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LETTER 



From Mr. Visconti, Member of the National 

 Institute of France, to M. de Humboldt, 

 on certain monuments of the American 

 nations. 



Tn perusing that part of your work, which con- 

 cerns the monuments of the nations of America, 

 and in which you have had the kindness to give 

 me so valuable a testimony of your friendship, 

 I have observed, among the great number of 

 facts hitherto unknown, and observations alto- 

 gether new, contained in these volumes, a few ar- 

 ticles, in which my opinion differs from yours. 

 This difference, it is true, relates only to some 

 peculiarities of little importance, and my remarks 

 may perhaps appear minute ; but as it concerns 

 an entirely new branch of archaeology, if I may 

 make use of this term, to denote researches on 

 the monuments of the new world, I have deemed 

 it right to transmit to you a few observations on 

 the subject : if they are just, they may contribute 

 to the understanding and explanation of some 



