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ry kind, which are scattered over it. The author of the work now before us, has gone much farther; he has called up the testimony of the Old Testament, and the profane historians of antiquity, to prove from what part of the old world the first inhabitants of our own came.

The author, to be able afterwards to occupy himself exclusively with the migration of the first inhabitants, endeavors to establish, in the beginning of his work, that the vestiges of antiquity found throughout Western and Central America, are to be attributed to the same race of men.

"Given probably to agriculture, our fertile plains," says he, "attracted the undivided attention of this people, save that which was necessary for the protection from the mammoth, or from the hostile attacks of another race, and which resulted in the construction of the earthen ramparts now remaining. But on proceeding southwardly, where they were probably no more molested by hostile invasion, their wonted industry found a new object for its exertion in the erection of extensive cities of stone. This change of custom may also be easily accounted for in the beautiful language of a learned author, who says, that the faculties unfold themselves with more facility wherever man, chained to a barren soil, compelled to struggle with the parsimony of nature, rises victorious. from the lengthened contest.'

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Deserting the fertile prairies of this land, and encountering the more sterile plains of the volcanic mountains of Mexico and Peru, their energy directed its impulses to more lasting monuments of their existence as a people."

He then proceeds to prove the opinion above announced, relying on the traditions that the Spaniards found among the Mexicans, as well as among the Peruvians, and also upon the resemblance which exists between the crania discovered in the tumuli of the Ohio, and those found in New Grenada. These crania are much compressed, by artificial means, which were in use among some of the tribes, at the time of the discovery.

As all the reasoning of the author rests upon this concise examination of the analogies that can be traced between the builders of the tumuli, and the monuments in stone, it is proper here to cite the consequences which he deduces:

"I. The extension of tumuli, &c. through Western North

* These traditions are in accordance with the opinion above expressed. But if they are entitled to confidence, regard must also be had to those of Yucatan, which are contradictory to the opinion of the author.

America and Mexico, to Peru, induces a belief that the race which constructed them emigrated thither; and their termination there leads to the conclusion that the nation went no farther.

II. The traditions of the North American Indians assert distinctly their ejectment of a people from the present region of Western North America, who correspond with the native Mexicans, and who emigrated hence.

III. On the discovery of America, a tract of country occupying the present limits of Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, was in a high state of civilization, while all around them was enshrouded in mental darkness.

IV. National annals have been found among the Mexicans, expressly stating, that at a period corresponding to our sixth century, their ancestors emigrated from the North, under the guidance of their illustrious emperor Citen or Votan.

V. Traditions assert, that the introduction of cizilization into Peru, was by the emigration of certain wise men from Mexico.

VI. Anatomical research exhibits a striking coincidence between the crania of the race of the mounds, and of the ancient Peruvians, differing from all others in the world, and proving conclusively that they were a distinct race from the ancestors of our present Indian tribes."

We think we have furnished our readers, in the preceding pages, the means of analyzing the above propositions, and consequently we shall not dwell upon them; but the short extract which follows, from the preliminary chapter of Mr. Delafield, is too important to be omitted.

"From this circumstantial evidence, then, we think the subject is cleared of collateral difficulties, and that we may safely proceed on the argument, that the region of civilization among the aborigines of the Cordilleras and Andes, comprehended one large family, whom the effects of climate and peculiarities of country have divided into different tribes and nations, speaking diverse dialects, and possessing dissimilar customs; and were descended from one common source, which emigrated from the north, and on its way, constructed the various tumuli, embankments, fossa, &c. found in Western North America. At least, may we not believe that so much evidence has been adduced, as to throw the onus probandi on him who doubts it ?"

It must be confessed, that this opinion does not rest upon as bold an hypothesis as those which suppose the existence of a continent joining America to the old world, either on the east or west, against the observations of geology. It does not in

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deed account for the manner in which the animals of the south, and the warmest regions of the north, found their way thither, nor is any other hypothesis more fortunate in this respect, unless it be pretended, that the camel of the deserts of Arabia was transformed into the lama upon the summits of the Andes, or the monkeys of the ancient continent into ouistites, contrary to the facts of animal physiology. If it is true that the arrival of man in America is necessarily connected with that of animals, what else could result from it, except this, that we are not to search in the historians of antiquity for an explanation of this double population, inasmuch as these historians never having known the animals of America, cannot have had any more knowledge of the men who came with them.

We are, therefore, of opinion, that Mr. Delafield has done wisely in not connecting the question of the migration of the first inhabitants with that of the arrival of the brute animals, because, as we have seen, the characteristic difference of the American animals is the strongest objection that can be raised in any way against every theory. The author does not pretend to have discovered a new mode of explaining how this continent was peopled, but he may lay claim to the honor of having collected and arranged, with great skill and talent, the materials which were scattered through various sources, to prove that the founders of the monuments of America passed from Asia to America, by the way of Behring's straits, and thence southward, as we have before shown, but which the following summary from his work exhibits more distinctly:

"From the analogies comprised in the early portion of this work, we also clearly see that some ancient race came from the southern parts of Asia, and wandering southwardly through America, resumed their ancient customs, preserved in some degree their language, built ramparts, pyramids, and cities, as of old, and established their primitive systems of mythology and astronomy. History, too, points out clearly the emigration from Babylon to Egypt, from Egypt to Caucasus, and from Caucasus to Siberia, of a learned, warlike, and great nation. We also know they were driven thence, but here we lose all traces of them, and their only vestiges are the walls and ramparts, tumuli and medals, yet discoverable in the latter country, where, since their time, a nomadic race, and one partaking in no degree of the excellence of that driven away, has held dominion. From the analogical evidence alluded to, there is some probability they went to America from Siberia, and founded the civilized empire there discovered.

