used the same method of calculating time. But the fact affords evidence, that all these nations descended from one common stock, and that a primeval tribe or nation was the parent of each and all, whence they derived their knowledge and their arts of life.

We are aware that the statements which early Spanish writers gave of Mexico, its population, buildings, &c. at the time of the conquest by Cortez, in 1520, have not received full credence from some later historians. They have been charged, sometimes, with credulity, and sometimes with a disposition to exaggerate and to embellish. But their accounts are confirmed, in substance, by the personal narrative of the learned and impartial Humboldt, as well as by several other writers, who are entitled to the most entire credit. Besides, the condition of the people and of the whole country of Anahuac or Mexico, and of other places, both in North and South America, as Florida, the Mississippi, and California in the northern, and Peru, Chili, Paragua, and Yucatan in the southern hemisphere, at the time of the conquests in the beginning of the 16th century, affords ample proof of a great antiquity; but whether of two, or of three thousand years, it is difficult to determine. The Mexicans, or Aztecs, who inhabited the country of Anahuac, when the Spanish invasion took place, 1520, were the fourth distinct race of people who had occupied that territory; and according to the uniform tradition of the inhabitants, which was confirmed by their hieroglyphic paintings, the first of these people, the Toltecs, settled there 800 years before the Mexicans. They were a numerous and a partially civilized race; and many of the large works remaining in the country were constructed by that people.

The different opinions and theories of learned men, as to the first inhabitants of America, may now be more directly noticed. Some have supposed, that this continent was inhabited by antediluvians. During eighteen hundred or two thousand years, the probable age of the old world, the population was, undoubtedly, very great, and extended over the principal part, if not the whole, of the earth. But nothing is gained by this hypothesis, with those who admit the authenticity of the book of Genesis. For we are there informed, that the whole human race, except Noah and his family, was destroyed by the deluge. And the Jewish historian is not only the oldest writer extant; but his account, although not much in detail of the events of the old world, is allowed to be accurate and true. Nor is there any opposing narrative, worthy of the least respect, to contradict the account given by Moses, or to lessen his credibility. Some theorists have conjectured, indeed, that Noah's flood was confined to the central parts of Asia. But the account of Moses will not fairly admit of any such construction. The proofs of a general deluge are also to be found in every country and region on the globe; and the fact

of such a catastrophe, is supported by the tradition of all nations. It is to be considered, moreover, that the most authentic ancient history of the early location, the migrations, condition and numbers of mankind in remote ages, as far as any account reaches, tends to confirm the statement of the writer of Genesis, who has recorded the calamitous event of the deluge, and the first settlement of the earth, thereafter.

Assuming the truth of the Mosaic history, as justly we may, we propose to ascertain when and by what people this continent was originally occupied and settled: and we are confident, that it will appear most probable, from various facts and considerations, that the whole population, at the time of its discovery by Columbus, descended from an Asiatic tribe, or horde, which came from the northeastern part of the old continent, at or near Behring's Straits, several centuries before the Christian era; and probably within seven or eight hundred years after the flood; a period which synchronises very nearly with the exode of the Jews from Egypt, under Moses. At this time, the human race must have become very numerous, and their occupation of the earth nearly, if not entirely, coextensive with the eastern continent. On a moderate calculation, it will be found, that, in 700 or 800 years, the human species would have so increased and multiplied, as to fill all Asia, Africa, and Europe. And all ancient accounts agree, indeed, in a thing very probable and natural in itself, that some of every succeeding generation travelled to distant places, and sought out new territories for themselves and children. Those of only the second and third generation from Noah, settled Canaan and Egypt, and spread far east and west through the central parts of Asia, and even into some parts of Europe. In the time of Abraham, who was 150 years contemporary with Shem, who lived through the whole of the fourth century after the flood, and was of the tenth generation from Noah, those countries were filled with inhabitants. According to a tradition in the east, Noah, who survived the deluge 350 years, with some of his sons,* or grandsons, probably went eastward soon after the separation of the human family at Babel, and settled in India. The posterity of Noah, of the fourth and fifth generation, removed still farther east; those of the sixth or seventh generation, probably, wandered eastward from the place of their ancestors to the country since called China and Tartary. Some of those of the ninth and tenth generations, and in about 400 years from the deluge, probably reached the shores of the Pacific ocean, as the descendants of Japhet did, through the western parts of Asia and through Europe, to the Atlantic coasts.

*It is highly probable, that Noah had other sons than the three particularly mentioned by Moses, who were born after the flood; or he might take with him one of the sons of Shem,

As already observed, the people of India and China pretend to a very high antiquity. They carry back their claims, indeed, beyond all proof, or reasonable probability; and yet it is admitted that the western part of Asia was the first residence of the human race; and that thence early issued the children and grandchildren of Noah to India and other places more easterly in Asia, as well as to Palestine and Egypt, to Asia Minor, and to Europe. It is generally admitted by the learned, that it was from the land of Chaldea the light of knowledge and science first dawned upon the world. Noah and his sons, who survived the deluge, must have possessed and communicated to their descendants a knowledge of all the important and useful discoveries, which had been made by the inhabitants of the old world. From Chaldea this information would be disseminated by their posterity, the founders of new settlements; and each nation or people would be likely to claim the discovery or invention themselves. We may thus most naturally account for the several pretensions of the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Chaldeans, Hebrews, Chinese, and Indians, to have been the oldest nation of the earth, and the first inventors of letters, of astronomy, and of the arts. The sons or grandsons of Noah carried the knowledge they received from their ancestors in Chaldea, to the places where they settled; and each afterwards boasted of having originally made the discoveries. According to the most authentic accounts, the science of astronomy was first cultivated in Chaldea; and at a very remote period, when Alexander conquered the Persians and visited India, about 300 years before the Christian era, he found records of eclipses and of other astronomical calculations for 1900 years before that time, which carries back the first date of them to about 150 years after the deluge, and about the time the attempt was made to build the tower or monument of Babel.

