Aboriginal Race of America. 131 



of the Hindoos and Egyptians, and the evident analogies in their 

 architecture, mythology and social institutions, there is now little 

 reason to believe them cognate nations ; and the resemblances to 

 which we have adverted have probably arisen from mutual intercourse, 

 independent of lineal affiliation. And so with the nations of America. 

 The casual appearance of shipwrecked strangers would satisfactorily 

 explain any sameness in the arts and usages of the one and the other, 

 as well as those words which are often quoted in evidence of a com- 

 mon origin of language, but which are so few in number as to be 

 readily accounted for on the foregoing principle. 



The entire number of common words is said to be one hundred 

 and four between the American languages and those of Asia and 

 Australia ; forty-three with those of Europe ; and forty with those of 

 Africa, making a total of one hundred and eighty seven words. But 

 taking into account the mere coincidence by which some of these 

 analogies may be reasonably explained, I would inquire, in the 

 language of an ingenious author, whether these facts are sufficient to 

 prove a connexion between four hundred dialects of America and 

 the various languages of the old world ? 



Even so late as the year 1833, a Japanese junk was wrecked on 

 the north-west coast of America, and several of the crew escaped 

 unhurt to the shore ; and I have myself seen some porcelain vessels 

 which were saved on that occasion. Such casualties may have 

 occurred in the early periods of American history; and it requires 

 no effort of the imagination to conceive the influence these persons 

 might have exerted, in various respects, had they been introduced to 

 the ancient courts of Peru and Mexico. They might have contribu- 

 ted something to extend, or at least to modify, the arts and sciences 

 of the people among whom they were thrown, and have added a 

 few words to the national language. 



I am informed by my friend Mr. Townsend, who passed several 

 months among the tribes of the Columbia river, that the Indians 

 there have already adopted from the Canadian traders several French 

 words, which they use with as much freedom as if they belonged 

 to their own vocabulary. 



It follows of course from the preceding remarks, that we consider 

 the American race to present the two extremes of intellectual charac- 



