MIOCENE ATLANTIS. 33 



In America, on the other hand, where the flora was not annihikted it must have been tkivun 

 into its south-west corner ; and the sixice there into which it must have beem circumscribed was much 

 smaller than it is now, for the north-east of Mexico was also then under water as well as Texas, 

 as is proved by the tertiarj' deposits now covering these districts. Thus it seems plain that all reason- 

 ing from the present distribution of plants or animals, or their relative preponderance on this or that 

 side of the continent, must be inapplicable to the state of things which existed prior to the glacial 

 epoch, and therefore can only have an indirect bearing on the miocene Atlantis. That question 

 must be decided on other grounds altogether. The objections to the hypothesis are thus stated 

 by Sir Charles Lyell : — 



" If the evidence in the botanical scale were equally balanced in favour of these two opposite 

 theories, a geologist would not hesitate to prefer that of Dr. Asa Gray as demanding an incomparably 

 smaller amount of change in physical geography since the close of the miocene period. It is true 

 that since the beginning of that era there have been vast alterations in the level of the Alps and 

 contiguous regions, and in the Mediterranean, especially the vEgean Sea. And there has been, 

 perhaps, as the late Edward Forbes contended, an extension westward of European and North 

 African land, even in the pHocene period. If, instead of assigning an almost historical date to 

 a continental condition of the area between Africa and the Southern States of North America, such as 

 might realize the story of the Atlantis spoken of by the Egyptian priests to Plato,- we could 

 look back through the whole interval which separates us from the eocene or cretaceous periods, we 

 might then, indeed, freely grant, as geologists, any amount of change that may be required in the 

 position of land and sea. 



" It is the enormous depth and width of the Atlantic which makes us shrink from the hypothesis 

 of a migration of plants, fitted for a sub-tropical climate in the upper miocene period, from 

 America to Europe, by a direct course from west to east." 



* Professor Unger gives the following account of the organization, and possessed a great intellectual and stra- 

 traditiou here referred to : tegic power. As the goddess loves war as much as wisdom,' 



"The early history of man is still wrapt iu obscurity. he continued, 'she selected a country which would produce 

 It is, therefore, the more surprising to meet with a tradi- men closely resembling herself. Under such laws aud 

 tion of the highest importance with respect to that geolo- excellent political institutions did your nation then live, 

 gical period, and containing as it were a confirmation of exceeding all others in virtue, as was fit for a people de- 

 the former connexion of Europe with America, though we scended from the gods, and educated by them, 

 should have thought that this connexion had ceased long " ' Jlany of the great deeds of your nation preserved in 



before 'man's appearance on earth. This curious tradition our writings cause surprise. But one of them exceeds all 

 is found in Plato's dialogue entitled 'Tima.>us.' Here direct others in magnitude and splendour. It is recorded how 

 mention is made of a great island of Atlantis, situated your country once opposed a power which with great ar- 

 beyond the Pillars of Hercules, and the seat of a powerful rogance pushed its way into Europe and Asia from the 

 nation. A priest of Sais made this singidar communica- Atlantic Ocean, for in those days that sea was navigable, 

 tion to Solon, who had gone to Egypt to become acquainted Beyond the entrance, which you call the Pillars of Hercules, 

 with the wisdom of that caste. It is mixed with a gi-eat there was an island larger than Libya aud Asia together, 

 deal that must appear unhistorical, and it puzzles us to From it navigators passed to the other islands, and from 

 know how an Egyptian priest coidd have come by this tra- them to the opposite continent, which surrounded that 

 dition, or how Plato could arrive at so singular a concep- ocean. 



tion. Let us hear Plato himself: — 'After the said priest "'For the sea, situated inside that strait of which wc 



has pointed out that Egypt is the only country where speak, appears to be a sea with a narrow entrance, but the 

 traces of the oldest history of man could be preserved, he other would justly be termed an ocean, and the adjacent 

 informs Solon that Greece, aud especially Athens, had a land a continent. On this extensive Atlantic island there 

 very ancient history, which, however, had been lost there, was a powerful and singular kingdom, whose dominion ex- 

 he draws his attention to the fact that that country was tended not only over the whole island, but over many 

 settled earUer even than Sais by the goddess Neith. other islands and parts of the continent. It ruled, also, 

 Athens enjoyed at remote times a well-regulated political over Libya as far as Egypt, and over Europe as far as 



