PICKWICK. Mr. JAMES TURNEY, JR., 55 Gold-street, is publishing in numbers, as they appear in England, the Pickwick Papers, with copies of CRUIKSHANK's spirited illustrations. Some of the engravings are cleverly executed, while others are miserable enough. The numbers, however, are very cheaply afforded, and meet with a wide and rapid sale; the exceeding small coterie of anti-Pickwickians-who have no conception of the burlesque or humorous, and care little for a hearty laugh, that most innocent of diuretics to the contrary notwithstanding. A southern critic has gravely attempted to show that the old twaddler, Pickwick, does not act and converse as such a man should! He reminds us of the systematic tailor at Laputa, who took Gulliver's altitude by a quadrant, and then with rule and compasses described the dimensions and outlines of his whole body, all which he entered upon paper, and' in due time brought back his clothes ill made, having mistaken a figure in the calculation. The idea of subjecting 'Pickvick' and 'Samivel Veller' to a regular standard of criticism! 'MATHEMATICAL MISCELLANY.' This unpretending but well-conducted and valuable periodical, issued at Flushing, Long Island, is gradually winning its way to merited distinction. In a cursory examination of the recent numbers, we observe that many of its contributors are 'men of mark' and science, in various sections of the country; and that so strong is the feeling in its favor, that several eminent mathematicians have associated together to prevent its discontinuance, in any contingency. Prof. GILL, of the Institute at Flushing, sustains, and ably, its editorial responsibilities. It contains upward of seventy large pages, and is published semi-annually, at the low price of two dollars per annum. -- GAZETTEER OF MISSOURI, The Brothers' HARPER have published, in a large and handsome volume, of some three hundred and eighty pages, 'A Gazetteer of the State of Missouri with a Map of the State, from the office of the Surveyor General, including the latest Additions and Surveys.' The compiler, ALPHONSO WETMORE, Esq., of Missouri, has performed his task with signal ability; and his spirited frontier sketches, a specimen of which may be found elsewhere in these pages, evince, that his talents are not alone confined to statistics and business facts. A frontispiece, engraved on steel, adds to the attractions of the volume. A TREATISE ON ASTRONOMY: ILLUSTRATED BY MAPS AND PLATES. By MRS. L. H. TYLER, Middletown, (Conn.) — When ladies come into the field of competition for literary honors and scientific research, it behooves us to treat them with gallantry. But in this instance, the lady has little need of favor; for her work may fairly challenge comparison with the best efforts of the male tribe. It is a right down sturdy, lucid, wellexecuted, and thorough treatise; 'not a mere compilation,' as Professor SMITH of the University of Middletown says, 'but bearing throughout the impress of the author's own mind.' Professor SMITH hazards nothing in predicting, that it will be extensively adopted as a text-book in our high schools and academies. UNPUBLISHED POEMS OF J. HUNTINGTON BRIGHT, Esq.-We have recently given several articles of poetry from the unpublished Mss. of the late J. HUNTINGTON BRIGHT, and shall present others hereafter. 'The Dying Boy,' however, in preceding pages, was originally published, some years since, as we understand, in the 'Albany Argus.' It deserves, notwithstanding, a more permanent record than the columns of a newspaper; and we take pleasure in transferring so beautiful a gem to our casket. 'VAN TASSEL HOUSE.'- Mr. CLOVER, at 294 Broadway, has issued a very pretty colored lithograph of this charming country-seat of Washington Irving, at Tarrytown ; the same, as we are given to understand, that was occupied, many years ago, by old BALTUS VAN TASSEL, and his blooming daughter Katrine, and the scene of Ichabod Crane's world-renowned adventures. OUR theatrical critiques for the month, although in type, are unavoidably deferred until the next number. 'KINGDOMS are shrunk to provinces, and chains From power's high pinnacle, when they have felt In view of the reasons heretofore suggested, why it is improbable that either the Egyptians, the Carthaginians, or the Romans, were the first inhabitants of this continent, and why, from the present state of our knowledge, no other distinct nation of people is entitled to the exclusive reputation of having been the primitive discoverers of America, the reader is very naturally led to inquire for the evidences assigned by the advocates of particular theories for the sources of their origin. These evidences, although important to the antiquarian, cannot, from the brevity and popular mode proposed by us in treating this subject, be critically stated. We have, nevertheless, offered some reasons and inferences of our own, why those evidences cannot be conclusive; and we would refer others to our own or other means of information, should they feel disposed to make farther investigations. However plausible the story of Votan may have appeared, as testimony in point, the reader shall judge, from a few facts which will be here noticed, whether even that has much probability to support it. No one at least can deny the greater safety of doubting, where there is no better proof, should he not, with others, arrive at the ultimate conclusion, that the best evidence of all may be in favor of the opinion that these people originated where their relics are now found. It has been said that the occasional resemblance observed among the ruins of