themselves, and they became the conquerors. But that Atlantic island, by a flood and earthquake, was indeed suddenly destroyed, and so that warlike people were swallowed up." He adds, in another place, "An island in the mouth of the sea, in the passage to those straits, called the Pillars of Hercules, did exist; and that island was greater and larger than Lybia and Asia; from which there was an easy passage over to other islands, and from those islands to that continent, which is situated out of that region." [America known to the Ancients, Vol. x. 8vo., Boston, 1773.]
"Neptune settled in this island, from whose son, Atlas, its name was derived, and divided it among his ten sons. To the youngest fell the extremity of the island, called Gadir, which, in the language of the country signifies fertile or abounding in sheep. The descendants of Neptune reigned here, from father to son, for a great number of generations in the order of primogeniture, during the space of 9,000 years. They also possessed several other islands; and, passing into Europe and Africa, subdued all Lybia as far as Egypt, and all Europe to Asia Minor. At length the island sunk under water; and for a long time afterwards the sea thereabouts was full of rocks and shelves." [Encyclopædia Perthensis, Art. Atlantis.] This account, although mixed with fable, cannot, we think, be entirely rejected; and that the ancients had knowledge of countries westward of Europe, appears as plain and as well authenticated as any passage of history of that period.
Aristotle, or the author of a book which is generally attributed to him, [De mirabil. auscultat. Opera, vol. i. Voltaire says of this book, " On en fesait honneur aux Carthaginois, et on citait un livre d'Aristote qu'il n'a pas compose." Essai sur les Moeurs et I'esprit des nations, chap. cxlv. p. 703, vol. iv. of his works. Edit. Paris, 1817, in 8 vo.] speaks of an island beyond the Straits of Gibraltar; but the passage savors something of hearsay, and is as follows: "Some say that, beyond the Pillars of Hercules, the Carthaginians have found a very fertile island; but without inhabitants, full of forests, navigable rivers and fruit in abundance. It is several day's voyage from the main land. Some Carthaginians, charmed by the fertility of the country, thought to marry and settle there; but
