In 1836 C. S. Rafinesque published in Philadelphia, Pa., a work called “The American Nations,” in which he gives the historical songs or chants of the Lenni-Lenapi, or Delaware Indians, the tribe that originally dwelt along, the Delaware River.  After describing a time “when there was nothing but sea-water on top of the land,” and the creation of sun, moon, stars, earth, and man, the legend depicts the Golden Age and the Fall in these words:  “All were willingly pleased, all were easy-thinking, and all were well-happified.  But after a while a snake-priest, Powako, brings on earth secretly the snake-worship (Initako) of the god of the snakes, Wakon.  And there came wickedness, crime, and unhappiness.  And bad weather was coming, distemper was coming, with death was coming.  All this happened very long ago, at the first land, Netamaki, beyond the great ocean Kitahikau.”  Then follows the Song of the Flood: 

“There was, long ago, a powerful snake, Maskanako, when the men had become bad beings, Makowini.  This strong snake had become the foe of the Jins, and they became troubled, hating each other.  Both were fighting, both were, spoiling, both were never peaceful.  And they were fighting, least man Mattapewi with dead-keeper Nihaulowit.  And the strong snake readily resolved to destroy or fight the beings or the men.  The dark snake he brought, the monster (Amanyam) he brought, snake-rushing water he brought (it).  Much water is rushing, much go to hills, much penetrate, much destroying.  Meanwhile at Tula (this is the same Tula referred to in the Central American legends), at that island, Nana-Bush (the great hare Nana) becomes the ancestor of beings and men.  Being born creeping, he is ready to move and dwell at Tula.  The beings and men all go forth from the flood creeping in shallow water or swimming afloat, asking which is the way to the turtle-back, Tula-pin.  But there are many monsters in the way, and some men were devoured by them.  But the daughter of a spirit helped them in a boat, saying, ‘Come, come;’ they were coming and were helped.  The name of the boat or raft is Mokol. . . . Water running off, it is drying; in the plains and the mountains, at the path of the cave, elsewhere went the powerful action or motion.”  Then follows Song 3, describing the condition of mankind after the Flood.  Like the Aryans, they moved into a cold country:  “It freezes was there; it snows was there; it is cold was there.”  They move to a milder region to hunt cattle; they divided their forces into tillers and hunters.  “The good and the holy were the hunters;” they spread themselves north, south, east, and west.”  Meantime all the snakes were afraid in their huts, and the Snake-priest Nakopowa said to all, ’Let us go.’  Eastwardly they go forth at Snakeland (Akhokink), and they went away earnestly grieving.”  Afterward the fathers of the Delawares, who “were always boating and navigating,” find that the Snake-people have taken possession of a fine country; and they collect together the people from north, south, east, and west, and attempt “to pass over the waters of the frozen sea to possess that land.”  They seem to travel in the dark of an Arctic winter until they come to a gap of open sea.  They can go no farther; but some tarry at Firland, while the rest return to where they started from, “the old turtle land.”