182 On the religion and 



'^ decrement in the duration of the life of man from 

 *' one Assenchii to ten years, followed by an in- 

 ** crease from ten years to one AssenchUj must take 

 " place sixty-four times after the reproduction of a 

 *• world, before that world will be again destroyed. 

 '* In the present M^orld eleven of these changes have 

 " taken place, nor will it be destroyed till it has 

 *' passed through fifty-three more changes. The 

 *' time in which one of these successive decrements 

 *' and augmentations of ages take place, is called 

 " Andrakat ; sixty-four Andrakat make one Assen-> 

 ■' chiekat; four Assenchiekat make one MaJiakat.'" 



" IX. Let us now consider the happiness and 

 *' misery of the different living beings ; and t\iQ bon 

 V' or habitations which they possess. We shall 

 '* begin with the happy beings, and first of all with 

 " man, the first happy species of these beings called 

 *' Chama*. 



*' The diameter of this southern island is 10,000 

 ^^jitzana. If we substract 3,000 juzana of woods 

 *'■ and desarts, and 4,000 of water, which occupy 

 *' the surface of this island, t|iere will remain 3,00Q 

 ^■^ juzana, the diameter of the bon or habitation of 

 ** men. The duration of the life, which men at 

 *' present enjoy, is reckoned somewhat long, when 

 *' it extends to eighty years. Amongst us some are 

 *' rich, others poor; some learned and of a quick 

 *' understanding, others ignorant and stupid ; some 

 *' are oppressed with grief and cares,' others free from 

 *• anxiety and fear pass their lives in tranquillity and 

 •* happiness; some are low and held in reproach, 

 '* others are honoured and raised to the rank of 

 ** princes, or of officers ; some are deformed, others 

 •' are beautiful ; and finally, some die soon, while 

 *' others enjoy long life. These different conditions 

 " and states among men are bestowed on them by 

 ^' GoDAMA, according to the merit or demerit of 

 ** the actions performed by them in a former life : 

 ^' but of this we shall afterwards have occasion to 

 ^* treat more at length. " 



'' X, Let 

 * Page 179 of this volume. 



