326 AN ESSAY ON THE 



miles, which agrees tolerably welFwith the above 

 account. 



Between the ranges to the North and South of 

 MerUy the Paurdnics place two other ranges of 

 'mountains ; one on each side of Meru, and in a 

 North and South direction. The Western range, 

 called Gand'hamddana, does really exist, and an^ 

 swers to the Comctdi mountains of Ptolemy, called 

 also Cumiidci in the Purdnas. But the Eastern 

 range, called Mdlyatdn, and answering to the 

 former, exists but in the imagination of the Pau- 

 Tcinics ; symmetry certainly required it, and this 

 was enough for them. 



IX. In the Vayu Purana, we are told, that the 

 water or Ogha of the ocean, coming down from 

 heaven like a stream of Anmta upon Mtru^ en- 

 circles it, through seven channels, for the space of 

 84,000 Y(janas, and then divides into four streams, 

 which, falling from the immense height of MerHy 

 rest themselves in four lakes, from which they 

 spring over the mountains through the air, just 

 brushing the summits. This wild account was not 

 unknown in the West; for this passage is trans- 

 lated, almost verbally, by Pliny and Q. Curtius, 

 in speaking of the Ganges. Cum magno Jragore 

 ipsius statim fontis Ganges erumpit^ et magnorum 

 montium juga recto alveo stringit, et ubiprimum 

 mollis piamtits contingat, in quodam lacu hospitatw\ 

 The words in Italics are from Pliny*, the others 

 from Curtius "f. 



These four lakes are called Arun'odd in the East; 

 Mdm.sa in the South; in the West Sitodd: the 

 fourth, in the North is called Mahd-Bliadrd. 



* Puny VI. c. iS'', \ Curtius VIII. c. 9% 



