appendix: ei.kphant pipes and inscribed tahi.kts. 31 t 



From Gkanvjlle T. Pierce, Esq. 



South Britain, Conn., July 15, 1885. 

 I have the pleasure of acknowledging the receipt of your paper 

 relating to elephant pipes, for which I beg you to accept my thanks. 

 I read the pamphlet with much satisfaction, mingled, however, with a 

 rising indignation at the thought that men of science could be so un- 

 fair. I am decidedly of the opinion that you have the best of the 

 argument, nor do I discover anything contrary to truth and reason in 

 the facts as you have stated them. 



From J. Thorburn, Esq., of the Geological SiirTey. 



Ottawa, Canada, April 24, 1885. 

 I have to acknowledge, with many thanks, the receipt of a copy 

 of your pamphlet on " Elephant Pipes in the Museum of the Acad- 

 emy of Natural Sciences. " I have read it with great interest, and, 

 notwithstanding what has been said and written on the other side of 

 the question, I consider you have fully vindicated your ]:)osition. Un- 

 happily, so many hoaxes have been perpetrated u])on the i)ublic that 

 one is naturally inclined to receive discoveries of the kind referred to 

 by you with some degree of caution. The whole question is a most 

 interesting one. Have you seen any of the work of the Haida In- 

 dians of British Columbia? They show a marked degree of artistic 

 skill. We have a considerable number of them in our museum. Even 

 their commonest utensils are highly ornamented. 



From Charles N. Laiuman, Esq. 



Chicago, III., April 27, 1885. 

 I received your pamjjhlet and read the article with much pleasure. 

 It was clear and forcible, and, except that the members of the 

 Academy are subjected to imputations on their good faith which, 

 while baseless, cannot but wound generous characters, the Academy 

 is to be congratulated on an attack which has afforded opportunity for 

 such complete vindication. 



From S. H. Binkley, Esq. 



Alexandria, Ohio, April 15, 1885. 

 Your admirable " \"indication " was received. In looking it over, 

 I was surprised — nay, amazed — at the reckless indilTerence exhib- 

 ited by Mr. Henshaw in his ruthless and baseless criticisms. Nor 

 is Major Powell exempt from censure in permitting this mass of cruel 

 insinuations to go forth as the dictum of the " Great Sanhedrim," from 

 which there is no appeal. You have well said, " the mischief is done. " 

 Foreign scientists have "let in" a whim that the wisdom of the nation 

 is concentrated at Washington, and (I am sorry to record it) this gross 

 absurdity is covertly fostered by those from whom we expected better 

 things. If my memory is not defective, the Davenport tablets were 

 accepted by the French savants as authentic. . . . Although in 



