copious supply of riches that none of the natives had seen it
all, and that no new comers could realise it. This land abounded in all
that is necessary for sustaining human life, pasture, timber, drugs,
metals, wild beasts and birds, domestic animals including a great number
of elephants, most fragrant perfumes, liquors, flowers, fruits, wine,
and all the vegetables used for food, many dates, and other things for
presents. That island produced all things in great profusion. In ancient
times it was sacred, beautiful, admirable and fertile, as well as of
vast extent. In it were extensive kingdoms, sumptuous temples, palaces
calling forth great admiration, as is seen from the relation of Plato
respecting the metropolis of the island which exceeded Babylon, Troy, or
Rome, with all their rich buildings, curious and well-constructed forts,
and even the seven wonders of the world concerning which the ancients
sing so much. In the chief city of this empire there was a port to which
so many ships and merchants resorted from all parts, that owing to the
vast concourse a great and continual noise caused the residents to be
thunderstruck. The number of these Atlantics ready for war was so great
that in the capital city alone they had an ordinary garrison of 60,000
soldiers, always distributed among farms, each farm measuring 100
furlongs. The rest inhabited the woods and other places, and were
innumerable. They took to war 10,000 two-horse chariots each containing
eight armed men, with six slingers and stone throwers on either side.
For the sea they had 200,000 boats with four men in each, making 800,000
men for the sea-service alone. This was quite necessary owing to the
great number of subject nations which had to be governed and kept in
obedience.

The rest which Plato relates on this subject will be discussed in the
sequel, for I now proceed to our principal point, which is to establish
the conclusion that as these people carried their banners and trophies
into Europe and Africa which are not contiguous, they must have overrun
the Indies of Castille and peopled them, being part of the same main
land. They used much policy in their rule. But at the end of many ages,
by divine permission, and perhaps owing to their sins, it happened that
a great and continuous earthquake, with an unceasing deluge, perpetual
by day and night, opened the earth and swallowed up those warlike and
ambitious Atlantic men. The Atlantic Island remained ab