7 6z THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Columbus found almost impenetrable. Again, Plato, in an extract from 

 Proclus, speaks of an island in the Atlantic whose inhabitants pre- 

 served knowledge from their ancestors of a large island in the Atlan- 

 tic, which had dominion over all other islands of this sea. 



Plutarch, in his life of the philosopher Solon, Herodotus, and other 

 ancient writers, speak of this island as a known fact, and it is impos- 

 sible to believe otherwise than that Seneca thought of Atlantis when 

 he writes in his tragedy of " Medea " : " Late centuries will appear, 

 when the ocean's veil will lift to open a vast country. New worlds 

 will Thetsys unveil. Ultima Thule " (Iceland) " will not remain the 

 earth's boundary." He evidently believed in the unknown island and 

 continent, and knew it would not remain for ever unknown. 



Diodorus Siculus says that " opposite to Africa lies an island which, 

 on account of its magnitude, is worthy to be mentioned. It is several 

 days distant from Africa. It has a fertile soil, many mountains, and 

 not a few plains, unexcelled in their beauty. It is watered by many 

 navigable rivers, and there are to be found estates in abundance 

 adorned with fine buildings." Again he says, " Indeed, it appears on 

 account of the abundance of its charms as though it were the abode of 

 gods and not of men." 



The situation, the description of the country, in fact every particu- 

 lar, agrees precisely with our idea of Atlantis ; and what other land 

 now in existence agrees in any way with this description what isl- 

 ands of magnitude that contain navigable rivers, large fertile plains, 

 and mountains ? 



Turning from our well-known ancient writers, we find in all the 

 traditions and books of the ancient Central Americans and Mexicans 

 a continual recurrence to the fact of an awful catastrophe, similar to 

 that mentioned by Plato and others. 



Now, what are we to believe ? This, that either the traditions and 

 narratives of these ancient writers and historians of both lands are but 

 a tissue of fabrications, evolved from their own brains, with perhaps 

 a small thread of fact, or else that they are truths, and truths proving 

 that the Americas, instead of being the youngest habitation of man, 

 are among the oldest, if not, as De Bourbourg affirms, the oldest. 



Brasseur de Bourbourg, who Baldwin says has studied the monu- 

 ments, writings, and traditions left by this civilization more carefully 

 and thoroughly than any man living, is an advocate of this theory, 

 and to him are we indebted for most of our translations of the tradi- 

 tions and histories of the ancient Americans. 



To the imaginative and lovers of the marvelous, this theory is pe- 

 culiarly fascinating, and the fact that there is plausible evidence of its 

 truth adds to the effect. With their mind's eye they can see the dread- 

 ful events, as recorded by Plato, as in a panorama. They see the fair 

 and fertile country, filled with people, prosperous and happy; the sound 

 of busy life from man and beast fills the air. Comfort and prosperity 



