1892.] Importance of Prehistoric Anthropology. 683 
tories of their travels, and have written entertaining books on 
the subject; but these have largely been fugitive, isolated and 
without connection with any other than the tribe visited, the 
voyage described, or the travel undertaken. Nor was there 
any connection proposed between these writers who might have 
taken up the same line of investigations with other tribes or 
other parts of the country. I would not dwarf or belittle the 
labors or discoveries of our pioneers, but conceding for them 
all that their friends can claim, they have done but little 
towards giving an accurate anthropological and ethnological 
history of the North American Indians. As to their history 
in prehistoric times, before Columbus, no attempt- was made 
by these historians. Collections have been made of the imple- 
ments of the North American Indian, and large prehistoric 
museums established in nearly all parts of the United States, 
beginning back a hundred years or more, which are and will 
be of great interest and value in writing such a history. But 
in the majority of these cases the work has been that of col- 
lectors, sometimes for commerce, but more often to gratify that 
thirst for things of antiquity which seems to be second nature 
of mankind. A study of anthropology will scarcely be claimed 
by any one as the motive on which these collections were 
based. So, while we have had an earlier knowledge in Amer- 
ica of prehistoric man, yet it has not attained to that dignity 
and importance as a science as it has in Europe. 
The Smithsonian Institution, National Museum, Bureau of 
Ethnology, Peabody Museum, and several other institutions 
whose names will occur to the reader, are exceptions to this 
statement. The number of private persons who are giving 
serious attention to this science and are doing faithful and val- 
uable work in this connection are increasing every year. My 
remarks have not been intended as any reflection upon them 
or as criticisms of their methods, but are aimed at that great 
body of persons who, interested or pretending to be interested 
in the study of anthropology, are naught but collectors of 
Indian relics, who gauge the value of their specimens, if not 
solely from a monetary point of view, from their number, 
beauty, and rarity. They do not count their collections as 
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