4 lleport on the Mackenzie Manuscripts, [Jan. 



The manuscript is, for the most part, free from the mytliological fable, 

 which usually disfigures Hindu documents, and is well supported by 

 dates; in general referred to inscriptions, which are mentioned ; and 

 many grants of land are specified, with such reference. On the whole 

 this is one of the best, and most valuable manuscripts in the collec- 

 tion. A more full abstract is not here given, seeing that some time, 

 since, I translated the whole ; and intend to transmit a copy of it to 

 the Bengal Asiatic Society, for insertion, if thought worthy by them 

 of such distinction, in the transactions of that illustrious Society. 



Professor Wilson's notice of this manuscript will be found in Des. 

 Cat. vol. 1, p. 198. 



BOOKS OF MANUSCRIPTS ON PAPKR. 



II— Book No. 12, countermark 766. 



Section I. — The universal deluge according to the account of the 

 Jaina people in the Ckettupat district. 



The account w^as given by one named Cavundesvarer. There are 

 some geographical details of the neighbourhood of the Himalaya 

 mountains ; with chronological definitions, dealing in magnificent 

 periods of time, and narrating changes of those periods j bounds of 

 D^herma Candam, and Mle^chch'ha Candam ; the period of great heat, 

 of fire-rain, previous to the deluge ; then other kinds of showers, among 

 them of sugar-cane-juice, of poison, quintessence of poison, by which 

 means the earth sinks down depressed ; then come showers of milk, 

 nectar, water ; and afterwards the earth becomes restored : grass, 

 plants, shrubs, &c. re-appear; men also again inhabit the earth, who 

 dwell on it, and increase. After forty thousand years, the Menus and 

 Chacravertis Rx^hovn, and continue to rule. Then comes a period of 

 twenty crores of crores of years, at the close of which the seven kinds 

 of showers, as before, introduce the yuga praldya or periodical deluge : 

 certain other changes occur down to the year 2,480 of the Cali-yuga, 

 corresponding with the year of the era of Salivahana 1739 (A. D. 

 1817, when possibly the account was given). After another 18,000 

 j^ears, there will be extreme heat for 21,000 years, and then in the 

 D'herma Candam only, the fire-show^ers falling, will be followed by 

 the periodical deluge. 



JSfote. — This short paper is in Tamil, strangely mingled with 

 Pracrit ; and the writing is so much faded, as to be with difficulty 

 legible. It contains the most extravagant exaggerations, but illus- 



