CHAPTER II.

Professor Wyman. — Indian Antiquities. — Concord. — Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson. — Margaret Fuller. — Note upon a visit to Mr. Longfellow. — Saturday Club. — Dinner at Harvard University.— Shell Mounds at Concord and Damariscotta. — Note upon the Ancient Inscription upon the Dighton Rock.

Upon the day arranged for my visit to Cambridge, I found Professor Wyman prepared to employ several hours in examining the Indian collections. He proposed that we should begin by looking carefully over the contents of a case within which was placed everything that had been discovered in a burial mound in Illinois. The mound had contained the bones of nine adults, several fragments of rude stone implements, and some arrowheads. The skulls had been flattened and shaped by pressure.

We then examined the collections of human skulls that had been received from all parts of the continent. Amongst these, were several of an important character, obtained by Mr. Squier in Central America. They were long and flattened upon the top, and were supposed to have belonged to the race that built the stone temples in Yucatan. Other groups were then compared. It was observable that some tribes had the custom of pressing in the back of the head to such an extent as to make it nearly perpendicular. Others pressed the skulls so as to give them great length. In a few instances, they were given a tall, oval form. The Californian Indians appear to have given their children a high, receding forehead. This method of shaping the head is still followed by the Flathead Indians in the West. It is done by the pressure of boards tied together in such a manner that the infant gets its skull shaped when it is in the cradle.

A question arose as to the effect of the artificial shapes of the head upon the character of the tribes; and particularly, whether, in accordance with certain theories, there was any known difference in disposition between the tribes who flattened the forehead and those who flattened the skull at the back. The Professor said that the matter had been the subject of inquiry. It was considered, as far as could be ascertained, that the alterations in shape made no difference in the character, and that the Indians, whether with long, high, or flat heads, were similar in their savage nature.

Amongst the Mexican antiquities were a number of terra-cotta figures which were thought to be emblematic of the worship of serpents, lizards, and other reptiles. There were also idols carved out of hard, volcanic stone. After having seen these, and also quantities of rudely shaped stones, which were probably used by the Indians on the north-east coast for sinking their nets, the Professor began to examine the various things that had been taken from the American shell mounds.

First, in order, were the collections that had been brought from Maine and Massachusetts. There were oyster shells, the bones of wolves, deer and birds, fragments of coarse pottery, layers of charcoal, and bone awls. In the shell heaps at Concord there had been discovered various stone weapons and flint arrowheads. In the Florida mounds there were found the remains of crocodiles, implements made of stone, the bones of deer, and numbers of small sharp needles, made from bird bones, which had been used by hand.

It appears from the evidence obtained by the investigation of the shell banks, that tribes of similar habits dwelt on the cold coasts of New England and the almost tropical shores of Florida. It is also clear, that in many of their customs and methods of obtaining food they resembled the races that formed the kitchen middens in Denmark. Their stone and flint implements and their bone awls and needles were of the same shapes as those used by the prehistoric people who lived upon the shores of the Swiss lakes.

Many of the stone axes and arrowheads that have been found in the burial mounds, or in the neighbourhood of the ancient Indian encampments in North America are of the same type, and show the same system of workmanship as those that were made by the aboriginal tribes in Western Europe. The similarities in form, size and methods of adaptation for use are remarkable, for, although it may be expected that men, in an uncivilised condition would, in all parts of the world, have the same wants or necessities, yet it must be considered surprising that in the construction of the implements for war and for domestic purposes, the methods of design should be so singularly alike amongst the savages of the old and new continents.

Upon a subsequent occasion, when the doubtful question of the influence of the formation of the skull upon the mind was discussed, Mr. Ticknor mentioned the singular fact that the head of Daniel Webster[7] grew larger after he had passed middle age. His attention had been drawn to this circumstance by observing a change in the likeness of that statesman, and, as he knew Webster intimately, he asked him about the matter, and Webster said, “Yes, I find that I have constantly to increase the size of my hats.”