It is deserving of inquiry, whether this probability can be made a matter of certainty."

We have seen that Behring's straits cannot be regarded as an impassable barrier between Asia and America; but this is not all; that which may be affirmed a priori, after a mere examination of the borders of the straits, we are compelled to admit, when we have read the relations of travellers who have had opportunity of seeing the two continents in these high latitudes, and of observing the striking similarity of manners in the inhabitants of the opposite coasts.

The large chart discovered in Mexico, about the year 1780, by Boturini, which is evidently a representation of a march, is here used by our author to assist him in conducting to that country the nation, which he has accompanied across Asia as far as Siberia. We see in it many figures of men, sometimes placed in a line one after another, and loaded with burdens, sometimes squat together in a circle. Tracks of human footsteps connect these groups with each other through the whole length of the picture. At a certain point, one of the figures is separated from the others, who continue their march; at another point, is seen a tree uprooted and broken, the upper part of which is in a falling position; farther on, a man is placed by the side of a figure which our author regards as the representation of the agave. The march begins from a kind of bay, in which there is a quadrangular island, with rounded angles and irregular outline.

From these and other figures in the chart, which we have not room to describe, the author concludes with Boturini, that it represents the passage across Behring's straits, and the march. towards the south- that at first they traverse an arid country without trees, and then begin to meet with very large ones, and at last, arrive in the region of the agave, that is, Mexico.

We know not what may be the grounds for such an interpretation, and consequently, are not able to judge of its correctness; but it seems to us, that it is somewhat conjectural, and in accordance with a preconceived notion; that is, if any writer wished to prove the arrival of the Aztecs from any other quarter, he might so interpret the picture. Thus, for example, we see that the migratory nation departs from an island to go to the mainland, but the island, on the chart, is situated in a sort of gulf, and there is nothing indicating a strait. As to the figure, which is taken for the agave, it is difficult so to regard

it, especially when it is observed that the other figures are drawn with tolerable distinctness, which is not the case with this.* This chart, of which a splendid copy is given in Mr. Delafield's work, is a document of inestimable value; whenever the interpretation of it shall no longer be a subject of doubt, it must evidently furnish the original data for a history of the Mexicans.+

Were we to make objections to the theory developed by Mr. Delafield, it would not be so much that it involves contradictions to known facts, as that it does not sufficiently explain all these facts. It would, however, be difficult to consider a question as demonstrated, the solution of which depends upon elements concealed in all that is most uncertain in ancient history. We are far from wishing to criticise the scrupulously exact and laborious researches which the author must have made to follow the track of that nation, which he was finally to find in America. We should be far more grateful to him for the pains he has taken, if he had satisfied himself with placing beyond a doubt, or simply demonstrating, that the same nation which constructed the pyra

The author finds the agave Americana twice on the chart, as appears from the following passage:

"Here, for the first time, we find the aloe or agave growing, and at this place, after a few years, we find the seventh of the eight Aziec tribes deserted the race. A little farther, we notice a curious picture, and which clearly denotes their southern progress. There is a Mexican plant, growing much like a pine apple, the fruit of which, at a certain stage of ripeness, is plucked by the natives, at the approach of evening. The gathering of the fruit leaves a large cup, formed by the thick leaves of the plant, into which the juices flow freely during the night. In the morning this juice is drunk with avidity by the natives, through reeds, or is taken out and prepared into an agreeable beverage. Their custom is here clearly pictured as having been practised by this race on their march.

"The plant here referred to, as far as we can learn from Humboldt's excellent work, is the agave Americana, or the Maguey; it belongs to the family of the Bromelias or Ananas. Before the development of its floral stock, it bears some resemblance to the Bromelia Ananas. In- cutting the central leaves at the time when the floral stock is expanding, the juice above spoken of is procured, from which the Mexicans prepare the pulque, a fermented liquor, somewhat disagreeable when one is not accustomed to it. But if this is the plant intended in the figure now spoken of, it is very badly represented, it must be confessed."

+ It is known that the Mexicans drew their hieroglyphic figures upon a kind of paper, or upon the prepared deer skins. The paper was made of the fibres of the agave leaves, macerated in water, and glued laterally to each other in layers. This method of preparing paper acquires a new interest, when it is recollected that the Egyptians prepared a paper of the leaves of the Cyperus Papyrus in the same manner, and that the inhabitants of Java make the same use of the fibres of the annual shoots of the morus papyrifera. The Mexicans also drew upon cotton cloth, as well us upon paper, as is seen by the chart of the coasts of Mexico, that Montezuma presented to Cortes. In many of the cities of Mexico, there have been found such pieces of cotton, on which historical events were depicted in hieroglyphic characters.

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