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NOTICE

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BOOKSELLERS, PROPRIETORS OF CIRCULATING LIBRARIES, AND THE PUBLIC.

THIS is to give notice that the "Original History of Ancient America" (of which this is the first volume) is copyright, and legally secured by the proprietor, both in England and America. The Penalties, therefore, for any infringement will be enforced by the Publishers, according to the New Act of Parliament and the Acts of Congress of the United States. By the former, especially as applied to England and her colonies, any person having in his possession, for sale or hire, any foreign edition of an English copyright, is liable to a heavy penalty; and any copy found in the possession of a traveller from abroad will be forfeited.

London, June, 1843.

THE TYRIAN ERA.

ORIGINAL HISTORY OF ANCIENT

AMERICA.

Book the First.

CHAPTER I.

Introduction from the Preface to the Author's Historical Work upon the Life of TECUMSEH-Name to be used for South or Central America-The Fundamental Error of the Historians of AmericaEssential Opposites in Character-Rules of Argument for illustrating the Theory-A sufficient Identity of the North to prove two Distinct People-The Aborigines wrongfully named “ Indians” by COLUMBUS-The Cause of his Error and its Effects.

In the prefatory remarks to the forthcoming work upon the chieftain, Tecumseh, the following language is used; and we avail ourselves of the privilege of extracting from our own storehouse, materials for the commencement of this new historical campaign.

"The courteous reader in tracing the fate of Tecumseh, as depicted in the pages of his life, will not

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fail to observe the strong analogy between the religious sentiments of the chief of the forest, and those of the ancient Hebrews. The language as uttered by Tecumseh is not written by the pen of fiction, merely to uphold a theory of the brain, but gathered from the archives of a people's history, to support a theory of apparent truth. The present writer will not yield to any man in the firm belief, that the Aborigines of North America (but North America only), and the ancient Israelites are identical, unless controverted by the stern authority of superior historical deductions. We, therefore, have formed an original theory in reference to the natives of the North, and those of South and Central America, together with the newly-discovered ruined Cities in and around Guatamala; and by that theory, have separated into Two distinct races, or people, the Aborigines of the Western Hemisphere.

"The lately recovered Ruins, Cities, and Temples in Central America, and of which no ancient record is to be found, have shattered the chain of acknowledged History to atoms; and until that chain is again united by a firmly established theory,-Education herself must pause, ere she can with the wand of truth, point to her rising children the History of the World, or its inhabitants.

"Suspicion has asserted that all the natives of the continent of Columbus, might probably have been originally of Hebrew extraction; the assertion has been made in doubt and trembling; for writers have

been confounded by essential contrasts in the Religious customs of North and South America; there were no analogies between them; which circumstance should have compelled Historians to pursue another path of inquiry, and so attain a conclusive truth; but they found a Gordian knot which they could not unravel, and assuming the impatient weapon of Alexander, they destroyed it. The Architecture, however, of the Ruins of Copan, Palenque, Uxmal, and their time-honoured associates, has furnished a rosetta-stone,' to aid the new translation of the hieroglyphical history of (now) ancient America; and if our theory is true, not only have the Israelites walked the land where the Sun bestows his last smile, but another nation (in which was retained the primitive language of the Diluvian world) previously trod that soil as Aborigines; and beyond all this, if our thread of Ariadne lead us faithfully, if not, the ALMIGHTY FATHER who gave the thought will pardon its application; yes, beyond all the bounding feelings leaping at events, at once classic and venerated, do we contemplate another branch of our theory; for, if we do not write in error,-and our perfect faith assures us that we do not, then the trembling hand which sought in doubt THE SAVIOUR'S wounds, has been outstretched in sacred oratory even in those southern wilds: the bold, yet conquered voice, which uttered in hallowed and confirmed faith, 'MY LORD AND MY GOD!' has given forth its missioned eloquence even in the Western Hemisphere, and there, the sainted ashes of that Apostle may yet repose!"

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