region rather than
return over that dreadful sea. Other YES
sells have ioated over to Vancouver island.
ana one went ashore on Queen Charlotte.
Other Instances
I'm 1S45 a wrecked junk foated all the
way across from Japan to the Mexican
coast. The three survivors were taken
back to Japan by the United States fri
gate st. Louis. Other Asian vessels have
been cast on the coast OF California Ac-
have been cast on the American coast in
tunks, although not all of them have drift
ed entirely across the Pacific These sur
vivors came from twenty-three vessels. an
average OF over twelve to a junk.
Now these are instances of the past
two centuries. 1t seems probable that in
all the centuries preceding some poor cast
Always must have come across. And in view
OF the seamanship displayed by these In
dams In their big canoes, 1t would not sur
prise me to find that regular system OF
fntercommunicat!on with Asia by way of
the Aleutian Islands had been practiced. I
DO. not know that II is so, but the size OF
their vessels. their skill in handling them,
the fearlessness with which they go far
out Of sight of land. would make it posi-
BILE II not probable.
ut is quite possible that the Indian Is
one of the original products of the Ameri-
can continent. but that he at least was Wis
tied by Asiatic castaways who taught him
some of the arts of the old world seems
likely. 1t is possible we may come upon
direct evidence which will settle the ques-
ton one way or the other. Meantime IL
can be said with tolerable certainty that
not even Left Ericsson was the first globe
trotter."
Harlan l. Smith. who visited the north
west coast in the interest of the museum,
has given 1t as his opinion that there must
have been intercourse between the two con-
tinents, but whether the Indian came from
Asia or the Asiatic went frM America in
the first place he hetitates to say.
but, SdlQ MT. smith, L 1OunQ some
thing on the northwest coast which inter-
ested me more than the question of inter-
course. found system of speculation In
vogue among the coast Indians which. while
quite as wonderful as our own Wall street
system and II we'll illustrates the degree Of
civilization the Indian has attained.
1T is found in the potlatch. which most
ping match. But it involves the principle
of life insurance. investments to which in
terest accrues, government bonds, trust
funds, etc.
was amazed to find that these Indians have
their trading exchanges, in which real
brokers represent the Pierpont Morgans.
the Rockefellers and the Vanderbits of the
tribe.
Prohibited the Potlatch.
1.-The first explorers and the missionaries
who saw the operation of the potlatch
caused the enactment of laws prohibiting
what they supposed was vainglorious at
tempt on the Indians part to give away his
wealth to his friends. These laws were I'M
Just. for they robbed the Indian of his prin-
cipal source of wealth.
1.-The explorers saw a square, pit-like
arena around which the tribe would gather
and watch the Indian broker extol the vir-
tues and the riches of some Indian mag.
nate whose blankets had been piled by hum
creds on platform. They saw Indians
receive these blankets by ones, two and
threes from the brokers and go of with
them. They thought the Indian was giving
away his wealth, when as matter of fact.
he was merely lending the blankets to
needy tribesmen. who. after a specified time
were compelled under the tribal law to re-
turn the number of blankets loaned with
additional blankets for interest.
Certain rich Indians lent out hundreds
of blankets on the birth of a son, with
the proviso that an equivalent number with
additional interest be returned to that son
when he becomes of age. Thus, the father
lays up trust fund for his child Or IL
that child dies before coming of age the
blankets, with interest. revert to the faith
err which, / take 1t, is clearly the fulfill
ment of a life insurance policy pure and
simple.
1.-The bonds are certain pieces of copper
which are taken to the tribe and which are
only owned by rich men, since they are
worth thousands Of blankets and bring their
price easily among the tribesmen.
These pieces of copper. of no intrinsic
value, have actually been left as pledges
Of good faith for supplies obtained from
white storekeepers in the region. The store
keepers are aware of their value in the
eyes of the Indian, who never fails to re-
deem them.
"All this I saw on the northwest coast
and yet in spite of the fact that II COM
pares favorably with our own system OF
finance, the Indian has practiced it since
before the days of Columbus"