NE IV A TLANTIS. 477 



them all in safety. Hut the Divine revenue overtook not long after 

 those proud enterprises ; for within less than the space of one hundred 

 years, the great Atlantis was utterly lost nnd destroyed, not by a great 

 earthquake, as your man saith, for that whole tract is little subject to 

 earthquakes, but by a particular delude 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. Hut it is true, that the 

 same inundation was nrt deep; not past forty foot in most places 

 from the ground : so that although it destroyed man and beast gene 

 rally, yet some few wild inhabitants of the wood escaped. Birds also 

 were saved by living 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 nidcness and ignorance 

 of the people ; for ^ou 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 a 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 in 

 tolerable heats which arc there, and knew no means of lighter apparel, 

 they were forced to begin the custom of going naked, which continueib 

 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 moun 

 tains, who were invited unto it by the infinite flight of birds that came 

 up to the high grounds while the waters stood below. So you see by 

 ihis main accident of time we lost our traffic with the Americans, with 

 whom, of all others, in regard they lay nearest to us, we had most com- 

 mcrcc. As for the other parts of the woild, it is most manifest that in 

 the ages following, whether it were in respect of wars, or by a natural 

 revolution of time, navigation did everywhere greatly decay, and 

 especially far voyages, the rather by the use of galleys and such vessels 

 as could hardly brook the ocean, were altogether left and omitted. So 

 then, that part of the intercourse which could be from other nations to 

 sail to us, you sec how it hath long since ceased, except it were by 

 some rare accident, as this of yours. Hut now of the cessation of thai 

 other part of intercourse, which might be by our sailing to other nations, 

 I must yield you some other cause ; for I cannot say, if I shall say 

 truly, but our shipping for number, strength, mariners, pilots, and all 

 things that appertain to navigation, is as great as ever ; and therefore 

 why we should sit at home I shall now give you an account by itself, 



