XXVI OX ASIATIC HISTORY, 



their external appearance ; but I have met with no- 

 thing valuable concerning them in Persian, except 

 what may be gleaned from the medical dictionaries - y 

 nor have I yet seen a book in Sanscrit that expressly 

 treats of them. On the whole, though rare animals 

 may be found in all Asia, yet I can only recommend 

 an examination of them with this condition, that they 

 be left, as much as possible, in a state of natural free- 

 dom ) or made as happy as possible, if it be necessary 

 to keep them confined. 



2. The history of Minerals, to which no such ob- 

 jection can be made, is extremely simple and easy, if 

 we merely consider their exterior look and configura- 

 tion, and their visible texture; but the analysis of their 

 internal properties belongs particularly to the sublime 

 researches of Chemistry, on which we may hope to find 

 useful disquisitions in Sanscrit, since the old Hindus 

 unquestionably applied themselves to that enchanting 

 study ; and even from their treaties on alchemy we 

 may possibly collect the results of actual experiment, 

 as their ancient astrological works have preserved 

 many valuable facts relating to the Indian sphere and 

 the precession of the equinox. Both in Persian and 

 Sanscrit, there are books on metals and minerals, par- 

 ticularly on gems which the Hindu philosophers con- 

 sidered (with an exception of the diamond) as varieties 

 of one crystalline substance, either simple or compound: 

 but we must not expect from the chymists of Asia 

 those beautiful examples of analysis which have but 

 lately been displayed in the laboratories oi Europe. 



3- W* 



