8 
tribes; Puelche, Chonos, Araucan, 
Tehuelet, Yacanac, Kemenet, &c. 
spread all over Austral America 
from Chili to Magelaniaand Fuego 
islands. 
Even these 25 Languages and 
Original Nations may perhaps be 
reduced to 18 by more accurate 
investigation; thus the4th and 5th 
may become united; as well as 6 and 
8, 7 and 11, 9 and 10, as they have 
considerable analogies. The same 
may happen in South America with 
15, 16 and 19, also with 17,18 and 
20, which approximate by gradual 
dialects. *C. S. RAFiNESquE. 
July 4th t 1829. 
Remark . — The above was pub- 
lished in the Evening Post; it is now 
reprinted because it is the key to 
American Ethnology, Philology and 
History 1 The proofs would fill 
volumes. It is results that analyti- 
cal Sciences chiefly require. The 
wide extent of Nations 1,2, 3, 12, 
15, 16, 22, were already acknow- 
ledged: the others depend on my 
researches, and are open yet to 
many improvements, nay, I have 
effected some since 1829. 
5. The Atlantic JYations of Ame- 
rica. By C. S. RAFiNESquE. 
The Ocean separating Europe 
and Africa from America is yet 
called the Atlantic ocean, our litoral 
states are called the Atlantic states. 
The Atlantes of North Africa who 
gave their name to the Atlas 
mountains, and whose descendants 
exist there as yet under the names 
of Tuarics, Berbers, Shelluh, 
Showiah, &c. were one of the primi- 
tive nation of both continents. 
They came to America soon after 
the flood, 3 if not before, colonised 
and named the Ocean and the 
islands in it, as well as America, 
which Was called the Great 
Atlantis, or rather ATALA, 
meaning the first or * main land , 
This name is preserved in Hindu 
traditions. The Atlantes were 
not the only primitive colonists 
of America^ but they were the most 
conspicuous and civilized. Their 
true name was Atalans. They 
may have been the founders of 
Otolum and many other ancient 
cities. Their descendants exist to 
this day in America, under the 
names of Talas or Tarascas, Ata- 
lalas, M atalans, Talegawis, Otalis 
or Tsulukis, Talahuicas, Chontalas 
or Tsendalas, &c. from Carolina to 
Guatimala. 
When Columbus discovered 
again America, he and the earliest 
explorers were struck with the 
similarity between many American 
tribes, and the Guanches of the 
Canary islands, remains of the 
Oceanic Atlantes, in features, man- 
ners and speech. Whether the 
Haytians, Cubans, and Aruacs were 
genuine Atlantes is rather doubtful, 
because their language is more akin 
to the Pelagic than the Atlantic. 
But three at least out of the twenty- 
five original nations of America 
above enumerated may safely be 
deemed children of the Atlantes. 
They are the ninth or Otalis, the 
tenth or Atalans, and the fourteenth 
or Chontals. 
This could be proved in many 
ways, and by their languages com- 
pared with those of their African 
brethren, Tuarics, Guanches, &c. 
after a separation of nearly 5000 
years. But the proofs would fill a 
volume. 
Our actual Che roki sand akin tribes 
are the children of the first branch, 
named Otalis. This was their ori- 
ginal name. Adair only 100 years 
ago says that the genuine or upland 
Cherokis were called Otalis, which 
name meant mountaineers as in 
Africa. They call themselves now 
Tsulukis. Our name of Cherokis is 
derived from the word Chelakis, 
name of a tribe. They have not the 
sound of R in their speech. Only 
one tribe substitutes R to L. The 
interesting history of this nation 
shall deserve our attention hereafter. 
The Chontal branch or nation 
will come under notice in investi- 
gating the antiquities of Otolum 
