AMERICAN CATACLYSMS or
Considerations on the Periods of American
Geogony, Ontogony, Floods,
and ancient population &c. of both
Americas.
History does not merely consist in
accumulating facts: these constitute the annals
of empires; but the real philosophical history has
a nobler aim. It seeks results, teaches lessons
of wisdom, brands with infamy the foes of mankind,
and inspires veneration for the benefactors of the
human race. It presents examples worthy to be
followed, and records the crimes to be avoided.
The several departments of history
that are distinguished as biography, civil and ecclesiastical
annals, moral and physical surveys of mankind, comparative
philology, archeology, chronology, mythology, &c.
All combine to instruct and amuse, to record the past
and present, and to lead to better future actions,
an improved social order. The nations often forget
the wise lessons of time and experience; but they are
continually recalled to memory and view by the historians,
who seek the truth, and setting aside the sway of
human passions or national prejudices, present the
faithful mirror of history to the eyes of posterity.
Such is my aim. American history
has been so much despised or perverted, that few lessons,
have been drawn from it: yet it affords ample
scope for reflection, study and admiration. Nearly
one half of the habitable globe, during all the past
ages, cannot fail to offer a variety of subjects, to
draw the attention of philosophy, wisdom and philanthropy:
that mutual benevolence of mankind, which ought ever
to be felt; but is so often discarded or forgotten
through the contrary tendencies of pride, lust, cupidity,
and all the baneful passions.
The connections of historical facts
with all the sciences, afford another useful theme;
that may vastly increase our comparative knowledge:
much of it has arisen, besides observation, from accurate
comparison, analysis and generalization, which combine
to give results, enlarging the field and sphere of
human knowledge, in all its branches.
If we go back, by the help of geology,
to the most remote periods of existence and life in
this hemisphere, we find it like the remainder of
the globe, immersed under the Ocean. There, in
the depths of the briny waves, the actual rocks now
supporting the dry soil, were formed and matured:
superposed and intermingled by aquatic and volcanic
phenomena and cataclysms, if not by superadded aerial
depositions. Then were formed the primitive strata
of America, ere life had begun to vivify the waters;
then were cast the Porphyries, Granites, Shales,
Basalts, and other primitive or volcanic rocks, that
are now chiefly found in Boreal and Western America,
the Andes, Mts. Parima, and Brazil, the Austral
and Boreal Islands, Hayti and the Antilles. This
was the first period of terrestial Creation.
After this period of unknown length,
began the epocha of aquatic life; when the breath
of GOD, moving on the waters, gave life and motion
to organized aquatic beings; 1. Plants and Fucites,
2. Spongites and Alcyonites, 3. Polyps and
corals, 4. Worms and radials, 5.
Sluggs and shells, 6. Mollusca and Cephalopodes,
7. Trilobites and Crustacites.... All
incipient vegetating beings, or inferior unbony animals,
gradually evolved and born in the waters of the Sea....
Followed by the more perfect vertebrated aquatic animals,
8. Fishes and Sharks, 9. Snakes and reptiles;
lastly, 10. Seals and whales. Some of which
require shallow water, to dwell and breed....
This was the second period of American Creation:
Aquatic life.
The third epocha is that of the destruction
of aquatic life, by cataclysms and depositions, submarine
volcanic cavernous eruptions or other causes, throwing
suddenly in a soft, sandy or muddy state, the substances
that have formed the secondary mountains or strata
of psamites, argillites, calcarites, carbonites, &c.,
that overwhelmed the aquatic tribes in their way;
which becoming therein entombed as living medals of
this globe, declare to us these mighty successive
cataclysms or floods of sand, clay, lime and coal;
now met in vast regions, the Alleghanies and Central
North America, Florida and the Bahama Islands; the
hills and plains of Brazil, Chili, East Peru, and
Central Maragnon.... This was the second period
of terrestrial formation in America, the third of
successive eventful periods.
