EARLY HISTORY OF MANKIND. 



151 



the whole of the American languages with the whole of 

 those of the Old World ; for hitherto we are acquainted 

 with no American idir m which seems to have an exclu- 

 sive correspondence with any of the Asiatic, African, or 

 European tongues."* Humboldt and others considered 

 these words as brought into America by recent immi- 

 grants ; an idea resting on no proof, and which seems at 

 once refuted by the common words being chiefly those 

 which represent primary ideas; besides, we now l:now, 

 what was not formerly perceived or admitted, that there 

 are great affinities of structure also. I may here refer to 

 a curious mathematical calculation by Dr. Thomas Young, 

 to the effect, that if three words coincide in two different 

 languages, it is ten to one they must be derived in both cases 

 from some parent language, or introduced in some other 

 manner., " Six words would give more," he says, " than 

 seventeen hundred to one, and eight near 100,000, so that 

 in these cases the evidence would be little short of abso- 

 lute certainty." He instances the following words to 

 show a connexion between the ancient Egyptian and the 

 Biscayan : 



New 

 A dog . 

 Little . 

 Bread . 

 A wolf . 

 Seven . 



Biscayan. 



. Beria 



. Ora 



. Gutchi . 



. Ognia . 



. Otgsa 



. Shashpi 



Egyptian. 

 . Beri. 

 . Whor. 

 . Kudchi. 

 . Oik. 

 . Ounsh. 

 Shashf. 



Mow, as there are, according to Humboldt, one hundred 

 and seventy words in common between the languages of 

 the new and old continents, and many of these are ex- 

 pressive of the most primitive ideas, there is, by Dr. 

 Young's calculation, overpowering proof of the original 

 connexion of the American and other human families. 



This completes the slight outline which I have been 

 able to give of the evidence for the various races of men 

 oeing descended from one stock. It cannot be considered 

 as conclusive, and there are many eminent persons who 

 deem the opposite idea the more probable ; but I must say 

 that, without^ the least regard to any other kind of evi- 



* Views of the Cordilleras 



