3. Lenap, nearly 250 dialects and tribes; such as Chinuc, Dinneh, Algic, Shawan, Miami, Micmac, Mohegan, Nantico, Powhatan, &c., extended from the Columbia river on the Pacific ocean to Hudson bay, New-England and Florida.

4. Wacash, about 60 dialects and tribes; Atnah, Chopunish, Coluch, Chingita, &c., spoken from California to latitude 55 in the northwest coast of America.

5. Skereh, above 125 dialects and tribes; Panis, Seris, Pakis, Lepan, Shoshoni, Opata, Uchis, Poyay, &c., extending from Slave lake to California, Texas, Florida, and Honduras.

6. Nachez, nearly 75 dialects and tribes; Cado, Yatasih, Wocon, Cuza, Cataba, &c., extending from Sinaloa in the west, to Carolina in the east.

7. Capaha, about 50 dialects and tribes; Washasha, Yatani, Oto, Ochagra, Dacota, &c., extending from the head of Missouri river to the Wabash and Arkanzas river.

8. Chactah, ahove 40 dialects and tribes; Chicasa, Yazu, Corea, Humah, Muskolgih, Seminole, &c., extending from Texas to Florida.

9. Otaly, about 25 dialects and tribes; Tsuluki or Cherokees, Tallegha, Talahuicas, Talahasi, &c., extending from the Alleghany mountains to the mountains of Mexico.

10. Atalan, about 35 dialects and tribes; Tala or Tarasca, Matalan, Tulan, Tecas, Tolban, Colima, Tarahumara, &c., extending from New-Mexico to Mihuacan and Nicaragua.

11. Otomi, about 20 dialects and tribes; Miges, Dotami, Mazahuy, &c., extending from Arkanzas to Mexico.

12. Aztec, about 20 dialects and tribes; Tolteca, Olmeca, Cora, Pipil, &c., extending from Mexico to Nicaragua.

13. Maya, about 40 dialects and tribes; Huazteca, Poconchi, Guichi, &c., extending from Texas to Yucatan, and Guatimala.

14. Chontal, about 50 dialects and tribes: Tzendal, Choles, Locas, Lencas, Zoquea, Quelen, Chiapan, &c., extending from Chiapa to Panama.

2. Languages and nations of South America.

15. Aruac, having nearly 100 dialects and tribes; such as Haytian, Cuban, Yucayan, Eyeri, Cairi, Arara, Cumana, Arayas, Ara

goas, &c., extending from the islands of Bahama and Cuba to Coro, Cumana, Guyana and Brazil.

16. Caa, about 122 dialects and tribes; Carib, Galibi, Yaoy, Tamanac, Guarivas, Gotos; Chaymas, Gutacas, &c., spread from the Carib islands to Darien, Oronoco, Guyana and Brazil.

17. Puris, about 90 dialects and tribes; Maypuris, Achaguas, Coropos, Camacan, Parexis. Parias, &c., extending from Paria and the Oronoco to Brazil and Paraguay.

18. Yaruru, about 25 dialects and tribes; Betoy, Arico, Ele, Yaros, Charua, Ozomaca, Gauna, &c., spread from the river Oronoco to the river Parana and Popayan.

19. Cuna, about 25 dialects and tribes; such as Uraba, Darien, Cunacuna, Choco, Cocinas, &c., spread from Panama to Coro and Popayan.

20. Mayna, about 60 dialects and tribes; Yameos, Amaonos, Manoa, Cauchas, Panos, Managua, Solimos, Aguanos, &c., spread from Popayan and Quito to the Maranon and Parana.

21. Maca, about 100 dialects and tribes; Muhizca, Yuncas, Zamuca, Pancha, Moxos, Otomacas, Toa, Pinoco, Chaco, &c., spreading throughout South America from Cundinamarca to Peru, and Brazil.

22. Guarani, nearly 300 dialects and tribes; Tupi, Omagua, Cocama, Guyana, Payugua, &c., spread throughout Brazil, and from the Andes to the Atlantic sca, as far south as Buenos Ayres.

23. Maran, about 50 dialects and tribes; Quichua, Aymaru, Muras, Marahas, Andoa, Moratas, Zapibo, Cuyaba, &c., spread from Peru in the west to Brazil in the east, on both sides of the equator.

24. Lule, about 25 dialects and tribes; Vilela, Mocobi, Abipon, Toba, Atalala, &c., spread through Chaco, Tucuman and Paraguay.

25. Chili, about 20 dialects and tribes; Puelche, Chonos, Araucan, Tehuelet, Yacanac, Kemenet, &c., spread all over Austral America from Chili to Magelania and the Fuego islands.

Even these twenty-five languages and original nations may perhaps be reduced to eighteen, by more accurate investigation; thus the 4th and 5th may become united; as well as 6 and 9, 7 and 11, 9 and 10, as they have considerable analogies. The same may

happen in South America with 15 16 and 19, also with 17 18 and 20, which approximate by gradual dialects.

