tion was adopted, that revolution was called the divine year. From which it follows, that by 4,800 divine years, and 1,728,000 years of men, mentioned in the first period, they intended to keep up both the kinds of computation We may naturally afk, why their divine year confifted of 360 days, which is neither folar nor lunar? The Indian aftronomy gives us full information on this head. They have certain methods of calculating time by lunar years of 360 days; but then 360 days are only fuppofed, and in truth are equal to the 354 of which the lunar year is compofed. The Indians are not deceived by the fuppofition; for they have ingenious reductions, by which they make the whole year to agree with the revolutions of the heavenly bodies. From this it is evi dent, that the Greek authors were much mistaken in maintaining that the more ancient nations had only a year of 360 days.

By this calculation the four ages are reduced to a probable length; and if the two first are obfcure and fabulous, yet the two laft, by the circumstances which they contain, bear the evident marks of truth. The duration of the fourth period is computed by folar years of 365 each. If the Indians tell us, that the third age confifted of 2,400 years, they in form us at the fame time of 78 generations, which, at the ordinary computation of thirty years to each, a. mount to 2,340 years. This account carries proof along with it; for the number of generations and the time of their duration mutally fupport each other fo, that the agreement is a fufficient demonftration of the truth of the history. The refult of the whole is, that if we add the 2,400 years of the third age to the 4,887 years of the fourth, this chronology prefents us with a space of 7,287 years taken from the calendar of the fame people.

411

This chronology feems probable, and deferves to be admitted, tho' it were unfupported by antiquity; but it is alfo confirmed by that of the neigh bouring nations. The whole amount of the Indian ages is 12,000 years. The Perfians make the age of the the world to confift of the fame number; and like the Indians they divide it into four fpaces. They rec kon 3,507 years to have elapfed fince the time of Cainmarath, which was the beginning of their monarchy. The Indians make the year 3,502 one of their epochs. The latter make their third age another, viz. that of 5,502; the Perfians have a fabulous period of 2,000 years, which added to their epoch of 3,507, amounts to little more than the fum of the Indian one, viz. 5,507. It is evident then, that the Perfians and the Indians have the fame epochs, the fame duration, and the fame divifions of time. And in this manner we have the evidence of two nations for this high antiquity. The years of the great Egyptian chronicle, if we calculate them properly, and in the manner which their hiftory points out, amounts to 5,500 and odd years before the Chriftian æra. Laftly, the Jewish hiftorian Jofephus ftates it at 5,co5 years before the fame æra.

This account then of fifty-five centuries is confirmed by the Hebrews, the Egyptians, and the Perfians. Thefe circumstances give a fufficient probability for the existence of ages which their antiquity hath covered with thick darknefs. Still further, these facts concerning India, although their antiquity is as probable as the truth of hiftory requires, are fupported by a circunftance of greater weight, viz. the manner in which they are confirmed by the knowledge and obfervation of the heavenly bodies. The aftronomical tables of the Indians are founded on an epoch in the year 3,102 before the Chriftian æra. In comparing the moft exact tables of 3 F2

the

the fun and moon's longitude for that time with ours, Mr Bailly has found, that this longitude is founded on obfervation. It follows then, that the date of their fourth age, their epoch from the year 3,102, is real; that the Indians fubfifted as a nation, and had made confiderable advances in aftronomy. This feems to be a fixed point in their existence; and the truth of this point witneffes for the reft.

Again, the Indians had a lunar year neceffarily more ancient than the folar. The latter of thefe began in the spring, the former in winter. From this circumftance the begin ning of their year muft have varied. With them all the revolutions of the ftars have a place in a moveable zodiac. It is in this that the fun begins the year and completes it. At the time of their fourth age, this zodiac correfponds with the fixth degree of Aquarius; and as it advances thirty-fix degrees in 2,400 years, it follows, that in the third age the zodiac anfwers to the firft degree of Capricorn or the winter folftice. The beginning of this age is then marked by an aftronomical circumflance. And although the folar year of the Indians begins at prefent in the fpring, yet this is founded on an ancient cultom; which feems to indicate, that in this third age the Indians began the lunar year at the winter folftice.

It is fomewhat remarkable, that in their language, a day, a month, and a year, bear the fame name, and are deligned by a word which agrees to year in ours. It is the fame thing as if they had told us that thefe different revolutions had been employed fucceffively in the computation of paft time. In the fourth period they employed folar years, in the third the revolutions of the moon, and in the two former they measured the time by days. The progrefs of the human mind in human affairs, fhows us

that time must have been thus cal. culated; but it is fingular to find the traces of it in ancient history.

