80 



On Supposed early Celtic 



[No. S3, 



rulers,^vho were lords of that land, long antecedent to the first acces- 

 sion of the dynasty whence the present raja is an offspring; con- 

 cerning which early regime, I have a manuscript already translated, 

 from the Mackenzie Collection, bearing the general title of Congu- 

 desa-rajakal. 



*' At a later period than the one referred to, while investigating the 

 contents of the Mackenzie MSS., I met with a paper on the sub- 

 ject of the aforesaid ancient remains, which was read, copied, and 

 put by. More recently another shorter paper occurred, which I at 

 once translated, and being reminded of the other one, I recurred to 

 it, and translated it also. The shorter one seemed to be an abstract 

 of the first ; and both by the same individual native. It has seemed 

 to me that it might be well to give copies of both translations, as 

 further specimens of the lighter and more versatile parts of the col- 

 lection, whence they are taken. 



" They present a subject curious, yet still dark. The various tra- 

 ditions narrated show that the present natives of the Peninsula know 

 nothing certain about these remains. Yet the kitchen utensils said 

 to be discovered, in some of the caves, &c. are those used by natives 

 still ; indicating an affinity of relationship. The tradition placed 

 first in order, is derived, I conceive, from the opening portion of a 

 very voluminous, and, in many respects, valuable Manuscript enti- 

 tled Cliola-pattayam : (Prof. Wilson's Des. Catalogue, vol. 1, A. II. 

 2 ; and Or. Hist. MSS., vol. 2, App, p. 34,) wherein the same ac- 

 count substantially is recorded. These accounts have an air so le- 

 gendary that, though of use to elucidate the habits and modes of 

 opinion of the people among whom we dwell, they seem, for the rest, 

 not worthy of special confidence. 



" It may be noted that the gentleman before adverted to, remarked 

 at the time, when speaking on this subject, that similar tombs (or cairns 

 if such they be) had more recently been discovered in Siberia ; with 

 similar contents. In what book, or narrative, the statement is to be 

 met with, I do not know ; but the simple fact of such similarity, as- 

 suming, as I feel bound to do its correctness, is a clue of some impor- 

 tance. I suspect some possible coincidence with the topes in the 

 Punjauh ; of which so much has been written. These however are, 

 in part at least above ground structures. I remember reading in one 

 of Ferishta's historical productions (though the book is not now at hand 

 for reference) that one of the Tartar chiefs who made an incursion 

 into India, and carried thence much plunder, was at his death, in his 



