96 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 
ural manifestation of a low order of patriotism, which selfishly detested all 
nations but one chosen people. Each nation seems to have created its own 
god in the image of its highest ideal. Early ideas of God have been success- 
ively adjusted to the intellectual capacity of each progressive age, whose high- 
est ideal has ever been the natural limit to its powers of mental or spiritual 
conception, possible under existing conditions of development. 
Modern science and its civilizing arts have refined our personal conceptions 
‘and raised our ideal, by extending our limits of comprehension. Our own 
conceptions of the Great Architect, the Intelligent Mind of the Universe, as 
they exist to-day, are as much nobler than those of the ancients, as the mag- 
nificent enginery of this nineteeenth century excels the rude implements of 
early ages. 
Notwithstanding this tendency to ignore antecedent civilizations, the most 
ancient peoples of antiquity, at the period of their very earliest records, show 
plainly that civilized life existed before their time. 
In speaking of civilization at early periods, it is evident we cannot mean 
that of the printing press, telegraph and steam, as known in the nineteenth 
century, for no record of any such exists, but reference is made to a high 
state of early culture among cities of solid structure, with foreign commerce 
and mechanic arts, in contradistinction to barbaric, nomadic, or pastoral 
conditions. 
Great maritime empires existed in very remote periods; and both Alantic 
and Pacific Oceans were crossed, and races and civilization widely extended 
in ages still called pre-historic. Whether we study the historical records of 
Arabian, Phoenician, Chaldean, Assyrian, Egyptian, Persian, Central Asian, 
Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Central American or Peruvian nations, we are 
amazed at the antiquity to which they lead us. Many oriental records now 
in process of translation, throw much light on the early movements of races. 
Asia in the far East was long considered the land of enchantment—a name 
given by superstition to early science. Astronomy was cultivated in Persia 
B. C. 3209; in India, B. C. 3101; in China, B. C. 2952; and in Egypt, B. C. 
2800. Truly, wise men came from far east of Greece and Rome. 
In Egypt, India, China, America and South Pacific Islands, evidences of a 
primitive civilization are found, which, in some instances, must have run its 
course long anterior to the age of Homer. Unmistakable traces of a primeval 
and ante-historic culture of the human race in America exist to mark the 
lapse of many ages of civilized existence. A knowledge of the western shores 
of the American continent has long existence in both China and Japan. That 
a restricted communication has existed by sea across the Pacifie does not 
admit of question. When treating of the origin of the Japanese races several 
historical instances of their early trans-Pacific voyages will be described and 
discussed. 
In comparatively modern times, enthusiastic specialists, versed in Hebrew 
traditions, have sought to locate the primeval source of all knowledge and 
culture upon the high table lands of Asia, where they pictured the radiant 
morning of civilization as immediately succeeding the completion of a cre- 
