352 Mr. Ranking on the Origin 



Assam and Burmah. Oguz lived about seven centuries before 

 the Christian era, his residence was in Siberia in summer ; and 

 in winter by the Altai mountains. He is the restorer of the 

 worship of the Sun, and Genghis claims descent from him. 

 Thus in all northern Asia, these temples for fire as the emblem 

 of the Sun, may be found. When Genghis was on the banks 

 of the Oxus, he conversed with the wise men of Bale, who 

 told him that Zoroaster had been king of their country, and 

 that he alone, of all mankind, laughed when he was born ; 

 that he was called king of the Magi ; and that they had a 

 temple in every province, magnificent remains of which were 

 still to be seen. — De la Croix, p. 339. These were Mahome- 

 tans who conversed with Genghis. 



The cities on the Kerlon, says Du Halde, are of no great anti- 

 quity, being built by the Moguls, after the reigns of Mango 

 and his brother Kublai. There are ruins of their cities in 

 above twenty different places : at Para Hotun there are two 

 pyramids in ruins *. When the Turks overthrew the Nogais 

 (Mongols) at Perecop, they erected some of the stone-forts with 

 the skulls of the slain |. 



The custom of the Assamese and Burmans to encamp in 

 stockades is well known. The same was practised in America. 

 Throughout the valley of the Mississippi there are traces of a 

 considerable population, and of two distinct races or periods. 

 The appearances of fortifications, which have been attributed 

 to the TVelsh, J are only traces of palisadoed towns or vil- 



from Tartary. They send from Samarcand to Casubi in Pegu for their tiger skins, — 

 Vincent le Blanc, p. 159. "Timur reviewed his troops, April 9th, 1391. He 

 ordered them to be placed in Tomans and squadrons, every soldier with his war 

 club, lance, leathern buckler, &c., and that their horses should be covered with tiger 

 skins". — Sherefeddin, vol. i. p. 356. This tremendous army defeated the Emperor 

 of Capshac, in the north of Russia near the Volga. — War's and Sports, p. 118. 



* Du Halde, ii. 250, 251. The pyramids in ruins cannot be supposed to mean 

 such pillars as Mr. Alexander describes. It is fair to conjecture that, as these pyra- 

 mids at Para-Hotun are called ruins, and as those mentioned by Sir R. Porter had 

 vestiges of stone building at the base and top, they have originally been similar to 

 tliose in Anahuac and Mexico. The Aztecs found a large population, and were, 

 therefore, obliged to continue the indulgence of their exact customs and manners, as 

 Montezuma's race were not adored and obeyed like the Incas, as Children of the 

 Sun. Thus we see also that the Mongols at the same epoch built pyramids in their 

 native land Para-Hotun, and Montezuma himself built one at Mexico. The Incas 

 among the ruder southern tribes adopted more elegance, at their will. 



t Purchas, iii. 633. 



* Madoc lived A. D. 1170. 