The fourth must have been the rise
of the land above the waters, if not already partly
begun. The epocha of terrestrial upheaving and
distortion of strata, by an awful inward force; either
volcanic, or calorific, or of growing crystalization;
forming mountains and islands, raising them above
the Ocean; to become the nucleus of future Continents.
The American hemisphere had then probably two great
islands, in the North and South, with many smaller
islands between them, in the tropical sea: the
Alleghany and Atlantis forming two others in the east,
and many others studding the two polar regions.
The insulated mountain tract between Lake Nicaragua
and the long valley of Choco, must then have formed
another Island of the Antilles. Guyana or Parima
was also another large island: while Brazil was
a vast peninsula attached to the Andes. I have
endeavored to express this first configuration of
America in my two maps of North and South America;
when the Ocean was yet about 500 feet higher than it
is actually. Whether this cataclysm was contemporaneous
throughout, or by successive throes must be ascertained
by Geogony.... This was the fourth period of
terrestrial events in this hemisphere; but the first
of terrestrial separate existence.
When the dry land had appeared, the
creative power of GOD exerted upon the virgin mould
of the mountains, drew forth into life, Plants and
Flowers, Trees and Palms; with the successive terrestrial
animals, 1. Worms and Slugs, 2. Insects
and Spiders, 3. Snakes and Reptiles, 4. Birds
and Fowls, 5. Beasts and Bats. Streams began
to flow, valleys were excavated in the soft or yielding
strata by heavy tides and powerful streams: then
the fishes of the sea ascended the rivers, and filled
the streams and lakes. A few shell and other
aquatic animals sent also colonies into fresh waters....
This was the fifth period of terrestrial events; that
of terrestrial life.
Meantime the land was continuing to
rise, or the ocean to sink; the dry soil was extending:
land volcanoes began to appear in the Andes and elsewhere,
overwhelming some living tribes. The carbonic
volcanoes had new paroxysms, slaty mud involved terrestrial
plants and trees in successive eruptions: the
clay mud or colored sand was forming tertiary strata
on the shores, involving sea animals, shells, reptiles
and fishes.... This was the sixth period of terrestrial
events, that of land volcanoes.
After all these; mankind was created
by GOD, and appeared as lord of the earth, and the
complement of living creation.... This may be
deemed another Period, if we like; although it was
but the complement of the terrestrial living productions,
begun in the 5th, and probably proceeding in the 6th.
Where the first man or men appeared and dwelt, is unknown
or very dubious. Asia is commonly deemed the
first dwelling of mankind, and Central Asia or Thibet
the cradle of our race: although China, India,
Arabia, Syria, Ceylon, &c., claim the same honor.
But few authors have placed this cradle in America,
and even then not for the Adamites. Yet
America had some inhabitants before the flood, if we
are to believe the concurrent traditions of many American
nations; who keep the memory of it, and point to their
refuges.(5)
Of these American Anti-diluvians we
know little or nothing: their traces are few
and uncertain. It would be otherwise if we could
identify them with the anti-diluvian Atlantes,
or find their diluvial remains. The skeletons
found in Guadaloupe, and on R. Santas of Brazil, by
Captain Elliott (described by Meigs in the transactions
of American philosophical society 1827) in tuffa
with shells, may have been buried there; like the
mummies of many American caves. Some of the American
mounds have appeared anti-diluvian; but the fact is
not well proved. The subterranean antiquities
are also of an equivocal character. The town of
log houses lately found in Georgia, buried under golden
clysmian soil, cannot be so remote; the soil instead
of diluvial, may be a deep alluvial. All the
facts on these remote times, shall be hereafter collected,
presented and examined carefully.
Thus, has been presented by geological
results, a rapid sketch of the American periods, to
the birth of mankind. These 6 periods or yums,
are well ascertained as to succession; but their duration
is unknown: and each of them includes several
subordinate periods; which it is not needful to investigate
in these outlines. The works on geology may be
consulted if required. These 6 yums or
great periods do not answer exactly to the 6 yums
or manifestations of the mosaic cosmogony, since geogony
begins only with the 3d, ending with the 5th.
