IV.

Germans themselves would have called A- CHAP, benowe P; a word, that may poffibly be deduced, upon the fame principle, from Aben-Noah, -8, the flone, or mountain of Noah.

VIII. American

VIII. Having now taken a cursory furof the traditions of the eastern world, accounts. vey let us next confider thofe of the American continent.

J.

Mechoa

1. According to Herrera, the Mechoacans, a people, comparatively speaking, in can. the neighbourhood of Mexico, were not deftitute of some knowledge of the flood. They had a tradition, that a single family was formerly preferved in an ark, amidst a deluge of waters; and that, along with them, a fufficient number of animals were faved to stock the new world. During

P Cluv. Germ. Antiq. p. 710.

1 The Greek word Navs, and its Latin derivative Navis, may both perhaps be ultimately refolved into the name of that Patriarch, who built the first veffel upon record. Even the English word hip is poffibly nothing more than bip, an ancient mythological name of the ark, with the common prefix S added to it. Thus Sindus is ufed inftead of Indus, and Scutbai inftead of Cutbai. In a manner fomewhat fimilar, the English gentile Scot is changed by the French into Ecoffe.

the

SECT. the time, that they were fhut up in the ark, feveral ravens were fent out, one of which brought back the branch of a tree'.

I.

2.

2. In a fimilar manner, as we are in

Peruvian. formed by Gomaras, the Peruvians believe, that it once rained fo violently, as to deluge all the lower parts of the country. In confequence of this, an univerfal destruction of the human fpecies took place, a few perfons only excepted, who escaped into caves fituated on the tops of the mountains. Into thefe elevated retirements they had previoufly conveyed a fufficient ftock of provifions, and a number of living animals; left, when the waters abated, the whole race fhould have become extinct. As foon as the rain ceafed, they sent out two dogs, which returned to them befmeared with mud and flime. Hence they concluded, that the flood had not yet fubfided. After a certain interval, they sent out more dogs, which, coming back dry, convinced them that the earth was now habitable. Upon this, they left

Herr. Hift. of America, tranflated by Stevens, vol. iii. p. 250.

s Cited by Purch. Pilgrim. b. ix. c. 10.

the

the places into which they had retired, and CHAP. became the progenitors of the present race IV. of men. The number of perfons, whom they suppose to have been thus faved, nearly approaches to that mentioned in the Mofaical account. It confifts of feven. Perhaps it may not be very difficult to account for the deficiency of the eighth. The original tradition, like that of the Hindoos", may have been, that a pious prince, with feven holy men, were faved from the general deftruction which prevailed around them. In procefs of time, the head of this company may have been forgotten; and, in that cafe, the exact number seven, comprehending only his followers, would remain.

3. It is mentioned in a treatise written by a Portugueze friar, that the Brazilians have likewise preferved a traditional account of the deluge. When that event took place, all mankind perished, one perfon and his fifter only excepted, who escaped on a Janipata. From this pair the

t Cited by Purch. Pilgrim. b. ix. c. 8. "Vide fupra, p. 139.

* Cited by Purch. Pilgrim. b. ix. c. 5. VOL. I.

M

Brazilians

3.

Brazilian.

"

SECT. Brazilians deduce their origin. Lerius reI. lates, that he was prefent at one of their

an.

affemblies, when, in a folemn chorus, they chanted a kind of requiem to the fouls of their ancestors. In the courfe of the fong, they did not fail to notice the catastrophe of the deluge; in which the whole world perished, excepting fome of their progenitors, who escaped by climbing into high

trees.

4. Peter Martyr2 informs us, that when Nicaragu- the Spaniards firft difcovered Nicaragua, they attempted to perfuade the prince of the country to become a Chriftian. Upon this, he immediately inquired, whether thofe, who profeffed the religion of Jefus, had any knowledge of the flood; which, according to traditional accounts received from his predeceffors, had once covered the whole earth, and had deftroyed both men and beafts. In fhort, all the inhabitants of the vast country of America appear more or less to be acquainted with this awful inftance of Divine juftice.

y Cited by Purch. Pilgrim, b. ix. c. 5.

z Ibid. b. viii. c. 14.

Ibid. b. ix. c. 8.

66

IX.

who speak

1.

tioned by

IX. 1. Jofephus has enumerated a va- CHAP. riety of ancient authors, who concur in af- IV. ferting, that the world had once been deftroyed by a flood of waters." This de- Authors luge," fays he," and the ark, is men- of the de"tioned by all thofe perfons, who have luge. "written Barbaric hiftories; one of whom Thofe men"is Berofus the Chaldean. Speaking of Jofephus. "the flood, he gives us the following nar"rative. It is faid, that in Armenia, upon a mountain of the Cordyeans, part of "the hip is even yet remaining. It is a "custom to scrape from off it fome of the bitumen, with which it was covered, and "to carry. it about the perfon, as a ta"lifman to avert diforders. Jerome like"wife, the Egyptian, who wrote the an"cient hiftory of Phenicia; and Mnafeas; "and many others; make mention of thefe " events. Nicolaus Damafcenus, in his

ninety-fixth book, gives an account of "the fame events, in these words. There " is a great mountain in Armenia, fituated "above Minyas, which is called Baris. A "report prevails, that, at the time of the

deluge, many perfons fled here, and were "preferved. One, in particular, was con"veyed in an ark, to the very fummit of