derivative form we might grammatically say Ayeya, though this term be never used: but that is no reason for supposing that the term never was in use: for it is the Island of Aiaia, or Aæa, of the western mythologists. It might be called also Loha-dwipa: but this denomination is never found in the Puranas; though there is every reason to believe that it was used also formerly: and I believe that it was really the original name, as we shall see when we come to treat of that country. We have seen before that England is called Chandra-canta; Ireland, Surya-canta. Scotland is likewise denominated Ayascanta. We read in Plutarch, that a certain Thespesius of Soli, was transported in the spirit to the islands of the departed, where he saw three Genii sitting in a triangle. He saw there also three lakes of melted gold, lead, and iron. The first looked like gold. The second, of lead, though in fusion, was exceedingly cold, and looked white. This was meant perhaps for white-lead or tin. The third lake, of iron, was black, and its surface very rugged, as if full of scoriæ. The three Genii were Vishnu, Brahma, Siva, or rather their Sactis, or female energies, which are the three Parce of the western mythologists. This relation of Thespesius alludes visibly to the ternary number of these islands; and the three lakes have an obvious reference to the three peaks. For "The famous Atlantis no longer exists," says Proctus, in his commentary on the Timæus of Plato: "but we can hardly doubt but that it did once. For Marcellus, who wrote a history of Ethiopian affairs, says, that such and so great an island once existed, is evinced by those who composed histories of things relative to the external sea. they relate that, in their time, there were seven islands in the Atlantic Sea sacred to Proserpine; and besides these, three others of an immense magnitude; one of which was sacred to Pluto, apother to Ammon (Jupiter), and the third, which is in the middle of these, and is of a thousand stadia, to Neptune. And, besides this, that the inhabitants of this last island preserved the memory of the prodigious magnitude of the Atlantic Island, as related by their ancestors, and of its governing for many periods, allthe islands in the Atlantic Sea. From this isle one may pass to other large islands beyond, and which are not far from the Firmland, near which is the true sea. Whether the Atlantis ever existed or not, is immaterial; but this description of seven islands, of a great magnitude, in the external or in the Atlantic Sea, and from which one may pass to the other islands beyond, and which are not far from that Firm-land which incloses all the world, is applicable to the British Isles only, beyond which are several other islands, such as the Orkneys, Shetland, Fero, and Iceland, which last is near that famous Firm-land of which the ancients had some notion, and, with the Hindus, conceived it to be the boundary of the universe. The sea towards it, or the Atlantic, is the only true sea; for the other seas are really but gulfs and bays. These three islands constitute the seventh division of the world, according to the followers of Buddha; and the sixth only according to the Pauranics, who divide the world into seven, as the former do into eight, dwipas. The three superior deities, according to the Hindus, are Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, who preside over these three islands. To Brahma belongs Suvarneya; and it is also the abode of Yama, or Pluto. Vishnu presides over the White Island; he who is Narayana, or abiding in the waters, and consequently often mistaken for Neptune. The third island, says Marcellus, belongs to Jupiter Ammon, who is the same with Siva in the charac ter of Barcara, or with the head of a hegoat. The word barcara was formerly used in the west for a ram and a sheep; for in the Latin of the middle ages, barcaria, or bercaria, signified a sheep-fold, bercarius, a shepherd: hence the French word berger. Besides the three principal islands, there are four inferior ones, according to the Hindus, and five, according to the followers of Buddha. Hence, in the peninsula, the islands of Lanca are called Yail-Lanca, or the seven islands of Lanca; and these are the seven islands of Jambulus. In the north-west there are either eight or sixteen, according to the Bauddhists. The Pauranics are silent on that subject; but the mytholo gists in the west reckoned seven islands under the dominion of Æolus; and the British Isles are the original and real Eolian Isles of the ancients. The three islands are asserted, by the followers of Buddha, to be three and four: the three are certainly