Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 1 (of 8) / Aboriginal America

by Unknown

The scientific theory of Atlantis is, I believe, supported by M. Jean d’Estienne in the Revue des Questiones Scientifiques, Oct., 1885, and by M. de Marçay, Histoire des descouvertes et conquêtes de l’Amerique (Limoges, 1881), but I have seen neither. H. H. Howorth, The Mammoth and the Flood (London, 1887), is struggling to revive the credit of water as the chief agent in the transformations of the earth’s surface, and relies much upon the deluge myths, but refuses to accept Atlantis. He thinks the zoölogic evidence proves the existence in pleistocene times of an easy and natural bridge between Europe and America, but sees no need of placing it across the mid-Atlantic (p. 262).

[438] The naturall and morall historie of the East and West Indies, etc., written in Spanish by Joseph Acosta, and translated into English by E. G[rimeston] (London, 1604), p. 72, 73 (lib. i. ch. 22).

[439] Notitiae orbis antiquae (Amsterdam, 1703-6), 2 vols. The first ed. was Cantab., 1703. “Atlantica insula Platonis quae similior fabulae est quam chorographiae,” lib. i. cap. xi. p. 32. In the Additamentum de novo orbe an cognatus fuerit veteribus (tome ii. lib. iv. pp. 164-166) Cellarius speaks more guardedly, and quotes with approval the judgment of Perizonius, which has been given above (p. 22).

[440] Essai sur l’explication historique donnée par Platon de sa République et de son Atlantide (in Reflexions impartiales sur le progrès réal ou apparent que les sciences et les arts ont faits dans le xviii^e siècle en Europe, Paris, 1780). The work is useful because it contains the Greek text (from a MS. in the Bibl. du Roi. Cf. MSS. de la bibliothèque, v. 261), the Latin translations of Ficinus and Serranus, several French translations, and the Italian of Frizzo and of Bembo.

[441] Recherches sur les iles de l’océan Atlantique, in the Recherches sur la géographie des anciens, i. p. 146 (Paris, 1797). Also in the French translation of Strabo (i. p. 268, note 3). Gosselin thought that Atlantis was nothing more than Fortaventure or Lancerote.

[442] Geogr. d. Griechen u. Römer, i. 1, p. 59; ii. 1, p. 192. Cf. Letronne’s Essai sur les idées cosmographiques qui se rettachent au nom d’Atlas, in the Bull. Univ. des sciences (Ferussac), March, 1831.

[443] Examen Crit., i. 167-180; ii. 192.

[444] The dialogues of Plato, translated by B. Jowett (N. Y., 1873), ii. p. 587 (Introduction to Critias).

[445] Bunbury, History of ancient geography, i. 402.

[446] Etude sur le Timée de Platon (Paris, 1841), t. i. pp. 257-333.