ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



479 



Bengal edition, under the title of 

 " A Description of Hindostan :" it 

 consists of a summary account of 

 such particulars as were not fully 

 described in the former divisions of 

 the empire into soobahs, sircars, and 

 kusbahs, and is highly entertaining. 

 In treating of the sects amongst 

 the Hindoos, who hold no less than 

 eighteen different opinions respect- 

 ing the creation, we find the follow- 

 ing very remarkable passage. "One 

 sect believes that God, who hath no 

 equal, appeared on earth under three 

 humanforms, without having been 

 thereby polluted in the smallest de- 

 gree ; in the same manner as the 

 Christians speak of the Messiah. 

 The names of these three person- 

 ages are, 1st, Brama, the Creator 

 of the World — 2nd, B'tslien, Provi- 

 dence and Preserver — 3d, Mahadeo, 

 or its Destroyer." The creation 

 and final dissolution of all things, 

 is a fundamental article of the 

 Hindoo's Creed. 



Next to the religion, we have an 

 ample illustration of the astronomy 

 of the Hindoo philosophers, of their 

 geography, with tablesof the longi- 

 tude and latitude of the principal 

 countries of the habitable globe, cal- 

 culated from the Fortunate Islands, 

 and divided into seven climates. 

 The persons, distinct tribes, and du- 

 ties oif the Brahmins, are accurately 

 delineated ; the sects of philoso- 

 phers, with their knowledge of va- 

 rious arts and sciences, particularly 

 the occult, are subjects of curious 

 investigation, arranged under sepa- 

 rate heads. 



After his descriptionsof man, the 

 noblest animal of the creation, our 

 author adds, to his former short ac- 

 count of thebirdsand beasts of Hin- 

 dostan, some farther particulars, 

 worthy of notice, respecting them. 



Amongst other singularities, he 

 mentions a bird, called the Eahou- 

 biya, about the size of the sparrow, 

 but yelloW. "It is very docile, 

 exceedingly sagacious, and may be 

 taught to fetch and carry grains of 

 gold with safety. If carried a great 

 distance from his master, he will 

 fly to him immediately upon hear- 

 ing his voice." 



In the political part of the insti- 

 tutes, the art of governing a king- 

 dom contains several excellent max- 

 ims and rules for the conduct of the 

 sovereign and his ministers, and for 

 preserving domestic tranquillity by 

 the obedience of the subjects, se- 

 cured by their affection for a good 

 prince, who is the father of his 

 people. 



Concerning the administration of 

 justice, the learned Hindoos say, 

 that law is comprised under eigh- 

 teen heads. 1. Debt. 2. Deposit. 

 3. Claim of property. 4. Partner- 

 ship. 5. Gifts. 6. Wages, hire, 

 and rent. 7. Tribute. 8. Buying 

 and selling. Q. Herdsmen. 10. 

 Boundaries. 11. Abusive language. 

 12. Assault. IS. Theft. 14. Mur- 

 der. 15. Adultery. l6. Disputes 

 between man and wife. 17- Inhe- 

 ritance. 18. Gaming." 



After perusing the digests of the 

 law of England, by our celebrated 

 lawyers, the absurdity of the fore- 

 going arrangement will strike every 

 judicious reader; but when the dif- 

 ferent subjects are placed in their 

 proper order, they will be found to 

 embrace the principal objects of the 

 civil and common law of the best 

 European governments ; but in 

 the judicial administration, such lo- 

 cal customs, adherence to supersti- 

 tious ceremonies, and ridiculous sen- 

 tences, abound under several heads, 

 that with great difficulty we have 