The opinion, or conjecture rather, that the continents of Africa and South America were once contiguous, or that there was formerly an extensive Island in the Atlantic, which would facilitate the passage of Africans to this western world, is entitled to very little consideration. The Island or Islands mentioned by the ancients beyond the pillars of Hercules, were probably not far from the entrance of the Mediterranean; for their vessels, or boats, were not of a construction to induce them to venture far from land. Nor is there any evidence, that a voyage was made across the Atlantic before Columbus, unless we credit the account that some Norwegians, who visited Iceland in the tenth century, extended their voyage to the American continent. But of this there is no sufficient and satisfactory evidence. If a settlement had been then made, it is impossible that the whole or the greater part of the population of this extensive continent could have proceeded from a few adventurers to Greenland, in four or five

hundred years. Neither is it probable, that in so short a period the inhabitants would have lost all knowledge of the customs, opinions, and language of their European ancestors. There is as little in their physical character, to authorize the supposition, that America was settled by emigrants from the north of Europe.*

Similar objections lie against the story of a settlement in America by the Welsh, under Madoc, in the eleventh century. Had the account been well founded, being of such pretended recent date, there would have been some direct and positive evidence on the subject, and some tribes in America would have been able to give full proof of the truth of the story. The account of a settlement of Welsh people, the descendants of the company under Madoc, being found in the interior of this country, was forgotten almost as soon as given. No such people are known.

But the claims in favor of the Egyptians and Phoenicians, are they not better supported? These nations had, indeed, some knowledge of navigation in very early times. The latter, probably visited the western coasts of Africa, for a short distance; and the former, the eastern coasts, probably the Persian gulf, and possibly the western parts of India. But their vessels or boats were not fitted for distant nautical enterprizes, nor is there any evidence of their crossing any extensive sea. So, in the time of Solomon, about 1000 years before our era, the Jews had vessels trading from the Red Sea to Ophir, which some have supposed to be situated on the eastern coasts of Africa, but which a learned modern contends was on the western shores of India. But none of these nations had made such advances in navigation, as to have any other than small open boats. They did not venture far from the land; and Solomon's vessels were three years in completing a voyage; which is proof that they kept near the coasts, or remained in harbors, except in very moderate weather.. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries even, the vessels of Europe were open, and in their voyages, generally kept within sight of land, though, shortly after this period, several of the Islands in the Atlantic ocean were visited by them; in the first instances, however, most probably by accident, being carried from the coasts by adverse winds. When the Normans invaded France, in the tenth century, they went in light, open boats, not much larger than the birch canoes of the American Indians; and carried their boats over land from one river to another, in passing from Holland to Paris. There is, then, no probability that the Phoenicians or the Egyptians visited America by design, in the early age of the world; nor, if driven out of their way by storms,

* A writer in the north of Europe has lately announced his purpose to show, from some ancient MSS. not before published, that the Norwegians effected a settlement on the North American continent in about the latitude of 48 or 50. There is no reasoning against facts. But it will be time enough to credit the story when it is well established.

when trading along the coasts of Africa, or the shores of Arabia and the Persian gulf, that they would have ever reached this continent, a distance of 12,000 miles. There must be evidence of history, or monuments, or language, to give support to the opinion, that America was settled by either of these nations, at the remote period supposed.

There is yet another theory, to account for the first occupancy of South America, though not for the population of the whole continent, which is, that Peru was originally settled by Chinese or Malays, as early as the Christian era, or at a more remote period even. In the absence of all direct evidence, or of that which would render it very probable, it is pretended, that some customs of the Peruvians are similar to those of the Chinese. But these are few and vague, and do not afford an argument which can satisfy the most credulous. There is no evidence from monuments, or from any tradition* among the Peruvians; and the languaget is equally barren of proof. It is to be considered, also, that the distance from the Malacca Islands, or from China to South America, is very great; that the Chinese have never been an adventurous or roving people; and that, if they had reached the American coasts with their vessels, of whatever size they were, which can hardly be admitted, without a miracle, they would have retained the knowledge and continued the practice of navigation after they settled on this continent.

On the other hand, if North America was settled as early as we suppose, there was sufficient time for the occupancy of South America by the descendants of the first inhabitants of Anahuac, who might have passed over the Isthmus of Darien and taken possession, both of the sea coasts and of the interior of South America, long before the Spanish invasion. The Peruvians and the people of Central America were said to resemble the Mexicans, and other nations in Anahuac, when first visited by Europeans, in their physical character, manners, customs, traditions, buildings, &c. It appears to us, that there are fewer difficulties attending this opinion, than that of a separate and original settlement of South America by Chinese or Malays.

*The story of a stranger, by the name of Mango Capac, who visited Peru in a remote period, and taught them some of the arts of life, some have believed refer to a Chinese. But it is equally probable, that he went from some tribe in Anahuac.

+ M. Brun and others, admit that there are no analogies between the language of the Peruvians and the people of the Islands in the Pacific Ocean, sufficient to justify the conclusion, that the latter were the progenitors of the former.

A late writer contends, that South America was probably originally settled by Chinese or Malays; but adduces no new or satisfactory evidence in support of his opinion. And, as already observed, there are no such resemblances between the languages of the Peruvians and Malays, as to authorize a conclusion favorable to this hypothesis.