I do not give now the history of this flood. Before it can be given accurately, we must collect all the scattered traditions about it, compare them, and omitting all fabulous and obviously impossible details, form a narrative of the whole facts. The notions and traditions of the Americans are very various, as they do not always point to this flood. We find them asserting that men were saved in mountains, or caves, on rafts or boats. Few, if any, allude to an ark, but all to a refuge as THBE. Those of Mexico and Peru, are contradictory, alluding to several floods, and particularly the subsequent of Peleg.
The most explicit traditions on that score are those of the Linapi nations; although the tribes vary the tale, the holy song of the real Linapi tribe, alludes clearly to a great flood in Asia: when their nations at least was partly saved in Tula (the turtle land) in Central Asia, by the help of a goddess, and Noah or Nana-bush. The men were then called Linowi and Linapi: two other races of men were saved, the Owini (beings) and the Tulapewi, turtlings or atlantes. Besides these foes the Maskanako (strong snakes), Nakowa (dark [pg 093] snakes), and the Amangamek, monsters of the sea; who caused this dire flood. These notions are strikingly similar to the Asiatic and Hindu fables about the turtle saving mankind at the flood. Nana-bush is evidently Noah, his name means Noah-Noah-hare, or the Great Noah and Hare.
The Chinese accounts of the first flood, do not allude to any ark, but mountains were the refuge of mankind. The Hindu account is very near the mosaic; but has no boat, and many persons were saved. The accounts of the Assyrians, Arabs, Tartars, Egyptians, Lybians, Greeks, Celts, Polynesians, &c. are all different. The mosaic account was borrowed from some ancient source now forgotten. It is said that Noah himself wrote an account of the flood, and preserved ancient records. Divesting the mosaic account from the supernatural and the impossible, we obtain the real tradition of a great aquatic cataclysm. Either a sinking of some lands or an irruption of the ocean, attended with volcanic floods of waters from the Caspian sea (as Humboldt says,) heavy rains, and a change of climate: which overflew the earth or most of it; except some Thebas, refuges in mountains, swimming over the waters, as it were: there some men and tribes, many animals, trees and plants were preserved: to spread afterwards again over the earth.
After this flood, America was left pretty [pg 094] much as it is now, except that the shores were higher yet, many flat plains inundated and full of marshes. The Antilles yet united in larger islands and perhaps with Cumana. The Strait of Choco nearly filled up: and diluvial soil, gravel, sand, boulders and organic remains scattered over the land, the hills, plains and caves. Many fierce beasts had disappeared, vegetation had been destroyed wherever the flood went; but the buried seeds, and those of mountain plants gradually grew or spread again. The terrestrial animals and birds saved in the mountains, spread themselves again over the earth. Mankind in despair at the disaster, kept for a long while on mountains, and did not occupy again the desolated hills and plains, until many years after.
The Chinese account of this flood, state positively that it was attended with a change in the length of the year, formerly of only 360 days, a change in the seasons, an increase of cold, rain and winds: compelling men to dress in skins and mats. Also that the wild beasts and snakes driven to the mountains, became very troublesome, men being compelled to defend themselves against their attacks.
The Rev. Gleig in his late history of the Bible, where like Hales and Russel, he has at last adopted the computation of the Septuagint and Josephus, reckons 5411 years from Adam to our era, the oriental [pg 095] Christians reckon 5508 years, the Toltecas, reckoned 5099 years. Gleig puts Noah's flood 2259 years after Adam. The Chinese and Hindu chronology are partly fabulous; but may be reconciled to these periods; as well as to the second cataclysm of the earth; that of Peleg according to the Biblists. The only knowledge the Bible gives about it, is that the earth was split, broken or divided, in the time of the patriarch or dynasty of Peleg; who lived or lasted from 531 to 870 after Noah's flood. But David has sung this cataclysm in the 18th psalm. The Chinese account brings this second flood to the year 2296 before Christ, or 858 years after the former. The Hindu account concealed in many fables agrees also with this period. But it appears to have lasted longer, and many years. It is evidently in date the mistaken Hebrew flood, blending both into one, and annihilating the place between them. The Chinese account distinctly speaks of both, the first was under Yunti, the second under Yao, and 42 emperors are mentioned between the two floods.
In America, it is often difficult to distinguish which is meant by the various imperfect traditions: yet in Mexico and Peru, there are at least two cataclysms mentioned by the annals or traditions. Also among some northern tribes. The Linapi annals or songs allude to the second, which broke by volcanoes the Lusasaki (burnt land) [pg 096] and separated America or Akomenaki (snake island) from Asia to Behring strait.
Thus the real antidiluvian periods lasted nearly 3000 years from Adam's epocha, or 3212 by oriental computation. The interval between Adam and Noah ought to be called the Adamic period, that between Noah and Peleg's floods the Noahic period. It was at this last convulsion that the earth took its actual form. The Straits of Gibraltar, Calais, Messina, Hellespont, Bosphorus, Babelmandel, Behring, Malaca, Sunda, &c., were then formed. The Atlantis Island in the Atlantic Ocean and the Island Lanca in the Indian Ocean were sunk. The Azores, Madeira, Canaries, &c. are fragments of the Atlantis: Ceylon, Madagascar, &c. the fragments of Lanca.[9]
In America, the Boreal islands may have been broken, like the British islands of Europe. Some suppose that they might once join together with Iceland. The Antilles were split in the actual form—Behring Strait divided America from Asia. The Polynesia lands were broken or sunk. The lowlands of Chili, Peru, and the Atlantic shores were inundated and then partly left dry by huge volcanic tides. This cataclysm was not a mere aquatic flood; but a violent volcanic flood, having at least three great focusses, 1. in the North Atlantic Ocean, 2. In the Indian Ocean, 3. In Polynesia or the Pacific Ocean. In [pg 097] China all the lowlands were overflowed and partly overwhelmed. The great Islands of Java and Sumatra were formed; which formerly were united with Asia and several islands in the vicinity, under the remembered name of Sunda land.
If mankind had not reached America before Noah, it must surely have reached it before this second cataclysm. The Atlantes were in the neighbourhood and bold navigators, as well as the primitive Pelagians, Lybians, Cantabrians; bearing then various peculiar names, mostly traced in America. Twenty American nations have distinct remembrance of this splitting of American lands and islands; local or partial floods, less general and disastrous than the former.