Tulteca to those of the Egyptians, Romans, etc., affords no just grounds for attributing their origin to those nations, any more than to others whose remaining arts they equally resemble. Almost every ancient people might, in fact, from similar points of resemblance, claim the same distinction. Beside the particulars noticed in previous numbers, it might be mentioned, en passant, that had the Tultecans been Egyptian, they would most certainly have retained the language of Egypt, the signs, the worship, etc.; but this was not the fact. Had they been Romans, they would likewise have continued the language, the customs, and the religion of Romans; yet this was not the case; and so it would have been, had they been derived from any other nation. Above all, perhaps, would they have borne a personal resemblance to their progenitors, a cir VOL. X. 58 cumstance far from truth. Religion, without doubt, is the last thing in which a people becomes alienated; yet we see no coincidence in this respect between these people and their reputed originals. How then shall we account for their origin, but by supposing them, sui generis, Tultecans? Finally, it will be admitted, that unless the story of Votan presents some clue by which to solve the problem - and we do not see that it has even the claim of probability we are not permitted, by the facts in evidence, to attribute the first American population to any other people of the earth. The illustrious Fegjro, quoted as the best authority by the very author of Votan's story, and himself as much interested in propagating a theory favorable to popular Catholic opinions as any one of his clerical brethren, says upon this subject: After long study and attentive examination of so many and such various opinions, I find no one having the necessary appearance of truth, to satisfy a prudent judgment, and many that do not possess even the merit of probability. Again, Cabrera says: To the present period, no hypothesis has been advanced, that is sufficiently probable to satisfy a mind sincerely and cautiously desirous of arriving at the truth.' And yet this is the man who holds forth the story of Votan as a true 'hypothesis.' It is plain, in all this writer says, by way of comment, that he himself doubts the truth of the whole matter, although he has pompously styled his treatise The Solution of the Grand Historical Problem of the Population of America!' The bishop, we will do him the justice to say, manifests much candor in speaking of the conduct of his brotherhood toward the relics of the people whose religion they had resolved to destroy. The injudicious and total destruction of the annals and records of the American nations,' says he, has not only proved a most serious loss to history, but very prejudicial to that religion whose progress it was supposed would thereby have been accelerated.' He asserts what is very true, in this; and also in his conclusion, that both in the means and the object, this practice is too frequently the result of prejudice or of ignorance.' Antonio Constantini, also cited as primary authority, declares, that 'whatsoever may be advanced upon this subject does not pass beyond the limit of mere opinion, as we have neither histories, manuscripts, nor traditions of the Americans!' And with the design farther to prevent all belief by posterity that their conquered subjects, whose admirable relics and records they had destroyed, possessed any knowledge of the arts, or the means of governing themselves, he says, when they were discovered, they were ignorant and uncultivated!' etc. Clavigero justly concludes, likewise, that 'the history of the primitive population of Anahuac, (Central America,) is so obscure, and so much involved in fable, as to render it not merely a most difficult matter for solution, but totally impossible to come at the truth.' These and similar declarations of the most accredited writers upon the early history of the inhabitants of Central America, one would think quite conclusive. If there had been other facts to be obtained, calculated to settle the question as to the origin of the first Americans, these or other writers would have obtained them. Instead of this, however, they merely speak of works which 'probably' contained the facts announced as truth, with 1837.] American Antiquities. 459 out ever having seen them themselves, or stating plainly that they had, in reality, any facts within their reach. Thus numerous authors, whose means of information are said to have been complete on this subject, are mentioned by Cabrera; yet he professes to know nothing beyond conjecture or hearsay of the contents of their works. We will notice one or two instances, to show what confidence can be placed upon his assertions and gratuitous inferences in relation to Votan, and as samples of the whole. 