96 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



fons of this author are fo weak that they do not merit 

 mention. Of thofe of Siguenza we (hall fpeak prefently. 



The other authors, who have not been willing to car- 

 ry their inquiries fo far into antiquity, have fought for 

 the origin of the Americans in different countries of the 

 world. Their opinions are fo numerous and different, 

 it is noteafy to recite them. Some think they find the 

 anceftors of the Americans in Afia, others trace them in 

 Africa, and others from Europe. Among thofe who 

 imagine they have found them in Europe, fome have 

 fuppofed their anceftors the Grecians, others the Ro- 

 mans, others the Spaniards, others the Irifh, others the 

 Courlanders, and fome the Ruffians. Among thofe 

 who report them originally from Africa, fome make 

 them the defcendants of the Egyptians, fome of the Car- 

 thaginians, and fome of the Numidians. But there is 

 no where greater variety of fentiment than among thofe 

 who believe the population of America due to Afia. 

 The Ifraelites, the Canaanites, the Aflyrians, the Phoe- 

 nicians, the Perfians, the Tartars, the Eaft Indians, the 

 Chinefe, the Japanefe, all have their advocates among 

 the hiftorians and philofophers of the two laft centuries. 

 Some, however, not content to look for the populators 

 in the known countries of the world, draw the famous 

 ifle Atlantida out of the waters of the ocean, to fend co- 

 lonies from it to America. But this is not extraordina- 

 ry; fince there are authors who, in order to do wrong to 

 no people, believe the Americans the defcendants of all 

 the nations of the world. 



So great a variety and extravagance of opinion is 

 owing to a perfuafion, that to make one nation be be- 

 lieved to have fprung from another, no more is necefla- 

 ry than to find fome affinity in the words of their lan- 

 guages, 



