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Asiatic importation of no great antiquity, and it is with great satis- 

 faction that I find such an authority on prehistoric Archaeology as 

 Professor Worsaae comparing the bronze implements in China and 

 Japan with those of Mexico and Peru, and declaring emphatically 

 his opinion that bronze was a modern novelty introduced into 

 America. This is decisive enough in shewing that during the age 

 of bronze in Mexico and Peru, there existed a trade relation be- 

 tween these peoples and China and Japan. How, or why this rela^ 

 tion did not bring bronze into greater repute, and cause it to spread 

 amongst the other peoples of America, it is very difficult to say, 

 unless these nations did not trade with the more northern peoples. 

 An interesting corroUary to these evidences of there having existed 

 a prehistoric commerce may be here stated. The prehistoric 

 peoples of both continents had in a measure formed a sort of 

 division of labor at an apparently early stage of their history, A 

 man who shewed any peculiar aptitude for any special line, generally 

 confined his efforts to the manufactunng of that particular class of 

 articles ; thus, any one who proved expert or skilful in the manufac- 

 ture of arrow heads, devoted hmiself to that branch of business, 

 while the makers of totemic emblems or ornaments, confined their 

 attention to the manufacturing of these articles. 



Archaeologists state there were three different ages though 

 which men passed on their march of civilization viz ; the Stone Age, 

 divided into the Palaeolithic and the Neolithic, the Bronze Age and 

 Iron Age. Some are in favor of adding a fourth, or age of transition 

 between the Stone and the Bronze Ages and distinguishing it as the 

 Age of Copper. Evidences have been adduced by Archaeologists of 

 there having existed a Copper Age in Hungary, and many proofs are 

 also shown of such a period having indured for a long time in North 

 America. During its existence on the American Continent it was a 

 period of great activity among the tribes then living. 



An important consideration in all matters relating to commer- 

 cial pursuits, is the facility for the carriage or distribution of the articles 

 to be disposed. It would be of little use for anyone to produce an 

 article he did not want for his own use, had he no means of dispos 

 dng of it. If his immediate neighbours had no desire or requirement 

 for the article, then he would be compelled to find some other mar- 

 ket more or less distant from the place of manufacture ; but to 