Such oriental accounts are always
deserving our attention, and susceptible of the deepest
philosophical commentary, as they mainly agree with
all the detected facts. But there are at least
3 accounts of the creation or cosmogony in the Sepher
or Hebrew Bibl. That of Jo. Of Moses
in chapter 2d of Genesis from verse 4 to 25; in both,
no yums, days nor periods are mentione.
The usual mosaic account of chapter 1st. ending only
at c, . Even in this usual account
more than 7 periods can be found, including heaven,
earth and men.
These are the real Mosaic periods,
with his own names, very different from the subsequent
Jewish names, in various dialects.
1. PERIOD OF TIME OR YUM.
BRA-SHITH Real beginning or Real Supreme Being producing
ALEIM the Angels, SHMIM Heavens, and ARTZ Earth.
2. YUM. THEU-UBEU Chaos,
and THEUM Abyss, with RUH Spirit of God.
3. YUM. AUR Essence of celestial
light or Ether. First divine manifestation of
Mshe or Moses.
4. YUM. RKIO Expanse or
sky, diversion of aerial and celestial fluidd.
5. YUM. Sea and dry land,
upheaving of land over the waters, or subsiding of
the ocean. Vegetatiod.
6. YUM. Sun and Moon appearance
by a change in the misty atmosphere? with XUXBIM stars?
4th.
7. YUM. Fishes and Fowls, &th.
8. YUM. Beasts and cattle,
with ADM mankind or human emanation, our Adam, ZXR
male, and NKBE femalth.
9. YUM. Shbioi seventh
manifestation, Aleim became IEUE Jéhovah, the
living-self-with-self, the supreme or powerful self.
10. YUM. AD emanation, our mist.
11. YUM. ADM into GN or Gan. our
Eden.
12. YUM. OTZ Growth, of lives with good
and evil.
13. YUM. NER 4 flowing emanations or streams.
14. YUM. ASHE Intellectual
man-mate, called afterwards EUA living existence,
our Eve. Self-with-life.
All these periods should require long
comments, and discussions, rather physical than historical.
It is by no means certain that the sun and moon are
implied in the 6th yum. The text says a couple
of MARTH Centralities EMAUR-GDL and EMAUR-KTN Self-great-ether
greatest and lesser. Some have seen here the
solar and lunar dynasties of Asia. The XUX-BIM
might be the XRUBIM of later times. The real
sun and moon may belong to the yum of AUR.
The stars, according to Job, were in existence before
the foundation of the earth, and our astronomy teaches
this implicitly.
In this cosmogony, the heavenly creation
takes 4 periods. The grass grows by light before
the sun had appeared through the misty atmosphere,
and the fishes come after the land and herbs, at the
same period with fowls. Our actual geology does
not confirm this last fact; but a proper explanation
of the biblic words would confirm the truth.(6)
Many still consider AISH intellectual
man as the human race, previous to Adam, father
of the Adamites; but the concurrent proofs are very
slender: nor is their posterity known; unless
Nahash or the snakes, Elohim or the
sons of God, the Rephains or giants, and the
Nephilim or apostates, be considered as such.
Indications of races of men different from the Adamites
may be collected both in the Bible, and in all the
ancient annals of China, India, Iran, &c.; but no positive
connected account has ever been made out as yet.
The Nahash, Hareth or
Satan of the Bible, is identic with the Nagas
(snakes) of the Hindus, the Zabul and Dives,
(devils) of Iran, evidently men, and foes of the Adamites:
they are also the U-long or antidiluvian dragons of
China. In America the satanic notions will be
seen in the respective account of religions.
They often assume in this hemisphere the appearance
of volcanic ideas, or of a vampire malignant being.
