ioas the Ophir of Solomon, 145 



unknown cause exists for the similarity ? — but this is a wild 

 hypothesis, and very little borne out by probability." (Two 

 Years in Ava, by Captain T. A. Trant. Monthly Mev., Nov. 

 1827.) If is a curious circumstance that mummy is with the 

 Birmans a favourite medicine * ; but it may possibly mean the 

 Arabian drug so called, which is used as a medicine also. The 

 use of the body as medicine was first introduced by the Jews f . 



The following subject is not necessarily connected with the 

 above, but it is added because it is short, and probably new 

 to most readers. 



With regard to the Turks, their first great hero, Oguz, 

 appears to have been a Siberian J. The Ottomans and the 

 Moguls of the race of Genghis Khan claim descent from him§. 

 Oguz was the grandson of Mogul Khan, the founder of that 

 race. The exact epoch of Oguz is obscure ; he is said to 

 have attained the great age of 116 years. '' When Cajumars, 

 Prince of Chorassan, died, his son Haushang was in his mino- 

 rity, and the lords quarrelling for the reins, Oguz marched to 

 Azerbijan, Irak, and Armeen, which countries he conquered ||.*' 

 Caiumaras died, and Husheng succeeded to the throne, ac- 

 cording to Sir William Jones (vol. v. 587), in the year B. C. 

 865 ; and this is, perhaps, the nearest approach to the know- 



* Rees's Cyc. ** Birman.'* 



+ Rees, " Mummy." 



% Strahlenberg was informed by Tartars and Russians at Tobolsk, that 

 to the south-west of tliat city, between the sources of the Tobol and 

 Ischira, which few people frequented, there were great numbers of images 

 cut in stone, of men and beasts, and that the ruins of several cities were 

 discernible in those deserts ; and that this was the place where Oguz 

 Khan the Great had his residence. — Hist, of Siberia, p. 4. Tamerlane, 

 when he was in this neighbourhood, acknowledged it to be the country of 

 Oguz. 



§ There is a great similarity of customs and ceremonies in these two 

 people, who have often been rivals. They have each conquered Siberia 

 and China, and all, or part of India extra Gangem ; they both have pea- 

 cocks as supporters for their thrones. The Chinese wall was built B.C. 

 221 ; and a century afterwards, Vu-ti, emperor of China, also conquered 

 Pegu, Bengal, (probably Eastern Bangalla, described in Wars and Sports, 

 ch. vii.) Siam, and Cambodia. He divided those countries among the 

 generals who had conquered them ; but they soon contracted the manners 

 of the Tartars, and became the greatest enemies of the mother country. 

 — Du Halde, Wars and Sports, p. 89. 



II Abul Ghazi, p. 19. 



JULY— SEPT. 1828. L 