Towards the latter part of my stay in Boston, I received a letter from Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson, asking me to dine with him at Concord, and mentioning that he had also invited Mrs. Julia Ward Howe. Upon the day he had fixed for the purpose, we travelled down to the station, and were met by Miss Emerson, who drove us home in her quaint old-fashioned carriage. The pony, she told us, was a friend who had been in the family for twenty years. We were received by Mr. and Mrs. Emerson. A few other guests came from Cambridge, and then we went in to dinner. Mr. Emerson talked much of De Quincey, whom he had known at Lasswade, near Edinburgh, and then referring to our English poets, mentioned with admiration, Tennyson’s poem, “Tithonus.” One of his daughters spoke with enthusiasm about Professor Agassiz’s deep sea dredgings, the lectures upon which she had been attending.

Finally, the (always) absorbing topic of American politics was dwelt upon, especially with respect to the effect of democratic institutions upon the character of the people. Mr. Emerson alluded with much sadness to those evil influences of political corruption and office-seeking which appeared to be inevitable blots upon all systems of democracy, but he said that he thought things would come right in the end. Upon the various occasions that I met and conversed with leading politicians (amongst whom was Chief Justice Chase), I observed that they usually spoke of the future of their country with the same anxiety.

There was much doubt and uncertainty as to what was going to happen in the Southern States, which had so recently been made desolate. Men’s minds were still agitated by the memory of the serious events that had happened during the Civil War. That great national convulsion had engaged the thoughts and actions of all American citizens to the fullest extent, and had necessarily diverted the conduct of affairs from the ordinary channels. There was consequently a feeling of disquietude amongst those who loved their country, their freedom and their laws. But this temporary form of misgiving was always accompanied by the firm conviction that in some manner, not then quite clear, the nation would ultimately triumph over all difficulties.

After dinner, Mr. Emerson took me into the library, and began to look over his books and point out his favourites. He said that what he most delighted in were the translations from Persian and other Eastern works. Finding that I was interested in his Oriental studies, he did not care to quit his books, and so we remained in the library until it was time to leave. In the meanwhile, he had taken down from the shelves many volumes. He also showed me photographs of his friends, and drew my attention to a likeness of Margaret Fuller, whom he had known for many years, and for whom he had felt great regard and esteem.

Margaret Fuller, who must have been a woman of extraordinary genius, was one of the leaders of the school of thought called Transcendentalism. Her end was as strange as her life. She crossed the Atlantic, travelled in Italy, married the Marchese d’Ossoli and was in Europe when the Revolution of 1848 broke out. Her sympathies being entirely with the cause of Italian freedom, she took a prominent part, under the direction of Mazzini, Garibaldi and other patriots, in the defence of Rome, doing much good service in the hospitals. After the adverse events of 1849, she embarked with her husband on board a sailing vessel bound for her own land, on the shores of which she was wrecked in a storm and all perished.

Before we went away, Mr. Emerson suggested that I should look at the exterior of the house, in which he seemed to take great interest. He told me that he had lived in it thirty-five years and had only made one change—the addition of the drawing room. It was an unpretending plank building of two stories, standing in its own small grounds, and was chiefly noticeable in consequence of having some fine chestnut trees in front between the door and the road.

Upon our return to the city, the President of the University asked me to be the guest of the Alumni of Harvard. His letter ran thus:—

“_June_ 23.”

“MY DEAR SIR,”

“On behalf of the Alumni of Harvard College, I invite you to be present at the Commencement Dinner in Harvard Hall, Cambridge, on Tuesday, the 29th inst. The Alumni and their guests will assemble in Gore Hall, the Library, at 2 p.m. on that day. I hope to receive your acceptance, and to have the pleasure of meeting you on the occasion.”

“Very respectfully yours, WM. GRAY, _Pres. of Alumni Assoc._”

At one of the customary afternoon meetings of the members of the Saturday Club, I dined with them as the guest of Dr. Howe. Among those present were Mr. Sumner, Professor Wyman, Mr. Lowell, Judge Hoar, Mr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Professor Gurney, the editor of the North American Review. Mr. Emerson was the chairman. The possibility of spontaneous generation, was the topic that happened to be chiefly discussed. Professor Wyman had been carrying out a series of experiments at Cambridge, and he told us what had been the results of his experience. He said that he had ascertained that the theory that boiling water killed life was, to a certain extent, erroneous. A first boiling killed some of the living creatures, a second boiling killed more, living organisms being reduced gradually in quantity. After a fourth severe boiling he failed to trace any life whatever. Finally after having carried out with great care, tests of all natures, he doubted the possibility of creating life where no life had previously existed.

