290 AN ESSAY ON THE 



branches springing from one head, ,ancl winding 

 seven times round Mem, according to the Paurd- 

 Tries, or, eight times, according to tlie Baudd'hists: 

 but according to Servius, the Sty.v went nine 

 times round the Earth. They reckoned, accord- 

 ingly, nine seas and nine dwipas, or worlds. These 

 nine worlds are noticed in the Edda-Sa:mudr, and 

 the nine oceans are mentioned by Plutarch, who 

 informs us that a certain Timarchus visited the ora- 

 cle of Trophokius, where, in a vision, he saw the 

 islands of, the departed in the eighth part, or divi- 

 sion of the ocean. These islands, according to the 

 Hindus, and the followers of Jina, are constantly 

 placed in tiie last sea but one : thus they are in the 

 sixth, according to the Hindus: in the seventh, 

 according to the Jainas: but the Western mytho- 

 logists placed them in the eighth, because they rec- 

 koned nine seas. Nine was held a mystical and 

 sacred number in the Northern parts of the old 

 continent, from China to the extremities of the 

 West. The Cimhri observed the ninth day, month, 

 and year, sacrificing ninety-nine men, as many 

 horses, &c. The number seven was held to be sa- 

 cred by the Hebrews, and also by Musulmans to 

 this day, who reckon seven climates, seven seas, 

 seven heavens, and as many hells. According to 

 Rabbis and Musulman authors, the body of Adam 

 was made of seven handfnls of mould taken from 

 the seven stages of the Earth : and, indeed, the 

 seven zones, or ranges of mountains, are arranged 

 by the HindusYikt so many steps, rising gradually 

 one above another, in such manner that Meru looks 

 like an immense pillar or obelisk with a case, either 

 circular or square, and consisting of seven steps, 

 but, according toothers, of eight, or even nine. 

 The length, or height, of this obelisk is to its 

 bteadth, as 84 to 16. The Hindus generally repre- 

 sent mount Mtru of a conical figure, and kings 



