Captain James Low on Bupp a and the Phrabdt. 99 
The Milinda describes the path of the moon to be lower down than that 
of the sun. The Siamese call the moon Chant,haima t,hewa butto ; and say 
he is the younger brother of the sun. There is a legend amongst them, 
that Phra Chan, having heard a damsel admiring his rising and setting, 
descended in likeness of a youth, and became a favoured lover. ‘The girl 
desired to ascend with him to the moon; but he forbade her. She persisted, 
and accompanied him; but, on reaching the place occupied by Ether, or 
Akas, it severed her head from her body, and she fell down into the midst 
of a forest. 
No. 27. 
Nak hata. The star. The Siamese call it Nak,hatartik. It seems to 
represent the real polar star. 
No. 28. 
Chattancha. It is a seven-fold tier of umbrellas, typical of Meru, and 
appropriated to those of royal lineage. Similar ones ornament the palace 
of the king of Siam, andare prominent in the Siamese system of architecture, 
and the decorations for festivals. 
The number nine is sometimes preferred. ‘The umbrella carried over 
a deceased king of Siam, when the funeral rites are to be performed, is 
seven-fold. ‘Thc Mahomedans of India have preserved this number, if | 
mistake not, in the pyramid which they call Tabut. Seven is a favourite 
number with the Hindus; and has been so from remote ages in other 
countries, perhaps following the number then known of the planets. Eight 
is a favourite one amongst the Buddhas of India. Nine was once a famous 
one in the west, and also in the north of Asia; and it is so now amongst 
the Siamese. It is that of their planets, and of their deities who are inferior 
to BuppHa. The number seven is that of the Réshis, who entered with 
Noau into the ark. Its frequent occurrence in Scripture is very striking. 
No. 29. 
Hemawa, or Himala, which is termed by the Siamese K hadi Hemap,han, 
or the Himalayan Hills. In the Bali and Siamese work Z'rai P,hom, an 
account of this range is given, The wa, or termination of the above term, 
is, apparently, a permutation of the Sanscrit /a, an adjective termination. 
The following passage has been extracted from the Milinda : 
O2 
