Evening star., 1923-10-27


than to know SO many things. that
aren't So" suggested Mark Twain.
and his wisdom is commended by the
doctors OF the Smithsonian Institu-
tioh and the National Museum.
The occasion. of their quoting that
'aearned ethnoiogist." Mark Twain.
was In connection with the report
coming from a copyrighted interview
with 'Explorer' Richard c. Marsh.
stating that he had discovered an
unknown race of white Indians, hid
den along the banks of the Chuca-
naque river, in east Panama. He
stated that they have light brown
or yellow hair white skins. free from
that coiored pigment so distinguish
able in all brown or darker races"
but the skin was somewhat tanned by
sunlight. ::
Panama isthmus is only about for
ty or fifty miles wide. hence q. tribe
OF white Indians. 20 have remained
hidden very long on the isthmus must
have been quite exclusive.
IL X n 4
According to the authorities of the
bureau Of ethnology of the Smith
sonian Institution. there are indian
tribes In northern Brazil and British
Guiana Of Very light color, and 1t is
possible that some of these may have
migrate to. Panama .,. -.
All Indians are whittier in spring
than In late summer, owing to the
natural bleaching during the COM
parative confinement indoors through
out the winter. True, Indians are
weather they prefer shelter. the same
as other humans. and the suns rays
do not tan in winter --- -.
Some time ago there was a Sioux
ehief employed at the Smithsonian
institution and the scientists desired
to make record OF the exact shade
OF his Indian color. While the artist
was at work an English traveller
chanced to be standing by. visiting
with the scientists. The artist asked
the Indian to pull up his sleeve, that
ne might see the color of his forea rm.
The Englishman pulled up his own
sleeve for comparison, and 10, the
poor Indian" was paier than the pale
face. when 1t came to the part of his
skin which had not been exposed to
the weather The complexion of. the
face Of many a hack driver Of for
mer equine days was far darker red
than that of the Sioux chieftatn. In
dians are not all rsd-hued; their COM
pleNtons vary az do those of the white
race.
Besides, there may be sports"
among them. quite light. A sport"
Is an accident. Every flock has It's
black sheep" There is a black squir-
rel inhabiting the park beside the
writer's home, and the gray squirrels
VIII have no association with II; they
dian tribes may be ostracizsd and
driven into ssclusion. and. in their
bitterness. may become fierce and
warlike."
Better not know so many things
that aren't so?" Some years ago the
writer was Interested in visiting a
private museum in the city of Oaxaca,
southern Mexico. whore he was shown
a miniature statue. In silver, Of a
Chinaman with his 'pigtail." and was
told that it had been taken. from q
prehistoric tomb near there. This
was declared to be ridiculous by the
late Prof. Ernst Fenelosa. a recog-
nized authority on the orient. because
the Chinese did not wear pigtails un-
til they We're conquered by the Man
chus, In the seventeenth century.
when they were required to wear
them a. sign of submission. But
who told the Manchurians of the sig-
nificauCe OF wearing pigtaiIs?
When Prof. Fenelosa's criticism
was mentioned to DIR. Fewkes, the
head of the bureau OF ethnoiogy. he
promptly produced photographs of
prehistoric plaques, adorned with pic
lures Of Indians, wearing pigtails
which plaques had been made by
early Indians.
4 y u y
II IS generally agreed that this
hemisphere received Its first popu-
lation by way Of Bering Strait. which
is only nifty miles in width. The Chi
nese came across that water In their
primitive canoes. Mongolians still fire.
quentIy cross the strait In their skin
canoes. ,.
However few the first settlers may
have been, they increased and multi