52 Epitome of the Progress of JVatural Science. 



protracted advancement of science, the influence of which wiH 

 be still more apparent, when we come to observe how steadily the 

 light of natural knowledge burnt, when it was removed Beyond 

 the current of these adverse circumstances. Strong as was this 

 current, and unfriendly to historical accuracy, we still find the 

 antiquity of society asserted, in various records of a remarkable 

 character ; such as the sacred books of the Hebrews ; the Vedas, 

 or sacred books of the .Brahmins ; the U King, or five books of the 

 Chinese ; and the Institutes of Menu, the sacred volume of the 

 Hindoos. The Indians have not, properly speaking, any histori- 

 cal book. The Vedas contain an exposition of the religious 

 philosophy of the Brahmins, written in the Sanscrit tongue, now 

 a dead language. It appears to have been the policy of the 

 Brahminical caste, to have kept back the knowledge of histori- 

 cal truths, and to have substituted in their place, metaphysical 

 speculations. In all times, the people of India seem to have sub- 

 mitted to that caste, as the sole depository of all knowledge, 

 sacred and profane. It was so in the most ancient times, and 

 their religion, laws, and customs, are at this day, such as Alex^ 

 ander of Macedon found them.* Their mythology, their meta- 

 physics, they imparted to other nations, but the Indians never 

 had an advanced astronomy, nor a regular geometry. 



In estimating the relative antiquity of the nations we have 

 spoken of, there are four circumstances worthy of attention. 



1. The remarkable agreement between all the known written 

 languages, and the Sanscrit. 



2. The great height of the Himmaleh mountains, the loftiest 

 on the face of the earth. Javaher in Thibet, rises to an elevation 

 of 25,745 feet, which is 500 feet more than Sorata, in the An-' 

 des of Quito. Mr. Gerard found the Tartars living on the table 

 lands between the peaks of the Himmaleh, with their horses, 

 dogs, and domestic animals, at a height of near 16,000 feet. 

 Herds of yaks and goats browse in the still more elevated ac- 

 clivities, where theorists have supposed eternal snows to reign, 

 the limit of which was found not to be under 20,000 feet. A 

 legitimate inference to be drawn from these facts, is, that the 

 human family might have found a safe refuge here, when the 

 plains of Babylon and Egypt were under water. 



3. The tenderness among those ancient people, of animal life, 



* 324 years B. C. 



