[381] Gaffarel has since elaborated this part of the book in some papers, “Les Grecs et les Romains ont-ils connu l’Amérique?” in the Revue de Géographie (Oct. 1881, et seq.), ix. 241, 420; x. 21, under the heads of traditions, theories, and voyages.
There are references in Bancroft’s Native Races, v. ch. 1; and in his Cent. America, vi. 70, etc.; in Short, No. Amer. of Antiq., 146, 466, 474; in DeCosta’s Precolumbian Discovery. Brasseur touches the subject in his introduction to his Landa’s Relation; Charles Jourdain, in his De l’influence d’Aristote et de ses interprètes sur la découverte du nouveau monde (Paris, 1861), taken from the Journal de l’Instruction Publique. A recent book, W. S. Blackett’s Researches, etc. (Lond. 1883), may be avoided.
[382] Of lesser importance are these: Bancroft’s Native Races, iv. 364, v. 55; Short, 418; Stephens’s Cent. Amer., ii. 438-442; M’Culloh’s Researches, 171; Weise, Discoveries of America, p. 2; Campbell in Compte Rendu, Congrès des Amér. 1875, i. W. L. Stone asks if the moundbuilders were Egyptians (Mag. Amer. History, ii. 533).
[383] Of less importance are: Bancroft, Nat. Races, v. 63-77, with references; Short, 145; Baldwin’s Anc. America, 162, 171; Warden’s Recherches, etc. The more general discussion of Humboldt, Brasseur (Nat. Civ.), Gaffarel (Rapport), De Costa, etc., of course helps the investigator to clues.
The subject is mixed up with some absurdity and deceit. The Dighton Rock has passed for Phœnician (Stiles’ Sermon, 1783; Yates and Moulton’s New York). At one time a Phœnician inscription in Brazil was invented (Am. Geog. Soc. Bull. 1886, p. 364; St. John V. Day’s Prehistoric Use of Iron, Lond. 1877, p. 62). The notorious Cardiff giant, conveniently found in New York state, was presented to a credulous public as Phœnician (Am. Antiq. Soc. Proc., Ap. 1875). The history of this hoax is given by W. A. McKinney in the New Englander, 1875, P. 759.
[384] Cf. Johr. Langius, Medicinalium Epistolarum Miscellanea (Basle, 1554-60), with a chapter, “De novis Americi orbis insulis, antea ab Hannone Carthaginein repertis;” Gebelin’s Monde Primitif; Bancroft’s Native Races, iii. 313, v. 77; Short, 145, 209.
[385] A specimen is in M. V. Moore’s paper in the Mag. of Amer. Hist. (1884), xii. 113, 354. There are various fugitive references to Roman coins found often many feet under ground, in different parts of America. See for such, Ortelius, Theatrum orbis terrarum; Haywood’s Tennessee (1820); Hist. Mag., v. 314; Mag. Amer. Hist., xiii. 457; Marcel de Serre, Cosmogonie de Moise, p. 32; and for pretended Roman inscriptions, Brasseur de Bourbourg, Nat. Civ. Méx., preface; Journal de l’Instruction Publique, Juin, 1853; Humboldt, Exam. Crit., i. 166; Gaffarel in Rev. de Géog., ix. 427.
[386] Procli commentarius in Platonis Timaeum. Rec. C. E. C. Schneider. (Vratislaviae, 1847.) The Commentaries of Proclus on the Timaeus of Plato. Translated by Thomas Taylor, 2 vols. 4º. (London, 1820.) Proclus lived a.d. 412-485. The passages of importance are found in the translation, vol. i. pp. 64, 70, 144, 148.
[387] Taylor, i. 64.
[388] Procl. in Tim. (Schneider), p. 126; Taylor, i. 148. Also in Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum, ed. Mueller. (Paris, 1852), vol. iv. p. 443.