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LETTER 



Fr^om Mr. f'isconti, Member of the National 

 Institute of France, to M. de Humboldt, 

 on certain monuments of the American 

 nations. 



In 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 



