187 
author) of a great circle, is 30' : the real diameter of the 
sun may be taken at a mean, not far from 32'; so that 
we see the measure of Thales was a good approximation for 
those early times." (Hist, of Astr. p. 19.) 
Considering therefore the sudden introduction of so 
much new information, and by those who avowedly travelled 
in quest of it; also that many circumstances concur in 
proving, that the Orientalists did possess similar information 
on the same subjects, we can hardly avoid admitting, that 
much of it was learnt in the regions where these early 
philosophers travelled. But with our present knowledge 
we should find it impossible to apportion their respective 
shares of discovery to each of the nations from whom it 
may have been learned, as Egyptians, Chaldeans, Baby- 
lonians, Persians, Indiana, or Chinese. We only know 
that the Hindoos do possess much of the above information, 
in their early cultivated and classical language, and that 
ancient writers give them credit, as well as the Egyptians 
and Chaldeans, for having cultivated some of the sciences, 
and made advances in philosophy. 
Conformably to the method adopted with some other 
nations, it will be proper to conclude this account of the 
Hindoos with such notice respecting their chronology as 
may enable us to appreciate the probability of their having 
been a literary and scientific people, at the early periods 
required to establish their claims to originality. The quo- 
tations by Arabian writers, from Hindoo works, and the 
mention by name of Hindoos, is sufficient to establish the 
priority of the latter. In Greek and Latin authors of the 
period of the commencement of the Christian era, the nume- 
rous notices of Indian products, indicate, according to the 
view we have taken, the existence of a resident and observant 
people. This, however, was the case at much earlier periods, 
as we know from the embassy of Megasthenes and Onesi- 