In the following year I accepted the invitation of Mr. Ticknor to stay a few days with him before leaving America, and I was fortunate in meeting at his house, Mr. Longfellow, who, at the time of my previous visit to Boston, was away from home, travelling in England, chiefly, as he afterwards told me, amongst the English lakes and in Devonshire. He proposed that I should go and see him at Cambridge, and this was arranged, and I went down there upon the first available day. I found him in his study, a small room looking out upon the lawn, and commanding a view of the country towards the bridge.

Before dinner, he showed me a bill of fare which had been given to him at a public banquet in London, which was framed and placed on the mantel piece of the dining-room. It was a coloured drawing of a scene described in his poem of “Hiawatha.” The sun was shining on the still waters of a lake, or inland sea, and a group of Indians were gazing at it. I think it was meant to represent the final departure of Hiawatha, westwards towards the sunset.

Mr. Longfellow said that he was much pleased with this mark of attention, not only on account of the merit of the picture, but because he appreciated the feeling that prompted the gift, as “Hiawatha” was the poem by which he most cared to be remembered.

He expressed strong sympathies with the poetical legends and traditions of the Iroquois and Dakota Indians. His conversation was, however, chiefly directed to the question of the future social and political condition of the negroes in the Southern States.

Later in the day, I witnessed a most important triumph of mechanics, as applied to the removal of a heavy building. The house that was being moved was large and strongly constructed of stone. It stood at the corner of a street which was about to be widened, and therefore it was necessary, either to pull it down or place it in another position, and it had been decided to execute the latter operation. The building had a frontage of seventy feet and a depth of one hundred feet. It was composed of a basement, five principal stories and a Mansard roof. The engineer in charge of the works told me that his calculations were based upon having to move a weight of fifty thousand tons. At the time I saw the house, it was full of residents, many of whom were looking out of the windows and watching the proceedings. The contractor permitted me to go underneath and observe the process of moving. The weight was taken by a vast number of screw jacks, and the building was lifted off the foundations. It was progressing towards its new site at the rate of fourteen inches in one hour.

On Commencement Day I went down to Cambridge early in the afternoon, and after being received by the President, fell into my place in the ranks of the procession formed in the college grounds. We then marched into dinner and I took my seat at the table. My immediate neighbours were Mr. Lowell, Mr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Judge Hoar and Judge Grey. About six hundred were present in the hall and three hundred dined in another room. The gradations of age corresponded with the positions of the tables. The seats towards the left were occupied by comparatively young men, but on the right, were successive rows of heads, showing advancing years, until upon the extreme right were the white haired seniors.

At the conclusion of the dinner, in accordance with an ancient custom, all stood up and sang a Psalm to the tune known by the name of St. Martin. The President then gave his annual address and the usual speeches followed. Mr. Adams made a good speech and referred to his late absence as the United States Minister to Great Britain. The President then rose and told the Alumni that a “representative of Great Britain” was present and called upon me to respond. This I did as briefly as possible, and upon resuming my seat I was astonished at the enthusiastic manner with which the said representative was received. After much cheering, the band played “God save the Queen,” which was again the occasion for a strong outburst of cordial good feeling towards England. As I looked down the hall I saw the slight, tall form of Mr. Emerson bending forward as he joined in our National Anthem. Mr. Holmes then recited a poem and Mr. Lowell gave a speech in which he alluded to the question of the Alabama which was causing such bitter feeling in America, and after speaking of the volcanic ground into which he had wandered, said

“O matre pulchra filia pulchrior, Pout if you will, but sulk not into war. Had Adams stayed, this danger had not been, This less than kindness of two more than kin.”

The singing of “Auld Lang Syne” was the fitting conclusion to an interesting day.

