110 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



affent to his opinion. We fhall therefore, omit this 

 conteft:, and come to the moll: difficult point of our pro- 

 blem. 



IV. The quadrupeds and reptiles of the new world 

 paffed there by land. This fact will be made mod ma- 

 nifeft, by demonflrating the improbability and inconfift- 

 ency of other opinions. The great doctor of the church 

 Auguftin, was of opinion, that the wild beafls and de- 

 finitive animals which are in the iflands might have been 

 tranfported there by the angels. But this folution, al- 

 though it cuts off every difficulty in the palTage of wild 

 beafts to the new world, would not be acceptable in the 

 century in which we live. 



The fame doctor fuggefts three other folutions to the 

 difficulty: the wild beafls, he fays, might pafs by fwim- 

 ming to the ifles; they might be tranfported there by 

 men for the fake of hunting ; and they might alfo have 

 been formed there by nature as they were in the be- 

 ginning. But none of thefe folutions are fufficient to 

 remove the difficulties which are in the way of the paf- 

 fage of the wild beafts to the new world ; for as to the 

 firit, it is certain that whatever flrait there was between 

 the two continents, it is quite ridiculous to think that 

 animals which are not deftined to go into the water, or 

 accuftemed to fwimming, would attempt fuch a paffage : 

 it is true, that fome might have palfed by fwimming, as 

 the bears go from Corfica to France ; but who would 

 believe this of fo many American apes, that are totally 

 unfitted for fwimming ; or the Perico Iigero, or floth, 

 which is fo flow and difficult to move ? Befldes, what 

 could induce fo many wild animals to abandon the land 

 and encounter the dangers of the fea ? 



It 