four; yet these four islands really make but three: and with such quibbles they are highly delighted. Ac cording 1813.] from ancient Sanscrit Manuscripts. cording to them, the names of the three islands are Suvarna, Rupavar, and Vajra, In the Harivansa we are told, that Vishnu, for the good of mankind, having assumed the shape of a boar, rescued the earth from the waters, and secured it on all sides. Upon it he made Meru of solid gold: towards the east he placed the Udaya mountain, with others. He made also Vaidurya, (Scotland,) Rajata, (England,) Canchana, (Ireland) high and divine mountains. He then made the Chacravan, or Chacraman, a very high mountain: (this is Pushcara, or Iceland, like a ring, or coit, as implied by the appellation of Chacra.) Like a shell, and abounding with shells, with a thousand peaks, is Rajata, or the silver peak; hence it is called Sancha-parvata, or the mountain of shells. The trees there are all white: the juice of the Parijata tree is like liquid gold. There is the Ghritadhara river, its waters like clarified butter. Prabhu, or Vishnu, made many rivers, called Varahasarita, or the streams of the boar; and these are the most holy. Thus he made a mountain, the name of which is omitted, but it is obviously Sweta, with a thousand peaks abounding with jewels; the Tamra, or Vaidurya, peak of copper; and a mountain of gold, Canchana, according to rule. are Under the name of Cshira, the White Island appears to be the Scheria of Homer, and other ancient writers. The word Cshira, in Sanscrit, signifies milk; but it appears that its original meaning was white, pure, clear, sheer. Skirr in the Edda signifies exactly the same thing; and Xiroi in Japanese signifies white also. Skeiras, skiras, skirra, in Greek, signified white, and for that reason it became the name of chalk. There were the skiroi theoi, the white gods, or the gods of Skerr, or Scheria, mentioned by Plutarch. The White Island is well known to the inhabitants of the Philippine Isles; who believe that it is the receptacle of good men after death. Lastly, the aborigines of Britain call it to this day Inis-Wen, or the White Island; the Inis-huna, or Inis Uina of Caledonian bards, who, by it, understand England, or at least the Southern parts of it. Al-Fionn, in Galic, answers literally to Sweta-Saila, in San. scrit, and to the Leucas-petra of Homer, or the white cliffs; and Britain is called Alvion by Ptolemy, and Albion by others. Yet it is doubtful whether Britain was thus called from the appearance of the 45 country, or from a German tribe which probably invaded it under the command of Skirr, son of Niord; the Skirus, son of Neptune, mentioned by Hesychius: for Niord was Neptune among the Scandinavians. But, as this will be the subject of a separate paragraph, let us retorn to the White Island, the terrestrial moon, and amber-like, or Electris insula of Sotacus. The White Island is called also Chandra dwipa, or the island of Lunus; Somaparvata, or the mountain of the moon; Sasi-chanda, or the country of the moon. In the Puranas, the White Island is called Amritcara, which in an active sense signifies producing, making, amber; but, in a neuter sense, it implies that it is made of amber. This is then the onginal island called Electris; and Sotacus, as cited by Pliny, asserted, that amber was produced from certain trees in Britain. This idea of Sotacus originated probably from some ancient legend concerning the first appearance of Amrit in that island. The isle of the moon was' called Electris, and so was the moon itself. Lohaguru, called also Swarnaguru, or gold-like Aguru, is our succinuni or amber. Lohaguru, or Lohagur, was also the name of amber in the west, where it was called Logurium, Lygirion; according to Josephus, Lygurium, Lagurium, and corruptly Lyngurium, Lyncurium, &c. Hence all the western parts of Europe were called Leguria, or Lyguria, or the amber country. Satacus, whom Pliny calls an ancient author, insisted that amber came from Britam, which of course is the original Electris, or amber island, and Liguria. The name of Lyguria, as belonging to Britain, or at least a part of it, was formerly used in that sense; for Himico says positively, that the inhabitants of Britain, and from the context it appears that they were aborigines, were Lygu rians. Their country was of course called Lloegyr or Lyguria. In France there is the river Lager or Ligeris, now called the Loire, by dropping the qui escent letter g; which practice is general; but more particularly affected pretty by the Celtic language, its dialects, and the modern languages partly derived from them. On the highest grounds