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 trimurtl, or trinity of the Flindoos, 
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, tom. 1, p. 274. 
