THE SOURCES OF THE GANGES. 439 



raountain to mountain, before its final descent from the snowy cliffs of 

 Himalaya.*: L answer, that a legend, which makes the Ganges gush 

 from heaven on mount Meru, and, there dividing into four streams, and 

 falling from the stupendous height of Meru, rest in as many lakes from 

 which it springs over the mountains through the air, just brushing their 

 summits,"!; is undeserving of serious consideration. If it be proposed 

 to receive fabulous accounts as entitled to some notice, because they 

 must be supposed to be grounded, on a basis of truth» however false the 

 superstructure which has been built on it;. I reply, that no presumption 

 can be raised on the ground of, an. ackowledged fable.. After every gross 

 impossibility has been reje6led, what remains is merely possible, but not 

 therefore probable. It is more likely to be false than true, since it was 

 affirmed by evidence demonstrably unworthy of credit. 



The utmost theni which can be conceded, is that the conjedlural basis 

 of a geographical fable may be used; with very little confidence however, 

 as a guide to inquiry and. research* Upon this principle, it might not 

 he unreasonable to institute researches, with the view of ascertaining whe- 

 ther ?ny lake exist within the snowy mountains, an imperfect knowledge 

 of which may have been the foundation of the fables concerning- theMi- 

 nasa and VindusarovaraldkQso^ tho. Hindu poets, and the Mdp.ima and 

 Luncadeh 0^ the Lamas: and j if ai^y. such lake exist, whether a river 

 issue from it, as generally affirmed ; and whether that river be the Ala- 

 canandd, as hinted not only in PurdnasX hut in the astronomical work 



* As. Res. 8. p. 351. 

 + As. Res. 8. p. 321. 

 i See As. Kes. yoL 8. p. 551'. 



