ely revived by Ranking, is the most extravagant
of all, since it ventures to assert seriously, and derive all these
nations and languages from late colonies of Mongols within less than one
thousand years ago, who came to America over the ice, bringing with them
tame elephants for sport, that are since become the fossil elephants and
mammoths buried in our diluvial or alluvial soil--to state these
absurdities is a sufficient refutation, every man of any reading and
scientific knowledge will perceive the impossibility.

Galindo and Josiah Priest have quite lately revived also the opinion of
some dreaming philosophers who had asserted that America was the _cradle
of mankind_ or one of them, instead of Central Asia. Galindo allows,
however, the Caucasian race of men to be distinct; but he says--"_The
hum_a_n[TN-6] race of America I must assert to be the most ancient on
the globe_;[TN-7]"[8-*]

He goes on to state that to the primaeval civilization of America must be
assigned a great and indefinite antiquity, leaving however no palpable
monuments; but sending colonies to civilize China and Japan! is not this
preposterous? where are the proofs either from traditions, languages,
monuments or other sources?

Meantime Josiah Priest, in his compilation on American antiquities, has
boldly asserted that Noah's ark rested in America, (whereabout?) and
that he had three sons, one white, one red and one black! (what was the
color of their wives?) from whom are descended the three races of
mankind, who colonized the whole earth, leaving, however, neither white
nor black in America[TN-8] The glaring incongruity, of these bold
assertions, or of the indefinite origin of Galindo are equally palpable;
but nevertheless it is not improbable that they will find now and
hereafter other advocates, since the absurd Jewish origin of all the
Americans has still many believers, and even Ranking has perhaps some
supporters.

To admit that America was the only cradle of mankind, is based on no
evidence whatever, either historical or philological or monumental:
while on the contrary all the monuments and records of the eastern
oontinent[TN-9] trace this cradle to Central Asia. To suppose that
America was one of the human cradles, is certainly worthy of inquiry;
but such a cradle must be sought for and located somewhere, and neither
the volcanic mountains, nor swampy plains of South America, nor the
frigid wilds of North America, appear calculated t