The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-09-01

existed between Europe and America, as
late as the tertiary period, by comparison
Of the recent and fossil Aoras Of the two
continents. Other evidence Of ike nature
may be found in professor Gray's review
Of the history of gigantic red-woods Sc
qtoias) Of California, reprinted in "Dar-
winiana."
With such support the traditions Of the
ancient world, on both sides of the Allan
tic, begin to read like something more
than empty myths. The Egyptian priests,
il is more than likely, were reciting verita-
bic history when they told SolOn about
the islands Of continental magnitude that
formerly existed in the outer sea be-
yond the pillars Of hercules, but had sunk
beneath the waters. And il is not impos-
sible that the mighty kings of Atlantis
may have Invaded Europe and Africa, as
the Egyptian books narrated, aud overrun
those countries as far us Greece aud
Egypt.
The story of the of sinking Atlantis dur
ing a time floods and earthquakes was pre-
served with even greater fullness OF detail
on the American continent, if there is any
truth in the representations of Brasceur
de Bour Eourge. That student of Central
American monuments and traditions as
serts that not only was the story Of the
submergence of u great country to the
eastward widely spread among the natives
aud frequently referred to in their writ
ings, but that seasons of humiliation and
prayer win be observed in commemoration
of such disasters--both princes and people
humbling themselves before their divinity
and praying that the calamities which had
overtaken their ancestors might never be
repeated These great commissions are
specially dwelt upon in the. Indian tradi-
tions, and one or two minor ones are men
toned, when the land was shaken by
frightful earthquakes and the waves of the
sea combined with volcanic fires to over
whclm and enguli it. BY these convul.
sions the land was swept and submerged,
but few of the inhabitants escaping in
boats or finding refuge on the tops of
high mountains
TO the evidence of tradition de Bour-
bourge adds that of language. The words
Atias and Atlantic, he says, have no salts
factory etymology in any language of the
Old World. On the other hand, the rad
ical all is characteristic of the Nahuatl
language, WEIGH played so important a part
in Mexico and Central America. II sig
niied water, war, and the top of the head,
and furnished series of words, such as
dtLda, on the border Of or amid the water;
also dtiaza (preterit. dtLaz,) to combat or
be in agony, and to hurl or dart from the
water. Atkan was the name of native
city at the entrance of the Gulf Of Uraba,
in Darien. The same combination ap-
pearcd also in Quet=dLchohuati, the name
of the quetzal plumbed serpent god of the
Aztecs.
We are not aware of any geological
reason for doubling the possibility of the
lingering Of Atlantis as an archipelago
down to post-tertiary times, and its final
submergence within the period since man
appeared. The probability of its cotinu-
ance hinges entirely on the credibility of
human traditions. In the absence of con.
fiicting evidence, the concurrence of testi-
mouy from people so widely separated as
the ancient Greeks and Egyptians on the
one side and the Central Americans on
the other, may in some minds count for
great deal. At any rate it must be admit
ted that Atlantis has ecisted as a substan-
tial reality.-Scielltifc American.