dispersion of the people, in the paintings increased to the size of a royal octavo a which served them as national archives. book, the matter of which might fairly have Moreover, they had in their system of reli- been compressed within the dimensions of gion monasteries and different orders of a duodecimo. monks.

To the list of distinguished writers who have embraced the opinion that America received at least the bulk of her inhabitants from eastern Asia, may be added the name of Mr. Pennant. The customs of scalping, torturing, and even eating their prisoners, of disguising themselves as wild beasts for the purpose of the chase, and of marching in file and not abreast, prevail, according to this author, as well among the American Indians as among the Scythians and inhabitants of Tartary, while in their physical formation the similarity is even more appa

rent.

Having thus, in some measure, recalled to our readers the opinions which have at various times prevailed respecting the parentage of the American aborigines, it is time to bestow our attention upon the work from which we have wandered.

There are three distinct assertions, the truth of which it is the author's aim to establish, though the first two are far less anxiously and laboriously investigated than the third. These are first, that the American nation are of two distinct races; secondly, that those to the north of Mexico are of Hebrew descent; and thirdly, that the Mexican and Southern aborigines were that remnant of the inhabitants of Tyre saved, after the destruction of their city, by Alexander the Great, and of whom Isaiah predicted that "these should be as the shaking of an olive-tree, as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done."

The first of these propositions, though perhaps (inasmuch as it influences the correctness of the second) the most important, is very cavalierly dealt with. Mr. Jones asserts that there are distinctive national differences in religion, politics, and customs, A great evil is conspicuous throughout as well as in physical conformation, between the whole book, viz. the diffuse and digres- the nations to the north and those to the sive style in which it is composed; we are south of Mexico: further, that the former indeed prepared for this by the following are as remarkable for all the virtues which announcement in the preface:-" Knowing can adorn humanity, as the latter are for from experience that works upon anti-vices which would have disgraced the Roquities, described in language cold as the marbles they illustrate, are not of deep interest to the general reader, the author has therefore avoided the usual frigid style, and has consequently placed around them such fervent glowing words as their novel characters have authorized and demanded." Under shelter of this considerate care for the amusement of his readers, and disregarding the intrinsic interest of his subject, however dryly handled, our author has introduced intercalary disquisitions upon every branch of the fine arts; he has drawn long and hypothetical characters of celebrated persons, from Hiram king of Tyre, down to his present majesty of Prussia; and, in fine, has contrived to put us in possession of his sentiments upon very many and very miscellaneous topics. Unhappily he has been but too successful in diffusing over the whole composition an inflated and frivolous tone, not only the worst which could be devised for a serious and important discussion, but which does not do justice to the information the author really possesses, and the ingenuity with which many of his propositions are maintained. An additional objection to this mode of composition is, that it has

mans under the corrupt sway of the later emperors. For these assertions no authority is adduced, though the author has apparently framed his peculiar creed alternately from Boturini and the calumniator of the Mexican race, M. de Pau. In opposition to these statements, we find in Humboldt that "the nations of America, except those which border on the Polar circle, form a single race, characterized by the formation of the skull, the color of the skin, the extreme thinness of the beard, and straight and glossy hair." We are told by the Chevalier Pinto, "that they are all of a copper color." From Don Antonio Ulloa we learn, "that the Indians who live as far as 40° and upwards north and south of the equator are not to be distinguished in color from those immediately beneath it, while the resemblance in their genius, character, and customs is no less striking." And lastly, Robertson bears his powerful and impartial testimony to the remarkable uniformity of all the American Indians both in appearance and character.

We are far from asserting that Mr. Jones has no authority for what he has advanced; but he has not chosen to adduce any, and

But however this may be, we must again "First will be given a description of such enter our protest against the total omission parts of the great ruins as may be necessary of authorities for these alleged analogies. in the author's own words, with such commenReferring once more to the preface, we find taries as may be required by the narration: it to be the author's opinion, "that to give then will follow Mr. Stephens's reflections a list of works consulted during fifteen upon all the ruins; his arguments will be met, his errors detected, his contradictions investigayears in America, and more immediately ted, and thereupon we shall endeavor (at least) for the last two years in England, while to completely refute his deductions and conwriting the Tyrian Era, would be pedan-clusions."—Page 56.

