The Ottawa free trader., 1876-01-15
Atlantis.


The Atlantic Ocean is supposed to have de-
rived its name from an ancient continent or
island, which was submerged and lost be-
meath Its waters,
The shallowest part of the Atlantic is in
what the Portuguese call the Merde Sargasso,
or "weedy sea-" This vast waste, extending
from the thirtleth meridian to the West Indies,
and between the parallels of 30 deg. W. and
10 N, is in many portions densely covered
with gulfwecd. The Azores in the east, and
the Bahamas IN the west, appear to mark its
limit. In this shallow plateau Of the Allan
TIC bed, the ancients, searching for the long
lost island. encountered such quantities of
weed as to thwart further reseach; and to-
day, the sailing vessel, unluckily driven into
the Sargasso Sea, experiences much difficulty
| in extricating itself from the dense mass of
| floating timber and sea-woed The sight
of this strange spectacle, in the midst of the
ocean, revives in the mind OF the beholder the
story Of the long lost Atlantis and the weedy
sea, undisturbed by ocean currents, ever cir.
cling about its lonely haunt, over the grave
of buried continent, appears ever solemniz'
ing the funeral rites OF an untimely burial, or
garlanding It's calm and undsturbed sepul.
chre.
But is this story oi the long lost Atlantis a
myth, or n well authenticated iacts The
Atlantides, or the Atlantic race, spoken of by
ancient authorities, tlourished in the first
centuries of the pOst'diluvian world. The
best authorities on American antiQuitics-the
man who has studied the writings traditions,
and monuments left by this race more thor
oughly than any other-is Brosseur de. .Bour
bourg. He claims that In the old Central
American books, there are constant refer
ences made to a series of catastrophers, which
eliminated in the utter destruction of the
land and the people.
When the Spanards first became acquant
ed with the inhabitants OF Central America,
they found everywhere the traditions of this
dire calamity, which overlook kings anu
people in the midst of their various pursuits.
Some of the inhabitants are said to have cs.
capped In ships, some to the high mountains,
and some to the adjacent continents. Quo's.
tons are also made from old Central Ameri.
can books, verifying these traditions. As, for
example: The land was shaken by fright.
ful earthquakes, and the waves Of the sea,
combined with volcanic fire TO overwhelm
and engulf it,"
The memory of this remarkable event has
also been preserved by the Central Americans
IN their festivals,-one Of which was celebrat-
ed in the month Of IZcalli, which was insti-
tuted solely 10 commemorate the time of this
frightiul dispcnsation; and In this feast the
people BUNDLED themselves before the di
vini,y, and besought him to withhold the re-
turn OF such terrible calamites."
Passing over from the New to the Old
World, We find mention is made by many of
the old authors, such as Solon, Plato. and the
learned priests Of Egypt, ot the lost Island Of
Atlantis. Traditions of the Islands Of the
Blessed came down through Greek sources !;
for Solon knew Of Atlantis before he visited
Egypt. But in this, rs In all other matters,
the comparatively modern civilizations of
Scion and Lycurgus, in Greece, were indebt-
ed chiefly 10 the older nations for their laws,
institutions, and learning. Egypt was the
more immediate fountain whence the early
Greek philosophers drew their Inspirations
| The first voyage Of Solon, says Plutarch
after he had finished HIS code Of laws for
Africa, was TO Egypt. There he conversed
upon points Of philosophy with Psenopolis,
The Heliopoitan, and Senchis, the SaIte, the
most learned OF the Egyptian priests; and
having an accurate account from them Of the
Atlantic islands as Plato informs u.s. he at.
,empis to describe it 10 the Grecians in u
poem.
Cousins Translation of Plato's records of
Solons Egyptian story is cited by Abbe Bros
seur de. Bourbourg as follows:
Among the great deeds of Athens, OF
! which recollection is preserved in our books,
there is one which should be placed above
all others. Our books tell that the Athenians
destroyed an army which came across the
A'lsntic sea, and insclen,ly invaded Europe
and Asia; for this sea was then navigable.
and, beyond the strait, where YOU place the
ipillars of Hercules, there was an island lar.
ger than Asia Minor and Libya combined.
From this island one could pass easily 10 the
other islands, and from there TO the continent.
Shich lies around the Interior The sea ON
this side Of the strait lthe Mediterranean, of
which we speak, resembles q harbor With n
! narrow entrance; but there is a genuine sea,
and the land which surrounds il is a averilable
continent In the island of Atlantis reignr,'
three k:igs, with great and marvellous poUcr
They had under their dominion the " hole OF
Atlantis, several other islands, and some part,
of the continent At one time their power
eitended into Lydia, and into Europe - LAT
.a .,1 a. t..f..