286 AN ESSAY ON THE 



There are several divisions of the old continetit; 

 the first, and the most ancient, according to the 

 Puranas, is into seven dwipas ; the Bauddliists in 

 India reckon eight of them, this number being a 

 favourite one among them. The followers of Bud- 

 D'HA in Tibet, Ceylon, and Ava, have retained the 

 Brdhmenical divisions, and reckon but seven* This 

 division was made by Priyavratta, the eldest 

 son of SwAYAMBHUVA, or Adam, in his old age, 

 and previous to his withdrawing into solitude. 

 He had ten sons, and it was his intention to di- 

 vide the whole Earth between them equally : but 

 three of them renounced the world : their names 

 were Med'ha', Agnibhu, and Mina, or Mitra. 

 In the same manner Neptune divided the Atlantis 

 between his ten sons : one of them had Gades, at 

 the extremity of the Atlantis to his share. The 

 Atlantis was probably the old continent, at the ex- 

 tremity of which is Gades. This island or conti- 

 nent is supported by Vara'ha on one tusk accord- 

 ing to the Pauran'ics : but according to mytholo- 

 gist, in the West, Atlas supported the heavens, 

 though, he is said some times to support the world. 

 The Musulmans say that the Earth is supported on 

 the horns of a bull. This Atlantis was over- 

 whelmed with a flood likewise ; and it seems that 

 by the Atla?itis, we should understand the antedi- 

 luvian Earth, over which ten princes were born to 

 rule, according to the mythology of the West : 

 but seven of tiicm only sate upon the throne, ac- 

 cording to the Pauran'ics. The names of tlxese 

 islands are Jamhii proper or India, Ciisfa, Placsha, 

 S'dlmali or \Salmala^ Crauncha or Croun'da 'Saca 

 and Pushcara. These dzc/pas, or countries, give 

 their names to so many respective zones round 

 Meru, which is the name the Pauran'ics give also 

 to the Poles. If we disregard entirely the diagrams, 

 or fanciful schemes, of the astronomers, and adhere 



