94 On the supposed Welch- Indians . 



hint that it is worthy of your attention. I, certainly, 

 think there is some foundation for the story ; but I 

 have no doubt, that the whole affair will turn out very 

 different from a discovery of Madog's descendants in 

 America. 



" I have said, that I think there is some ground 

 for the story. I shall explain myself. You know 

 that many of the first visitors of the new- world were 

 struck with the resemblance which subsists between 

 some of the American nations and the Jews. Some 

 Hebrew words were found in this continent, as they 

 have been every- where else. The Americans were, 

 now, said to be the descendants of the Jews, and 

 Adair laboured very hard to prove the matter, in a 

 ponderous quarto, which few people read, because it 

 is big with system and extravagance, though, indeed, 

 it contains some curious and accurate matter. In 

 like manner, in the languages of some of the Ameri- 

 can tribes, there are found some words which are a 

 good deal analogous to words in the languages of the 

 ancient Celts. Wafer, who was a very respectable 

 observer, if we consider his occupation in life, men- 

 tions the coincidence which he found between the 

 language of the Indians of Darien, and that of the 

 Highland-Scots; and I could produce instances of 

 this coincidence. Some Greek words are, also, found 

 in certain of the American languages. I would not 

 strain a point so much as some writers have, who 

 mention the coincidence which subsists between the 

 Greek Theos, and the Mexican Tcotl. The word 

 Potowmack, which is the name of one of our great 