6 After parading the titles of a great number of works, which may or may not exist, so far as his own knowledge of their contents is concerned, or perhaps that of any one else, he says: 'There is in the Jesuits' College of Tepozotlan,' (preserving the same particularity, as to titles, localities, dates, etc.,) a history of the voyages of the Aztecas to the country of Anahuac, written by a noble Mestee Mexican. The title of this manuscript,' he continues, shows it to be one of importance, as it very probably contains an account of the voyage of the Mexicans, who are the Aztecas, and of the primitive families of the Culebras, (snakes) who, I shall demostrate, were from the old continent to the new, with an account of the first empire they founded in America, its duration, and their expulsion from the first settlements of Anahuac !' Again, after enumerating a list of works, to which he would have the reader infer he has had access, he says: The fourth is some historical memoirs of the Tultecas, and other nations of Anahuac, all of which works were preserved in the library of the college before-mentioned. It is probable, that the last production treats of their coming from the old to the new continent, of their expulsion from the first settlement at the city of Palenque, in the kingdom of Amaguemecan, and the cause thereof,' etc. Thus there is, from beginning to end, the same ambiguity, the same want of personal inspection, and yet the same display of authority. How important such works would have been to him and to the world, had they existed, in satisfactorily settling this question! The author of Votan's account does not seem to have known a solitary fact himself, which bears upon the subject matter of his story, though he proposes to demonstrate,' etc. The several representations, of a mysterious character, which he has so wofully distorted to an agreement with the said story, mean and represent, in fact, any thing else than the incidents of that story; indeed, this is the lamest part of the fabrication. Truly unfortunate is it for all the materials concerned in the case, that they were,' to use his own language, unfortunately lost;' did not appear, in consequence of his death,' etc., very probably,' so and so. Again he says: 'It is to be regretted, that the place is unknown where these precious documents of history were deposited, but still more that the great treasure should have been destroyed! And, in the next paragraph he says: It is possible that Votan's historical tract, alluded to by Nunez de la Vega' for he is indebted, after all, for the sum total of this now simple historical tract, to the allusions of some unknown writer or another,' he says, 'similar to it, may be the one now in the possession of Don Ramon de Ordonez y Aguiar,' (though before pronounced to have been destroyed!) So much for the proof of this story, good, bad, or indifferent. To have continued out these observations, we could have more clearly shown its folly and untruth; but, though necessary to satisfy the mind of the curious on so important a subject, yet we would avoid unnecessary minutia, and deem what has already been stated, quite sufficient to establish our position. Now for the story itself. This, he says, was communicated' to him by some valuable notices,' (how, we are left entirely to conjecture,) by the above writer,' (Aguiar,) who,' he says, 'is engaged at this time in composing a work, the title of which I have seen!' The said title is Historia del Cielo y de la Tierra! (History of Heaven and Earth!) that will not only embrace the original population of America, but trace its progress from Chaldea, immediately after the confusion of tongues, its mystical and moral theology, its mythology, and most important events!' Such a work we should be glad to see, and so would all the world beside; but unfortunately' it has never appeared, though this time' spoken of, was more than forty years ago! The title of the work, and the abilities which he ascribes to its author, he says, 'lead us to anticipate a work so perfect in its kind as will completely astonish the world!' Let the reader notice the agreement between this source of 'communicated' information, and that alluded to' by Nunez de la Vega. The memoir in his possession, (Aguiar's) consists,' he continues, ' of five or six folios of common quarto paper, written in ordinary characters in the Tzendal language; an evident proof,' he farther adds, of its having been copied from the original in hieroglyphics, shortly after the conquest.' We do not see, in this circumstance, the evident proof' mentioned, or the shadow thereof;' but this is in keeping with all his 'proofs.' The tract is then stated to go on by means of a painted description, on the first leaf, in different colors, of the two continents. This is declared to be characterized by the letters s and ss, with works which he made, (Votan, it is supposed,) signifying on the margin, the places he had visited on the old continent. Between these squares stands the title of his history, viz: Proof that I am Culebra,' (a snake) which title he proves in the body of his work, by saying, that he is Culebra, because he is Chivim.' This is demonstration,' of course! He then states that he conducted seven families from Valum Votan to this continent, so says Cabrera, and assigned lands to them; that he is the third of the Votans; that having determined to travel until he arrived at the root of heaven! (who can tell where the root of heaven is, and what road should be taken to get there?) in order to discover his relations, the Culebras, and make himself known to them; (mark, his relations in America,) he made four voyages to Chivim, which is expressed by repeating four times from Valum Votan to Valum Chivim, from Valum Chivim to Valum Votan; that he arrived in Spain, and that he went to Rome; that he saw the great house of Gol building; that he went by the road which his brethren Culebras had bored; that he marked it, and that he passed by the houses of the thirteen Culebras. He relates that, in returning from one of his voyages, he found seven families of the Tzequil nation, who had joined the first inhabitants, and recognised in them the same origin as his own, that is, of the Culebras. He speaks of the place where they built their first town, which from its founders received the name of Tzequil. He affirms that he taught |