the right; but the Greeks, says PLINY, on these occasions, turn to the left: and, among the Greeks and Romans, in their races in the circus, they drove round the Spina, or ridge in the middle, keeping it all the while on their left. The, Hindus seem to have always considered the four cardinal points in the same light; but various systems appeared at different times, in other parts of the world. EMPEDOCLES, according to PLUTARCH, maintained, that the summer solstice happened in the right, or North; and the winter solstice in the left, or South. This system prevailed once in the West, and of course the West was before, and the East behind, or aparam, aperena, &c. from that time the winter solstice was called by the Latians, Hibernum, which cannot be derived from hyems, winter. This last comes from the Sanscrit hima; and, in a derivative form, haima and haimas, snow; and hyems implies the snowy season: and mount Haimos, or Hamus, in Thrace, signifies the snowy mountain; and as the West was then before, it was called Su-para or Zephyrus, Se-phar and Sepyrrus, like that famous range of mountains in the East, mentioned by PTOLEMY, and in the Bible. King JUBA, a famous antiquary, was also of opinion, that the North is on the right; and this is confirmed by ACHILLES TATIUS. The Egyptians, says PLUTARCH, placed the North on the right, and the South on the left. These alterations must have occasioned feuds among augurs and astrologers; and were, probably either admitted or rejected at different times, according to the power and influence of prevailing factions. This happened no less than four times in Egypt; and, of course, four times the points wherein the sun rises and sets, were considered in different points of view, and received different denominations; and well they might say to HERODOTUS, that the sun

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had four times altered the time of its rising and setting. Twice it rose where it rose before; and twice it did set, where it was seen to rise before. All this happened, they said, without the least alteration in the climate of Egypt. These enigmas, or paradoxes, were much admired formerly, and they were not very willing to explain them.

The same thing happened in Europe; for the sun, shocked at the abominable repast of ATREUS, turned back, and set where it used to rise before; that is to say, an alteration took place in the application of the denomination of before and behind, right and left, with regard to the four cardinal points; and ATREUS is represented as a famous astronomer, who explained the yearly revolution of the Sun, performed in a contrary direction; in consequence of which the Sun is said, by the Bauddhists, and also by Brahmens, to rise in the West, and to set in the East: and the famous mountain of Astagira, behind which the Sun disappears, is called also the mountain of the rising Sun, or Udaya-giri, and even Mahodaya. In the extracts from manuscripts, in the library of the king of France, there is one from the golden meadows of the famous MASOUDI, who lived in the tenth century. The author says, that in the opinion of some philosophers, the renewal of the world would happen, when the circle of the ruling stars shall be accomplished; then what had been North will be South. But, according to the Indians, says he, the Sun remains 3000 years in each of the twelve signs, and performs his revolution in the heavens in 36,000 years. That, when he passes through the meridional signs, the world will be reversed; North will become South, and South will become North: that is to say, as I take it to be, the North will be considered as the right of the world, and the

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South as the left. Some Hindus are of opinion, that, at the end of the Calpas, a total renewal of the world will take place, and every thing will be reversed; the gods will become devils, and the devils gods. The giants, they acknowledge, were Púrva-dévas, or the first gods. The Egyptians, perhaps, entertained the same notions, and the mythologists in the West certainly did.

III. Another division of the world, is into a mainland and islands, which is also that of scripture, in which the isles of the nations, or Iiehagoim, are often mentioned. This division has also been admitted by Musulmans, who call them Jezair-alomam. Commentators understand by them, not only the islands, but also the peninsulas in the Western parts of the old continent; for in Sanscrit, dwipa implies only a country, with waters on both sides; so that, like Jazirah in Arabic, they may signify either islands or peninsulas; dwipa and jazirah are often used to signify countries bordering upon the sea only. By the isles of nations, the islands, peninsulas, and maritime countries in the West, and particularly in Europe, are understood: it is even so with the Pauránics, who are very little acquainted with the Eastern parts of the old continent, even to a surprising degree, and much less then we could reasonably suppose.

The most remarkable feature of this system is mount Méru in the centre, the Olympus of the Hindus, the place of abode of BRAHMA', and his Sabha congregation, or court. This mountain made also part of the cosmographical system of the Jews; for ISAIAH, making use of such notions as were generally received in his time, introduces LUCIFER, in Sanscrit SWARBHA'NU, or light of heaven, boasting that he would exalt his throne

of the seasons according to the lunar months. He proves it by quoting a text of the Taittiriya Yajurvéda, and afterwards cites the following passage from BAUDHAYANA respecting the seasons measured by solar-sidereal time, Mína Méshayór Mésha Vri shabhayór vá vasantah," &c. Vasanta corresponds with Mina and Mésha, or with Mésha and Vrisha,' &c. It should be observed, that the secondary lunar month, which begins and ends with fullmoon, cannot be here meant; because this mode of reckoning has never been universal; and the use of it is limited to countries situated to the nortliward of the Vindhya range of hills, as I learn from the following passage of the Tricand'a mandana. The lunar mouth also is of two sorts, commencing either with the light fortnight, or with the dark one. Some do not admit the month which begins with the dark fortnight; and even by them who do, it is not admitted on the south of the Vindhya mountains."

Note on Volume 5th, page 108.

IN Nos. 3, 5, and 22 of the 5th volume of Asiatick Researches, there are many typographical errors, occasioned chiefly by the inaccuracy of the amanuensis who transcribed those tracts for transmission to the press. In most instances the correction will readily occur to the reader; but one (p. 108, 1. 14 and 15, requires to be marked, because the error very materially affects the sense of the passage, which is there verbally translated from RAGHUNANDANA'S treatise on astrology. I shall take the present opportunity of amending that translation, which is not sufficiently exact as it now stands, and I shall add some remarks on it.

“THE Ghat' icás, elapsed from the beginning of the day, being doubled and divided by five, are the lords [or regents] of hórás considered as a denomination of time. During the day these regents are determined by intervals of six [counted] from the day's own regent; during the night, by intervals

of five."

HÓRÁ, though not found in the most familiar vocabularies of the sanscrit language, is noticed in the Viswa Médiní, as bearing several senses. It signifies the diurnal rising of a sign of the zodiac, and also signifies an astrological figure, and half a sign. It is in this last acceptation, that the word is used in the foregoing passage. Considered as a denomination of time, half a sign of the zodiac is the twenty-fourth part of a day, and the coincidence of the name for that measure of time is no less remarkable, than the assigning of a planet to govern each hour, which was done by European as well as Indian astrologers. The hours of the planets (as is remarked by CHAUCER in his treatise on the astrolabe) follow the order of the planets 5.4.8.0.오... Consequently, the first hour of Saturday being that of Saturn, the twentyfourth

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