4th. The collective means for the Migration. Under this head may be included the "appliances" of both Art and Nature. Their Galleys were of sufficient strength and capacity,—their provisions ample,—derived from Carthage, the Sidonians, and the fruitful Isle of Teneriffe: their skill and courage as Pilots, Mariners, and Rowers unequalled,—the season of the year propitious, and a constantly favourable wind and flowing sea (although to them unknown as such) of sufficient power to drive them quickly westward, and compel them to reach the "afar off" land "to sojourn."
5th. The probable time and duration of the Voyage. The remnant of the Tyrian Nation, through the instrumentality of the Sons of Sidon, escaped from their naming Capital, August 20th [332 B. C.], and in allowing for time in reaching the Fortunate Isles, and preparing for their departure thence, it will, we think, be acceded that by October of the same year, and the equinoctial gales of the autumn having then passed, opened to them "fair weather ahead,"—they were then prepared to seek another home, however distant. The strong Galleys, with sails and oars, and always before the constant East-Wind and onward wave-current, would accomplish ten miles an hour by day, and during the night, without the Rowers, six miles an hour, and equally dividing the twenty-four hours, would make a run of 192 miles per day. Nautical proofs will shew that in the above calculation the power of the Trade-Winds [i. e. the East-Winds] are underrated. The distance from Teneriffe to Florida is about 3300 miles, which by the foregone data they would traverse in seventeen and a quarter days. The Voyage may therefore with safety be said to have been accomplished during an entire month, and that, consequently the first landing of a branch of the human family in Ancient America would be in the last month of Autumn, three hundred and thirty-two years before the Christian Æra.
And 6th. The Fugitive Founders of (what we think may now be justly termed) Tyrian-America, i. e. the Southern moiety of the Continent.
The Female portion of the Fugitives were in all probability (from the peculiar character of the rescue) the Wives, Sisters, and Daughters, of the Tyrian Husbands, Brothers, and Fathers, who escaped with them,—thus forming a "colony,"—and if there were among them any Strangers or Orphans from the general carnage, protection would naturally be given, as to companions and children of misery and misfortune.
The Fugitives being Tyrians, and of the great Sidonian family, which, in the language of Homer, comprehended every thing that was ingenious and accomplished, to the exclusion of their opposites, puts us at once in possession of the distinct intellectual character of those about to seek another land; and where, after 2000 years have passed, Time removes his veil of mystery, and discovers the truth of the Homeric tribute,—while over their Asiatic home of a more ancient day, Oblivion with her Lethean flood, has swept even their epitaph and their tomb away!
As to the number of the Tyrian Fugitives (more or less), it is immaterial to the proof, or denial, of the truth of this historical work,—for nothing is so deceptive, and yet so certain, as the numerical demonstration in regard to population, and of the human beings that have lived. For instance,—the reader will scarcely believe, that in tracing back his own family only twenty-five generations, there were then living at that time, sixty-seven millions, one hundred and eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty-four of his Ancestors,—and that there had lived, during, and at that time, one hundred millions, six hundred and sixty-three thousand, three hundred and ninety-six! These apparent incredible results are instantly proved upon the following data of facts and argument; viz., each child must have two parents, each parent had two,—and so on ad infinitum,—the result is, therefore, obtained by simply multiplying by two, from each of the first Father and Mother, and then add them together, and each sum total will represent a generation,—the 25th will give the first result,—viz., 67,108,864;—to ascertain all that have lived during, and at that period,—the several sums total must be added together, which will prove the second result,—viz., 100,663,396. Therefore,—by the data of this last calculation the 30th generation only, in the ancestral line, has the following result,—3,221,228,672!—(and this but of one person) four times as much as the present population of the Globe, which is estimated at 800,000,000. The great earthly Monarch, Death, has indeed an empire of his own!
The metaphysical, or anti-Biblical reader will find in the above results, a high theme for speculative reasoning:—but in tracing back to the Parents of Eden, or to the Diluvian Æra, in order to sustain, and not deny, the truth of the Bible, he must remember that,—but, no,—we will not anticipate our own secret for unravelling the above sphinx-like conclusions.
In the next Volume, devoted to the Israel Æra, the subject will be investigated with that due consideration, which every proposition demands; having an apparent tendency to question the truth and authority of Scripture.