200 



in treating of the Pastous*, an American nation, 

 who eat nothing but vegetables, and who hold 

 in abhorrence those who feed on flesh; or in 

 speaking of the dogma of the metempsychosis 

 received among the Tlascaltecks. We shall 

 examine the Mexican tradition of the four suns, 

 or four destructions of the world ; as well as the 

 traces of the trimnrti, or trinity of the Hindoos, 

 found in the religion of the Peruvians. Not- 

 withstanding these striking analogies existing 

 between the nations of the New Continent, and 

 the Tartar tribes who have adopted the religion 

 of Bouddah, I think I discover in the mythology 

 of the Americans, in the style of their paintings, 

 in their languages, and especially in their exter- 

 nal conformation, the descendants of a race of 

 men, which, early separated from the rest of 

 mankind, has followed for a lengthened series of 

 ages a peculiar road in the unfolding of its intel- 

 lectual faculties, and in its tendency towards 

 civilization. 



* Garcilasso, Comentarios reales, torn. 1, p. 274. 



