ETRURIA CAPTA, 1533 
noted by M. Francisque-Michel in Le Pays Basque, which makes 
the great chief Uchin the founder of Urbinum in Umbria."* Nothing, 
however, could be more probable than the unity or near relationship 
of the two southern Turanian peoples, the Etruscans and the Basques. 
The similarity of the Celt-[berian and Etruscan alphabets is another 
point in its favour, The most convincing proof, however, is afforded 
in the Umbrio-Eugubine tables, where we read, in plain Roman 
letters, of the trifor Tarsinater, Tuscer, Naharcer, Japuscer, that is. 
“the threefold Tyrseni, Tusci, Navarri, and Guipusci.” 
In my articles on the Khitan languages, published in the Trans- 
actions of the Institute, in a paper read at the meeting of the 
American Association for the Advancement of Science at Minne- 
apolis, and elsewhere, I have set forth the fact, that, various as are 
the grammatical forms of Basque, Caucasian, Yeniseian, Japanese, 
Corean, Iroquois, Choctaw, and Atzec, they are one in point of 
vocabulary, and constitute, with many other members, a linguistic 
family of no small importance. The parent speech belongs to Syria ; 
West of Syria, in Asia Minor, Italy, Spain, and Britain, the inscrip- 
tions yield Basque. East of Syria, in India, Siberia, and on this 
continent, the Japanese at first, and afterwards the Aztec, are the 
languages set forth by them.” I have already shown how the 
Hittite name, Cetaei in the Troad, Cetii in Cilicia, Khita in Syria, 
Cathaei in the Punjab, Khitt in Siberia, Khitan on the borders of 
China and Corea, and Citin in Mexico, shows the track of the 
18 Francisque-Michel, Le Pays Basque, p. 229. 
19Jn this connection I may mention a remarkable book by Curzio Inghirami, who has. 
generally been regarded as the Chatterton or Ireland of Italy. This youth found in an 
envelope of bitumen and other materials several documents written in Latin and Etruscan 
characters, setting forth the history and religious rites of the Etruscans, down to the time of 
Sylla. Pignotti, in his Storia della Toscana, regards the Fragmenta prope Scornellum reperta 
as a forgery, and gives cogent reasons for the opinion, although, on account of his youth, he 
exonerates Inghirami. The discovery of the documents was made in 1634. I have bestowed. 
some attention upon the Fragmenta, and, judging them solely, of course, by the internal 
evidence, am not convinced of their spuriousness. One of the most remarkuble and, in 
Inghirami’s age, uncalled for statements in the book, is that which gives the Cethic or Hittite 
name to the aboriginal Etruscans who came with Vandimon and his son Japetus into Italy. 
To base anything at all upon the statement of a doubtful work would be unscientific in the 
extreme. I simply refer to it in the hope that Inghirami’s treasure-trove may be subjected to 
a more searching analysis than has yet been made of the work. 
20] refer more particularly to my articles on the Khitan Languages which appeared in the 
Transactions of the Institute, Vol. I., Fasciculus No. 4, 1883, p. 282, Vol. II., Fas. 2, 1884, p. 
158. The coincidence of the Basque and Japanese vocabularies is set forth in many parts of 
this paper. The Aztec, as belonging to the same family, is useful in explaining the Mound 
Builders’ written remains. Lat Indian, Siberian and ancient Japanese inscriptions are read in. 
the Japanese. 
