SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST, &C. 365 



the vine, and plum, or olive tree, nor the N/tga- 

 ranga, or orange tree, unless we are to understand 

 the latter of trees, bearing golden apples. The 

 larger lakes, the numberless pools, the caves in 

 the mountains, the abundance of vineyards and or- 

 chards filled with orange and olive trees, is per- 

 fectly correct, as well as the description of the 

 desert, with its scanty waters of a whitish colour, 

 and a few inhabitants, without any fixed habita- 

 tions, is literally true. The numerous and learned 

 Levites, who were really Brahmens, the Siddlias 

 or prophets working miracles, are certainly won- 

 derful circumstances. 



The C'mnaras may be the inhabitants of the 

 country of Cinnereth, round the lake of the same 

 name with the town of Cinnereth. The tribe of 

 Uragas^ or serpents, were probably the Hivitcs, 

 whose name implies the same thing. Vadari sig- 

 nifies a plum tree, but, in general, a stone-fruit 

 tree ; and is, of course, applicable to the olive 

 tree, for which, I believe, there is no niane in 

 Sanscrit. It is not understood liere of the date 

 tree, for which there is a name in that lanouao-e. 



This curious passage proves the existence of an 

 early intercourse between the Hindus with the in- 

 habitants of the more Western countries, and par- 

 ticularly the Israelites. I shall show, in the course 

 of this work, that such an intercourse existed 

 formerly : and Luciaw takes a particular notice 

 of the Hindus visiting holy places in Syria, such 

 as the sfhdn of Jllahd-bkdga-devi, called Bo?nbifce, 

 and now Mcuibeg. This, in my hmnble opinion, 

 explains an ob.'jcure passage of the prophet Isaiah, 

 who lived in the eighth century before Cjirist*: 



* Isaiah, ch^p. ii. v, Q. — Sep also Bishop Lowth on Isaiah. 



