22 MAMMALIAN DESCENT. [Lect. I. 



I also give a few quotations from INIr Hardy's very important work, 

 but these are to illustrate what is to me most remarkable, namely, the 

 manner in which these Asiatic people threw the reins on tlie neck of 

 their imagination. 



I cannot but think that modern scientific thinkers, hero, in the Far 

 West, are much more removed, in mind, from those cognate races, ^ than 

 from the Semitic people that gave us our own Bible. These latter poets 

 exaggerate no more than any one of us (supposing that he were a poet 

 and not a scientific Avorker and registrar of hard, dry facts) Avould do. 



But the Buddhist is nothing if not hyperbolical, and when he 

 does magnify, he magnifies with a vengeance ; take one example : — 



" The Asurs, who reside under Maha Meru, are of immense size. 

 Rahu is 76,800 miles high; 19,200 miles broad across the shoulders; 

 his head is 14,500 miles round; his forehead is 4800 miles broad; 

 from eye-brow to eye-brow measures 800 miles; his mouth is 3200 

 miles in size, and 4800 miles deep; the palm of his hand is 5600 

 miles in size ; the joints of his fingers, 800 miles ; the sole of his 

 foot, 12,000 miles ; from his elbow to the tip of his finger is 19,200 

 miles ; and with one finger he can cover the sun or moon, so as to 

 obscure their light." — Page 59. 



And another, as follows : — 



" In the forest of Himala are lions, tigers, elephants, horses, bulls, 

 buffaloes, yaks, bears, panthers, deer, hansas, peafowl, kokilas, kin- 

 duras, golden eagles, and many other kinds of animals and birds ; 

 but the lions and kokilas are the most abundant. There are four 

 different species or castes of lions, called trina, kala, pandu, and 

 kesara. The first is dove-coloured, and eats grass. The third is like a 

 brown bull, and eats flesh. The kesara lion, which also eats flesh, has 

 its mouth, tail, and the soles of its feet of a red colour, like a waggon 

 laden with red dye. From the top of the head proceed three lines, 

 two of which turn towards the sides, and the third runs along the 

 centre of the back and tail. The neck is covered with a mane, like 

 a rough mantle worth a thousand pieces of gold. The rest of the 

 body is white, like a piece of pure lime. When he issues forth from 

 his golden cave, and ascends a rock, he places his paws towards the 



^ Of course, I refer to these Aryans who adopted the Buddhist tenets. 