in Lloegyr was a city of that name, called afterwards Leger-Ceaster, Ligora-Ceaster, Legra Ceaster. It is now called Leicester, for Leir-cester. The learned Sumner says, that the river which runs by by it was formerly called Lear, by the same contraction; and it is probably the river Liar of the anonymous geogra pher, Mr. Somner, if I be not mistaken, places the original town of Ligora near the source of the Lear, now the Soar, on the most elevated spot in England, and in the centre of the Chandra-Mandalam, or sacred road of Lunus, called also Electris, or Lohaguru, Lygguros, Lloegyr; and I believe that Lloer, the Welsh name of the moon, is derived from Lloegyr, by a similar process congenial to that language. Thus, from the Latin lucere, or lukere, the French have made luire. As Swetam is the residence of Vishnu, and of the Supreme Being also, for they are generally considered as one, it is called his Teja-sthan, or the place of the refuigence of Vishnu; or, in other words, his Ghrita-sthan; for teja and ghrita are synonymous, and signify refulgence, resplendence. It is true that Sweta is never called ghrita; yet it is declared to be ghrita, or a resplendent place or island. As cshira, Sweta, and ghrita, are sy nonymous terms, it is highly probable that England was called also Ghrita, or Creta; and indeed it is declared to be Ghrita, not as a proper name, but as an epithet. This probably, and vanity also, induced the Greeks to attribute to their own Creta, whatever legends belonged to the other and original Creta. Thus Sweta is represented floating at random on the surface of the ocean, like Delos; and, in my humble opinion, it is the original Delos. Anλ or Aa, in Greek, signified originally light, a lamp, resplendent, manifest, conspicuous as light itself. The learned and ingenious Mr. Bailly was of opinion that the primeval Delos did not belong to Greece, but to the Hyperboreans; and Lucian ridicules the idea of those who asserted that Delos was a mass detached from Trinacria, or Tri-cutadri. The Cretans asserted that Jupiter was born in their island. The Pauranics insist, that the manifestation of Vishnu, in the character of Crishna, happened in Swetam, on Tri-Cuta; and the two rams, mentioned in the legends of the Cretan Jupiter, are placed, by the author of the Vrihat-Catha, in Suvarnadwipa, or Ireland. In short, Sweta was called by the Greeks and Romans, Ulti. ma Creta, or Leuce. The White Island was also denominated Rajata, Arjata, Rupa-vara, Rau pya, or the Silver Island: to these names we must also add that of Tara or Tar, which implies the same thing. The name of the whole country is Tar-d or silver country, and it is represe as such; and though it be not mentio under that name in any Sanscrit bo yet from the context it is certainly missible. The Tin Islands were certainly wi the tir of Swetam and of Cachha; f that circumstance they were proba denominated Cachha-tir. Thus say in India, Jungle-terry (Jangal-t or districts within the tir, or on the ders of the jungles or woods. He the white-lead or tin that came f those islands, was called cassiteris by Greeks; kaster in Suio-Gothic; cas in Chaldaic and Arabic. In India, least in Sanscrit, tin is called tiram : trapu and rangam are also other na for it; but rangam is generally used the spoken dialects; and tir-trapu si fies the tin that comes from the ti tiram, or extremities of the world. It is declared in the Puranas, that White Island is incapable of decay, is never involved in the destruction ruin which happens at each renova of the world; except the last, when et thing will be absorbed into the Supr Being, who will remain alone. F The White Island is also called dwipa of Saca or Sacam, which is same with Seaxum or Saxum, as it pronounced by our ancestors; or, properly, the White Island was par Sacam, as it is positively declared in Matsya and Varaha-puranas. these two Puranas, it is put bey doubt, that the British Isles are to understood by Sacam: perhaps some jacent parts of the continent are also be included under this denominat According to the context of the Pura the White Island was called Sacam f the Sacas, who conquered that isla and settled in it. Truly religious people transmigrate once from Jambu, or India, into Sac or the British Isles in general; and, a remaining a long time there, they mately go to Swetam, which is here presented as the Ultima Cretawished-for goal, where they are to main, with a divine body, in the sence of the Supreme Being; neve transmigrate again till the dissolution the world. Besides, there are three radises called Sweta, the celestial Sy in the air, the terrestrial, and also infernal one.