Upon an examination of the laws that govern the direction of the trade-winds in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, it is found that there is a strong easterly wind continuously blowing across the Atlantic towards Florida, Mexico and Yucatan. There is also a strong westerly wind invariably blowing across the North Pacific, over the regions between the fortieth and fiftieth parallels of latitude, from Japan towards the north-west coast of North America. In consequence of this prevailing wind several junks have been driven out of their course and have reached the American seacoasts. In 1833 a junk was wrecked near Vancouver island and several of the crew landed and were received by the Indians. In the previous year a Japanese junk laden with fish arrived at the Sandwich islands. She had been driven across the seas by a violent storm which had caught her off Japan. Four of her men were alive and they were taken to Honolulu. Taking therefore into consideration the prevalence of trade-winds blowing towards America, and the peculiar conditions of architectural and astronomical intelligence possessed by the Mexican Indians, there are certain inferences which may be accepted. It is not improbable that men belonging to European, Moorish, or Asiatic races arrived in Central America during a period between the sixth and eleventh centuries. There is not sufficient evidence to determine in what manner this may have happened; but after giving due weight to the statements of the Indian priests and caciques, and the traditions of the circumstances under which their knowledge was introduced into Mexico, together with the adoption of monastic institutions, and the systems of education, it is reasonable to conjecture that the comparative civilisation of the Toltecs and Aztecs was originally caused by the influence and instruction of strangers who came to their land in vessels which had crossed the Atlantic. [Illustration: A Map to illustrate “TRAVELS AMONGST AMERICAN INDIANS” by Admiral Lindesay Brine. _London: Stanford’s Geog^l. Estab^t._] [Illustration: A Map of THE UNITED STATES, MEXICO &c. to accompany “Travels amongst American Indians” _London: Stanford’s Geog^l. Estab^t._] INDEX. Abalá, village of, 360–362, 366, 370. Abenakis Indians, 33. Acapulco, 179. Adams, Mr. Charles Francis, 9, 28. _Adoratorio_, an Indian, 245, 246, 262. Agassiz, Professor, 12, 13, 23. Agua, volcano, 181, 182, 194, 196–200. Aguilar, 397. Aguinaga, brig, 372–374. Albatrosses in the South Pacific, 178. Alcaldes, the, at San Tomas, 212, 213. Algonquin tribe of Indians, 34, 111, 150, 153. Alligator totem, 85, 86. Alligators, 179, 320–322. Alumni, the, of Harvard, 25–28. Alvarado, Pedro de, 202, 218, 225–228, 235–237. Amatitlan, village of, 182. American Civil War, 9–11. American politics, 23. Annapolis, Naval Academy at, 6–8. Antilia, Island of, 417–419.