ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 489 



forced to fuppofe that Su-?nef'u is exa8;ly at the apeXy or 

 fummit o^ i\ic fliadow of the earth; and that from the 

 earth to this fummit, there is an immenfe conical hill, 

 folid like the reft of the globe, but invidble, inipalpable, 

 and pervious to mankind: on the fides of this moun- 

 tain are various manfions, riling in eminence and pre- 

 excellence, as you afcend, and deftined for the place of 

 refidence of the bleffed, according to their merits. God 

 and the principal deities are fuppofed to be feated in the 

 fides of the north, on the fummit of this mountain, which 

 is called alfo Sabha, or of the congregation. This opi- 

 nion is of the greateft antiquity, as it is alluded to by Isa- 

 iah, a!moft in the words of the Pauranics. This prophet 

 defcribing the fall of the chief of the Daityas, intro- 

 duces him, faying, " that he would exalt his throne above 

 the ftars of God, and would fit on the mount of the con- 

 gregation, in the fides of the 7iorfh.'* The mountain, or 

 hill of God, is often alluded to in fcripture. 



Some Hmdu aftronomers, afhamed of this ridiculous 

 fuperftru6lure, endeavour to reconcile the Purdnas to 

 nature, by fuppofingthat the fun at fome remote period, 

 revolved in fuch parallel of altitude to Sii-meru, as to 

 afford conffant light for the fpace of fourteen degrees 

 round this point, and conftant night for the fame fpace 

 round Cu-meru. Thus by placing the north pole on 

 the elevated plains of the leffer Buchdray and forcing the 

 fun out of the ecliptick, they explain the alteration, 

 which is fuppofed to have taken place on the weft and 

 eaft points; whilft the north and fouth points, as they 

 fay, remain unmoveable. This alteration, they tell us, 

 was not perceptible, at leaft very little, in the countries 

 to the fouth of Merit, but in thofe to the north of it, the 

 fun appeared to rife in the weft and to fet in the eaft. 

 As long as the Hindus confidered the earth as ^Jlat ta~ 

 hie with the immenfe conical mountain of MerUy rifing 

 in the middle, and intercepting the rays of the fun, dur- 

 ing part of its diurnal courfe; the points of eaft and 

 weft muft of courfe have been entirely inverted beyond 



1 Meru, 



