The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-09-04

their progenitor AmdiiUica, arrived in
their country in bark canoe, at the
time of the great deluge, which is cal
led the age Of water. This tradition,
with some notifications, was current
among many tribes; and the name ol
Amalivica was found spread over re.
gion ofmore than forty thousand square
miles, where he was termed the "Fath.
er Of Mankind"
The aboriginal Chilians say that their
progenitors escaped from the deluge
by ascending high mountain, which
they still point out.
| The Muyscas Of New Grenada have
a a'tradition that they were taught to
clothe themselves, to worship the sun,
and to cultivate the earth, by an old
man with long flowing beard; but
that his wife, less benevolent, caused
The valley Of Bogota to be inundated.
by which all the natives persisted, save
a few who were preserved on the
mountains.
A tradition said to be handed down
from the Toltecs, concerning the pyra-
mid of Cholula, in Mexico, relates that
it was built by one Of seven giants,
who alone escaped fromlhe deuge, by
taking refuge in the cavern Of lofty
mountain. The brick OF which the
pyramid was composed we're made in
a distant province, and conveyed by a
file ofmen who passed them from hand
to hand. But the gods, beholding with
wrath the attempt to build an edifce
whose top should reach the clouds.
hurled fire upon the pyramid, by which
numbers Of the workmen perished.--
The work was discontinued and the
monument was afterwards dedicated
to the "Gop OF THE AIR"
The Mexicans ascribed all their i'm,
provements in the arts and the cere-
MONIES OF their religion, to a white and
bearded man who came from.an ufl-
known region, and was made high
priest Of the city of lula. From the
numerous blessings which he bestowed
upon mankind, and his aver sion to cru
city and war. his, was called the gold
en- age, and the era OF peace. Having
received from the Great Spirit drink
which made him immortal, and being
inspired with the desire of visiting dis
tant country, he went to the east, and,
disappearing On the coast was never af.
forwards seen. In one of the Mexi-
can picture writings there is delinea-
ton of venerable looking man, who
with his wife, was saved in a canoe at
the time Of the great inundation, and,
upon the retiring of the waters OF the
fleod, was landed upon mountain cal.
led Colhuacan. Their children were
born dumb, and received different Ian
guages from a.dove upon lofty tree.
The natives of Mechoacan are said
by Glavigero, Humboldt, and others, to
have tradition, which if correctly re-
ported, accords most singularly with
the scrip.ural account of the dsluge.
The tradition relates that at the time
of the great deluge, Tezpi, with his
wife and children, embarked in a CALI
Or house, taking with them several an.
mails, and the seeds Of different fruits,
md that when the waters began to
a bird, called aura, was sent
,ut, which remained feeding upon car.
ion; and that other birds were then
ient out, which did not return, except
he humming bird, which brought a
mall branch in its mouth.
These traditions, and many others
If a similar character that might be
form an important link in
he chain Of testimony which goes to
ubstantiate the authenticity of Divine
Revelations. We behold the unletter-
ID tribes of a vast continent, who have
ost all knowledge Of their origin, or
migration hither, preserving with re-
distinctness, the apparent ira,
ition of certain events which the in,
pired pcnman tells US happened in the
arly ages Of the worlds history. We
eadily detect, in several Of these trs. .
itions. clouded though they are by !
ables, striking coincidence with the