were Jews, Carthaginians, or Phoenicians, among who those Customs
prevailed.

By the Way, we are told by Travellers, that some of these Customs
now prevail among the Tartars. As we have no Satisfactory, or even
a plausible, Account of the Ten Tribes carried Captives to the
East by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, we may be disposed to
think that the Tartars are descended from them. All the Discoveries
of our late Navigators shew that the North Continent of America is
at no great distance from the Northern, North Eastern, and North
Western parts of Asia and Europe. It is therefore possible that
the Tartars, at different Periods, might have been driven on that
Coast, and people the Country. Some Tartars hunting upon the Ice,
on a sudden Thaw, might be carried on the Ice to America, from
whence they could not return.[oo]

[Footnote oo: See Hornius, ubi supra, pages, 183, 186, 205, 215.
Forster's History of the Voyages and Discoveries made in the North.
Clavigero's History of Mexico and Brerewood on the Languages and
the Religion of the World.

In the Hebrew we have [Illustration] exploravit, "he search'd,"
and a Substantive, [Illustration] exploratores, "Searchers." Hence
some would derive the word Tartar, [Illustration] "Tartar," after
the Hebrew manner. They also think that the British word "Tor or
Torriad," "a breaking or cutting off," has the same Origin. Those who
travel, may be said to "search." When they travel in foreign, unknown
Countries, they may be said to be "cut off" from their Friends, as
the Ten Tribes were from their native Land by Nebuchadnezzar.