appendix: elephant pipes and inscribed tablets. 275 



"Archfeologists must certainly deem it unfortunate that, outside of the Wiscon- 

 sin mound, the only evidence of the coexistence of the Mound-builder and the mas- 

 todon should reach the scientific world \.\vcqw^ the agency of one individual. So 

 derived, each succeeding carving of the mastodon, be it more or less accurate, in- 

 stead of being accepted by archaeologists as cumulative evidence, tending to estalj- 

 lish the genuineness of the sculptured testimony showing that the Mound-builder 

 and mastodon were coeval, luill he viewed 7uiih ever-increasing suspicion.'''' 



As will be perceived in reading this passage, the condemnation is 

 absolute, the prohibition complete I In the view of Mr. Henshaw, no 

 genuine elephant pipe has been, or can be, discovered. The discovery 

 of a new elephant pipe, he considers, would not confirm the previous 

 discovery, but, instead, would add to the "suspicion" of its genuine- 

 ness! The guilt of the explorer, in his distorted vision, increases with 

 his success ! The possibility of conscientious research is thus denied 

 to the solitary student of science. As we turn over the pages of this 

 writer, the air seems murky with "doubts" and "suspicions," with 

 "frauds" and "forgeries." The mandates he issues appear to have 

 been framed for a company of convicts 1 Now, if this arrogant 

 assumption on the part of Mr. Henshaw was not utterly ptierile, it 

 would be simply "monstrous!"* That such doctrines should have 

 emanated from the Smithsonian Institution, "will be viewed with ever- 

 increasing" wonder. "Archaeologists must certainly deem it unfortu- 

 nate" that an institution established "for the increase and dilitusion of 

 knowledge" should thus endeavor to discourage research and stifle 

 thought ! 



Archaeologists will not fail to notice the bold, unequivocal statement 

 made by Mr. Henshaw, that the "only evidence of the coexistence of 

 the Mound-builder and mastodon" is such as may be furnished by 

 these elephant pipes and inscribed tablets. That any gentleman who 

 had passed the alphabet of archaeology could have the hardihood to 

 confront its extensive literature with such a statement is cjuite unac- 

 countable. I'urning to the accepted records of arch;ieology, among 

 which may be cited Lubbock's "Prehistoric Times" and Foster's "Pre- 

 historic Races in the United States," we find many other interesting 

 discoveries, earlier in date, of like character and ecpial importance 

 with these elephant pipes and inscribed tablets. We will, at this time, 

 only call attention to some of the more important cf these relics which 

 seem to furnish valuable evidence as to "the coexistence of the Mound- 

 builder and mastodon." We now refer to the following: 



*This strong^ adjective is quoted from the private communication of a well-known .irchjeolo- 

 g-ist, and was used by him to express his disgust with the extraordinary doctrines announced hy 

 Mr. Henshaw in the above passage. 



