406 THE PRESIDENT'S SECOND 



lofs of thofe excellent men who have lately departed 

 from this capital, yet there is a profpe6t ftill of large 

 contributions to your ftock of AJiatick learning, which, 

 I am perfuaded, will continually increafe. My late 

 journey to Benares has enabled me to afl'ure you, that 

 many of your members, who refide at a diftance, em- 

 ploy a part of their leifure in preparing additions to 

 your archiv/es ; and, unlefs I am too fanguine, you will 

 foon receive light from them on feveral topicks entirely 

 new in the republick of letters. 



It was principally with a defign to open fources of 

 fuch information, that I long had meditated an expe- 

 dition up the Ganges during the fufpenfion of my bufi- 

 nefs ; but, although I had the fatisfa6lion of vifiting 

 two ancient feats of Hindu fuperftition and literature, 

 yet, illnefs having detained me a considerable time in 

 the way, it was not in my power to continue in them 

 long enough to purfue my inquiries; and I left them, 

 as JEneas is feigned to have left the fhades, when his 

 guide made him recollect, the fwift flight of irrevocable 

 time, with a curiofity raifed to the height, and a regret 

 not eafily to be defcribed. 



Whoever travels in AJia, efpecially if he be conver- 

 fant with the literature of the countries through which 

 he pafles, muft naturally remark the fuperiority of 

 European talents. The obfervation, indeed, is at leaft 

 as old as A lexander : And though we cannot agree with 

 the fage preceptor of that ambitious Prince, that " the 

 " AJiaticks are born to be flaves," yet the Athenian 

 poet feems perfe6tly in the right, when he reprefents 

 Europe as a fovereign Princefs, and Afia as her Hand" 

 maid : But, if the miftrefs be tranfcendcntly majeftick, 

 it cannot be denied that the attendant has many beau- 

 ties, 



