ASIATIC RESEARCHES, 
ing specimen of Asiatic computation, 
which will also explain the length of 
time required to ripen a ‘deity into a 
boudhou. 
«© According to the old Singalese authors, 
‘particularly Nimi Giateke, and the Boudhou 
Gunukatave, Boudbou transmigrated during 
four asanks, and one hundred thousand ma- 
hakalpes of years, from the time he took the 
resolution to become Boudhou, till that 
when he was born for the last time accord- 
ing to some, or, as others will have it, till 
he became Nivani. To form an idea of this 
period, the meaning of the words asanke and 
mahakalpe must be explained. There are 
two ways of explaining mahakalpe: the first 
supposes a cubic stone of nine cubits on 
each side ; a goddess of great beauty dressed 
in robes of the finest muslin, passes once in 
every thqusand years near the stone, at each 
time the zephyr gently blowing the muslin 
on it, tillin this way itis worn down to the 
size of a grain of mustard: the space of time 
necessary for this is called antakalpe; eighty 
antakalpes make one mahakalpe. According 
to the second way of explaining the term, it 
is said, that the earth increases seven yoduns 
in one antakalpe; but a-thousand years 
only increase it the thickness of one finger, 
in the opinion of the boudhists. It then 
remains to be seen how many fingers there 
are inone yodun, The calcution is as fol- 
ows: 
12 fingers make 1 vieit 
2vieits —- 1 ricene or cubit 
7Trienés — 1 jaté 
gOjates — 1 isbe 
80 isbes” —.  1.gaoué 
4 gaoues — 1 yodan.—About 14 
English miles. One yodun is, consequently 
1074200 fingers—7 yoduns 7520400 fingers, 
which, multiplied by 1000, the number of 
years, makes 7526100000, the amount of 
an antakalpe, which, multiphied by 89, pro- 
duces 602112000090 years, or one mahakalpe. 
‘The first computation, inyalying in it a cal- 
culation beyond the pawey of the human ima- 
gination to reach, leaves ug nothing to say on 
the subject, except to express our total disbelief 
of it. The second is at least intelligible, 
and, it will be seen, bears a smaller prapor- 
tion to an asanke, than a second does to a 
thousand centuries.” 
One asanké is a number of years 
amounting to an unit with sixty-three 
zeros after it ! 
The system of casts which prevails in 
Ceylon is different from that upon the 
continent. ‘The vellales, goi-vanses or 
lord labourers, are the first, for here the 
cultivators have triumphed. No ragia 
or royal cast exists, for no Singalese, that 
is, no person born of a Singalese father 
or mother can succeed to the throne, 
because no Singalese can prostrate him- 
907 
self before one of his own nation. Ifthe 
king therefore dies, leaving no issue male 
or male relation, the crown is offered to 
some prince on the continent who pro- 
fesses the boudhou religion. 
Neither have they a military cast, for 
all are obliged to fight on receiving the 
king’s order. This is a great and mani- 
festimprovement. There exists one in- 
stance in Hindoo history of an army in 
the moment of success taking flight, be- 
cause afew poor wretches of an impure 
cast attacked them in despair. Nothing 
can be more false and groundless than 
the opinions of those reasoners, who re- 
present the system of casts as indestruc- 
tible. No human institution would so 
soon crumble if it were wisely attacked. 
«¢ The Rodi, or Rodias, are the last and 
vilest of all the casts. If one should touch 
a Rodias even unintentionally, one is ren- 
dered impure. These wretches are obliged 
to throw themselves on the ground, on their 
bcilies, whenever they see a vellala passing, 
who gravely walks over them. But nature 
seems to have come to the relief of these un- 
fortunate beings, by giving to them more 
beautiful women than to any of the other 
casts. But many of them are forced into the 
harams of the great, who have laid it down 
asa rule, that ‘a Rodias woman is not im- 
pure for the men of superior casts, but only 
for their wives.” 
When will the East India company be 
convinced that it is their ultimate in- 
terest, as well as their immediate duty, 
to convert their subjects? 4 
16. A Chronological Table of the 
Moghul Emperors, from Umeer Tymoor 
to Alumgeer II. the father of the pre- 
sent Emperor Shah Alum, being from 
A. H. 736 to 1173, or A. D. 1335 to 
1760. By Lewis Ferdinand Smith, Esq. 
17. Demonstration of. the Twelfth 
Axion of the First Book of Euclid. By 
the Rev. Paul Limrick. 
18. Dagoberti Caroli de Daldorff 
Scarabeorum (i.e. Insectorum que sub 
nomine generis superioris Scarabeus mi- 
litaverunt in Fabricii Entomologia Sys- 
tematica emend. & auct:) distributio in 
genera proxima (id est naturalia) divi- 
siones, subdivisionesque, instrumentis ci- 
bariis, larvorum imaginumque victu & 
oeconomia, aliisque insecti perfecti parti- 
bus consultis. No. I. , 
19. An Account of the Bazeegurs, a 
Sect commonly denominated Nuts. By 
Captain David Richardson. 
‘These vagabonds Captain Richardson, 
by cogent proofs, identifies with the gip- 
