1. My treatment of the subject here has simply to do with the physical character of the great divisions of the western hemisphere in Book of Mormon times. I make no attempt to definitely locate particular lands mentioned in the Book of Mormon, for the reason that the plan of my treatise does not require the consideration of that subject, except in a very general way: and however interesting it might be to know definitely the location of particular Jaredite and Nephite lands--the extent of their kingdoms, empires and republics; the location of special provinces and other political districts or divisions therein, together with a knowledge of the exact location of their capitals, and metropolises, I do not believe those things can be learned with any degree of certainty, for reasons set forth in the text of this chapter. 2. I Nephi 12:4. 3. Helaman 14:20-27. 4. III Nephi 8:5-18. 5. III Nephi 9:1-8, 12. 6. "With regard to the ages necessary for the accomplishment of the immense geological processes, the history of which is disclosed to us in the earth's strata, they certainly must have been of prodigious duration; for all the annals of humanity are but as a passing moment compared with the cycles of the globe. * * * Professor Haughton, a mathematician, has endeavored to establish, according to the formula of Dulong and Petit, that the mere fall in the temperature of 25, occurring previously to the present epoch of our planet, would require about 18 million of years. In the same way, the formation of each of the strata, which constitutes the sum-total of the geological records of the earth's surface must have taken up a long series of centuries before which the mind recoils in perplexity. _The Earth_, Reclus, vol. I, p. 32. 7. _Manual of Elementary Geology_, p. 46, 1852 edition. 8. Reference is also made to Atlantis in his _Critias_. (Jowett's Trans, vol. II.) 9. _Dialogues of Plato_ (Jowett's translation), vol. II, p. 520. 10. Ibid., p. 521. 11. _History of America before Columbus_, p. 127, (Lippincott Co., pubs., 1900). 12. _The Earth_, vol. I, p. 36. 13. _Atlantis_, Donnelly, p. 3. 14. _Compend. of Geology_, Joseph Le Conte, pp. 145 and 146. See also p. 153. The disturbance in the Mississippi valley is also mentioned by Lyell (_Principles of Geology_, 1856 edition p. 446). He adds, that the ground on which New Madrid stood, and the river bank for fifteen miles above, sank eight feet below their former level. 15. _Principles of Geology_, Lyell, p. 457, 1856 edition. 16. Art. Colombia. 17. _Chamber's Ency_., Art. Colombia. 18. _The pre-Adamites_, p. 437. 19. _Atlantis_, p. 35. 20. _Principles of Geology_, p. 430. 21. _Atlantis_, p. 37. 22. p. 38. 23. _Atlantis_, p. 40. 24. _Geological Observations_, third edition, pp. 268, 269. 25. _Geological Observations_, p. 233. 26. Ibid., pp. 232, 233. 27. Ibid., p. 599. Also _The Earth_, vol. II, pp. 646, 647. 28. _First Book of Physical Geography_, R. S. Tarr, pp. 347, 348.