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that they might not be deprived of any of those good things WHICH THEY ENJOYED BEFORE
THE FLOOD..." (ibid.).

Amongst the Chibcas of Central Columbia is a strong tradition of a flood in which people
survived by climbing to higher ground:

According to their myths, they had originally lived as savages, without laws, agriculture or religion. Then
one day there appeared among them an old man of a different race. He wore a thick long beard and his
name was Bochica. He taught the Chibcas how to build huts and live together in society.

His wife, who was very beautiful and named Chia, appeared after him, but she was wicked and enjoyed
thwarting her husband's altruistic efforts. Since she could not overcome his power directly, she used
magical means to cause a great flood in which the majority [not all] of the population died. Bochica was
very angry and exiled Chia from the earth to the sky, where she became the moon given the task of lighting
the nights. He also caused the waters of the flood to dissipate and BROUGHT DOWN THE FEW SURVI-
VORS from the mountains where they had taken refuge. Thereafter he gave them laws, taught them to cul-
tivate the land and instituted the worship of the sun with periodic festivals, sacrifices and pilgrimages
(Fingerprints of the Gods, by Graham Hancock. 1995: Crown Paperbacks. P. 191).

While this myth is a garbled account of Nimrod's visit to their region and an old memory of
the flood, the fact that their traditions mention flood survivors hiding in the hills or mountains is
very interesting.

In the book Folklore in the Old Testament (page 101) we read about the Araucnaians of
pre-Colombian Chile who preserved a tradition of a flood in which a number of Indians escaped --

The SURVIVORS took refuge on a high mountain called Thegtheg ('the thundering' or 'the glittering')
which had three peaks and the ability to float on water.

In the far south of the Americas, in Tierra del Fuego, we find a Yamana legend that states:
"The moon woman caused the flood. This was at the time of the great upheaval...Moon was filled
with hatred towards human beings...At that time everybody drowned with the exception of those
who were able to escape to the five mountain peaks that the water did not cover" (The Mythology
of South America, by John Bierhorst. 1988: William Morrow and Co. New York. P.165).

While clearly stating that there were numerous survivors of the Flood, this legend also in-
dicates that not all of the mountains were covered with water!

Among the Inuit of Alaska there existed the tradition of a terrible flood which swept so
rapidly over the face of the earth that only a small number of people were able to escape in their
canoes or take refuge in the mountains -- petrified with fear (New Larousse Encyclopedia of My-
thology, p. 426). Once again, we see that a number of people survived the deluge and that not all
the mountains were covered by water.

The Luiseno of lower California had a legend that a flood covered the land and destroyed
most of mankind. "Only a few were saved because they fled to the higher peaks which were spared
when all the rest of the world was inundated. The survivors remained there until the flood ended"
(Fingerprints of the Gods, p.193).
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