THE SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST. 141 



design of this diagram, though the projection be 

 ever so disfigured*. 



The true projection of it should be in the shape of 

 what the ancients called the bottom part of a sling : 

 and this was admitted by Dionysius Periegetes. 

 PosiDONius before him admitted of it also: but he 

 insisted, that the greatest length of this projection 

 was in a north and south direction. This sort of 

 projection is represented in the third number of the 

 same plate. Number II. represents the same portion 

 of the globe, that is to say, the northern part of the 

 old continent, as projected in the usual form, upon 

 the plain of the first meridian. 



In the first and second numbers, the two Tri-cutci- 

 dris, or islands, abounding with Cirrina or resplen- 

 dence, are represented diametrically opposite, with 

 all due symmetrical arrangement in every part, to 

 which the Hindus will always sacrifice truth. There 

 are, however, some general outlines, which are 

 strictly true. There are really three islands, or dwi- 

 pas in the south east, and as many in the north west 

 quarter of the old continent, corresponding exactly^ 

 or nearly so, to each other ; and they have also the 

 same names. The rest of the superstructure ov/es its 

 origin to the fertile and inventive genius of the 

 Hindus^ The idea, however, is by no means a 

 modern one; nor was it confined to India: for 

 ancient writers in the west acknowledged two islands, 

 called Cerne, one in the east, and the other in the 

 west : the latter, called also Cyrene, was placed near 

 the straits of Hercules ; and was said to consist equally 



Plate IIL 



