The Origin of the American Races 281 



rites linger, and understand how their languages and ideas stand related 

 one to another, and so can form really correct comparisons between 

 these and those of other countries, legitimate and more or less reliable 

 interferences will become possible. In the meantime the work of col- 

 lection and decipherment to be done is enormous. True, many collections 

 already exist ; their extent and variety is to the general reader simply 

 bewildering ; but beyond doubt the collector's work is not yet done, or 

 one quarter done 



It is on this subject that I desire especially to say a few words 

 before coming to a close. We have no surviving Indian communities 

 in Trinidad that I am aware of ; but a small collection in the Museum 

 downstairs — when made or presented to the Institute, I shall be glad if 

 somebody will inform me, but neither added to nor I fear much studied 

 for many a long day — we have a proof of the wealth of ancient pottery 

 still to be discovered in this island. Now, pottery is one of the most 

 ancient forms of art and in Italy, Greece, Egypt and elsewhere has 

 furnished information otherwise unobtainable and shed a most important 

 light on many branches of antiquarian study. So also in America : 

 among the publications of the American Ethnological Society you will 

 find several bulky volumes devoted wholly or in part to specimens of 

 native pottery belonging to all parts of the northern portion of our 

 western hemisphere. That is the field which the Society has especially 

 chosen and made its own. But collectors from the United States go 

 elsewhere also ; nay, I am informed valuable collections are shipped 

 annually to New York from Port-of-Spain. That is quite right, I have 

 not a word to say against it ; in the great museums of the States they 

 can be studied at leisure by scholars who have the necessary time and 

 knowledge to bring to bear upon what they represent : animal forms 

 which have a known place in the old cults, figures of turtles and alliga- 

 tors and bats, for example, hieroglyphs and conventional symbols which 

 are wholly unintelligible to the ordinary observer. But ought not our 

 local museum to come in somewhere ? Has it no claim ? Have we none 

 interested — no students at least in these fields of inquiry ? If so, it is 

 scarcely to our credit, for the means of study are not lacking. The 

 Smithsonian Institution furnishes us gratuitously with its invaluable 

 publications, and he who has read through and assimilated them will be — 

 well, very much better qualified to lecture upon this subject than I am 

 myself. It is not, therefore, the means that is wanting. Nor can I 

 think that the will is wholly wanting either. I am sure these things do 

 have an interest for many here ; only, I am afraid, very few of them 

 know, for example, about these publications of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion which are downstairs waiting to be looked into. With all its 

 imperfections, of which I am only too conscious, my paper to-night will 

 not have been wholly useless if it calls attention to the means of study 

 and self-improvement thus afforded. We cannot afford, any or many 

 of us, to devote years or a lifetime to such studies ; only the wealthy, or 

 those specially gifted and who enjoy the patronage of great learned 

 institutions, can do that : but it is possible for quite a large proportion 