But the nations of the Linapi group connect the ideas
of devils, snakes and foes, all called Ako
or N’akho very similar with Nahash
and Nagas. They assert that they were created
by the Evil Spirit, were always foes of real men;
that they caused the flood, and went afterwards to
America before the Strait of Behring was formed. See
Linapi Traditions.
The ALEIM, Elohim or Egregori
or angels of the Hebrew were instead sons of God,
and Moses ascribes to them the creation of the earth;
while Job ascribes it to Eloah, the real God.
Herder has said that we shall never understand well
the mosaic history, until we ascertain who were these
Elohim and Cherubim(7) dwelling on earth.
My dissertation on anti-diluvian history may perhaps
help to clear the matter; meantime it may be stated
that they appear to be the HO-LO of anti-diluvian Chinese
history, or LO-LO of their post-diluvian annals.
Perhaps also the celestial emperors beginning the
history of China: the Alorus first dynasty
of Assyria before the flood: the Ang-ELOS
and P’EL of the Pelagians. Also the H’ELLO
(old men) of the Egyptians, the PELEI (old men or
ancestors) of the ancient Illyrians, the LAHI or ancient
Thibetans.
They may be the ELEI or ancient Persians,
the Péris or Pelis of Iran, ancient
beneficent beings. The Arabs and all the Semetic
nation have preserved that name for God, in EL, Allah,
Baal, or made of it their universal article
El, Al, meaning HE or the Being:
whence also the Pelagic and Italic articles IL, L,
LI, &c., the Spanish EL. By the frequent usual
change of L into R, we have ER root found in many languages
for men: forming the Heros of Greece, sons
of God; the HER or lords of the Germanic tribes, the
Seres of Thibet or ancient Chinese, Ergaz
men of the African Atlantes. Erk man in Turkish
or Turan Atlantes, akin to Egregori!
In America these similar indications
are widely spread, and among the most ancient nations.
EL means man in Tolteca and Mexican, Öl is
old and Yollo a spirit or angel. EL is
son and tribe in Hayti, Elohi is land and spirit
in Tzuluki. Yol means man in the Atakapa
language of the Cado or Nachez group. Pele
means the same in Lule of South America; but Peli
is soul in Chilian, which approximate to Peleg
and Lelex, ancient Pelagian tribes. The
connections with TEL, TAL, TOL, pervade the
whole of ancient America, and lead to assimilate with
the TOL-tecas and TALAS, American Atlantes, the
Tulans or Asiatic Atlantes, the Auto-Toles
or African Atlantes. These lead to the giants
of both hemispheres or ancient men of renown.
But the subject must be postponed, and will be found
resumed in the history of Austral and Central America,
where these atlantes and giants are found.
Returning from this digression; we
may resume the geological periods of America previous
to mankind, in the six successive epochas, already
mentioned.
1. Period. Primitive, aquatic and before
life.
2. Period of aquatic organic life.
3. Period of aquatic cataclysms.
4. Period of the dry land or islands.
5. Period of terrestrial life.
6. Period of terrestrial volcanoes.
After which begins the human period,
till the flood. The question whether man or men
appeared together, or before or after, in both hemispheres;
must be left undecided. Some writers have even
placed Eden the GN of Moses in America and
the Hesperidian Islands of old; but as the Imalaya
mountains, valleys and plains, are higher than the
Andes, older in geological series, and more suitable
for human life, not being volcanic: it is extremely
probable that they were the cradle of mankind, rather
than America.
Yet men reached America before the
flood, and were here at this eventful period.
But we are ignorant of the precise way they came, and
how they reached this land which was then only a group
of large islands, unless North America was united
to Asia by Behring Strait, as very probable. The
clearest traditions point to the east, Africa and Europe
then united at the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Island
Atlantis as a stepping place. The Mexican traditions
point to Asia, by two different opposite quarters,
the east and the north west. The Uskis or Innuit
nations are late comers by the north west. The
Linapi nations, although earlier, came the same way,
and over the ice of Behring Strait, after its disruption.