--The meaning of which that truly religious men go at once Sacam, the terrestrial Swetam; a which they are translated into the hot 1813.] from ancient Sanscrit Manuscripts. of Vishnu, or Swetam the celestial, called the Go-locas. Swetam was denominated Sacam from the Sacas or Sacs, who conquered that island, and settled there. The fact of the Sacas being in possession of that island at an early period, is mentioned in this same Purana, called Varaba.Bhagavan, or Vishnu, says, "every one of those who attach themselves to me, and die at the Coca mandala, go to Swetadwipa, or the White Island. The inhabitants of Saca-nandana-pura, on hear ing of this wonderful and miraculous account, renounced the world, and obtained mocsha, or eternal bliss. Thus ultimately the fish and the bird of prey were reunited to me. Thus I have related to you the wonderful story of king Saca. Whoever, like him, goes to the Cocamandala, obtains the eight Sidd'his." The king of the Sacas, being simply called Saca, or Maha-Saca, implies, that he was the first king of the Sacas in Swetam; otherwise he would have been called Saca-pati. There is no date affixed to this legend; neither is there any circumstance which might assist in fixing the time of the conquest of Swetam by the Sacas. The Sacas are ofteu mentioned in the Puranas as a most powerful nation; their name is often introduced, but in general terms only, and any thing material or interesting is seldom recorded of them. They are spoken of in terms by no means derogatory or disrespectful; though they are considered as heretics, and ranked of course among the impure tribes. They are represented as living originally in the countries bordering on the Chacshu or Oxus. We find them afterwards spreading themselves into Persia; and in the Harivansa, section the 13th, we find that Raja Babu was worsted by the Sacas, and the greatest part of his country taken from him by them. It was at that time, according to learned Pandits, that the Sacas began their emigrations towards the west; and this is certainly probable enough. Raja Bahu, and his son Sagara, according to the genealogical scale prefixed to my essay on the chronology of the Hindus, lived about 2000 years before the Chris. tian era. The Sacas, who lived to the north of the Danube, declared to Herodoļus, that from their first settlement in that country to the invasion of Darius there were exactly 1000 years, neither More nor less. This shews that they did But speak at random, and that their 1 47 reckoning may be depended on. This places their permanent settlement in that part of the country exactly 1508 years before Christ. Though we cannot fix the time of the conquest of the White Island by the Sacas, yet we find it asserted in the Puranas, that they were in possession of it, at least of a great part of it, in the time of Crishna. Crishna lived 1370, B. C. and he was born probably 1429 before our era. He married at the age of twenty; and his son Samba was about twenty also, when eighteen families of Brahmens went from the White Island to India, and these were Sacas. This partial conquest is attested by the Pauranics: for the king of Indra-puri, whose daughter married the son of king Saca, was not a Saca or Saxon, but a native prince of the White Island. Nothing but conjecture has ever been advanced, concerning the colonization of the British Isles. The opinion of the monk of Cirencester is a mere surmise, and of course is of no weight, for he could not have had more lights on this subject than we have. I acknowledge that he had the Roman itinerary, ascribed to Antoninus, in a more perfect. state than we have it now; and we are much indebted to hint for preserving that part which relates to Great Britain: but I can never believe that there ever were Memoirs of a certain Roman general, containing any thing about the first po pulation and settlement of the British Isles. It was not customary among the Romans to notice such things: and these boasted memoirs are nothing more than the military roads through Britain, which he has preserved, and which we had before, but in a more imperfect condition. Should it appear hereafter, that the Phoeacians were Goths, or Sacas, and that the island of Scheria is Britain, ic may settle nearly the time of the first emigration of the Sacas, and other Gothic tribes, into the British Isles. The Pauranics consider the Romacas (Romaicoi in Greek) or Romans, and the Yavanas, as tribes of the same family with the Sacas, being alike descended from the cow Sabala. The name of the famous cow Adumbla, or Udumbla, seems to be derived from the Sanscrit D'habala, which signifies