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222 advances in the arts of civilized life, and there is no evidence to lead one to suppose that in migrations to the south they had by their own unaided efforts raised themselves in the state of civilization. Their traditions indeed prove the contrary; for the Mexicans and Peruvians ascribed the introduction of their social institutions to the teaching and influence of strangers. In Central America likewise there was some faint tradition of a similar nature; but the ignorance which the inhabitants at the time of the Spanish conquest evinced in regard to the origin of the great buildings they used or inhabited, proves that these buildings had been constructed some considerable time previous to the commencement of the 16th century. It would appear from the history of Yucatan that some internal commotions had taken place about a hundred years before the arrival of the Spaniards; in the course of which cities were destroyed, and the boundaries of the several tribes inhabiting the Peninsula much changed.

The circumstance that almost all the ruins of any importance in Central America are situated on or near the sea coast, or on or near navigable rivers, affords a presumption that these places were founded by a maritime people; and the fact that they are situated on the Eastern coast affords a presumption that the founders came from the West, namely across the Atlantic. We know very nearly the limits of the voyages made by the Northmen, and the most zealous advocate of their discoveries would be contented with Cape Hatteras as their most southern limit: thus it is unnecessary to look for their influence in Yucatan. Maritime enterprise was in a very low state in Europe in the dark Ages, and if voyages had then been made to America we should find some traces of Christianity. It is indeed not improbable that some vessels may have been driven to America by tempest, and that the worship of the cross found in some places may have been introduced in this manner, although it is very doubtful: but there was certainly no communication such as must have taken place if these cities were then built. The same reasoning precludes us from thinking that it could have taken place in the era of the Roman Empire, and therefore if there was any such communication at all it must have taken place before Roman supremacy was established.

Now it has been shown that there are to be found in the classics allusions to land of great extent beyond the Atlantic; and the descriptions there given of the climate, distance, rivers, and cities would coincide with Central America and the neighbouring Islands, if we could find there any traces of the influence of a Phœnician or Carthaginian Colony.