130 



tribes, and their subdivisions, were rendered unintelligible 

 to each other, by obliterating the memory of their ancient 

 language, and substituting, in its stead, new sounds, diffe- 

 rent in each tribe, and intelligible only to those that 

 composed it; or altering the signification of the primitive 

 sounds. It is not necessary to suppose, that all these 

 tribes lost their original language; the views of Providence 

 would equally be attained, if it subsisted in one tiibe 

 only, or one fraction thereof. 



To estimate the degree of perfection, which language 

 must have attained before the Flood, it will be proper to 

 examine, what degree of knowledge men must have pos- 

 sessed some ages before that catastrophe. 



Among the proofs of antediluvian knowledge still exist- 

 ing, the most incontestible are, the astronomical tables of 

 the Bramins; and particularly those of Tirvalore, disco- 

 vered by Mr. Gentil, about the middle of the last century. 

 Their epoch coincides with the famous a^ra of the Caly- 

 ougham, that is, with the year 3102 before Christ: and 

 this aera must have been ascertained by observation; as 

 Mr. Playfair shews, after a strict and masterly examination, 

 in the second volume of the Edinburgh Transactions. And, 

 if founded on preceding observations, as is most probable, 

 these observations must have commenced 1200 3'ears ear- 

 lier, that is, 4300 years before •Christ.* The Deluge hap- 

 pened 



* I am aware, that the conclusions, deduced by Mr. Playfair, have lately- 

 been combated, in the sLslh yolume of the Asiatic Researches; but, ia Ba.y 

 opiiuon, ineffectually. 



