SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST. m 



.it is supposed to be in forty degrees of Latitude north. The Hindu astm- 

 nomers, and such of the Pauranics,- as have adopted in part their ideas, 

 .reckon every place in Japihu, or the old, continent, to be to the south of 

 Mem, which they consider then as the north pole. But they are con- 

 stantly contradicting one another, and even themselves. Thus Romcica, 

 or Rome, ought to be to the south of Meru ; and in the Surya-Sidd'hdnta, 

 it is declared to be so : yet in general they reckon it to tlie westward 

 of it, which is true. In the Vardha-piirdjia, the country of Ramdnaca 

 or Rmnyaca is declared to be in the north-west quarter of the old conti- 

 nent ; yet in the same passage it is said to be to the south of the JViluy or 

 blue mountains, and north of the "Sxveta range ; which is impossible, if Ra- 

 myaca be situated in the north-west part of the old continent. Thus the 

 extensive country of Curu or Siberia; beyond Merw\vith regard to In- 

 dia, is declared to be to the south of the J^orth&niOcedii; which is really 

 the case, but is inadmissible in their own system. In the same manner, 

 and upon the same principles, Scotland ought to be to the west of JEw- 

 gland, and it is really declared in the Piiranas to be so situated in respe(5t 

 of England and of Ireland, as we shall see hereafter. Thus, according 

 to this delineation, the British Isles are to the west of Rome, Ireland xs Xb 

 the south of England, and Scotland to the westward of 'both. I could' poiltt 

 put a great many more instances of this kind, but t^eg^; will rSiuffiO^,-: < ; 



The shape and general outlines of the Western shores, in the accompany- 

 ing map, bear no small affinity with those of Europe, which they' were in- 

 tended to represent. There we may trace the Bay of Biscay, the tyeWian 

 Sea, and the entrance into the Baltic. But above all the greatest -resem- 

 blance is in the arrangement of the British Isles, • Iceland and the adjaccij^ 

 shores of America : and this, surely cannot be merely accidental. ;Th^ 



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