SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST, &C. 249 



and having resumed the collation of my vouchers 

 with unexceptionahle ipinuscripts, I found that 

 the impositions were not so extensive as I had ap- 

 prehended. 



The nature of my inquiries and pursuits was 

 originally the source of this misfortune. Had they 

 been confined to some particular object, to be 

 found within the limits of a few books, as astro- 

 nomy, it could never have taken place ; but the 

 case was very different. The geography, history, 

 and mythology of the Hhuhis are blended toge- 

 ther, and dispersed through a vast number of vo- 

 luminous books, in which prevails a most disgust- 

 ing confusion and verbosity. Besides, the titles 

 of their books have seldom any aftinitv with the 

 contents ; and I have often found most vakiable 

 materials in treatises, the professed subject of 

 which was of the most unpromising nature. 



Thus when I began to study the Sayiscrit lan- 

 guage, I was obliged to wade, with difficulty, 

 through ponderous volumes, generally without find- 

 ing any thing valuable enough to reward me for 

 my trouble. But in the course of conversation, 

 my pandit, and other learned natives, often men- 

 tioned most interesting legends, bearing an astonish- 

 ing affinity with those of the western mythologists. 



I consequently directed my pandit to make ex- 

 tracts from all the Purmias and other books rela- 

 tive to my inquiries, and to arrange them under 

 proper heads. I gave him a proper establishment 

 of assistants and writers, and I requested him to 

 procure another pandit to assist me in my studies ; 

 and I obtained, for his further encouragement, a 

 place for him in the college at Benares. At the 

 same time, I amused myself with unfolding to 

 him our ancient mythology, history, and geo- 



