[Sidenote] America inhabited.

This vast territory of America being now discovered by different nations,
in every place they found it inhabited by human creatures; but from what
country they derived their origin, or by what means they were conveyed to
this distant region, has been the subject of much speculation and
inquiry, not only in that, but also in every future period. History
claims not the province of peremptorily determining inquires, which can
have no better foundation than the probable opinions and uncertain
conjectures of ingenious men, and therefore must leave every man to adopt
such accounts as appear to him least absurd or liable to exception. Yet,
as the subject is curious, it may be amusing to some readers to present
them with the different conjectures respecting it, especially such as are
supported by late observations and discoveries.

[Sidenote] Various conjectures about the first population of America.

One person fancies that this country was peopled from Britain, and has
recourse to a romantic story of a Welsh historian in support of his wild
conjecture. This author gives an account of a discovery made in the year
1170, by Maddock, a younger son of Owen Guineth, prince of Wales. That
prince, observing his brethren engaged in civil war about the succession
to his father's throne, formed a resolution to abandon his country.
Having procured a ship, with plenty of necessaries for a long voyage, he
embarked, and sailed far to the westward of Ireland, where he discovered
a rich and fertile country, in which he resolved to establish a
settlement. With this view he returned to Wales, prepared ten sail of
ships, and transported a number of both sexes to this western territory.
Some men, who have been rather too zealous for proofs in confirmation of
this conjecture, have industriously traced, and flattered themselves with