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DISSERTATION I. 



On the Population of America, and in particular that of 



Mexico. 



TV TO problem in hiftory has been more difficult of fo- 



ISS lution than the population of America, or has oc- 

 cafioned a greater diverfity of opinions. Ancient philo- 

 fophers were not more divided concerning the fupreme 

 good than the moderns about this. To examine them 

 all would be a fruitlefs labour. Neither do we intend 

 to eftablifh a new fyftem, having no foundation to fup- 

 port one : we mean fimply to offer and fubmit to the 

 judgment of the learned a few conjectures, which we 

 prefume may not be ufelefs. In order to proceed with 

 clearnefs and precifion, we fhall divide our general fub- 

 jecl: into feveral parts, and explain our fentiments on 

 each feparately. 



BETANCOURT, and other authors, are perfuaded, 

 that the new world began to be peopled before the de- 

 luge. That certainly might have happened, becaufc 

 the fpace of one thoufand fix hundred and fifty-fix years 

 elapfed from the creation of the firfl man until the de- 

 luge, according to the chronology of the Hebrew text 

 of Genefis, and our common reckoning ; and ftill more, 

 the fpace of two thoufand two hundred and forty-two, 

 or two thoufand two hundred and fixty-two years, ac- 

 cording to the computation of the Seventy, was certain- 



S E C T. I. 



At what Period America began to be peopled. 



Vol. III. 



N 



