SACRED ISLES IX THE WEST, ScC. 311 



of their respective lengths, is more natma!, being 

 in the ratios often, nine, and eight. In tiiis man- 

 ner the three ranges are, in a great measnre, con- 

 fined to the orig-inal Jambu, or India. 



The country, to the South of the Southernmost 

 range, is called Bhdrata. and originally was con- 

 fined to India; but it is also enlarged, along with 

 Jambii^ and is now made to extend fiom the shores 

 of the Atlantic to those of the Eastern ocean. 



In the same manner, the country beyond the 

 Northernmost range, as far as the Frozen ocean, is 

 called Cum, or Jiravata, being the native coun- 

 try of the famous elephant of Ixdra, called Aira- 

 vafa, and of his numerous tribe and descendants, 

 whose ei'ui'i(r, or spoils, are to be found in vast 

 quantities in the Northern parts of the old conti- 

 nent. These nine divisions are said to be perfectly 

 equal in superficial contents, though of different 

 shapes : and the only difficulty in delineating a ge- 

 neral map of the world, is to divide the whole sur- 

 face into nine e(]ual parts, one of which, in the 

 centre, is to be a perfect square, and out of tlie 

 eight others, every two divisions are to liave ex- 

 actly the same fio-nrc and dimensions. The ac- 

 companying map of Jambu, whieh is very com- 

 mon, is supposed to be drawn on these principles ; 

 but whetlicr it be very exact in that respect, I 

 shall not determine, as I am by no means willing 

 to go through tlie necessar}- calculations, which, 

 after all, would prove of no use. In consequence 

 of this arrangement, the first range, or the snowy 

 mountains, lies under the parallel of fifty-two de- 

 grees of latitude ; the second under that of 65" 48'; 

 and Nishadlia in 76°. Aleru is here supposed to 

 be the North pole. The three other ranges be- 

 yond Meru are exactly in the same latitudes, 



X 4 