July 4th, 1829.

C. S. RAFINESQUE.

Remark. The above was published in the Evening Post; it is now re-printed, because it is the key to American ethnology, philology and history. The proofs would fill volumes. It is results that analytical sciences chiefly require. The wide extent of Nations 1, 2, 5, 12, 15, 16, 22, were already acknowledged; the others depend on my researches, and are open yet to many improvements, nay, I have effected some since 1829.

The Atlantic Nations of America.

The ocean separating Europe and Africa from America is yet called the Atlantic ocean, our litoral states are called the Atlantic states. The Atlantes of North Africa, who gave their name to the Atlas mountains, and whose.descendants exist there as yet under the names of Taurics, Berbers, Shelluh, Showiah, &c., were one of the primitive nations of both continents. They came to America soon after the flood, if not before, colonised and named the ocean and the islands in it, as well as America, which was called the Great Atlantis, or rather Atala, meaning the first, or main land. This name is preserved in Hindu traditions. The Atlantes were not the only primitive colonists of America, but they were the most conspicuous and civilized. Their true name was Atalans. They may have been the founders of Otolum, and many other ancient cities. Their descendants exist to this day in America, under the names of Talas or Tarascas, Atalalas, Matalans, Talegawis, Otalis or Tsulukis, Talahuicas, Chontalas or Tsendalas, &c., from Carolina to Guatimala.

When Columbus discovered again America, he and the earliest explorers were struck with the similarity between many American tribe, and the Guanches of the Canary islands, remains of the Oceanic Atlantes, in features, manners and speech. Whether the Haytians, Cubans and Aruacs, were genuine Atlantes, is rather doubtful, because their language is more akin to the Pelagic than the Atlantic. But three at least out of the twenty-five original nations of America above enumerated, may safely be deemed chil

dren of the Atlantes. They are the ninth or Otalis, the tenth or Atalans, and the fourteenth or Chontals.

This could be proved in many ways, and by their languages.compared with those of their African brethren, Tuarics, Guanches, &c. after a separation of several thousand years. But the proofs would fill a volume.

Our actual Cherokis and akin tribes are the children of the first branch, named Otalis. This was their original name. Adair only 100 years ago says, that the genuine or upland Cherokis were called Otalis, which name meant mountaineers as in Africa. They call themselves now Tsulukis., Our name of Cherokis is derived from the word Chelakis, name of a tribe. They have not the sound of R in their speech. Only one tribe substitutes R to L. The interesting history of this nation shall deserve our attention hereafter. The Chontal branch or nation will come under notice in investigating the antiquities of Otolum or Palenque. It remains here to survey the genuine branch of ATALANS; eldest perhaps of the American Atlantes.

Among this, the best known (and yet hardly known) are the Tarascas of Michuacan, in West Mexico; the brave nation that first asserted the late Mexican independence. Their true name is Tala, and TALA, S, CA, meaning Tala self, the, or, in our idiom, the veryself Tala. They have no r in their speech, and this name was changed by the Othomis and Mexicans into TARASCAS. See grammar of their langugage by Basalenque, Mexico, 1714.

From this interesting little work, some other account from Vater, and the Spanish writers, we learn something of their language which is yet spoken and may be thoroughly studied. We also learn that they formed a powerful and civilized kingdom, independent of Mexico, at the Spanish invasion, which became the ally of the Spaniards, but was by them subdued by treachery and infamous conduct. But we learn very little of their previous history: and the little known is buried in untranslated Spanish books. It is by their language that we can hope to trace their origin and most remote history. Languages do not lie, says Horne Tooke. They reveal what time has buried in oblivion.

We shall therefore give some account of it, that the learned or curious may study its affinities. So far as we have done so already, we have been struck with its evident analogy with the Atlan

tic, Coptic, Pelagic, Greek, Latin and Italian languages of Africa and Europe, both in words and structure, in spite of a separation of some thousand years.

This language is rich, beautiful, and highly complex. It amalgamates particles to modify the words, as in Italian. The verba have fifteen modifications, as in Italian, or nearly so; they can be compounded as in Greek. It admits of all the Greek rhetorical figures. The plural is formed by x. It has nearly all the European vocal sounds except ƒ and r; also no gn, and no ll; but it has three sibilant ts, tz and tzh.

The analogies with the Italian are striking in the following phrases, and some even appear with the Saxon English.

The following vocabulary of 85 words, gives a fair sample of the language. The affinities with the Pelagic and its children, Greek, Latin, Etruscan and Italian, are marked by the letter P; those with the Atlantic dialects of Africa, with the letter A. They amount to 50 out of 85 with the Pelagic, or 60 per cent. of analogy; and to 33 out of 65 with the Atlantic, or 51 per cent. These are striking facts, deserving attention, in spite of the unbelief some ignorant or lazy philosophers or historians, who neglect or disbelieve these evident proofs. The sixteen English affinities are marked by an asterisk. The orthography is, of course, Spanish.