1844.J 



near Pullicandah in the Carnatic. 



49 



their descendants settled. Mr. Pennant has inferred, that a 

 similarity of religion originally existed in such parts whete 

 the Cromlech and kindred relics are found. The double 

 rings of stones are thus spoken of by Sinclair. 



" As far as can be gathered from the vestiges of such of 

 " these sacred enclosures as remain least defaced, they_seem 

 " in their perfect state to have generally consisted of the cir- 

 " cular row, or double row of stones in the central open space, 

 " (the proper lucas or place of light) and beyond these, of a 

 " wood surrounded by a ditch and a mound. A holy foun- 

 u tain or rivulet appears also to have usually watered the 

 " grove. Near to the temple frequently rose a sacred mount, 

 " from which it is conjectured the priests were wont to ad- 

 " diess the people." These double rings magnified into 

 structures like Stonehenge, I conjecture to be the prototype 

 of our church architecture. 



But in what manner are we to account for the presence of a 

 Temple belonging to the religion of the Druids, on the plains 

 of India, the edifice having no affinity whatever with Hin~ 

 dooism or Islamism. Only, I imagine, by adopting Mr. Pen- 

 nant's reasoning, and conceiving it to have belonged to a Cel- 

 tic Scythian race, who inhabited this peninsula prior to the 

 advent of the Hindoos ; and at a tims when Scythicism was 

 diffused by the Celtic Scythians, throughout the greater part 

 of the vast space included between the western shores of 

 Ireland, and the east coast of China. The Celtic Scythians, 

 were the descendants of Japhet, the name of whose son Go- 

 mer, was perpetuated in the Gomerians, Cimmerians, Cimbri 

 or Celts * these passed westward, while another branch of the 

 same people, and the children of Magog populated Asia alone 

 with the descendants of Shem. Druidism or Scythicism, is a 

 corruption of the earliest chosen ceremony, viz. the form adopt- 

 ed by Abel in sacrificing animals by fire on an Altar, with 



