from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 297 



the Egyptians any work purely hiflorical ; but there; is abundant reafon to 

 believe, that the Hindus have preferved the religious fables' of Egypt, 

 though we cannot yet pofitivdy fay, by what means the Brahmens acquired 

 a knowledge of them : it appears, indeed, that a free communication for- 

 merly fubfifted between Egypt and India; fince Ptolemy acknowledges 

 himfelf indebted for much information to many learned Indians, whom he 

 had feen at Alexandria ; and Lucian informs us, that pilgrims from India 

 relorted to Hierapolis in Syria; which place is called in the Purdnas, at 

 leaft as it appears to me, Mahabhdga, or the ftation of the goddefs Devi 

 with that epithet; even to this day the Hindus occasionally vifit, as I am 

 aflured, the two Jwala-muc y h'is, or Springs of Naphtha in C&i/^-dwfpa 

 within, the nrft of which, dedicated to the fame goddefs with the epithet 

 Ahdydsa, is not far from the Tigris ; and Strabo mentions a temple, on 

 that very fpot, infcribed to the goddefs Andias* 



The fecond, or great, jiva/d-muc/ji, or fpring with zjlaming mouth, is 

 ■near Baku ; from which place, I am told, fome Hindus have attempted to 

 -vifit the Sacred I/lands in the Weft; an account of which from the Purdnas 

 will (if the publick approve this effay) be the fubject. of a future work. A 

 Yog), now living, is faid to have advanced, with his train of pilgrims, as 

 far as Mo/cow ; but, though he was not ill ufed by the Ruffians, they 

 flocked in fuch crowds to fee him, that he was often obliged to interrupt 

 his devotions in order to fatisfy their curiofity : he, therefore, chofe to return; 

 and, indeed, he would probably have been expofed to fimilar inconvenience 

 in the Sacred Ifles, without excepting Breta-fihdn, or the place- of religious 

 duty. This weftern pilgrimage may account for a fact, mentioned, I think, 

 by Cornelius Nepos, (but, as printed books are fcarce in this country, 

 I fpeak only from recollection) that certain hidi, or Hindus, were fliip- 



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