camarada figures of stars, of the sun, of tigers, and of crocodiles are traced, which the natives connected with the period of this deluge.* Humboldt appropriately remarks, that similar traditions exist among all the nations of the earth, and, like the relics of a vast shipwreck, are highly interesting in the philosophical study of our species.†

Ideas of the same sort existed in the Island of Cuba,‡ and Kotzebue found them among the rude Pagans of Kamtschatka, at the extremity of the Asian continent. The Peruvians preserved the memory of a general destruction, as far as their own country was concerned, which their neigh

themselves on a high mountain, called Pamanaca, situated on the banks of the Asiveru; and casting behind them, over their heads, the fruit of the Mauritia palm-tree, they saw the seeds contained in those fruits produce men and women, who repeopled the earth."-Humb. ib. 471.

"A few leagues from Encamarada, a rock, called Tepumereme, or the painted rock, rises in the midst of the Savannah. It displays resemblances of animals and symbolic figures resembling those we saw in going down the Oroonoko, at a small distance below Encamarada, near the town Caycara. Between the banks of the Cassiquiare and the Oroonoko, between Encamarada, the Capuchino, and Caycara, these hieroglyphic figures are often placed at great heights on the walls of rock, that could be accessible only by constructing very lofty scaffolds. When the natives were asked how these figures could have been sculptured, they answered, that at the period of the GREAT WATERS their fathers went to that height in boats."-Humb. Pers. Nar. p. 472, 3. The substance of the traditions respecting the destroyed races and the renovation of nature, is every where almost the same, although each nation gives it a local colouring. In the great continents, as in the smallest islands of the Pacific Ocean, it is always on the highest and nearest mountain that the remains of the human race were saved.-Humb. Trav.

Humboldt adds, with great truth, "The traditions respecting the primitive state of the globe among all nations present a resemblance that fills us with astonishment. So many different languages belonging to branches which appear to have no connexion with each other, transmit the same fact to us."

The Indians of Cuba related an account of an old man embarking in a canoe to escape a deluge.-1 Clav. Mex. p. 204. One of them told De Cabrera, that an old man, knowing that a flood was to come, built a vessel, and went into it, with his family and many animals. That he sent out a crow, which first stayed to feed on the dead animals; but afterward returned with a green branch.--Herrera.

Kotzebue informs us, "That they have a tradition of a universal deluge, and to this day point out the spot, on a lofty mountain, where Kutka is said to have stepped out of a boat, and peopled the world with human beings."-Kotz. 2d Voy. round the World. St. Peters, 1830.

Herrera states, that the Peruvians mentioned as an account received from their ancestors, that long before their Yncas a great deluge came from the sea. The land was overwhelmed, and all the people perished.

bours, the Guancas and others, also entertained.* In Brazil, there were also various traditions of the diluvian catastrophe, which, though agreeing in fact, differed in the circumstances attending it. In Terra Firma it was also floating in the popular memory, and equally so among the Iroquois in Canada, and at the mouth of the St. Lawrence.§

The Arrawak Indians, near the Essequibo and Mazaworry rivers, have preserved traditions both of the separate creation of the first male and female, and also of the deluge; and describe it as caused by the demoralization of mankind.||

In North America we find in the various Indian tribes or

*The same author notices that the Guancas of the vale of Xausea and the natives of Chiquito added, that some persons survived in the caves of the mountains and repeopled the country according to one account; but others thought that all perished except six persons, who saved themselves on a float, and renewed the population.-Herr. Hist. Ind.

† Nieuhoff, in his Voyage to Brazil, narrates, that though the most barbarous of the inland Brazilians scarcely knew any thing of a Deity, they had notions of a universal deluge. These were, that the whole race of mankind was extirpated, except a man and his sister, who repeopled the world. Mr. Thevet from others heard a more detailed and fantastic account, ascribing it to the hatred and warfare of two brothers against each other. The whole village was carried up into the sky, and on one of them striking the ground the flood burst out, covered all the earth, and destroyed all mankind but the two brothers, who, with their wives, ascended the highest mountains, and, as the waters came to them, saved themselves on the highest trees on their summit, and afterward formed two nations that peopled the world.

Herrera notices the account of the inhabitants of Castilla del Ora, in Terra Firma, that when the universal deluge came, one man with his wife and children escaped in a canoe, and by them the world was replenished.

Hennepin informs us of their account, that their Messou or Otkon hunting one day, his dogs lost themselves in a great lake. The waters immediately flowed over the country, and soon covered the earth and overwhelmed all who were living on it.

|| Capt. Alexander, in his account of Mr. Hillhouse's Expedition up these rivers in 1830, states that the tradition of the origin of things among these Indians is, that the Great Spirit sat on a silk cotton tree and cut off pieces of bark, which he threw into the stream below him, and these becoming animated, took the form of the various animals; that man was last of all created; that a deep sleep fell upon him, but on being touched by the Deity he awoke, and found a wife by his side.

Their traditions also were, that the world becoming desperately wicked, was drowned by a flood; that only one man was saved in a canoe, and that he sent out a rat to discover if the waters had subsided, which returned with a head of Indian corn.-Journ. Roy. Geo. Soc. v. ii. p. 70.

VOL. II.-Y

nations, who spread over it, some memorial intimations of this great event. Captain Beechey found that the natives of CALIFORNIA had a tradition of the deluge.* The Koliouges, on the northwest coast of America, have also peculiar notions upon it. Sir Alexander Mackenzie heard it from the Chippewyams. The idea prevailed, but with fantastic additions, among the Cree Indians. Mr. West heard a similar account from the natives who attended his school on the Red river. In Western or New Caledonia, which was an unexplored country beyond the rocky mountains in these parts till Mr. Harmon visited them, he found a vague and wild tradition of the same catastrophe, with the singular addition of a fiery destruction. T

*Capt. Beechey's Voy. v. ii. p. 78.

