THE AMERICAN MIGRATION. 329 



Taking this opportunity to express my warmest thanks to the accomplished 

 and friendly individuals, both far and near, Avho have in the most liberal manner 

 promoted my studies, I commend the following pages to the indulgence of the 

 learned and the kindness of the reader. 



Vienna, February 6, 1866. 



As the geographical description of the theatre ou which the most important 

 human transactions have taken place supplies a peculiar value to the represent- 

 ations of the historian, and seems an almost indispensable background to the 

 historical picture, so are isolated historical events of high interest to the geogra- 

 pher who undertakes to investigate and explain certain remarkable phenomena, 

 especially in relation to the geography of races and languages. One of these 

 events which enters most deeply into the geographical relations of the world, 

 which offers accordingly a point of contact as well to the historian as the geog- 

 rapher, is incontestably that vast phenomenon of the migrations which are au- 

 thentically recognized as having taken place in all parts of our earth. * 



In the following pages it is the migration in America which is to be especially 

 kept iu view. Some brief preliminary remarks, however, seem to me indispens- 

 able in order to indicate the point of view from which the following studies 

 were prosecuted. Although it cannot be denied that, in the earliest epochs, 

 migrations of tribes everywhere took place, I am forced to dissent from the 

 opinion so often revived iu latter times, which supposes, for the sake of explain- 

 ing all that is otherwise inexplicable, a general peregrination which is itself in- 

 volved in the most mysterious obscurity. In assuming such migrations the 

 utmost circumspection should be observed, a,ud the assumption can only be vin- 

 dicated when shown to rest on firm historical foundations. For this reason I 

 am unable to give in my adhesion to the theory which assumes that the origi- 

 nal seat of the human races must be sought in higher Asia or somewhere else,t 

 whence mankind are supposed to have spread themselves gradually over the 

 whole globe ; an assumption which is contradicted, in the most decisive manner, 

 by the peopling of the New World. It is impossible to enter here into all the 

 hypotheses I which liave been, framed for the explanation of a fact so perplex- 

 ing to the biblical students of the sixteenth century, and of course later times ; 

 it. is enough to say that thus far not one of them has been found to correspond, 



* We know that even the South Sea islanders migrate. See on this subject : Dummore- 

 Lang ; View of the Origin and Migrations of Polynesian Nations. — Quateit'ages : Lcs Poiy- 

 nesiens et Icur migrations (Revue des Deux Mondes, Feb. 1864.) — O. F. Peschel: Die Wan- 

 derungen der Sildsee-Vdlker (Ausland, 1864.) 



t Galindo, for example, transfers the original residence of the human race to America, and 

 supposes civilization to have thence migrated into the Old World. 



1 1 content myself with mentioning, besides the writings of Delafield, J. Mcintosh, Brad- 

 ford, Zostermann, Castaing, Feyjoo, J. Perez, Mitchell and the Abbe Brasseur dc Bourbourg, 

 the following interesting and rarely cited works, for which I am, for the most part, indebted 

 to the kindness of Hr. George Schwarz of Vienna, who has allowed me to make unrestricted 

 use of his rich collection of books relating to America : Hugo Grotius : Disscrtatio dc origine 

 gentium Amcricanorum, Ainstclodami, Ri4"i. — Jean de Laet; Not(e ad diss. H. Grolii de ori- 

 gine gent. Aineric., J 643. — Jean de Laet: Rcsponsis ad H. (irotii diss, de origine gent. Atueric. 

 1644. — Poisson: Aniinadcersiones in originem Peruoianorum et Mexicanorum, Parisiis, 

 1644. — Georgius Horuius : De Originibus Amcricanis. lla^ve, 16.r2. — Gottfried Wagner : De 

 Originihus Aiiier. Dissertutio 'L\[)S\iC, 1669. — Thom. Thorowgood: Jeics in America, or prob- 

 abiUties that the Americans are of that race, London, 1650 — And Rocha: Tratadu unico y 

 singularc del origen de los Indios occidentales del Peru, Mexico, Santa F^,. y Cliile, Lima, 

 1681. — Engel : Essai sur cette question: comment f Amerique asl-clle ete peuplee d'hommes et 

 d'animaux, Amsterdam, 1767. — Pkilosophischc Untcrsuchungen ubcr die Amcrikaner, Berlin, 

 176!). — Corn.de Pauw; Recherches sur C Amerique el lcs Amcricains, Berlin, 1774. — Vater. 

 Untersuchungen ubcr America's Bccolkerung aus dem alien Continent, Leipzig, 1810.- 

 McCuUoch: Researches philos. and antiquarian concerning the aboriginal history of America, 

 Baltimore, 18.i9. — Josiah Priest: American Antiquities, Albany, 1834. 



