the accurate M. D'ANVILLE had pronounced to be the Yamunà: but this only difficulty was removed, when I found in a claffical Sanfcrit book, near two thousand years old, that Hiranyabábu, or golden-armed, which the Greeks changed into Erannoboas, or the river with a lovely murmur, was in fact another name for the Sóna itself, though MEGASTHENES, from ignorance or inattention, has named them separately. This discovery led to another of greater moment; for CHANDRAGUPTA, who, from a military adventurer, became, like SANDRA COTTUS, the fovereign of upper Hinduftàn, actually fixed the feat of his empire at Pataliputra, where he received ambaffadors from foreign princes, and was no other than that very SANDRACOTtus, who concluded a treaty with SELEUCUS NICATOR; fo that we have folved another problem, to which we before alluded, and may in round numbers confider the twelve and three hundredth years before CHRIST as two certain epochs between RAMA, who conquered Silán a few centuries after the flood, and VICRAMA DITYA, who died at Ujjayini fifty-feven years before the beginning of our era. II. SINCE thefe difcuffions would lead us too far, I proceed to the history of Nature distinguished, for our prefent purpose, from that of Man; and divided into that of other animals, who inhabit this globe, of the mineral substances, which it contains, and of the vegetables, which fo luxuriantly and fo beautifully adorn it. 1. Could the figure, instincts, and qualities of birds, beasts, insects, reptiles, and fish be ascertained, either on the plan of BUFFON, or on that of LINNEUS, without giving pain to the objects of our examination, few ftudies would afford us more folid instruction or more exquifite delight; but I never could learn by what right, nor conceive with what feelings, a naturalist can occafion the misery of an innocent bird and leave its young, perhaps, to perish in a cold neft, because it has gay plumage and has never been accurately delineated, or deprive even a butterfly of its natural enjoyments, because it has the misfortune to be rare or beautiful; nor fhall I ever forget the couplet of FIRDAUSI, for which SADI, who cites it with applause, pours bleffings on his departed fpirit: Ah! spare yon emmet, rich in hoarded grain: This may be only a confeffion of weakness, and it certainly is not meant as a boast of peculiar fenfibility; but, whatever name may be given to my opinion, it has fuch an effect on my conduct, that I never would fuffer the Cócila, whose wild native woodnotes announce the approach of the accurate M. D'ANVILLE had pronounced to be the Yamunà: but this only difficulty was removed, when I found in a claffical Sanfcrit book, near two thousand years old, that Hiranyabábu, or golden-armed, which the Greeks changed into Erannoboas, or the river with a lovely murmur, was in fact another name for the Sóna itself, though MEGASTHENES, from ignorance or inattention, has named them feparately. This discovery led to another of greater moment; for CHANDRAGUPTA, who, from a military adventurer, became, like SANDRACOTTUS, the fovereign of upper Hindustàn, actually fixed the feat of his empire at Pataliputra, where he received ambaffadors from foreign princes, and was no other than that very SANDRACOTTUS, who concluded a treaty with SELEUCUS NICATOR; fo that we have folved another problem, to which we before alluded, and may in round numbers confider the twelve and three hundredth years before CHRIST as two certain epochs between RA'MA, who conquered Silán a few centuries after the flood, and VICRAMA'DITYA, who died at Ujjayini fifty-feven years before the beginning of our era. II. SINCE thefe difcuffions would lead us too far, I proceed to the history of Nature distinguished, for our prefent purpose, from that of Man; and divided into that of other animals, who inhabit this globe, of the mineral substances, which it contains, and of the vegetables, which fo luxuriantly and fo beautifully adorn it. 1. Could the figure, inftincts, and qualities of birds, beafts, infects, reptiles, and fish be ascertained, either on the plan of BUFFON, or on that of LINNEUS, without giving pain to the objects of our examination, few studies would afford us more folid inftruction or more exquifite delight; but I never could learn by what right, nor conceive with what feelings, a naturalist can occafion the misery of an innocent bird and leave its young, perhaps, to perish in a cold neft, because it has gay plumage and has never been accurately delineated, or deprive even a butterfly of its natural enjoyments, because it has the misfortune to be rare or beautiful; nor fhall I ever forget the couplet of FIRDAUSI, for which SADI, who cites it with applaufe, pours bleffings on his departed fpirit: Ah! spare yon emmet, rich in hoarded grain: This fpring, to be caught in my garden for the fake of comparing it with BUFFON's description; though I have often examined the domeftick and engaging Mayanà, which bids us good morrow at our windows, and expects, as its reward, little more than security: even when a fine young Manis or Pangolin was brought me, against my wifh, from the mountains, I folicited his reftoration to his beloved rocks, because I found it impoffible to preferve him in comfort at a diftance from them. There are several treatises on animals in Arabick, and very particular accounts of them in Chinese with elegant outlines of their external appearance; but I have met with nothing valuable concerning them in Perfian, except what may be gleaned from the medical dictionaries; nor have I yet feen a book in Sanfcrit, that exprefsly treats of them on the whole, though rare animals may be found in all Afia, yet I can only recommend an examination of them with this condition, that they be left, as much as poffible, in a ftate of natural freedom, or made as happy as poffible, if it be neceffary to keep them confined. 2. The hiftory of minerals, to which no fuch objection can be made, is extremely fimple and eafy, if we merely confider their exterior look and configuration, and their visible texture; but the analysis of their internal properties belongs |