A 'Precious' Volume! MR. PICKWICK'S DISCOVERY OUTDONE.

Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 75, 25 September 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

A 'Precious' Volume! MR. PICKWICK'S DISCOVERY OUTDONE.

[CoNTElßiraiD.] The death of the German author August H. Noe has revived the story of one of the most remarkable literary blunders on rocord, which he was instrumental in exposing. The latest number of the Journal fur Buohdruckerkunst (the leading organ of the printing trade in Germany] contains an account of the affair, with an interesting facsimile. In the year 1860 there was begun in Paris, under Imperial authority, an expensive work, containing 200 lithographed plates, bearing the following imposing title : — ' Manuacrit pictographique Americain, precede dune Notice sur Pldeographie dcs Peaux-Souges, par l'Abbc Em. Domenech, Missionaire apostolique, Chanoine Honoraire de Montpellier, Membre de l'Academie pontificate tiberine, de la Societe Gfeographique de Paris et da la Sooiete Ethnographique Orientate ot Americaine de Franca. Ouvrage public sous les auspioes de M. le Ministre d'Etat et de la Jfaieon de l'Empereur. Paris, Gide, 1860.' The book, which was dedicated to the celebrated Paul Lacroix, was printed in sumptuous style by Lemereier and Claye. The original from which the 200 plates were faithfully copied in facsimile was a manuscript in several parts found in the library of the Pariß Arßenal, and which was known to have been brought from Amerioa, but when and how it raached Paris was unknown. It formed part of a j large collection of books by the Marquis yon Paul my, and was entered into the library catalogue under the title of ' Livre dcs Sauvages.' The treasure came under the notice of the Abbe Domenech, who Wrote a learned introduction, and induced the State to publish- the entire work. Not only did it consist of rude drawings, but there were numerous symbols suggestive of writing. As the result of careful study the learned Canon evolved a tolerably complete system of the symbolism of the Red Indians from the material in the book. Some of the drawings were not exactly decent, but there was no attempt at exaggeration — in fact, they were regarded as of special value, as indicating the existence among the Redskins of a ' Phallic cult,' as among the ancient Greeks. When the first section of this important work, the preliminary announcements of' which had excited much interest, reached the Hamburg City Library, Herr Noe, a young student, examined the copy, and gave way to inextinguishable laughter. He declared that the work thus reproduced was no other than- a scribbling-book filled with rough sketches and writing by children of some of the German colonists. That it was the work of German youngsters was evident to all who looked into it, and a chorus of derision went up from Germany. Suoh, however, was the obstinacy of the reverend author and of the officials of the Empire, that the fatuous book was completed, and in a preface the editor complained bitterly of the aspersions cast upon the genuineness of the 'Book of the Savages.' A learned missionary from the United States, he said, had declared the drawings to be certainly the work of the natives. No suoh collection had ever fallen into the hands of any American archaeologist, nor had the Government of the United States ever published documents of such value. The sole glory of their discovery and publication belonged to> France, and envious foreigners could only disparage the work. Nevertheless, the single page of facsimile in the Journal is sufficient refutation of the Abb 6's theory, and how it even passed the French proof-readers without their decihphering the writing almost passes comprehension. To amy one who can read German script every letter is as plain as print. The page selected contains' about ten rough sketches. There are seven or eight human figures, one with a sword in scabbard, a bird, a quadruped, two ships, a skull and cross-bones, and two' puzzling figures which the word ' honig ' underwritten show to be intended for honeycombs. The rest is more scribbling, without any capitals, but every word is decipherable, and the spelling is correct. The page begins with ' anna maria,' there aretheworda 'heilig,' 'hass,' 'unshuldig,' and the phrase ' gott mem zeuge.' All the symbols in this page were duly interpreted by the learned Canon. The oval figure snowing the edges of the honeycombs was a barrel of fire-water. Other figures represented various divinities, symbols for lightning, the heavans and earth, &c. Altogether, the, Ideographic dcs PeauxRouges ' appears to be about the most costly and egregious as well as the least excusable literary and scientific blunder ever perpetrated. Mr. Pickwick, as an archteologist, was far outdone by the Frenoh Apostolic Missionary and member of half-a-dozen learned societies. It should stand as a perpetual warning of the danger attending the use of the scientific imagination adjoined to rooted prejudice and divorced from common sense. Those interested in literary curiosities may see the copy of the Journal with the curious facsimile in the reference room of the Wellington Public Library.