252 NEW ATLANTIS 



man saith (for that whole tract is little subject to 

 earthquakes), but by a particular deluge or inundation, 

 those countries having at this day far greater rivers 

 and far higher mountains to pour down waters, than 

 any part of the Old World. But it is true that the 

 same inundation was not deep, not past forty foot in 

 most places from the ground, so that although it de 

 stroyed man and beast generally, yet some few wild 

 inhabitants of the wood escaped. Birds also were saved 

 by flying to the high trees and woods. For as for men, 

 although they had buildings in many places higher than 

 the depth of the water, yet that inundation, though it 

 were shallow, had a long continuance, whereby they of 

 the vale that were not drowned perished for want of 

 food, and other things necessary. 



So as marvel you not at the thin population of 

 America, nor at the rudeness and ignorance of the 

 people ; for you must account your inhabitants of 

 America as a young people, younger a thousand years 

 at the least than the rest of the world, for that there 

 was so much time between the universal flood and their 

 particular inundation. For the poor remnant of human 

 seed which remained in their mountains peopled the 

 country again slowly, by little and little, and being 

 simple and savage people (not like Noah and his sons, 

 which was the chief family of the earth) they were not 

 able to leave letters, arts, and civility to their posterity ; 

 and having likewise in their mountainous habitations 

 been used (in respect of the extreme cold of those 

 regions) to clothe themselves with the skins of tigers, 

 bears, and great hairy goats, that they have in those 

 parts ; when after they came down into the valley, and 

 found the intolerable heats which are there, and knew 

 no means of lighter apparel, they were forced to begin 

 the custom of going naked, which continueth at this 

 day. Only they take great pride and delight in the 

 feathers of birds, and this also they took from those 

 their ancestors of the mountains, who were invited 

 unto it, by the infinite flight of birds that came up to 

 the high grounds, while the waters stood below. So 



