300 On Egypt and the Nile 



the old inhabitants of the fouthern henrifphere, among whom were the 

 Ethiops and Egyptians, entertained a very different opinion of. their own 

 climate, and of courfe reprefented the fummit of the northern hemifphere 

 as a region of horrors and mifery : we find accordingly, that the Greeks, 

 who had imported moft of their notions from Egypt, placed their hell 

 under the north-pole, and confined Cronos to a cave in the frozen circle. 

 In the Purdnas we meet with ilrong indications of a terreflriat paradife, 

 different from that of the genera! Hindu fyftem, in the fouthern parts of 

 Africa • and this may be connected with the opinion adopted by the Egyp- 

 tians, who maintained it againft the Scythians with great warmth (for the 

 ancient inhabitants of the two .hemifpheres were perpetually wrangling 

 on their comparative antiquity) that the Ethiopians were the older! nation 

 on earth, - 



Several divifions of the old continent were made by different perfons 

 at different times j and the modern Brdbmens have jumbled them all toge- 

 ther : the moft ancient of them is mentioned in the Purdnas, entitled 

 Vdyu and Brahmdnda ; where that continent is divided into feven dwipas, 

 or countries with water on two fides, fo that, like jazirah in Arabich, they 

 may figni fy either ijlands or peninfulas. They are faid to be wholly fur- 

 rounded by a vafl ocean, beyond which lie the region and mountains of 

 Atala; whence moft probably the Greeks derived their notion of the 

 celebrated Atlantis, which, as it could not be found after h ving once been 

 difcovered, they conceived to have been defhroyed by fome mock of nature; 

 an opinion formed in the true Hindu fpirit ; for the Brdhmens would. ra- 

 ther fuppofe the whole economy of the uaiverfe difturtad, than queftion 

 a iingle fa£l related in their books of authority. The names of thofe iilands., 

 cr peninfulas, are Jambu, Anga 3 Yama t Yamala or Malaya, ' SarULa, Cusha, 

 and Far aha. 



