The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-10-17

nations winch have disappeared llnm
the Old World whose descendants.
collected together in small tribes.
are now wandering through the vast
dcsarts Of America.
II languages supply eVrn the mosl
feeble evidences OF ancient Communl.
cation between the two worlds, THE *
tcnce OF that communication must Oe
fully established by the cosmpg8ny,
Tho monlrncnts. the hieroglyphics,
and the institutions Of the people ol
Asia aud America. Hitherto il haa
been impossible IL determine the pc
rlod at which pronf could be given
al the fact, nor could any thing he
more rash than Ia attempt {, de
scribe the gr0ups 0t naii"n on our
continent that have the greatest a
nalogy with the Toltrcas, the Az
tcCas. the MuisCas, and the Pcravi-
ans, since this could ouly he discDv-
cred by traditions, monuments and
cuatmes, which must have existed
earlier, perhaps, than when the pre-
sent division ot the III habitants nj ~
sia INTO Chinese, Megus, Hlndoos.
nc. &c. took place.
When the New World was dis
oovercd--or at the period when il IN
known that the first invention by
Spanlards took place, the Americans
most advanced IN civilization were
such a, inhabited the mountains. II
WAS natural for men bora in the
plains of the temperate Zones to fol-
low the chain of mountains, which
heightened III proportion az il ap.
preached the equator. ihoso Gle
waited regions presented t. them n
temperature and hcrbago eangenial
To those of their native sotl The
faculties become moro easily deve-
topped III place where man ennlin-
ed to "A barren soil, itnda himself an
der lbe nc SHY of Struggling With
the parSlmony Of mature. aud can
only obtain victory aitrr = t#ng con-
test. The dry mountains II Cauca-
Sis dDh &thiid AVA IS I've ~ h''
asylum for &c ald barb rons natl
ons. Da. al thus parts OF sn'ricd
about the equator, "hore saNanhdne,
clad in perpetual vcrdure, were
suspended in so'ne degroa ado,e the
region Of the clouds, Thea were no
nations more civilized than those on
he mountains. TNeir first progress
II the arts VAS as ancient as the IN
galar form Of tncir Governments,
Which, in general, iestraincd the Ii
berty of individuals.
The New Continent. like that Of
Africa aud Asia, presents various
traces of primitive civilization, the
mutual relations of which are as
much unknown as those ut !uibct
aud China. The improvements III
Mexico came from country sltna-
ted towards the North, while in
South America the great cdiiices OF
riahnnco served As models for the
monuments which the Inca1 erected
in CuzC0. In the midst of the ex-
tensiVe plains of Upper Canada, IN
Florida, and in the desarts tsfhmt-
ted by the O1'lnoeo, as we'll a. III u
ther places oi the continent, "c iind
fosscs of considerable length, Drazcn
armour and sculpture, which pre-
sent additional testimony at these
places having been Inhabited by an
industrious people, though they are
now but the temporary abode 81 the
wandering tribe Of savage hanters.
The vase distribution Of animals
over the face Ut tine globo has had Il
great influence On tho lot OF nations,
and in their greater OF less rapid ad-
VanCemcut in those arts which I'M
prove mankind in the acqu sltlons ot
rational beings. On the Oll Con-
tincnt pastoral life has been the
transition or first step which natl
ons accustomed to live on the pro
dnce Of the chase took towards a
state OF agriculture. Those animals
which ruminate OF chew the cad,
and are to be found in every climate,
have always accompanied the Asti-
can negro, the natives Of Mognl and
Malay, az we'll as the barbarons
tribes which inhabiy the Caucasus.
Though the"e ars various kinds OF
uuadruped5 and II greater proldslon
Of vegetables common To the more
northern parts Of bntn worlds. A
mcrica has no other species ut OK
than the bison and musk, both diff
cult to be domesticated, and the lie.
males Of which give little milk, not.
wilhstanding the goodness of the