( 5 ) 



Auguftine Torniel is of opinion, that the defen- 

 dants of Shem and Japhet have patted to America, 

 and from thence to the countries lying to the fouth- 

 ward of the ftreights of Magellan, by the way of 

 Japan, and the Continent, to the Northward of 

 the Archipel, or clufter of iflands. A Sicilian, 

 whofe name is Marinocus, makes no doubt of the 

 Romans having fent a Colony into this country, 

 for which he has no other reafon, than a report 

 current in his time, that a medal of Auguftus was 

 found in one of the mines of Peru ; as if it had not 

 been more natural to fuppofe, that fome Spaniard 

 had accidentally dropt this medal, when vifiting 

 thefe mines. Paulus Jovius has dreamt that the Mexi- 

 cans have been among the Gauls, which ridiculous 

 opinion he founds upon the human facrifices which 

 thofe two nations offered to their falfe divinities. 

 But if this pretended refemblance proves any thing, 

 it would much rather prove that the Gauls had been 

 in Mexico, a people whom we know to have been 

 always of a wandering difpofition, and to have peo* 

 pled many provinces by the colonies they fent out. 



The Frifelanders have likewife had their parti- 

 fans with refpecl: to the origin of the Americans. 

 Juffridus Petri and Hamconius affert, that the inha- 

 bitants of Peru and Chili came from Frifeland. 

 James Charron and "William Poftel do the fame 

 honour to the Gauls, Abraham Milius to the an- 

 tient Celtas, Father Kirker to the Egyptians, and 

 Robert Le Compte to the Phenicians \ every one of 

 them at the fame time excluding all the reft. I 

 pafs by a great many other opinions, ftill lefs tena- 

 ble than the foregoing, equally founded on fimple 

 conjecture, and void of all probability, to come to 

 j:hofe who have made the deepen: refearches into this 

 affair, 



Ba 'The 



