by the ancient
Egyptians, Greeks, or Etruscans, or by the American builders. It might
be supposed that a coincidence of this strongly-marked character would
go far to establish an ancient connexion between all these people; but,
without denying that such may have been the case, the probabilities are
greatly the other way.

[Engraving 52: Gothic Arch]

[Engraving 53: Cyclopean Arch]

This most simple mode of covering over a void space with stone, when
single blocks of sufficient size could not be employed, would suggest
itself to the most barbarous as well as to the most refined people.
Indeed, in a mound lately opened in the Ohio Valley, two circular
chambers were discovered, and are still preserved, the walls being made
of logs, and the roofs formed by overlapping stones rising to a point,
on precisely the same plan as the Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae, and the
chamber at Orchomenus, built by Minyas, king of B[oe]otia. No inference
as to common origin or international communication can with safety be
drawn from such coincidences, or from any supposed coincidence between
the pyramidal structures of this Continent and those of Egypt, for no
agreement exists, except that both are called pyramids.

[Engraving 54: Arch used by the ancient American Builders]

In the Egyptian Pyramids the sides are of equal lengths, and, with one
exception (Saccara), composed of straight lines, which is not the case
with any pyramid of the American Continent. The sides are never equal,
are frequently composed of curves and straight lines, and in no
instance form a sharp apex.

* * * * *

VESTIGIA PHALLICAE RELIGIONIS PROUT QUIBUSDAM MONUMENTIS AMERICANIS
INDICANTUR.--(_Vid. tom._ i., _pag._ 181.)

Haec monumenta ex undecim Phallis constant, omnibus plus minusve
fractis, undique dispersis, atque solo semiobrutis, duoram circiter vel
trium pedum mensuram habentibus. Non ea nosmetipsi reperimus neque
illis hanc Phallicam naturam attribuimus; nobis autem, has regiones
ante pererrantibus, haec eadem monumenta Indi ostenderunt, quodam nomine
appellantes lingua ipsorum eandem vim habente, ac supra dedimus. Quibus
auditis, haec Phallicae religionis, his etiam in terris, vestigia putanda
esse tunc primum judicavimus. Monumenta attamen de quibus huc usque
locuti sumus, non, ut bene sciunt eruditi, libidinem denotant, sed
potius, quod memoria dignissimum, nostra etiam continente vis genitali