276 Oriental Literature^ [Chap. XIV. 



and scientific manner. ^I. le Gentil was the first 

 who brought to hght from the recesses of their tem- 

 ples, with any tolerable accuracy, the astronomy 

 of the Brahmans *. Since he wrote, the inquiry 

 has been pursued more fully and ingeniously by 

 his countryman, IM. Baillyf ; by sir William Jones, 

 who has contributed to the illustration of almost 

 every part of oriental literature and science ; and 

 by Mr. Playfair J, of the university of Edinburgh; 

 and still more recently by Mr. Samuel Davis, 

 Mr. John Bentley, and others, whose valuable 

 communications appear in the Asiatic Researches, 

 To these may be added the chronological inqui- 

 ries of Mr. Marsden and Mr. Paterson. The 

 result of all which is the most complete proof 

 that the extravagant and ridiculous claims made 

 by the Brahmans, concerning the antiquity of 

 their nation and their sciences §, are wholly desti- 

 tute of foundation. Indeed, the latest inquiries 

 afford satisfactory evidence not only that no an- 

 tiquity inconsistent with the Mosaic chronology 

 can be claimed by them, but that the dates of 

 their most ancient books and records arc far more 



* See Voyage dans le Mers de llndc, kc. par M. le Gentil^ 

 I76ij. 



f Trait t de V/lstronomie Indicnnc ct Orient ale, 1/87. 



X See Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. ii, 

 p. 135. 



§ In all the computations of the Brahnnans the most enormous 

 extravagance appears. They suppose the period which has elapsed 

 5.incc the creation to be more than seven millions of years ! In the 

 8amo spirit of boundless absurdity, they make the c-rcumferencc 

 of the earth to be 5QQ{X)O0O0 yojunas, or 2456000000 British 

 miles ; and the height of many mountains to be IQO yojanas, oi 

 491 British miles! 