The Hongwis came the same way, although they boast
of being Autochtones, as did the Greeks, which
we know in both instances to be false.
The Nachez nations say they came from
the east. The Olmecas or earliest people of Anahuac
point that way also; although both speak of an American
flood. The Haytians and Cubans were also of eastern
origin, like all the Aruac nations; but remembered
the flood and parceling of the islands. The Carib
nations appear postdiluvians and the last come in South
America; yet the Tamanacs one of the group speak of
an American flood. The Guarani call themselves
eastern men, and came from Africa after the flood.
It is in South America, the Andes of Chili, Peru,
&c., that a positive memory was found of several floods
and cataclysms, in or near the Andes, which gave refuge
to several tribes. Yet it is there also that the
most obvious philological affinities are found with
North Africa and the shores of the Mediteranean; while
many invasions of foreign later nations are recorded,
&c.
All these antidiluvian notions, and
accounts of the American flood, will be carefully
collected and given. This will form the first
period of human history in America, extending to 2262
years at least, according to the computation of the
70; the most plausible of all. The Tol-tecas
reckon nearly the same time between their period of
creation and their main flood: or with trifling
differences, less than the various terms of Josephus
and others; but various other calculations are found
in Anahuac.
Such a period of 23 centuries was
certainly sufficient to people America, and fill it.
The Cainites or Cabils have been deemed parents of
the Atlantes and Africans. They were skilful,
powerful and wicked, inventing agriculture and arts,
building cities &c.: while the Sethites invented
astronomy, letters and dwelt in tents. If the
American Atlantes were antidiluvian, they must have
sprung from the Atlantes Cainites, KIN of Moses.
In 1170 years after Adam, the Egregori
angels of Mt. Ima, came to Mt. Hermon, in
20 tribes, under their king Semi-Azar, and uniting
with the Cainites, gave birth to the Rephaim,
Nephilim and Eliud, tribes of Giants,
tyrants and Caníbals: who made war on the
angels and men. They are said in the Bible to
have gone to Sheol (the lower world or South
America) with their king Belial: where they were
drowned by the flood. See Universal History.
The Giants dwelt in Talo-tolo,
the world Tolo of the Hindus, where we find
the Tol-tecas (Tol-people:) therefore America:
called also Atala and once sunk in the waves;
like the Atlantis of the Greek, whose Atlantes were
also Giants or powerful men. The Egregori have
been deemed the Titans of the Greeks, and Atlas was
a Titan. Although Gigantic Nations existed in
America, the Talegas, Toltecas, Caribs, Chilians,
&c. being often such: the term Giant must always
be understood to refer to powerful perverse men.
The names of Rephaim and Nephilim appear
unknown in America, being mere Hebrew epithets for
giants and apostates.
During this primitive period, geological
and physical changes probably proceeded in America.
The plains gradually appeared, but full of marshes,
lakes and wide streams, muddy volcanoes, snakes, crocodiles
and obnoxious animals. Which must have assailed
mankind and greatly impeded their settlements.
Although the lives of men were perhaps longer than
now; yet it is probable that the long lives of the
Patriarchs of this period, allude to as many Dynasties
or gradual nations sprung from each other. In
this I agree entirely with the learned Hebrew scholar
D’Olivet.(8)
Huge beasts and carnivorous animals,
dwelt then on earth; in America several species of
mastodons, elephants, oxen, mégathérium, megalonyx,
hyenas, bears, &c., which prowled in plains and caves.
The temperature of the earth was higher; little clothing
was needed. Men were at war with beasts, and
among themselves. Violence predominated in many
regions, and Noah one of the M’nus of
the Hindus, a patriarch of the Adamites, a prophet
according to the Arabs, went over the earth to preach
against this corruption. Not being attended to,
he foresaw that a great calamity would befall for
these iniquities, and he prepared himself a THBE or
refuge in Central Asia: where he collected his
relations and friends. Some say they were 72,
our translations of Moses reduces them to 8; but his
3 sons of Noah, are evidently as many tribes.
