iSACRED ISLES OF THE WEST, &C. 289 



only introduced in a section of some of them called 

 Bhu-chan'da, or section of the Earth, wliich seems 

 to be interpolated, and of a more recent date. 



The Hindus, and the followers of Budd'iia, differ 

 considerably about the shape, and situation of the 

 zones. The Paur antes say, that they are so many 

 concentric circles enclosing J^wzZ*/^, and situated be- 

 tween it and the land which bounds the Universe, 

 and the first cUmate is that of Meru, included in 

 the dzv?pa of Jcnnbii : among the Greeks and Ro- 

 mans, the first chmate was that of Aleroe. Astro- 

 nomers bavins: discovered that the Earth is of a 

 globular form, have placed them withm the South- 

 ern hemisphere, which they fill up entirely. The 

 I^udd'hists of Tibet represent these zones as so 

 many concentric squares between Jamhu or India, 

 and mount Mem. The followers of Bqdd'ha in 

 Ceylon consider them as so many circles, but place 

 them also between Jamhu and Mem, coiisideied as 

 the North pole. The Jainas in India have, in gr, at 

 measure adopted the Hindu system : but recivi^n 

 eight dwipas. Divipa-dtlia-mai hdi Jaga sara, the 

 whole world consists of eight dwipas, says the au- 

 thor of the Trailocya-darpan'a. I'hough the fol- 

 lowers of Budd'ha seem to reckon seven dwipas, 

 like the Hindus, they really reckon eight ; for Alem 

 is not included among the seven : they say the se- 

 ven ranges of mountains, or zones round Me)^u: 

 but the Paurdnics consider Mini and Ja .toa as 

 one of their seven dznpas. Seven is a favourite and 

 fortunate number among the Hindus: eigh among 

 the Bauddliists ; and nine foi je-iy in th West, 

 and in the North of Asia. BerwccM these zones, 

 there are seven seas, or rivers only, nccordim- ""o 

 some of the followers of Budd'ha, and some Hin- 

 dus also. There are e\ en soruc, who consider these 

 oceans, or rivers, either as one, or only as so many 



Vol. Vlll. U 



