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Now for the Indians That are of the Indians on this continent are of Asiatic origin. I have scarcely a doubt. I saw an Asiatic in the hospital at N. Orleans who so much resembled our Indians that he could have passed for ours in any part of our country. But I doubt the propriety as well as yourself, of supposing that there was but one emigration. I am, however, disposed to believe that all of the emigrations were through Behring's Strait - that all of them travelled southwest between the rocky mountains and the sea coast to Mexico and thence into the United States. From Humbolt we learn that four distinct emigrations were made into Mexico. viz: The Zoltecs - the Chichimecas - the Nahuatlacs and the Alcalhuans. I have no doubt but that there has been seven or eight emigrations into this country - but in consequence of my ignorance of the Northern Indian I can only distinguish five. In doing this I include all the Northern tribes in the first emigration, those who erected mounds, which I call the monumental, in the second; the Lechees, Souonokos, Shawnees Yamapas and Catabas in the third; the Hitchetus and Seminoles in the fourth and the fifth comprises the Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks & Cherokees. I cannot make it certain that this was the order of the emigrations, but if I had more time than I have to devote to the subject, I could make it very probable. That all of these tribes, except the monumental, had the same remote origin can hardly be doubted after an examination of their strong personal resemblance. The monumental may possibly be included, not having seen any of them I cannot decide. But that they were Asiatic can be made very probable.
I do not intend to make any remarks upon the Northern Indians - I have given them but little attention. But to the Monumental I have been for years devoted, and to very little advantage til recently. My difficulty existed in the fact that I could uncover no starting point from which to prosecute the enquiry. I could not connect them with any people that is known in the history of the species. My difficulty has disappeared - I have established by observation a starting point - I have discovered a position from which we can contemplate them with interest. I am now prepared to show that the Natchez Indians - the Attackapas, the Chinooks (at the mouth of the Columbia river and western slope of the rocky mountains) the Chichimicas and probably the Toltecs of Mexico, the Peruvians, the Hispaniolians, and the Monumentals of America were all the same people, no matter whence they originated. I regret that I have not the leisure to give you all the evidence I have obtained on this subject. That which I have observed I will briefly give you. On the farm of Col. Bingiman, two and a half miles from Natchez, Mis. in a slight elevation of earth, called a Mound and regarded as artificial by those who live in the vicinity of it, but I could not so regard it. I disccovered four skeletons which I consider to be of the Natchez Indians. They were extended at full length, the right arm extended by the side and the left hand placed across the breast. French beads, buttons, and glass, brass and iron rings, with some of their own Wampum beads and pottery, of a good finish, also pipes, made of red stiatite, were found with them. From these skeletons I obtained two crania so well preserved as to admit