Page:Essays ethnological and linguistic.djvu/150

138 them through their variations, and difficult even where no material difference existed. We find such to be the case even with civilized people, and much more must it be so with the uncivilized. A German Gentleman who spoke Danish well, told me that once travelling in Norway he could not possibly make himself understood by the natives. At length he thought of trying whether he could not enter into communication with them in writing and putting his wants and conversation on paper, found he could get on quite easily. Unfortunately such a plan could not be adopted with the savage inhabitants of America.

I turn now to matters which have come under my own observation and give them as illustrations of the enquiries to be made, of the spirit in which they should be undertaken, and the results that may be hoped for. In the Spring of 1851 I endeavoured to carry into effect a wish I had long entertained of visiting the states of Central America and Yucatan, which I was only partially able to do, as my departure there was somewhat unexpectedly delayed. In consequence of this I did not arrive in Honduras until after the rainy season had set in, and the roads in the interior had become almost impassible. I was therefore obliged to limit my visit to voyagings along the coast, for which purpose I hired a small schooner of 60 tons, and in that went yachting about wherever the winds favoured us and wherever I heard of places within my reach described as remarkable and worthy of being visited. In the course of those voyagings I fell in with individuals of three different families of mankind, Mayas, Caribs, and Mosquito Indians, all deserving of more notice than they have yet received at least in this country; and respecting each of whom I have therefore to offer a few observations which the Society may perhaps find coming within the scope of their consideration, without troubling them with accounts of mere journeyings in the way of travellers recounting their adventures. The great object of my visit was Yucatan and the ancient ruins found there, to which however I do not at present refer, as my enquiries respecting them lead to different questions than those I am discussing, but there my principal acquaintance became that with the Mayas, the native population of that district. Of these I had some earlier and better opportunities of observation, having seen many at Havana who had come there some with families emigrating from the Peninsula on account of the intestine war raging there, and some as prisoners who had been taken in arms and sold as slaves to Cuba. I had also taken some