S60 AN ESSAY ON THE 



400, which is more conformable to truth, as the 

 Omis does not fall into the Atlantic Ocean. 



The author then gives an account of the coun- 

 tries round Merit, as far as the seas surrounding 

 the old continent. He treats first of the Droiiis, 

 vallics, or countries situated between ranges of 

 mountains. The Brahma, Vayu, and Brahm/mda- 

 puran'as, are the most copious on this subject. 

 The mountainous tracts to the North of Lidia, are 

 so little known to us, and to the Hindi's them- 

 selves, that I can by no means throw any light 

 upon so extravagant and obscure descriptions of 

 them, as are to be found in these Purcoias. I shall 

 of course pass them over, after having taken no- 

 tice of two curious passages, one relates to the fa- 

 mous mountain of Caildsa or Cailas, the heaven 

 of 'Siva, and often used by his followers for heaven 

 in general, as Coiliis, .Coiium, and Coiia, by the La- 

 tians. There resides Siva, called also ARHAN,"'or 

 Uranus: for 'Siva, like Uranus, presides over 

 Astronomy. 



It is said to be one hundred yojanas in length, 

 and fifty broad; and a most extravagant descrip- 

 tion of it is o'ix en in the Purdn'as. I have con- 

 versed with many pilgrims, who had seen this fa- 

 mous mountain, and they uniformly declared to 

 me, that it is only eight or nine miles to the South 

 of the lake of Havana, the Lanken of the maps. 

 It is about three coss long, or seven miles, and 

 shaped like a inandap, by which they understand 

 a building, like a barn. Vaicanta, the hea\en of 

 ViSHXu, is toward Assam; and that of JJrahma', 

 towards Tartary, a considerable way to the North. 

 In the Vdiju-purdiia we read, that in the Southern 

 valli'.s witri regard to Miru, is the immense forest 

 of UuuMBAKA, iu which is the place of abode of 



