SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST, &C. 271 



Magad'ha could no longer be considered as a pro- 

 per country for the twice-born to live in, without 

 losing the fruit of their good works, and greatly 

 impairing their energy in the paths of righteous- 

 ness. 



Besides geographical tracts, the Hindus have also 

 maps af the world,* both according to the system 

 of the Buuriw'ics, and of the astronomers : the lat- 

 ter are very common. They have also maps of 

 India, andof particular districts, in which latitudes 

 and long'itudes are entirely out of question, and 

 they never make use of a scale of equal parts. The 

 sea shores, rivers, and ranges of mountams, arc 

 represented in general by straight lines. The best 

 map of this sort I ever saw, was one of the king- 

 dom of Napdl, presented to Mr. Hastings. It 

 was about four feet long, and two and a half 

 broad, of paste board, and the mountains raised 

 about an inch above the surface, with trees paint- 

 ed all round. Tlie roads were re])resented by a red 

 line, and the rivers with a blue one. The various 

 ranges were very distinct, with the narrow passes 

 through them : in short, it wanted but a scale. 

 The valley of Napdl was accurately delineated : 

 but toward the borders of the map, every thing- 

 was crowed, and in confusion. 



These works, whether historical or geographi- 

 cal, are most extravagant compositions, in which 

 little regard indeed is paid to truth. KingViciiA- 

 MA'DiTYA had four lakhs of boats, carried on carts, 

 for ferrying his numerous armies over lakes and 

 rivers. In their treatises on geography, they seem 

 to view the globe through a prism, as if adorned 

 with the liveliest colours. 'AIf)untains are of so- 

 lid gold, bright like ten thousand suns ; and others 

 are of precious gems. Some oi' siher, borrow the 