†They believed, "That to punish the crimes of the world, a deluge was sent, but that all did not die in it. Many saved themselves on very high mountains, in barks, and on rafts."-Bull. Univ. v. ii. p. 155.

"They describe a deluge, when the water spread over the whole earth, except the highest mountains, on the tops of which they preserved themselves."-Mack. Trav. c. xviii.

Capt. Franklin also mentions of them and of the Dog-rib Indians, "They have a tradition of the deluge."-Journ. p. 160.

Ø Dr. Richardson remarks, that "The Crees all spoke of a UNIVERSAL DELUGE, caused by an attempt of the fish to drown Wæsackootchacht, a kind of demi-god, with whom they had quarrelled. Having constructed a raft, he embarked with his family and all kinds of birds and beasts. After the flood had continued for some time, he ordered waterfowl to dive to the bottom. They were all drowned; but a muskrat having been despatched on the same errand, returned with a mouthful of mud, out of which Wasack-ootchacht formed a new earth."--Dr. Richardson's Account in Frankland's Journey to the Polar Sea, p. 73,

They told him that a universal deluge was commonly believed by all the Indians. They say, "When the flood came and destroyed the world, a very great man, called Wæsac-koochack, made a large raft and embarked with otters, beavers, deer, and other kinds of animals. After it had floated for some time he put out an otter, which dived very deep without finding any bottom, and then a beaver; both were drowned. At last a musk brought up a little mud in its mouth, which he made into a new earth."-West's Journal, p. 131. He adds, "There appears to be a general belief of a flood among all the tribes of this vast continent."Ib. p. 133.

He states that "They believe that the earth was once entirely covered with water, and every thing destroyed but a muskrat, which, diving to the bottom, brought up some mud, that increased and grew to the present shape of the world. They say a fire spread over the whole, and destroyed every human being, with the exception of one man and one woman, who saved themselves by retiring into a deep cave in the mountains until the flames were extinguished."-Harmon's

In the islands of the South Sea, whose population had no connexion with the North American Indians, the belief of the deluge was preserved among them. Ancient traditions of it exist in the Sandwich Islands in various shapes.* In Tahiti, it was ascribed to the displeasure of the Deity at human misconduct.† It was mentioned in Eimeo,‡ and in a diffuser shape in Raiatea.§

Journal of Travels in the Interior of North America; Quart. Rev. No. 52, p. 415.

Mr. Ellis, at Hawaii, heard, that "they were informed by their fathers that all the land' had once been overflowed by the sea, except a small peak on the top of Mouna Kea, where two human beings were preserved from the destruction which overtook the rest."--Ellis, Hawaii, p. 451.

"Many

Mr. Matheson has transmitted another of these accounts. thousand moons ago, a man fishing in the sea dragged up the Spirit of the Waters on his hook, who in his anger declared that he would cause a general deluge; but would allow him to escape, with his wife, to the summit of the mountain Mouna-roah, where he remained until the waters subsided."-Matheson's Brazil and Sandw. Isl.

"In ancient time, Taaroa, their principal god, the creator of the world, being angry with men on account of their disobedience to his will, overturned the world into the sea, when the earth sunk in the waters, excepting a few projecting points, which, remaining above the surface, make the present cluster of islands."-Ellis, Polyn. v. ii. p 57.

The tradition of Eimeo states, that "after the inundation of the land, when the water subsided, a man landed from a canoe near Tiataepua, in their island, and erected a marae or altar in honour of his God."-Ib.

This also makes their Neptune Ruahahi to have been caught by a fisherman's hook, as he was sleeping in the coralline groves of the ocean, shortly after the first peopling of the world. He declared the land was criminal and should be destroyed. The man implored his forgiveness, and was ordered to go to a small island, while the others were destroyed. Some say he took a friend, with a dog, a pig, and a pair of fowls. The waters rose. The 'inhabitants fled to the mountains; these were then covered, and all perished but the fisherman and his company, who, as the waters retired, took up their abode on the main island, and became the progenitors of the present inhabitants. Their belief of this is unshaken.-Ib. p. 59.

LETTER XVIII.

Summary View of the Evidence which the Recapitulated Traditions of other Nations give as to the Universal Deluge-And its Concordance with the Geological Appearances.

MY DEAR SON,

HAVING perused these testimonial traditions from both ancient and modern times, and from all quarters of the globe, let us fairly and dispassionately ask ourselves,-not what we may choose or like to believe or to disbelieve,— but what is the right and rational conclusion to which they should lead us, as men seeking for truth; valuing only what is true and real, and desirous to avoid all fallacies and prepossessions.

We observe, as we peruse them, a singular diversity of circumstances. This is an advantage to us in an inquiry into the certainty of the great event we are investigating; for these differences and peculiarities satisfy us, that they are not copies from each other, as all uniformity may be. It is always possible that the exactly similar may be borrowed from what is so, but wherever variation begins, this possibility diminishes. The diminution increases with the difference; and when the discrepances become so great as those of India and North and South America are found to be, on comparing them with the accounts of antiquity and the ideas of the classical nations, the possibility of a copy ceases, and changes into that character which we denominate by the contrary

term.

Convinced from this consideration that we have before us a large collection of independent traditions, what is the impartial judgment which our reasoning mind, according to its usual laws and operations in all our other researches and transactions, should and will naturally form on this subject?

Is it possible for us, without forcing our reason out of its natural bias and tendency, on such evidence, to avoid concluding that there has been a general deluge, overwhelming the earth and that population upon it which preceded our present race?