Being an exhibition of the evidence that an ancient population of many partially civilized nations differing entirely from those of the present day indians peopled America many centuries before its discovery by Columbus, and inquiries into their origin, with a copious description of many of their stupendous works, now in ruins, with conjectures concerning what may have become of them. Compiled from travels, Authentic sources, and the researches of antiquarian societies. - from the 1832 second edition by Josiah Priest.