Professor Wyman told me that, before leaving the States, I ought to visit the shell mounds at Damariscotta in Maine and also those near Concord. The latter were considered to be remarkable on account of their being composed of fresh-water shells. Mr. Emerson had offered to help me in my examination of them, but not wishing to occupy his time in this unusual manner, I went down to Concord and tried to find them by myself. In this attempt I failed, and, finally, I decided to obtain his help. Fortunately, he was at home and at once put the harness on his pony and drove me down to the place. We crossed some fields and found the shell heaps near a sharp bend of the river. They were about a hundred and fifty yards long, twenty yards wide and twelve feet high, and were chiefly composed of mussel shells. For more than an hour we worked zealously and made slight excavations at different parts of the banks, and found some fragments of bones which had been shaped by hand, but we were not successful in seeing any stone celts. We then went to an adjoining hillock upon which the Indians were accustomed to encamp and there we picked up three rudely-made arrow heads which had been formed out of hard porphyritic stone.

After finishing the inspection of the middens, we went back to the house, and remained for an hour or two in the library where we had tea. Mr. Emerson told me that in order to pass through, with comparative comfort, the long winter, he and others had formed a society of twenty-five members and arrangements were made for meeting at their respective houses. Each member gave a reception in turn upon Tuesdays. When the time was at hand for going to the train he went to the stable, and again harnessed the pony, and drove me to the station. When saying “Good-bye,” he expressed many kind wishes with regard to my projected journey.

Americans must naturally feel interested in whatever relates to the past history of the native races who were the original inhabitants of their country, and who possessed, in combination with their savage nature and cruel practices, certain qualities of honour and fortitude which seem to point to the existence of latent conditions of mind placing them upon a different footing from other ordinary savage races. Theories which relate to the migrations of the tribes who entered Mexico from the North have also much attraction. As years roll onwards, and the events, that then occurred, are more distant or obscure, the causes of those movements and the origin of the influences that created the subsequent advance in civilisation amongst those Indians are becoming almost incomprehensible.

On the way from Concord towards Canada I stopped at Portsmouth for the purpose of seeing the Navy Yard,[8] which was the last naval establishment that I had to visit on the eastern coast, and then proceeded to the remotely situated village of Damariscotta.

The shell mounds near the adjacent river far exceeded in magnitude what I had expected to find. They were placed about twelve miles from the sea within the limits of the ebb and the flow of the tides, and formed the banks of a small promontory round which the river made a sharp bend. Within these banks was a flat space of land which had been used by the Indians for their camping ground, and which is known to have been visited by small bands of them as late as the end of the last century. The heaps extend along the shores of the river and round the promontory for a length of about six hundred yards, and vary in height from fifteen to thirty-five feet. It was difficult to estimate their average width, but in many places it was not less than twenty-two yards.

The mound that I chiefly examined rose directly from the beach close to the line of the present high water mark. It was thirty-three feet high, sixty feet wide and one hundred and fifty feet long. Looking from the river, it presented the appearance of a steep cliff formed of compact layers of large oyster shells. In consequence of the face of this cliff being exposed, it was possible to trace all the horizontal strata. Beginning from the top of the bank there was, in the first place, a deposit of shells closely packed about eighteen inches thick. Then there was a well-defined layer of earth or mould, averaging a thickness of half-an-inch throughout the whole length of the bank without any break or change in its width. The next layer was not so deep as that on the top, and was one foot thick. Then came another deposit of mould, half-an-inch in thickness, resting upon another layer of shells. In this manner, the alternating deposits of earth and shells succeeded each other down to the base.

There were not any signs of kitchen midden refuse amongst the shells, but in the intermediate layers of earth I saw fragments of broken pottery, charred wood, several rounded stones, small quantities of bones of animals, and one bone awl which had evidently been much used. A portion of the cliff which had been undermined by the action of the river had slipped down upon the beach, consequently the interior of the mound was exposed. I made an excavation into this new face and found a stone knife, or scraper, and a small stone chisel. In another part of the bank I discovered a plank lying flat upon the third layer of mould below the surface. It was made of fir, and was four feet six inches long, six inches wide and half-an-inch thick.

These shell heaps, the relics of the feasts and food of the Indians, although interesting as evidences of the habits of life of the savage races that once occupied this part of America, prove but little more than the fact that those races have existed and passed away. The successive layers of earth in the heaps would enable an estimate to be made of their age, if the length of the intervals of time that elapsed between the encampments could be known. The saw-cut plank, resting upon the third layer is an evidence that the two upper deposits of shells were made since the arrival of the English colonists. The Indians then dwelling on these lands were called the Abenakis. These oyster heaps may have been raised by them when they visited the coast of Maine after leaving their hunting grounds.[9]