These " errors," even when detected, Tyrus, and between whom there existed the hardly justify the parade with which they strictest union and friendship, and which may are ushered to our notice, or the exultation justly be supposed to have practised the manwhich our author displays whenever he hasners and customs of the parent country. The Tyrians also would follow the customs of the succeeded in discovering one. In his de- Sidonians and the Canaanites, their original scription of the principal temple at Co-ancestors; gathering, therefore, evidences of pan Mr. Stephens makes this remark:religious ceremonies from Canaan, Sidon, "Though gigantic and extraordinary for a Tyrus and Carthage-for they were all of the ruined structure of the aborigines, that the Phoenician tamily-we shall include those nareader's imagination may not mislead him, tions under one general term, viz. Tyrian, for the same convenience as the term Mexican is I consider it necessary to say [it] is not so used."-Page 139. large as the great (Egyptian) pyramid of Ghizeh." Upon this Mr. Jones compares various measurements of the two edifices, and discovers with infinite glee that they coincide within eighteen feet, which "cannot be accidental." On another occasion, in describing the pyramid at Cholula, he finds out, with equal satisfaction, that a difference of only eight feet would make the pyramid at that place twice as large as that of Egypt. We have not time or inclination to pursue him, as he has pursued Mr. Stephens, through all his descriptions of the ruins, but we must say one word upon his

remarks on that traveller's conclusions. “I

The

Both nations were idolatrous, and both sacrificed human beings on the dedication of their temples and on defeat in war. Tyrians offered up children to the god Saturn (Moloch), who was represented by a large statue; the figure bent slightly forward, and was so placed that the weight of the smallest child was sufficient to alter its position, and to cast the infant into a fiery furnace below the idol. This custom appears to be portrayed on the sculpture in the ruins, of which Mr. Jones's description is both ingenious and spirited, but too long to be extracted. But though they worset out," says Mr. Stephens, "with the shipped Saturn, the tutelary_deity of the proposition that they are not Cyclopean, Tyrians according to Dr. Prideaux was and do not resemble the works of Greek or Malcarthus,* compounded of the two PhoRoman" upon which Mr. Jones observes, nician words Melec and Kartha, and signi"We admit the negative to the first and fying "king of the city." This god poslast preposition, but not to the second; for sessed many of the attributes of the Grecian the sculpture at Uxmal is not only as fine, Hercules-Apollo, and as such is compared but distinctly of a Grecian character;" and by our author to the chief deity of the Mexagain," the whole façades have to the eye icans. Astarte (the moon) was also woran appearance, in regard to the character shipped by both nations, and her emblem, of the ornaments, which compel the looker-the cross, is found sculptured in many parts on to exclaim, 'Grecian knowledge has of the ruined temples. been there.'"

Other analogies are to be traced in their national and political peculiarities. The swan was the symbolical emblem of the Canaanites, and the antiquary Jacob Bryant remarks, that "where they or their descendants (i. e. Tyrians) may have settled, there will be a story found about a swan." cordingly the Spanish historian Sahagun

With this we do not agree. Under all climates, and in every age, men have always been pleased with a rhythmic repetition of the same forms, which repetition is the greatest characteristic of what are called grecques, meanders, and arabesques. Neither is any great degree of civilization requisite to produce these ornaments, for Mr. Krusenstern describes arabesques of great elegance tattooed upon the skins of conquest by the Spaniards, the Aztecs the most ferocious inhabitants of Washing-render to a neighboring kingdom that op(Mexicans proper) were compelled to sur

ton Island.

The chapters upon the analogies between the Tyrians and the Mexican aborigines are by far the best part of the work. Jones says:

Mr.

"The religious ceremonies of the Tyrians would have been lost but for their being preserved by the Carthaginians, a colony from

Ac

relates that about two centuries before their

pressed them, their emblematical bird the

swan.

The serpents and eggs found sculptured upon the Mexican altars are essentially Tyrian emblems: so are the spiral shells, which used to be represented on their coins

*Not improbably the Marcolfus of later tradi tion. See also Buxtorf in voc. Marcalis.

in commemoration of the discovery of the | Jones, considering the paucity of his macelebrated dye. We must however refer terials, has shown much ingenuity,—we the reader to the work itself for the investi- wish we could add equal accuracy; but of gation of each particular analogy, and avail this hereafter. ourselves of the author's summary, which is as follows:

in exploring and maritime expeditions, she insisted that they should be accomplished with ships she had built, sailors she had reared, and pilots she alone had instructed.

