374 - ON THE ANCIENT 
mirror of the three worlds: but it is wholly mythological, and written in 
the spoken dialects of the countries about Muttra. St. Parrick is supposed 
to have written such a book, which is entitled de éribus Habitaculis, and 
this was also entirely mythological. 
Tere are also lists of countties)r rivers’ and mountains, in several Purd- 
sias, and other books; but they are of little or no use, being mere lists of 
names, without any explanation’ whatever.» ‘Fhey are very incorrectly 
written, and the context can be of no service, m correcting the bad 
spelling of proper, panies: These m general are called Des anmala, or 
garlands of countries ; and are of great antiquity: ‘they appear to have 
been known to Mec ASTHENES, and afer wards to Puy. ae 
be 
ReaL geographical treatises do exist: but they are very searce, and the 
owners unwilling, either to part with them, or to allow any copy to be 
made, particularly for strangers. F or ‘they say, that it is highly i improper, 
io impart any ‘nowledge of the state of their ‘country, to foreigners; 
and they consider these eeographical works as copies 6f the archives of 
* Consuxr the 20th Chapter of the 6th Book, ‘in which the’ account of so many countries all 
over India, cannot be the result of the travels of several individuals, but must, be extracted from such 
lists. Jar the 17th Chapter of the same book, Priny says ihat Seneca, in his attempt towards a des 
scription of India, had mentioned no less ‘than sixty rivers, one hundred and twenty mations or coun- 
iries, besides mountains, and in the latter part of the said chapter, out of this account of SeNECA, 
che gives us the names of several mountains, nations and rivers. 
Ix is my opinion that in the times. of Pony. and Protemy, they had a more  fulland copious pec= 
graphical account of India, than we had forty years ago, _Unluckily through the want of regular 
itineraries and astronomical observations, their longitudes and fatitudes were only inferred; and 
this alone was suflicient to throw the whole of their geographical information, into a shapeless, and. 
inextricable-mass of confusion. 
