THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE AMERICAN LANGUAGES. 63 



up the evidence in favour of theii' identity with the Nahuas ; others 

 have connected them with the Natchez. The best authorities regard 

 their civilization as essentially American. 



Prof. Campbell, in several papers read before the Institute in 

 favour of the Peninsular Asiatic origin of American peoples, claims 

 that the " Mound-builders " were " Hittites." The weight of his 

 arguments rests upon the facility with which (he says) the " mounds " 

 can be traced from the " Tels " of Syria via Behring's Straits to the 

 works of those ancient settlers in the Ohio valley ; upon the alphabet 

 derived from certain inscribed stones alleged to be genuine relics of 

 the Mound-builders of America ; and upon certain topographical and 

 linguistic arguments to which I shall I'efer later. In a communica- 

 tion to the writer a few weeks ago. Dr. D. G. Brinton says : — " I 

 would suggest that the ' Mound-builders ' were probably not one but 

 many nations, and may have belonged to quite different stocks. The 

 time has past when they should be looked upon as a single tribe or 

 nation. As to the origin of any one of the ' Mound-building ' nations, 

 I think it is premature to expi-ess any opinion ; we have not sufficient 

 data." Respecting the inscribed tablets Dr. Brinton says :— " With 

 regai'd to the inscribed stones you mention (the Grave Creek, Brush 

 Creek, and Davenport stones), I personally consider them all frauds 

 and utterly unworthy of considei^ation. I have not been hasty in 

 this conclusion, but have reached it after conscientious examination." 

 Coming from one whose thorough research and calm and unprejudiced' 

 spirit of investigation have placed him in the foremost rank of 

 Americanists, this effectually disposes of the first two branches of 

 Prof. Campbell's argument. The last, as will be seen, rests upon 

 evidence still less trustworthy. I prefer, then, to see in this ancient 

 people a nation (or Uiitions), with a cijlture essentially American, 

 and not a horde of quasi-civilized intruders from Syria. Too much, 

 I am convinced, is being made at present of these " Hittites ;" and 

 when we are in possession of all the facts in the case, I think it may 

 possibly twxn out that the Hittites were not the wonderful and 

 ubiqiiitous people that some writers would have us believe they were. 

 The question whether the " Mound- builders " came into the Missis- 

 sippi from the north or the south has not yet been satisfactorily 

 settled. There are evidences which point in both directions ; and 

 may they not both be right in the light Dr. Brinton has suggested 1 

 The existence of mounds in the far North- West has been held to be 



