PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 55 



three named Ixtlilxochitl, and ten or twelve more. Gongora, a 

 native Mexican, professor of mathematics in the University of 

 Mexico, was one of the earliest American astronomers, the author 

 of the " Mexican Cyclography," printed two centuries ago. 

 Herrera, Martinez, Garcia, Torquemada, Castillejo, De Betan- 

 court, De Solis, Del Pulgar, and Beneducci have done what they 

 could to preserve a portion of this ancient American lore, and it 

 seems almost incredible that, some time in the future when Amer- 

 ican archaeology shall have gained a firmer footing, some of the 

 treasures of fact which these men garnered up are not to have an 

 important function in elucidating anthropological problems which 

 are as yet entirely unsolved. 



IV. 



The colony on Roanoke Island having been abandoned by 

 the English, twenty years elapsed before their next effort to- 

 ward peopling America. Then came the adventurers to James- 

 town in 1606, and with them that picturesque personage, Cap- 

 tain John Smith, who. though unversed in the mathematics and 

 astronomy which made up to a great extent the science of the day, 

 was a keen observer, and an enterprising explorer. His con- 

 tributions to geography were important, and his descriptions of 

 the animals and plants of Virginia and New England supplement 

 well those of his predecessor, Harriott. 



Captain Smith was the first to describe the raccoon, the mus- 

 quash, and the flying squirrel : 



" There is a beast they call Aroughcun (raccoon), much like a 

 badger, but useth to live on trees, as Squirrels doe. Their Squir- 

 rels some are neare as great as our smallest sort of wilde Rabbets, 

 some blackish, or blacke and white, but most are gfrav. A small 

 beast they have they call Assapanick* but we call them flying 

 Squirrels, because, spreading their legs, and so stretching the 

 largenesse of their skins that they have -been seene to flv 30 or 40 

 yards. An Opossum hath a head like a Swine, and a taile like a 

 Rat, and is of the bignesse of a Cat. Vnder her belly she hath 

 a bagge, wherein she lodgeth, carrieth, and suckleth her young. A 



