THE PYRAMIDS. 



159 



its of the Frozen Sea, when immediately to the south the 

 hot and arid plains of Arabia and Armenia afforded an 

 easy passage to the equatorial latitudes ; and as far as the 

 Old World was concerned, it may be said, that no ani- 

 mal, in leaving the ark, had to pass through a zone incon- 

 genial to its nature. Neither is it to be assumed that this 

 evidently wise scheme of Providence was violated with 

 regard to America. 



The probability is, that there once existed easy modes 

 of communication, which have since disappeared in some 

 mighty physical convulsion : and the opinion that this is 

 the case, gains additional strength, both from the config- 

 uration of this portion of the globe, and the vague but 

 certain traditions, which are entertained by many na- 

 tions, of such a second great catastrophe having taken 

 place posterior to the deluge. 



The concurrept testimony of many scientific observers 

 as to the appearance of the eastern coasts of Asia, and 

 the groups of islands scattered over the Indian and Pa- 

 cific oceans, and the proofs of large bodies of land hav- 

 ing disappeared, need not be dwelt upon ; nor the almost 

 universal tradition current among those islands, of such a 

 great physical convulsion, or disruption of the continents 

 perfectly distinct from those of the great deluge. He 

 who is disposed to glean, may glean from the history of 

 the nations of the Old World, testimony to the same pur- 

 port. The Egyptians, the Chinese, the Hindoos, have 

 all similar records, concerning this second great revolu- 

 tion, which seemingly produced these great changes on 

 the surface of the globe, and in the disposition of its 

 parts. 



. It may be further mentioned, that the signification of 

 the name of the patriarch Peleg (that is division ; # " for 

 in his days the earth was divided") corroborates this idea 

 in a singular manner. The word rendered " division," 

 signifying, according to good authorities, a physical, and 

 not a political division or separation ; for proofs of which 

 you may be referred to the ingenious work of Dr. M'CuI- 



* See Genesis x, 25. 



