320 AV ESSAY ON THE 



Tri-philios, in Greek, signifies three tribes or fami-* 

 lies, KuHKMERUs thought proper to translate it 

 thus; besides, he found three nations and cities in 

 the legends of India, which he might conceive 

 countenanced his translation. The abode of Llrd- 

 niis was called Ccelus, or Co'Uus, by tlie Latians; 

 and he is the same with Siva, called the God of 

 Cailas, because he resides on Cailasa, one of the 

 three peaks on the summit of Mem. 



Mount Merit is said to be of four different co- 

 lours, toward the four cardinal points; but the 

 Paurariics are by no means unanimous about them ; 

 and the seas, through the reflection of the solar 

 beams from each side, are of the same colours. 

 The East, like the Brdhmens, is of a white colour; 

 the S )Uth, like the Vaisyas, is yellow; Apara, the 

 West, like the Siidras, is of a brown or dark co- 

 lour; and the North is red, like the Cshatriyas. 

 But in the Haimavatchan da, Mem is said to be 

 supported, or propped, by four -enormous but- 

 tresses ; that toward the East, is of pure gold ; 

 toward the South, of iron; to the West, of sil- 

 ver; and the buttress to the North, of copper. 

 Thus toward the East it is yellow, to the Sourh 

 red, white to the West, and of a dark brown to 

 the North. There arc several other opinions, which 

 I shall pass over with ()i)servini>-, that the Indian 

 ocean is called Amnoda, or Amnodddhi, or the 

 lied sea, being reddened by the reflection of the 

 solar beams from that side of Meru which is of 

 that colour; and Pliny nearly says the same 

 thing*. I shall pass over the extravagant ac- 

 counts of this fiimous mountain, represented by 

 some as a cone, by ot!)ers ;is an inverted one.- In 

 Ceylon, they say it is in the shape of an innnense 



* Fliny, Lib. 6\ c. 23. 