The Tyrians, a colony from Sidon, were directly included in the malediction uttered against Canaan, the common founder of "Religious idolatry:-the worship of, and their race, and the innocent suffered by sacrifice of human lives to, the god of war; the Ham's impiety. This curse, however, for worship of Saturn, and consequent infanticide to propitiate the remorseless deity; the long many ages hung innocuously over their cross (and others) of the goddess Astarte, in heads, and Tyre long continued first among the sculpture; the sacrifice to Hygeia by op- the cities of the world,-a supremacy she tional circumcision; the chief worship to Apol- owed to the benefits of commerce and navilo, or the Sun; the gorgeous temples erected gation, a strict monopoly of which she sucto his glory; human sacrifice on the dedica- ceeded in establishing and maintaining. tion of the temples; and the sacred fire, guard-Such indeed was her jealousy on this point, ed by the Virgins of the Sun. The compara- and so stern her refusal to allow any one to tive mummies of the Tyrian isles and Peru; share in these advantages, that, although the traditional story concerning swans; the tortoise and serpent in sculpture; the dye- she granted her assistance to other nations shell or purple murex; navigation with its attendant maps and charts; the aborigines coming from the East' and by navigation; their landing or touching at Florida,' and ' 'before the Christian æra;' then the discovery of the For some centuries after her foundation wreck of a Tyrian galley. The knowledge of painting, and the general application of colors; Tyre was governed by Cadmi, the Cadmus and gem-engraving. As the sculpture con- being a supreme judge, aided by a senatotains only hieroglyphics, and not one cipherrial council; but soon after the Israelites or letter, consequently the spoken language of had obtained a king, they became dissatisPhoenicia is not found, nor is there any other fied with their previous government, and, language discovered; and for a proof of its fixing on a monarchy, chose for their first antiquity, the Tyrian temple-sculpture should be only hieroglyphical. The political charac- sovereign Abibal, the Huram of Scripture, ter in the formation of monarchies and repub- and the father of the friend and ally of lics, as shown at Tyrus and Carthage, Mexico Solomon, Hiram the Great. This latter and Toltecas:-military character and know- monarch, who appears to have been singuledge of defensive locality, with analogous larly liberal and beneficent in his policy, architecture in the sea and river walls of Ty- furnished, as is well known, both materials rus and Copan. The last event in the history and artists for Solomon's temple. For these of Tyrus, sculptured upon the chief altar of the most ancient ruin (Copan); and from the and other services he received from that character of that event, it would naturally be- monarch certain cities, which, failing to come the first subject of record in the country satisfy his expectations, he named the "land to which they had emigrated; every detail of of Cabul" (displeasing). that altar is essentially Tyrian. Painted sculpture and the stuccoing of the walls of Tyrus and Palenque. The architecture, as to its square-columued style, identified as Tyrian and proved to be analogous from the temples of Jerusalem and Palenque, and from the square pillars of Copan; while the pyramidal base produced the compound term EgyptoTyrian."-Page 202.

Pygmalion, whose cruel treatment of his sister Dido and her husband Sichæus (or of Elizabeth and Acerbas, as Mr. Jones delights to call the unfortunate couple) was the immediate cause of the founding of Carthage, reigned at a later period in Tyre. During the reign of Ithobal I., according to the authority of Herodotus, the circumnavigation of Africa was accomplished, under We now come to the second book of the the auspices indeed of Pharaoh Necho, volume, in which the fact of the identity of king of Egypt, but under the superintendthe Mexicans with the Tyrians being pre-ence and with the naval assistance of sumed to be established, the author pro- Tyre. Mr. Jones announces with great ceeds, by a history of Tyre from her origin mystery, as a conclusive proof that the exto her overthrow by Alexander, to instruct us as to the events which led to the colonization of America, and the means employed to effect it. In this portion of his task, Mr.

pedition was really accomplished, the circumstance that Herodotus in his account has mentioned the phænomenon of the sailors observing, upon passing the line,

that their shadows turned from the left to Damascus, springing with their gold-imbuing