The THBE of Noah contained therefore 4 tribes, including
his own, and many individuals, besides a multitude
of animals.
I do not give now the history of this
flood. Before it can be given accurately, we
must collect all the scattered traditions about it,
compare them, and omitting all fabulous and obviously
impossible details, form a narrative of the whole
facts. The notions and traditions of the Americans
are very various, as they do not always point to this
flood. We find them asserting that men were saved
in mountains, or caves, on rafts or boats. Few,
if any, allude to an ark, but all to a refuge as THBE.
Those of Mexico and Peru, are contradictory, alluding
to several floods, and particularly the subsequent
of Peleg.
The most explicit traditions on that
score are those of the Linapi nations; although the
tribes vary the tale, the holy song of the real Linapi
tribe, alludes clearly to a great flood in Asia:
when their nations at least was partly saved in Tula
(the turtle land) in Central Asia, by the help of
a goddess, and Noah or Nana-bush. The men
were then called Linowi and Linapi:
two other races of men were saved, the Owini
(beings) and the Tulapewi, turtlings or atlantes.
Besides these foes the Maskanako (strong snakes),
Nakowa (dark snakes), and the Amangamek,
monsters of the sea; who caused this dire flood.
These notions are strikingly similar to the Asiatic
and Hindu fables about the turtle saving mankind at
the flood. Nana-bush is evidently Noah, his
name means Noah-Noah-hare, or the Great
Noah and Hare.
The Chinese accounts of the first
flood, do not allude to any ark, but mountains were
the refuge of mankind. The Hindu account is very
near the mosaic; but has no boat, and many persons
were saved. The accounts of the Assyrians, Arabs,
Tartars, Egyptians, Lybians, Greeks, Celts, Polynesians,
&c. are all different. The mosaic account was
borrowed from some ancient source now forgotten.
It is said that Noah himself wrote an account of the
flood, and preserved ancient records. Divesting
the mosaic account from the supernatural and the impossible,
we obtain the real tradition of a great aquatic cataclysm.
Either a sinking of some lands or an irruption of
the ocean, attended with volcanic floods of waters
from the Caspian sea (as Humboldt says,) heavy rains,
and a change of climate: which overflew the earth
or most of it; except some Thebas, refuges in
mountains, swimming over the waters, as it
were: there some men and tribes, many animals,
trees and plants were preserved: to spread afterwards
again over the earth.
After this flood, America was left
pretty much as it is now, except that the shores were
higher yet, many flat plains inundated and full of
marshes. The Antilles yet united in larger islands
and perhaps with Cumana. The Strait of Choco
nearly filled up: and diluvial soil, gravel,
sand, boulders and organic remains scattered over the
land, the hills, plains and caves. Many fierce
beasts had disappeared, vegetation had been destroyed
wherever the flood went; but the buried seeds, and
those of mountain plants gradually grew or spread
again. The terrestrial animals and birds saved
in the mountains, spread themselves again over the
earth. Mankind in despair at the disaster, kept
for a long while on mountains, and did not occupy
again the desolated hills and plains, until many years
after.
The Chinese account of this flood,
state positively that it was attended with a change
in the length of the year, formerly of only 360 days,
a change in the seasons, an increase of cold, rain
and winds: compelling men to dress in skins and
mats. Also that the wild beasts and snakes driven
to the mountains, became very troublesome, men being
compelled to defend themselves against their attacks.
The Rev. Gleig in his late history
of the Bible, where like Hales and Russel, he has
at last adopted the computation of the Septuagint and
Josephus, reckons 5411 years from Adam to our era,
the oriental Christians reckon 5508 years, the Toltecas,
reckoned 5099 years. Gleig puts Noah’s
flood 2259 years after Adam. The Chinese and Hindu
chronology are partly fabulous; but may be reconciled
to these periods; as well as to the second cataclysm
of the earth; that of Peleg according to the Biblists.
