What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D.

TRADITIONAL USAGES. ent condition of this country, can fail to see in the degenerate posterity of its conquerors, the indisputable deterioration of race, by admixture of blood with an inferior and more numerous Indian population, destined probably, at no distant day,v to absorb it altogether; the impairment of the higher intellectual and physical attributes; the substitution of indolence for activity; of cnining and intriguLe for ability and boldness; of perpetual revolutions, war, and bloodshed, for stability, peace, and safety; proofs of the "just recoinpense of reward " which has overtaken oth national and individual wickedness. On our return firom the ruins of the Temple and other sacred edifices, whose gigantic remains are still telling the history of the past-althoutgh Mlir. Findlay, in his " Directory of the Pacific Ocean," says these "are now nowhere to be seen "-an opportunity was afforded to look at the few cane huts scattered about and occupied by listless *inhabitants, the impoverished successors of those who dwelt in the once proud city of Tumbes, whose very name has been taken from it, with its riches. And vet even amid their present poverty, there are proofs among the natives of a pride cherished by the traditions of ancient affluence. This is shown in the persistent refusal, even by the humblest of the Indian descendants of this district, to use any but the precious metals for many of their domestic purposes, whatever other deprivations they may have to endure. My companions on this excursion, to prove the correctness of the statement, stopped at the wretched looking cane ranehe of Julian RPosillo, having one earthen floor room for the joint occupancy of himself, wife, three nearly naked cIziiu~itos, and such visitors as might -choose to partake of his hospitality. Soame naize cicc was asked for, which required a spoon for stirring. It was brought in a silver vessel, and with a silver spoon of purer metal than that used in more refined society. A yaps, and the promise of another when he should visit town, enabled Dr. Columbus to purchase the spoon, who presented it to me as a proof of the consistent adherence of poverty to some of the usages of ancestors; among whom gems and gold were the coinmon ornaments, and silver the familiar metal in domestic use. The shades of evening fell over it as we returned throughl 356

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Title
What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D.
Author
Baxley, Henry Willis, 1803-1876.
Canvas
Page 356
Publication
New York,: D. Appleton & company,
1865.
Subject terms
South America -- Description and travel
California -- Description and travel
Hawaii -- Description and travel

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"What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D." In the digital collection Making of America Books. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/abf7940.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 23, 2025.
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