years to the reign of the great ancestor of Yudhishthir, or last legitimate prince (for there are very few of the Hindus that can explain their historic records) And that the number of years might keep pace with the generations, which from six were augmented to an hundred and fourteen, they increased the 270 to 27000 years. But this ought not to have been an objection with Sir W. Jones. For however "monstrous" the rejection of two cyphers may appear in this instance; he, in the same tract, only twenty pages preceding, adopts a division of ten thousand million, to give a semblance of truth to the conjecture of an European thereby striking off ten cyphers, and assuring us that cyphers were added or rejected at pleasure.

That the race of Cain returned prior to the death of Adam, we learn from Rabbi Gedalier, Elmachinus, and Eutychius; who severally state that " immediately after the death of Adam, Seth and his descendants retired from the place where they had formerly lived; far from the family of cursed Cain; that they retired to the holy mountain, where they buried Adam: that Cain and all his posterity lived beneath, in the valley where Abel had been killed, and took possession of those countries which were forsaken by Seth." This proves not only, that the race of Cain returned,

but, that Seth retired, and the descendants of the elder brother reigned in succession. And so say the Hindus, who date their return towards the middle of the first Calpa, recording that on the race of Atri succeeding to sovereign rule, Mahadeva, the chief of the Solar race, retired to the Mandara hills. They state all those princes, who succeeded Swayambhuva as sovereigns of the world, with the exception of one, to have been of the Lunar race, or race of Atri, who was Cain. The Mahabharat informs us "that the first dynasty of India, or that of the Sun ruled uninterruptedly for the space of four hundred years," or during the absence of Atri, or Cain, which is the same. The Purana places the period at A. M. 419, or at the close of the sixth Menwantara. It has been already explained, that collectively, the Avataras denote the nine patriarchs of the Solar, race; but that individually, an Avatar applied to the mercies afforded mankind by the redeeming power. The three first Avataras, as detailed in history, describe the different prophecies of the Deity in an incarnate form; the fourth is the first illumination of man, by a portion of the divine spirit ; and the commencement of the Antara of this Avatara, is stated as coeval with the return of the race of Atri: the fourth descent, in the line of Seth, is named by the Hebrews Mahalaleel, which de

notes an illumination of the Deity. A reference to page 101 will prove that the birth of that patriarch corresponds with the Antara of the fourth Avatara; and that when placed in arithmetic proportion, the periods allude exclusively to the commencement of the Antara of the persons described, without any allusion to the period when they became Avataras. The Hindus usually describe the date of the one and the other by a different mode. For example, if they meant to record the period when Rama Chandra was born, more particularly than by saying the beginning of the second age, they would most probably say in the 263520th year of that age; which answers to A. M. 461. Because the proportion which that number bears to 61 is equal to that of 1296000 to 300. Or they might take the remaining number of years of the second age 1032480; and, adding it to the whole of the third age, and that portion of the fourth which is past, say 1901307 years ago. For 1032480+864000+49171901397. But if they intended to denote the same period or A. M. 461, as the epoch of an event, or an exploit performed by an Avatara, they would say in the sixth Menwantara, and the thirty-fifth divine age of the first Calpa or day of Brahma; because 461 ÷ 71 = 6; or six Menwantaras and thirty-five divine ages. By following these rules, a diligent

investigator may always arrive at the actual year in which any antediluvian event occurred.

There is a legend taken from the Sancara Pradharbana, I believe, of Egytian origin; which alludes equally to the return of the race of Cain and to the transactions of the fifth Avatar. It is translated at large, and not very inaccurately, by Mr. Wilford. The purport is as follows: About the middle of the Padma Calpa, there was such a want of rain in the country, inhabited by the race of Atri for many successive years, that the greatest part of the inhabitants perished, and Brahma himself grieved at the distress which prevailed in the universe: Rihunjaye then reigned in the west of Cushadweep, and, seeing his kingdom desolate, came to end his days at Casi, or the splendid city. Brahma offered him the sovereignty of the whole earth; which he accepted, on condition that no Devata (race of the Sun) should remain in his capital. Brahma, although not without reluctance assented. So that even Mahadeva with his attendants left their favourite abode at Casi, and retired to the Mandara hills, the holy mount. At this period Rihunjaye took the name of Divadosa or Servant of heaven. His reign began with acts of violence; he deposed the Sun and Moon, and appointed other regents as Gods. He made a new sort of fire. Yet the inhabitants of Casi were happy

under his government*. The legend proceeds to say, that the Devatas became jealous, and that the several Avataras were ordered, in consequence thereof, for the purpose of destroying this race: That Divadosa was beguiled by a Brahman, listened to him with attention, and resigned the throne to Mahadeva. We must consider this entirely as a legend, not as a sacred Purana. Nevertheless we trace several leading features borrowed from the sacred Puranas. First, that Casi was the capital of Cusadweep, the seat of empire where the ruler of the world held his court; who, in the fifth century of the world, could be no other than Adam. Secondly, that Rihunjaye then reigned in a province, or country west of Cushadweep: And the Scripture informs us, that Cain left the land inhabited by Adam and went east of Eden. And thirdly, the period assigned for their return, or first rule of this prince, was about A. M. 500. And Berosus places the commencement of the rule of Cain at A. M. 474. At a subsequent period, at the death of the first ruler, it appears, Brahma offered this prince the sovereignty of the whole world, i. e. he succeeded his father. On which Mahadeva, Seth, retired to the Mandara hills; and

*All the Punanas speak highly of the government of the race of Atri, with the exception of their want of religion.