Now the testimony of the oldest writers and of modern scientificresearch alike bear witness to the existence of an ancient continentoccupying the site of the lost Atlantis.

Before proceeding to the consideration of the subject itself, it isproposed cursorily to glance at the generally known sources whichsupply corroborative evidence.

These may be grouped into the fivefollowing classes:

First, the testimony of the deep-sea soundings.

Second, the distribution of fauna and flora.

Third, the similarity of language and of ethnological type.

Fourth, the similarity of religious belief, ritual, and architecture.

Fifth, the testimony of ancient writers, of early race traditions, andof archaic flood-legends.