SACRED ISLES IS THE WEST, &C. 251 



had time to prepare himself; so that when the col- 

 lation took place, I saw no ground to discredit his 

 extracts, and was satisfied. 



I have since learned, that, as the money for his 

 establishment passed through his hands, his avari- 

 cious disposition led him to embezzle the whole, 

 and to attempt to perform the task alone, which 

 was impracticable. In order to avoid the trouble 

 of consulting books, he conceived the idea of 

 framing: leg-ends from what he recollected from tlie 

 Puranas^ and from what he had picked up in con- 

 versation with me. As he was exceedingly well 

 read in the Puran'as, and other similar books, in 

 consequence of his situation with a Marhatta chief 

 of the first rank in his vounoer davs, it was an 

 easy task for him ; and he studied to introduce as 

 much truth as he could, to obviate the danger of 

 immediate detection. 



Many of tlic legends were very correct, except 

 in the name of the co-untry, which he generally 

 altered into that of either Egypt or S'wetam. 



His forgeries were of three kinds; in the first 

 there was only a word or two aitered; in the se- 

 cond were such legends as had undergone a more 

 material alteration ; and in the third all those which 

 he had written from memoiy. 



With regard to those of the first class, when he 

 found that I was resolved to make a collation of 

 the manuscripts, he began to adulterate and dis- 

 figure his own manuscript, mine, and the manu- 

 scripts of the college, by erasing the original name 

 of the country, and putting that of Egypt or of 

 S'zveiam in its place. 



To prevent my detecting those of the second 



