MARCH 7th. In the evening the clouds began to afcend, and the day broke next morning with a clear fky; but the country being wet, and the Taty river quite filled, we were compelled to poftpone our march. MARCH 8th. THIS morning a Cowhier came in from Loffah, a village about five cofe diftant, and reported, that close to Mahtin, at the bottom of the large hills, he faw the mangled bodies of a man and a bullock, who appeared to have been recently killed by tigers. I found, on inquiry, that the traveller was a villager coming with his bullock, loaded with grain, to Mahtin, and that the accident happened juft as he was terminating his journey. Upon afking the Cowhiers if they ufed any means to deftroy the tigers, they replied, that the wild beafts were fo numerous, that they dreaded, if one were to be deftroyed, the reft would foon be revenged upon them, and upon their cattle; and would undoubtedly depopulate the country. He added, that the inhabitants of Mahtin make certain offerings and facrifices, at ftated periods, to BHAVANI, on Mahtin Dey, for her protection from wild beafts, upon which they rely for prefervation; and he remarked to me, that the man who had been killed, was not an inhabitant of their village. I could not forbear a fmile at the credulity of thefe mountaineers. WE had now experienced rain, more or lefs, for twenty-two days; the weather was ftill cold, but the air, clear and fharp; and, as far as I could difcover, the fall of rain was not confidered as unufual at this feafon in that part of the country. FROM the time that we had entered Corair, I had - obferved a great variety of very beautiful flowering fhrubs, which appeared new to me; but not poffeffing fufficient botanical knowledge to decide to what claffes of THE PREFACE. A PREFACE in common language is that which is put first. Technically it is that which is necessary to the explanation of any science with clearness and perspicuity. It has therefore become an established custom with authors, previously to the introduction of their subject, to appropriate the first chapter to this purpose, calling it a Preface. Under this head are comprehended three different articles; 1st, The nature or description of science; 2d, The end or use of the science; 3d, The subject of the science; or those of its essential parts that are to be investigated or considered; such as the human body in medicine, words and sentences in grammar, and definition and demonstration in logic. Accordingly let it be understood, that knowledge, or images acquired by the mind, is of two kinds; either the simple impression of an object, or the production of an image by reflection, that is, by relation. The first is perception, the second intellection or judgment. Perception is either the idea of a single object, such as the idea of ZEID; or of several objects, such as the idea of ZEID and OMAR. Or it may be the idea of an object standing in a relation that is imperfect; for example, the slave of ZEID; or in a relation that is perfect, in'which case it must not be connected with a predicate, but without one, such as the exreb, (i. e.) beat thou. It may also be in construction with a predicate, provided that it imply no conclusion; as in the idea of conjecture and doubt.. MARCH 7th. In the evening the clouds began to afcend, and the day broke next morning with a clear fky; but the country being wet, and the Taty river quite filled, we were compelled to poftpone our march. MARCH 8th. THIS morning THIS morning a Cowhier came in from Loffah, a village about five cofe diftant, and reported, that clofe to Mahtin, at the bottom of the large hills, he faw the mangled bodies of a man and a bullock, who appeared to have been recently killed by tigers. I found, on inquiry, that the traveller was a villager coming with his bullock, loaded with grain, to Mahtin, and that the accident happened just as he was terminating his journey. Upon asking the Cowhiers if they ufed any means to deftroy the tigers, they replied, that the wild beafts were fo numerous, that they dreaded, if one were to be deftroyed, the reft would foon be revenged upon them, and upon their cattle; and would undoubtedly depopulate the country. He added, that the inhabitants of Mahtin make certain offerings and facrifices, at ftated periods, to BHAVANI, On Mahtin Dey, for her protection from wild beafts, upon which they rely for prefervation; and he remarked to me, that the man who had been killed, was not an inhabitant of their village. I could not forbear a smile at the credulity of thefe mountaineers. E We had now experienced rain, more or lefs, for twenty-two days; the weather was ftill cold, but the air, clear and fharp; and, as far as I could difcover, the fall of rain was not confidered as unusual at this feafon in that part of the country. FROM the time that we had entered Corair, I had obferved a great variety of very beautiful flowering fhrubs, which appeared new to me; but not poffeffing fufficient botanical knowledge to decide to what claffes of Intellection or judgment consists in giving assent to some proposition, such as "ZEID is standing,' or "ZEID is not standing." Each of those, namely, perception and intellection, are necessarily divided into two kinds, viz. Those acquired by intuition without any previous argument or proof, and therefore called intuitive; and those acquired by investigation and reasoning, and therefore called demonstrable. We have therefore established four distinctions, viz. perceptions intuitive, and perceptions demonstrable; or in other words, 1. The known perceptible. 2. The unknown perceptible; and intellection or truth intuitive, and intellection or truth demonstrable; in other words, 1. The known demonstrable. 2. The unknown demonstrable. The idea of heat and cold, is an example of the known perceptible. The idea of angels and genii, is an example of the unknown perceptible. The proposition that the sun shines, is an example of the known demonstrable; and The proposition that the world was created, and that there is a Creator, is an example of the unknown demonstrable. In the language of logicians, examination or inspection is the contemplation of the thing known to obtain a knowledge of the thing unknown; that is to say, the contemplation of the known perceptible, and the known demonstrable to obtain a knowledge of the unknown perceptible and unknown demonstrable; and as mistakes often happen in this investiVOL. VIII. H |