Types of mankind, or, Ethnological researches, based upon the ancient monuments, paintings, sculptures, and crania of races, and upon their natural, geographical, philological and Biblical history / illustrated by selections from the inedited papers of Samuel George Morton and by additional contributions from L. Agassiz, W. Usher, and H.S. Patterson ; by J.C. Nott and Geo. R. Gliddon.

  • Nott, Josiah C. (Josiah Clark), 1804-1873.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Types of mankind, or, Ethnological researches, based upon the ancient monuments, paintings, sculptures, and crania of races, and upon their natural, geographical, philological and Biblical history / illustrated by selections from the inedited papers of Samuel George Morton and by additional contributions from L. Agassiz, W. Usher, and H.S. Patterson ; by J.C. Nott and Geo. R. Gliddon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    736/800 (page 680)
    have been generally represented as successive were actually contemporaneous, as e. g. the twelfth and the fifth [! ]; and that thus, the monumental history of Egypt covers not a period of duration beyond what may be readily reconciled with [poor Moses!] the Mosaic chronology as given in the Septuagint. A conclusion, to the accuracy of which, Sir J. G. Wilkinson has affixed the sanction of his great name in these matters.” (444) The Friend of Moses soon after becomes mystified: — “I became acquainted with several gentlemen of distinction in the learned world. . . . Mi’. It. S. Poole, a bold writer on Egyptian chronology.” (445) He next assures us : — “ I have carefully compared the copies taken by Champollion in all these tombs and temples, from the second Cataract to Thebes, and I have collated his hieroglyphics, line by line [this is the more miraculous, as it was performed between Alexandria, Nov. 12, and Cairo, Feb. 14—after going up the Nile, 1200 miles, to Samnch; and returning, 1050 miles, to Cairo!], and character by character, with the originals. . . . There is a magnificent error somewhere— though / am not prepared [ ! ] to point out where ; nor how precisely it may be detected and exposed. Of one thing /am satisfied — that Sir J. G. Wilkinson, and my kind young friend, Mr. R. S. Poole, of the British Museum, are much nearer the truth, in their chro- nology, than is Dr. Lepsius, or the Chevalier Bunsen.” (446) The scientific reader now comprehends our local situation, and will compassionately forgive the inhumanities which such every-day offences compel us finally to perform. “ Le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle; ” else we would at once refute Ilorce Egyptiacce, page by page, and hieroglyphic by hieroglyphic; in the interpretation of which last the juvenile author (or Sir G. W'ilkinson) has committed blunders as egregious as they are multiform — alto- gether unpardonable in the actual state of hierology. For the present, our criticisms shall be chiefly confined to the publication of “ three fragments,” upon the principles of a world- renowned master, Letronne. (447) They are from the highest Egyptologists in Europe ; two of them in epistles to the authors; one already in print. First Extract. (448) “ I have nothing to say about the book of Poole, if not that I regard it as a juvenile and sufficiently-pretentious essay, written without conscientiousness, aud dangerous rather to the theologians than to science.” Second Extract. (449) “ Not one of its followers can read three lines of hieroglyphics correctly. The G. P. Y. (450) and G. P. M. (451) are only in the mind of the author. Examined by the micro- scope of philology, all vanishes into a few unimportant observations—for example; is not “ the first month”—“ the first half month,” of the Great Panegyrical Year; but merely = “ monthly,” ' = “ half-monthly.’ The consequence is that this expression does not fix the age of Chitfu [builder of the great pyramid]. The “7th (452) on the base of the Karnac obelisk, refers to the seven smat, or periods-months, I believe that the obelisk was in the quarry. Ilence the whole cyclical part is a delusion ; and all the inferences are nil. The rest of the book is a string of hypotheses — where there are not actual mis- apprehensions.” Third Extract. (453) “Mr. Toolf. is of the number of those young workmen who deserve that one should tell them the whole truth. Either he has not read what recent archaeologists have written t (444) The Friend of Moses; New York, 1852; pp. 376, 377, 514. (445) Mobile Daily Advertiser, Oct. 9,1852 — “Correspondence — Paris, Sept. 14,1852.” (440) Mobile Daily Iiegistcr, April 1, 1853— “Letter from Egypt— Cairo, Feb. 14, 1853.” (447) Trois Fragments— MCmoires et Documents publics daus la Revue Archeol.; Paris, 1849; pp. 100-119. (448) Letter to Mr. Gliddon. (449) Letter to Dr. Mott. (450) Flora; p. 59— “Great Panegyrical Year.” (451) Do.; p. 56 — “Great Panegyrical Month.” (452) Do.; p. 66.