ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 493 



It appears from.fcripture, that Adam and Eve lived 

 afterwards in the countries to the caHwsird o^ Eden ; for 

 at the eailern entrance of it, God placed the angel with 

 the flaming fword. This is alfo confirmed by the Pw 

 rdnics, who place the progenitors of mankind on the 

 mountainous regions, between Cabul and the Ganges,. 

 on the banks of which, in the hills, they fhew a place, 

 where he reforted occafionally, for religious purpofes. 

 It is frequented by pilgrims, and is called Swayambhu- 

 va-Jihdn: I have not been able yet to afcertain its fitu- 

 ation, being but lately acquainted with it: but I believe 

 it is fituated to the north weft o^ Sri-Nagar. 



At the entrance of the palfes, leading to the place, 

 where I fuppofe was the garden of Eden, and to the eaft- 

 ward of it, the Hindus have placed a deftroying angel, 

 who generally appears, and is reprefented like a Cherub; 

 I mean Garud'a, or the Eagle, upon whom Vishnu. 

 and Jupiter are reprefented riding. Garud'a is re- 

 prefented generally like an eagle; but in his compound 

 charafter, fomewhat like the Cherub, he is reprefented 

 like a young man, with the countenance, wings, and ta- 

 lons of the eagle. In fcripture, the deity is reprefented 

 riding upon a Cherub, and flying upon the wings of the 

 wind. This is the Simurgh of Pcrjtan romances, who 

 carries the heroes from one extremity of the world to 

 the other. Garud'a is called the Vahdn^ (literally the 

 vehicle) of Vishnu or Jupiter, and he thus anfwers to 

 the Cherub of fcripture; for many commentators derive 

 this word from the obfolete root C'harab in the Chaldaan 

 language, a word implicitly fynonymous with the San^ 

 fcrit Vahdn. 



An accurate tranflation of the legends relating to 

 Garud'a, Prometheus, and the building o^ Bdjniyan^ 



* Hence the Latin words Vehu^ Sec. In the fouthern dialefts of India, 

 they generally pronounce the letter h hard like^,- thus (or 'vahaM, they 

 fay 'vagdn, a waggon : for mahd, great, they fay mega, hence the Greek 

 word mega. 



Ihall 



