190 On the EEtlGION ANt) 



vide the year into three seasons, the hot, tJidf 

 rainy, and the cold: and in order to distinguish 

 these seasons, althono'h thev believe the sun and 

 moon decline by a daily motion, yet they suppose 

 three roads in heaven ; a road within, a road in the 

 middle, and a road without. The inner road i^ 

 nearest Mitmno; and when the sun enters it, the 

 rainy season commences; when he enters the 

 middle road, the hot season commences ; and when 

 he enters the outer road, the cold begins. By 

 these three roads, which are distant from eacll 

 other 39,09Sjuza?/a, that immense space, which 

 lies between J\Jicnmo and Zetchiarala^ is divided 

 into four great zones. The inner road corresponds 

 to our summer solstice, the middle to our equi- 

 nox, and the outer to our winter solstice; or, ta 

 speak more accurately, the middle road is the 

 Equator, the inner the tropic of Cancer, and the 

 outer the tropic of Capricorn. Besides these three 

 roads of tiie sun, the Burma writings maintain, 

 that there are three paths, one above the other; 

 by which means they admit, as well as we do, 

 although in a different manner, that the sun at 

 some times is more near the earth, and at others 

 more- remote. The highest of these paths, and 

 the most remote from us, is the path of the ele- 

 phant ; the micklle is the .path of the ox : the 

 lowest is the path of the goat, because that animal 

 deligjits in dry and Avarm places: M'hen therefore 

 the sun is in tlie goat's path, it produces great 

 heat and d,ryness in the earth. Thus also, v hen 

 the sun is in the higher path, we experience heavy 

 rain, and great cold ; this path is therefore named 

 after the elephant, an animal that frequents cool 

 and moist places. It is not supposed that the sun 

 revolves through tliese paths according to any 

 general law: but his motion in them depends on 

 the will of mankind. When man acts with recti- 

 tude, and observes the laws, the su:i moves in the 

 middle path, which is highly salutary: but when 

 he violates the hiws, the sun moves either in the 

 3 *^' upper 



