116 The Humming Bird. 



POPULATION OF AMERICA 



Before and after its discovery 

 By CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 



According to the last censi made, the actual population of 

 America stands as follows : 



Russian Colonies in America, about. ... 50 000 



British Colonies in America 10 000 000 



French Colonies in America 50 000 



Dutch Colonies in America. 50 000 



Spanish Colonies in America 4 000 000 



United-States of America 6°2 000 000 



Mexico 11 500 000 



Central America, Guatemala, Honduras, Sal- 

 vador, Nicaragua and Costa-Rica .... 3 200 000 



Hayti. . 1 200 000 



Colombia 4 000 000 



Venezuela °2 300 000 



Brazil 14 000 000 



Argentine Republic 4 100 000 



Paraguay 400 000 



Uruguay 700 000 



Chili 21 800 000 



Bolivia 2 300 ( 00 



Peru °2 700 000 



Ecuador 1 300 000 



Millions 126 650 000 



We may say in round numbers one hundred and twenty six 

 millions of inhabitants. If we take into account what Bartiio- 

 lomcus of Las Casas write to CHARLES THE FIFTH : « that the 

 Spaniards, in few years, on the Islands Cuba, Hispanic la, 

 in Honduras and New-Spain, destroyed above 2.600. OOO men 

 and the slaughter that was made afterwards in Peru, 

 Brazil, Rio de la Plata and other places, far exceeding the 

 above mentioned number», we can suppose that the American 

 Continent was well populated at the time of its discovery, 

 and 1 don't think that one hundred millions, as the number of 

 inhabitants at that time, is exageraled. 



This is another proof of the ancientness of AMERICA, and 

 the resume of all what precedes is that I am fully convinced 

 that AMERICA is a very old Continent, which probably formed 

 part of the ATLANTIS, or at least was frequented and popu- 

 lated by the ATLANTES. 



