124 ELLIOT SMITH, Distribution of Mummification. 



American civilization from the Old World (characteristic 

 examples of this attitude will be found in Fewkes' address, 

 18, and Keane's text-book, 41). On the other side the 

 discussion has been seriously compromised from time to 

 time by a wholly uncritical and often recklessly inexact 

 use of the evidence in support of the reality of the con- 

 tact, which has to some extent prejudiced the serious 

 discussion of the problem. Perhaps the least objection- 

 able of such unfortunate attempts are Macmillan Brown's 

 (7) and Enoch's books (16). The former has been led 

 astray by grotesque errors in chronology and the failure 

 to realize that useful arts can be lost. Enoch, on the 

 other hand, has collected a large series of interesting but 

 incompatible statements, and has made no serious attempt 

 to sift or assimilate them. 



But from time to time serious students, proceeding 

 with the caution befitting the discussion of so difficult 

 a problem, have definitely expressed their adherence to 

 the view that elements of culture did spread across, or 

 around, the Pacific from Asia to America (8 ; 9; 10; 15; 

 20 ; 21 ; 29 ; 30 ; 38 ; 48 ; 49 ; 50 ; 51 ; 60 ; 73 \ 102 ; 103 

 and 105). Among modern demonstrations I would 

 especially call attention to the evidence collected by Dall 

 (73> P- 395), Cyrus Thomas (73, p. 396), Tylor (102) and 

 Zelia Nuttall (49 and 50), and of the older literature the 

 remarkable statement of Ellis (15. p. 117). [In Mrs. 

 Nuttall's monograph (49) there is a great deal, especially in 

 the introductory part, to which serious objection must be 

 taken : but in spite of the strong bias in favour of 

 " psychological explanation " with which she started, 

 eventually she was compelled to admit the force of the 

 evidence for the spread of culture.] 



For detailed statements concerning the discussions 

 of this problem in the past the reader is referred to 



