Elephant pipes and inscribed tablets in the Museum of the Academy of natural sciences, Daveport, Iowa / by Charles E. Putnam.

  • Charles Edwin Putnam
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Elephant pipes and inscribed tablets in the Museum of the Academy of natural sciences, Daveport, Iowa / by Charles E. Putnam. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    0151118^ itsjown ^i)ublications. But I am sorry to say that it has shown^great indifference, and sometimes even culpable neglect, in this matter. As an instance, I would mention that, some years since. Sir John Ivubbock published, in an English journal, a review of the “Ancient Monuments,” in which he described all the sculptured stone ])ipes found in the mounds under the head of pottery. The Smithson- ian Institution republished this paper, with its stupid blunder, without comment or correction, in the Rej)ort for 1862; which led Sir John, and the rest of the world, to suppose that his statement was correct. I remonstrated with Prof. Henry, who sent me an aj^ologetic letter, offering to correct it in a future rei)ort; but nothing was done for years. In the meantime, Mr. Lubbock ])ublished his “Prehistoric Times” ('1865), reproducing, verbatim et literatim, his erroneous chapter upon the mound jupes. I again called Prof. Henry’s attention to it, which only resulted in the insertion of a short extract from my letter in his l)ersonal report (1866, p 48). This must have escaped Sir John’s notice, as the second edition of his work appeared without the least correction, and I ])resume it has been continued throughout the five editions of his work and its translations into five different languages of Eurojie. I know that the London Anthropological Transactions, and I presume other works, have copied this silly mistake; all of which, you can readily see, has done great injustice to the skill of the Mound- builders as sculptors in stone without the use of steel With many wishes for the success of your pamphlet, I remain, most respectfully, ' Your obedient servant, Edward Hamilton Davis. From Marquis De Nadaillac, Author of J^rehistoric Americaf etc. [In the recent edition of Nadaillac’s “ Prehistoric America,” the editor, Mr. William H. Dali, has taken many liberties with the text, and thus has connected the name of this noted anthropol - ojfist with some peculiar theories in conflict with his well-known views. If the reader of that valuable work finds himself in doubt as to the extent of these unauthorized alterations of the te.xt, he will do well to note the following emphatic disclaimer of this distinguished savant: ] 8 Rue d’Anjou, Paris, 25 Ajiril, 1885. Chas. E. Putnam, Es(^)., President Academy of Sciences, Davenport, Iowa,— Dear Sir: I hasten to acknowledge the paper you did me the honor to forward me, on the elejihant pi])es of your Academy of Nat- ural Sciences, and I may add that I have read it with the greatest pleasure. I am of your oifinion, that there can be no doubt that man lived both in North and South America in the (piaternary period, and that he lived with the mastodons and other great mammalia of those days. I have never heard an objection of any great weight against it, and the mass of evidence, even as you surmise it, not all com])letely ]>roved, is undoubtedly in its favor. 7