posed of 360 days, the 20th part amounts to 18 days. Let us then take 12 lunations at 28 days each, and we shall get a period of 336 days. Deduct a 20th part of the old year of 360 days from the 12 lunations at 28 days each, and the remainder will be 318 days. The equation may be given as follows: 28×12−36020=318.”
8. In the course of his history, M. La Loubère drops several observations which, when I consider the facts of two islands of Elephanta, two Matureas, the seed of the woman bruising the head of the serpent in Europe and also in India, &c., &c., seem to me well worthy of notice. I shall give them in his words and leave them to the reader, but I shall return to them again very often. Speaking of the name of Siam, he says, (p. 6,) “and by the similitude of our language to theirs, we ought to say the Sions, and not the Siams: so when they write in Latin they call them Siones.” Again, (p. 7,) “Nevertheless, Navarete, in his historical treatises of the kingdom of China, relates, that the name of Siam, which he writes Sian, comes from these two words Sien lo, without adding their signification or of what language they are.” In the same page he says, “from Si-yo-thi-ya,[1] the Siamese name of the city of Siam, foreigners have made Judia.”[2] No doubt at the present moment, my reader will think the facts stated respecting Sion and Judia of no consequence, but in a little time, if he read with attention the remainder of this work, he will find them well worthy of consideration. He will find them, when united to other circumstances, to be facts to account for which it will be very difficult, upon any of the systems to which we have been accustomed to give credit. My reader will not forget that we are travelling on mystic ground; and that the object of our researches, the secret history of the mythoses of antiquity, is concealed from our view, not only by the sedulous care and the most sacred oaths of our ancestors, in the most remote ages, but by the jealousy of modern priests interested in preventing the discovery of truth, and also by the natural effect of time, which is itself almost enough to render of no avail the most industrious researches. It seems to be a law of nature, that the memory of man should not reach back beyond a certain very confined boundary. We are endeavouring to break down, to overstep, this boundary.
When we go to India we find that the Brahmins had eight Avatars complete, and were at or in the ninth at the birth of Christ.[3] The first was Buddha or the Sun in Taurus, and all the Avatars must have been, properly speaking, his till the flood, or the Sun entered Aries, when the first cycle of Cristna and that of Joshua began, according to Col. Wilford. Then, after the last cycle of Cristna, or the cycle of Cyrus, where his history, in part is found, had ended, perhaps such of the priests as understood the secret doctrines might wish for, and might attempt to introduce, the ninth Avatar, but to this the populace, and such of them as had perhaps forgotten or did not know the secret meaning of their Avatars, would not consent.
It is not improbable that the attempt to introduce a new practice at the end of the periods of six hundred years should have often been attended with religious wars. It seems to be almost a necessary consequence, that these should take place. The devotees would, of course, be very averse, as devotees always are, to part with their old superstition, which the initiated would perceive was becoming obsolete and unsuitable to times and circumstances; hence might arise several
- ↑ This is evidently a corruption of the word I-oud-ya, the name of the kingdom of Oude, in Upper India; and this will be found, when joined to some other matters, to connect the capital of Siam with the city of Oude.
- ↑ In the city of Siam they have a sacred tooth of Sommona-Codom, resorted to by many pilgrims. This is the oldest relic worship which I have met with. They have also a sacred foot of Sommona-Codom, the same as that in Ceylon, and that named of Hercules, in Scythia, by Herodotus, and that of Jesus in Palestine⟨.⟩ This is the first sacred foot-mark I have met with, the last is that of Louis le DÉSIRÉ on the pier at Calais!!!—Printed March, 1831.
- ↑ “Sree Mun Narrain, since the creation of the world, has at nine different periods assumed incarnated forms, either for the purpose of eradicating some terrestrial evil, or chastising the sins of mankind. According to the Hindoo tradition a tenth is yet expected.” Forster’s Travels. p. 43.
