y. Lust, brutality
and ferocity were all on the increase, and the animal nature in man
was approaching its most degraded expression. It was a moral question
which from the very earliest times divided the Atlantean Race into two
hostile camps, and what was begun in the Rmoahal times was terribly
accentuated in the Toltec era. The battle of Armageddon is fought over
and over again in every age of the world's history.

No longer submitting to the wise rule of the Initiate emperors, the
followers of the "black arts" rose in rebellion and set up a rival
emperor, who after much struggle and fighting drove the white emperor
from his capital, the "City of the Golden Gates," and established
himself on his throne.

The white emperor driven northward re-established himself in a city
originally founded by the Tlavatli on the southern edge of the
mountainous district, but which was now the seat of one of the
tributary Toltec kings. He gladly welcomed the white emperor and
placed the city at his disposal. A few more of the tributary kings
also remained loyal to him, but most transferred their allegiance to
the new emperor reigning at the old capital. These, however, did not
long remain faithful. Constant assertions of independence were made by
the tributary kings, and continual battles were fought in different
parts of the empire, the practice of sorcery being largely resorted
to, to supplement the powers of destruction possessed by the armies.

These events took place about 50,000 years before the first great
catastrophe.

From this time onwards things went from bad to worse. The sorcerers
used their powers more and more recklessly, and greater and greater
numbers of people acquired and practised these terrible "black arts."

Then came the awful retribution when millions upon millions perished.
The great "City of the Golden Gates" had by this time become a perfect
den of iniquity. The waves swept over it and destroyed its
inhabitants, and the "black" emperor and his dynasty fell to rise no
more. The emperor of the north as well as the initiated priests
throughout the whole continent had long been fully aware of the evil
days at hand, and subsequent pages will tell of the many priest-led
emigrations which preceded this catastrophe, as well as those of later
date.

The continent was now terribly rent. But the actual amount of
territory submerged by no means represented the damage done, for tidal
waves swept over great tracts o