Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1909-11-20

Y" dian corn the explorers from Eu
rope would certainly have been un.
able. 10 the conditions under which they were
forced to land upon the western shores. to
effect a permanent settlement on the Ameri-
Can continent
Maize vas the only health-sustaining food
which the Indians could supply To those who
attempted to make a home In New England:
u sustained the adventures who traversed the
valleys Of the James. OF the St Johns and OF
The Mississippi: II provided the Spanlards In
Mexico with nourishment during the reckless
march from Vera Cruz 10 the plateau OF Mex.
ico. and this same maize was found by Pizar-
ro's small army OF eonquerors when the sub
Jugated the innumerable hosts Of the meas
Of Peru.
Yet up to the time Of the landing OF Co
lumbus In America maize was absolutely UNI
known te the inhabitants OF the old world
The few kernels Of the new food bought To
Queen Isabella by Columbus we're classed gen
orally as grains or cereals. The Norsemen.
who landed near Cape Cod In 1909 A. d.. found
a-Train previously unknown to them and this
they called corn" attempting 20 identify Il
With wheat and other grains TO which they
were already accustomed The English Puri.
tans also were astonished on landing 10 ind
new csrn: but as they had at home grouped
all grains under the name they therefore ap-
piled tn the same term definitely distin'
guishlls u from the others by the specific
phrase Of Indian corn
Indian corn Is really maize: In English.
speaking countries outside OF the United
States II IL called maize and In all Spanish
Countries "mais" Is the word employed. In
Portuguese "milho." aud French again "mais"
indicate It's origin Maize Is altogether an
American word coming directly from the
primitive Arawak. the most widely dissent
mated Indian stock In South America. II orig.
mated in the south with the Guanas. on the
headwstcrs of the river Paraguay. and EN-
braced tribes on the highlands OF Bolivia. ex'
tending hsally To the GoaIros peninsula. the
most northern land Of the continent They
we're the first. therefore. to welcome Colum-
bus 10 me Bahamas. Cuba and Haiti. Though
the AE&waks were practically In state OF
sayagery they cultivated maize. The Arawak
wurd fsr maize Is "marisi." and this they had
handed over To the Caribs who inhabited many
Of the West Indian islands. II was one OF the
nrst words Columbus heard. and through him
~ became general In Europe. In Guiana and
further south on the Atlantic coas; OF South
America "manioc" took the place OF maize
a: food
- North American Indians had other expires.
sions for their grain The grain itself had
come 10 them partly through the IhTlOs, but
chiefly through the tribes OF northern Mexico.
which shows that there were two channels OF
communication. even In pre-Columbian times.
60 the iaad on the north Atlantic. These
North American Indians seem not 20 have
used the word maize: Il had been lost In
crossing the Gulf OF Mexico. and whatever
term was employed by them is now only a
phiioluric curiosity. Neither does the ancient
word Of the AEtecs OF the Mayas. the Chib-
chas or the lncas correspond TO maize. so that
n seems certain that maize was confined TO
that extensive race inhabiting regions far to
the east and south II the original home Of
Indian corn.
The spot from which this purely American
grain spread. even before its discovery by
Europeans TO the extreme confines OF the
western hemisphere. has been accurately To-
Gated. History. philology. ethnology as well
a. tradition have all been factors In this result.
Indefinite claims have been advanced by Asia