n\ ESSATONTHE 



which I shall adduce in support of my opinion, I have faithfully extracted;' 

 neither have I omitted any, wilfully, that should; militate against it. Should*' 

 the learned, after having duly examined theiiL, and weighed the evidence 

 resting upon them, think proper to place this famous country, and the White- 

 Island^ some where else in the west, I shall acquiesce ; but I cannot con- 

 ceive it altogether an Utopian IdLiidi. It M^as certainly my opinion at first,, 

 that the White Island, was Crete, and the White Sea Xho. Mediterranean: 

 the former being called to this day Ghirita^Adassi, and the latter Ac- 

 De?tghiz, or the White Sea, by the Turks. Ghrita is a!sa another name- 

 for the White Island in Sanscrit, which implies shining white. This first- 

 impression, as usually happens, was not easily done away. As the deno- 

 mination of Tri-cuta is by no means applicable to Crete, I had at first some 

 idea to remove it to 5'zb'^, called in Greek, Trinacria, or the island with^ 

 three peaks; (for acron signifies a peak, and, by implication only, a head^ 

 land' or promontory ;) these three promontories making a triangle, or 

 Tri-ccn'a in Sanscrit, and Tri-cshe'tra, or a figure with three places or 

 corners. This last, in the spoken dialedls of hidia, is pronounced Trt-^ 

 Miye'tra in the eastern:, and Tri-kketra in the western parts of it. It is the- 

 same with Triquetra in Latin : and this etymology, I conceive to be better 

 than the one generally admitted, which, derives it from Tri-quadrate , ^ 

 or squared into three corners, as it is rendered. Thus Tri-khetra is the 

 origin of Triquetra in Latin, and Tri-cdna of Trigones in Greek, 



For the illustration of this subje6l, I have annexed a map of the 

 north-west quarter of the old continent, from the Piirdnas; and the only 

 additions, I have presumed to make, are, first, a rough delineation of the 

 western shores of Europe; and secondly, the polar circle. - 



Me'eu is omitted through want of room; but this is. immaterial; a^idi 



