tribes? Clearly not, if we are to credit the early accounts. Indeed, at the conquest, the Spaniards found in Panama large Indian towns governed by Zaques or Princes; at Darien and other places, they discovered a semi-civilized population, who cultivated the soil, were clothed in cotton garments, and were rich in gold, pearls and precious stones; and here they received the first intimation of the existence of the empire of the Incas. Blas Valera says that the Antis, a tribe who worshipped the Sun and sacrificed human beings, had migrated from Mexico, peopled all the countries of Darien and Panama, and thence passed along the mountains of New Granada. A curious corroboration of this fact is afforded in the precise resemblance between one of the Indian dances still practised at Angostura, on the Magdalena, about six degrees north latitude, and another customary in Yucatan. In Yucatan, says Clavigero, they fixed in the earth a tree or strong post, fifteen or twenty feet high, from the top of which, according to the number of dancers, they suspended twenty or more small cords, all long and of different colors. When each dancer had taken hold of the end of his cord, they all began to dance to the sound of musical instruments, crossing each other with great dexterity, until they formed a beautiful network of the cords around the tree, on which the colors appeared checkered in admirable order. Whenever the cords, on account of the twisting, became so short that the dancers could hardly keep hold of them with their arms raised up, by crossing each other again, they undid and unwound them from the tree.† The following is the description of the Indian dance at Angostu * In Vega, vol. i. P. 25. † Clavigero, vol. i. p. 401. ra," the pole-dance,-so called from the production of a pole about ten feet high, and about four or five inches in circumference. At the head is a round ball or truck, immediately under which are fastened twelve different-colored and variousstriped pieces of French tape, about half an inch broad, and about twelve feet, each piece, in length. The pole being kept perpendicularly supported, each Indian lad lays hold of a line of tape, which is drawn to its full length, the whole forming a large circle around the pole, one regularly covering his companion in front. At a signal from the chief, the music strikes up a favorite tune, and the circle becomes in motion, half of the performers facing to the right about. On the second signal, each step off, and meeting each other, pass on in succession right and left, and so continue, until the twelve lines of tape are entwined in checked order, from the top to the bottom of the pole, and so regular is the appearance, that it would be difficult to find a flaw or mistake in it. A halt for the moment takes place, and the same process is renewed to unwind the tape, which is as regularly completed as before, by inverting the dance and leading from left to right."* But, still further to the south, we find other analogies. The Araucanians worshipped the Sun and Moon, and their sacrifices were similar to those usual in New Spain. They consisted in opening the breast, and tearing out the heart of the victim, while yet alive, and in sprinkling the blood from the heart towards the sun.† Vega describes an analogous custom among some of the Peruvian * Hippisley's Narrative of the Expedition to the Rivers Orinoco and Apure, p. 312. Frezier's Voyage, p. 64. Graham's Chile, appendix, pp. 427, 429. Molina, vol. ii. p. 71. tribes, before the era of the Incas. The method was, he says, to open the body while the victims were still alive, to take out the heart, which was burnt, and with the smoking blood to besmear the idols. It may be added, that the Mexicans and Peruvians used the same kind of swinging bridges, which have been considered as peculiar to Peru. The Olmecas or Olmecs, it has been supposed, were among the most ancient inhabitants of New Spain, and preceded the Toltecs in the occupation of that country. Boturini, who had made diligent researches into the ancient picture-writings, conjectured that they fled to the Antilles or to South America, when they were expelled from their ancient territory. The Toltecs, according to tradition, were overwhelmed by a great famine about the year 1052, and some of them passed to the south-east into Guatemala; and, by the existence of the Mexican language in Nicaragua, we may trace them still further. It is a curious coincidence, and perhaps no more, that about the same period the foundation of the Peruvian empire was commenced. In any event, analogies have been developed between the most ancient style of architecture in Peru, Mexico and North America, between the customs, religion and other institutions of all the aborigines, and between the primitive traditions of all the civilized nations. In connection with the evidences of migration into South America, these facts may perhaps afford a basis for a reasonable conjecture, that the first seat of American civilization was in Central America: that from the first colony there planted, population was diffused northwardly into the United States, whence, at a subsequent period, the tide of emigration * Vega, vol. i. P. 24. rolled back; and southwardly, along the Cordilleras, into South America and that at this remote period, various tribes, rapidly declining in civilization as they separated from their parent stock, expanded over the vast territory stretching before them in both continents, until the whole western hemisphere was peopled by one great race. * Upon an old map, contained in an edition of Vega published 1737, the country in the "Audience de Panama" is marked as "ancient Peru." Another indication of the southerly course of migration is afforded in the Fuegian language, which it is said resembles the Araucanian.-Voyages of King and Fitzroy, vol. ii. p. 188. CHAPTER IV. THE ROUTES OF MIGRATION. THE Course of the preceding argument has conducted us to the threshold of that vexed question,—the origin of the aborigines. The first step towards a solution of this problem involves an inquiry into the routes, by which a colony may have reached our shores, and the feasibility of such a migration in the early ages of the world. In the examination of the routes, attention is first attracted to that point where the two hemispheres approach each other, the straits of Behring. This narrow body of water, the shores of which are only thirty-nine miles asunder, opposes no barrier to the communication between Asia and America. The passage, which is facilitated by the interposition of three islands, the St. Diomeds, is frequently made by the Tchutski, in their hostile incursions against the American natives; while the latter are occasionally found upon the Asiatic side, vending their furs to the Russian merchants. Indeed, the first intelligence of the proximity of the two continents was derived from the Tchutski, so early as the middle of the seventeenth century; at which period they often crossed the straits to trade with the Americans.* Further to the south, the Aleutian islands, which commence near the promontory of Alaska and range in a southwesterly direction towards the coast of Kamtschatka, are occu * Coxe's Russian Discoveries, p. 294. |