1 86 OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING 



in Europe. Some have fuppofed, that they were ereded 

 by the army of Fernando De Soto, before the middle of 

 the fixteenth century.* But this opinion was hardly 

 worthy of a ferious confideration. By feme they have 

 been attributed to the Welfh, and by fome to the Mexi- 

 cans 'y-f whilft by others, again, they have been confi- 

 dered as proofs of the exiftence of extenfive civilized 

 nations in America, at fome very remote period of 

 time.+ 



It is now about ten years fmce I firft turned my atten- 

 tion to the fubjeft of the American monuments, and 

 fmce I began to colle6t materials for a work which is in- 

 tended to involve the phyfical and moral hiftoiy of the 

 aboriginal Americans. § In this work, the favourite ob- 



* See The American Magazine, for December 1787, p. 15, 16, 17, 18, 

 and 19. Alfo the fame for January, 1788, p. 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, and 

 93. for February, 1788, p. 146, 147, 148, 149, ijo, 151, 132, 153, 154, 

 155, and 156. 



f The conjeiflure which I formerly offered to the public concerning the 

 original of thefe American monuments, I think it neceflary to explain with 

 more perfpicuity, becaufe it has evidently been mifreprefented. My hy- 

 pothefis was briefly this, that the fortifications, and other artificial eminen- 

 ces in America, were conftrufted by the Toltecas, or fome other American 

 nation, and that the Danes were the anceftors of that nation. I had alfo 

 imagined that the Danes had contrihuied to the peopling of America. See 

 Obfefvatlons on fome Parts of Natural Hijlory : to ■which is prefixed an Account of 

 feveral remarkable 'vejliges of an ancient date, ivhich have been difcovered in different 

 parts of North-America. Part firft, p. 65. But I did not imagine, or affert, 

 that this continent " was peopled from the north of Europe, probably by the 

 Danes." See the Critical Review, for Odtober, 1787, p. 260, and 261. 

 On the contrary, in another place, I had mentioned it as a fuppofition 

 more than probable, that America " has been peopled from a thoufand 

 fources ;" fee Obfervations, ^c. p. 4, and had even hinted that the Iro- 

 quois came off from the north-eaft parts of Afia. Ibid. p. 66. 



1 This feems to be the opinion of Dr. Dunbar of Aberdeen. See his 

 Effays on the Hiftory of Mankind in rude and cultivated ages, p. 193. Lon- 

 don: 1 78 1. 



§ My friends, if not the public at large, have often inquired concerning 

 this work. I have never hefitated to affign the true reafons for its delay. 

 Tied down, by the necefllties of life, to the pradlice of an anxious and an 

 arduous profeffion ; depending upon this profeflion for my daily bread and 

 fubfiftence, it is obvious that I am not in poffeffion of that leifure and of 



that 



