no one
can doubt that the inhabitants of Spain, Jubal and his descendants,
peopled that land, as well as the inhabitants of Africa which was also
near. Hence it was called the Atlantic Island from having been peopled
by Atlas, the giant and very wise astrologer who first settled
Mauritania now called Barbary, as Godefridus and all the chronicles
teach us. This Atlas was the son of Japhet by the nymph Asia, and
grandson of Noah. For this there is no authority except the above,
corroborated by the divine Plato as I began by explaining, and it will
be necessary to seek his help to give the reader such evidence as merits
belief respecting the inhabitants of this Atlantic Island.

V.

INHABITANTS OF THE ATLANTIC ISLAND.

We have indicated the situation of the Atlantic Island and those who, in
conformity with the general peopling of the world, were probably its
first inhabitants, namely the early Spaniards and the first Mauritanian
vassals of the King Atlas. This wonderful history was almost forgotten
in ancient times, Plato alone having preserved it, as has already been
related in its place, and which should again be consulted for what
remains. Plato, in Critias, says that to Neptune's share came the
Atlantic Island, and that he had ten sons. He divided the whole island
amongst them, which before and in his time was called the empire of the
floating islands, as Volaterranius tells us. It was divided by Neptune
into ten regions or kingdoms. The chief one, called Venus, he gave to
his eldest son named Atlantis, and appointed him sovereign of the whole
island; which consequently took the name of Atlantica, and the sea
Atlantic, a name which it retains to this day. The second son, named
Gadirun, received the part which lies nearest to Spain and which is now
Caliz. To the third son Neptune gave a share. His name was Amferes, the
fourth's Eutoctenes, the seventh's Alusipo, the eighth's Mestores, the
ninth's Azaen, the tenth's Diaprepem. These and their descendants
reigned for many ages, holding the lordships, by the sea, of many other
islands, which could not have been other than Hayti, which we call Santo
Domingo, Cuba and others, also peopled by emigrants from the Atlantic
Island. They also held sway over Africa as far as Egypt, and over Europe
to Tirrenia and Italy.

The lineage of Atlas extended in a grand succession of generations, and
his kingdom was ruled in succession by the firstborns. They possessed
such a