We can eafily fee then, that truths of an important nature are contained in the Bagavadam. It gives us a connected and probable tradition for 7,300 years. The book, it is true, is full of fables; but fables are the ancient hiftory of mankind. And the fame tradition which contain fables hath handed down real truths to the prefent times. It is easy to conceive, that before the art of writing, facts which have been repeated by many mouths, and tranfmitted through many generations, must be obfcure and inconfiftent. In dark times, the imagination embellishes every historical fact with wonderful circumstances: but these have nevertheless their foundation in truth, and their antiquity is not affected by the marvellous with which they are accompanied. The dates and the duration of paft time is proved to us in a convincing manner by the Indian tradition, by their chronology in whole and in parts, wherein families are continued in the proper line, and in their collateral branches. The truth of this account is confirmed to us by the evidence of the neighbouring nations; and, lastly, by the ftrength of aftronomicai observation.

No

The chronology of the Indians then appears to Mr Bailly an authentic monument of antiquity. people in the world can trace their origin fo high, nor give fuch evidence of exifting as a nation for fo many ages. This is chiefly owing to the indolence which they have contracted in a warm climate. They never refifted an enemy, and of confequence they were neither destroyed nor difperfed; they fubmitted without forfaking their manners and cu ftoms, or without mingling with the conquerors. They continue at this day to be what they were, enjoying

what

der what are the best means to encourage the population of the three kingdoms, and to fecure its increafe?

I once, Sir, entertained an idea to make fimilar tables for the British dominions, and I began to collect materials for fuch a work; but although I was at fome trouble and expence to procure the neceffary intelligence, the information I received was fo contradictory for fundry places, and I felt fo much the want of it for a great many more, that I gave up the attempt; this underta king being, in my opinion, above the strength of one man while in a private capacity.

I had too much refpect for the public, who want real facts, to give them my conjectures without fufficient data; and I knew enough of logic to fee, that it is exceedingly abfurd, in an extenfive country, to

draw any general conclufion from the registers of fome few parishes. Being equally indifferent to please the ministry or the oppofition, I was not tempted either to increase the number of inhabitants, or to decrease it, above or below its real ftandard. In confeqence of which I have deftroyed the materials I had collected, finding them imperfect and inadequate to the purpose.

I am, however, ftill of opinion, that fuch an account would be very ufeful and interefting, and not very difficult, for the fouthern part of Great Britain at leaft. I wish therefore the lords lieutenants of the counties, or the juftices at the quar ter-feffions, would give us fomething of the kind one might depend upon, as I apprehend they might eafily procure fufficient information in their refpective diftricts.

Yours, &c.

E. V.

54 Troyes

17

10 Valenciennes

37

14 Verfailles

7

I

1786*.

SIR,

THE eruption of Mount Veluvius, which began in the month of November 1784, nearly at the moment of my return from England to this capital, and which continued in fome degree till about the twentieth of last month, has afforded much amufement to travellers unacquainted with this wonderful operation of nature, but no new circumftance that could juftify my troubling you with a letter on the fubject. The lava either overflowed the rim of the crater, or iffued from fmall fiffures on its borders, on that fide which faces the mountain of Somma, and ran more or lefs in one, and at times in three or four channels, regularly formed, down the flanks of the conical part of the volcano; fometimes defcending and spreading itself in the valley between the two mountains; and once, when the eruption was in its greatest force, in the month of November laft, the lava defcended ftill lower, and did fome damage to the vineyards and culti vated parts at the foot of Vefuvius,

Naples, January 24. 1786.

towards the village of St Sebaftiano; but generally the lava, not being abundant, ftopped and cooled before it was able to reach the valley. By the accumulation of thefe lavas on the flanks of Vefuvius, its form has been greatly altered; and by the frequent explosion of scoriæ and afhes, a confiderable mountain has been formed within the crater, which now rifing much above its rim, has likewife given that part of the mountain a new appearance. Juft before I left Naples, in May 1783, I was at the top of Vefuvius. The crater was certainly then more than 250 feet deep, and was impracticable, its fides being nearly perpendicular. This eruption, however, has been as fatisfactory as could be defired by the inhabitants of this city, a prodigious quantity of lava having been difgorged; which matter, confined within the bowels of the earth, would probably have occafioned tremors; and even flight ones might prove fatal to Naples, whofe houfes are in general very high, ill built, and a great number

in