The only knowledge the Bible gives about it, is that
the earth was split, broken or divided, in the time
of the patriarch or dynasty of Peleg; who lived or
lasted from 531 to 870 after Noah’s flood.
But David has sung this cataclysm in the 18th psalm.
The Chinese account brings this second flood to the
year 2296 before Christ, or 858 years after the former.
The Hindu account concealed in many fables agrees
also with this period. But it appears to have
lasted longer, and many years. It is evidently
in date the mistaken Hebrew flood, blending both into
one, and annihilating the place between them.
The Chinese account distinctly speaks of both, the
first was under Yunti, the second under Yao,
and 42 emperors are mentioned between the two floods.
In America, it is often difficult
to distinguish which is meant by the various imperfect
traditions: yet in Mexico and Peru, there are
at least two cataclysms mentioned by the annals or
traditions. Also among some northern tribes.
The Linapi annals or songs allude to the second, which
broke by volcanoes the Lusasaki (burnt land)
and separated America or Akomenaki (snake island)
from Asia to Behring strait.
Thus the real antidiluvian periods
lasted nearly 3000 years from Adam’s epocha,
or 3212 by oriental computation. The interval
between Adam and Noah ought to be called the Adamic
period, that between Noah and Peleg’s floods
the Noahic period. It was at this last convulsion
that the earth took its actual form. The Straits
of Gibraltar, Calais, Messina, Hellespont, Bosphorus,
Babelmandel, Behring, Malaca, Sunda, &c., were
then formed. The Atlantis Island in the Atlantic
Ocean and the Island Lanca in the Indian Ocean were
sunk. The Azores, Madeira, Canaries, &c. are
fragments of the Atlantis: Ceylon, Madagascar,
&c. the fragments of Lanca.(9)
In America, the Boreal islands may
have been broken, like the British islands of Europe.
Some suppose that they might once join together with
Iceland. The Antilles were split in the actual
form Behring Strait divided America from
Asia. The Polynesia lands were broken or sunk.
The lowlands of Chili, Peru, and the Atlantic shores
were inundated and then partly left dry by huge volcanic
tides. This cataclysm was not a mere aquatic
flood; but a violent volcanic flood, having at least
three great focusses, 1. in the North Atlantic Ocean,
2. In the Indian Ocean, 3. In Polynesia or
the Pacific Ocean. In China all the lowlands were
overflowed and partly overwhelmed. The great
Islands of Java and Sumatra were formed; which formerly
were united with Asia and several islands in the vicinity,
under the remembered name of Sunda land.
If mankind had not reached America
before Noah, it must surely have reached it before
this second cataclysm. The Atlantes were in the
neighbourhood and bold navigators, as well as the primitive
Pelagians, Lybians, Cantabrians; bearing then various
peculiar names, mostly traced in America. Twenty
American nations have distinct remembrance of this
splitting of American lands and islands; local or partial
floods, less general and disastrous than the former.
This cataclysm was not so deadly to
animals and vegetables as the former; but it must
have destroyed them in several sunken islands:
and have added second clysmian strata to the soil
of the plains: with many volcanic productions,
chiefly clay and sand, limy and marshy muds. The
memorials, annals and traditions of the American nations
are very scanty on this period; difficult to be distinguished
from the Adamic: while the monuments to be referred
to it, are not easily traced, nor distinct in form.
The Linapi tribes had not yet reached America,
and dwelt in Asia; but by their account the Snake
tribes Akowi went to America in that period,
led by Nakopowa (the Snake priest); it is even
hinted that they caused this cataclysm or at least
the separation of Asia and America, at Lusasaki
(burnt land), in order to escape their foes, the Elowi-chik
(hunters) of the Linnapewi, the original manly
people.