a white cow: in Greek, Damiala is a heifer; and in Sanscrit, Udd'habala signifies the most excellent and perfect cow, the fainous cow Camad❜nenu. The next legend from the Bhavishyapurana purana is most curious and interesting to us. It certainly tends to prove, not only an early connexion between the White Island and India, but also that there is a tribe of Brahmens in India, to this day, actually descended from a sacerdotal race, residing originally in the White Island. There can be no question about the genuineness of this legend, as it is well known to learned, and even unlearned, Brahmens in general. Learned men in India readily acknowledge, that the Brahmenical tribes are by no means native of that country; they came from the north, and entered India through the pass of Hari-dwar; and their first settlement was at Canya-cubja, or Canoge, They also acknowledge, that the light of revelation came from the west, and that the Vedas reside in the White Island in human shapes. This notion is openly avowed in their sacred books; as well as, that the fundamental mysteries of their religion are intimately connected with the White Island; and that the momentous events which took place in consequence of them, either to create the world, or to bring on the regeneration of mankind, and show them the path to Heaven and eternal bliss, actually came to pass in the White Island, or its adjacent sea. However explicit this legend, and several others may appear, yet we are too well acquainted with the Pau ranics to put any reliance upon them, and to consider them as sufficient authority. The White Island is the holy land of the Hindus, and to it they refer every thing; and they have made of it a sort of fairy land. Even the chalk with which they mark their foreheads must come from the White Island, no other would answer their purpose. Accord ingly, they suppose that Vishnu, and several holy men brought numerous lumps of it at different times; and some of these, particularly that at Dwaraca, are as large as any county in England. Thus we see that the Magas, or Magi, extended from the White Island, in the west, to Persia, India, Aracan, and the Burman empire. Pliny says, that from the great resemblance of ceremonies in religious worship, and other practices among the Persians and Druids, one might be induced to believe, that Magia, or Magism, had passed from Britain into Persia. According to Lucian, the priests, not only of the Persians, but those of the Parthians, Bactrians, Chorasmians, Arians, Sacæ, or Saxons, and other barbarous nations, were equally called Magi. Indeed, all those nations were so tribes descended from the Sacas. The sacred Vedas are declared Puranas, to have been found in White Island by Narada, where the side in human shapes. The Bral from Sacam, in return, accuse the of ingratitude, and give to under that they imparted much more ledge than they choose to confess even communicated the Vedas. In the legendary tales of Cr Cansa, and Yudhishtira, we hav history of the Cretan Jupiter, Satur Minos: for Yudhishtira, was D'barina-Raja, or the king of ju Like Saturn, Cansa wanted to destro offspring of Vasudeva, and had al destroyed seven of his children; b eighth, or young Crishna, was conce like Jupiter, in his infancy. The have the wars of the Titans, who according to some, descended from and Crishna waged a long war wit descendants of Curu, his rela Crishna at last killed Cansa; and d the advanced age of one hundred twenty-five years: Jupiter died a age of one hundred and twenty, o cording to others, one hundred and ty-two years. Thus we have, in th style of the Pauranics, the same a the same historical events, re-appe at this renovation of the world, as to pass, in more remote ages, unde elder Saturn. Hindus, Vishnu, or Jupiter, riding the eagle, left the White Island, in to be born in a human shape in Ind the character of Crishna. It was the opinion of the ancient Greek conformity with the notions of the dus, that Jupiter came from the is of the blussed, which, according to mer, were near the White Cliffs, western extremity of the world, knowledged by the ancients. The V Island is considered in the Purana the abode of the mighty. Thus Ra anxious to signalize himself, is duced in the Ramayena, inquiring Narada, in what part of the work mighty ones dwelt, that he might ge fight them. The mighty, says Na live in the White Island. The mo cient inhabitants of Britain, in the mances, still call the White Island, y Cedeirn, the island of the mighty The White Island is declared to b abode of the gods, or Suraleyam. would have been expressed, in the by the Gothic tribes, by As-burg |