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and their perfons fhort and ftrongly made : they pro- 
fefs the Gentoo religion ; but differ from them, in 
that they facrifice, and eat mod: kinds of flefh, ex- 
cepting that of the cow and of the hog. Their 
language is the Nagri, which I have good reafon to 
believe was the original language of India, and is 
more ancient than even the Shanfcritta; which I 
imagine to have been formed and invented by the 
Bramins, in order to veil their religion from the 
vulgar. There are at prefent two dialedts of the 
Nagri, one of which is not very common, and is 
called the Bengal ; but this is underftood by only a 
very few, and may be called the ancient Nagri ; and 
the other the modern. I found many manufcripts 
among the mountaineers, fome of which treat of the 
hiftory of India, going back above three thoufand 
years. And I am convinced, that, to come at the 
true hiftory of the early times of this country, re- 
courfe muff be had to the books written in this lan- 
guage. I am now endeavouring to get fome of them 
tranflated. 
This country has never been vifited by any Eu- 
ropeans, but a few Italian mifiionaries who have 
lately been driven out of it. I happened to meet 
with them by accident, and flattered myfelf I fhould 
receive fome uleful information from them; but was 
much difappointed, for they were a fet of the moft 
ignorant fellows I ever met with. Their fuperior, 
who feemed the moft intelligent, could give me no 
account of any place or thing beyond the city he lived 
in, although he had been twelve years in that coun- 
try. He told me, however, by way of fhewing his 
miftionary zeal, that he had burnt three thoufand 
manu- 
