shapeless and disordered matter we now behold. The effects of this commotion and derangement of the physical order of the universe, is presented to our observation in every country, but in none is it more con. spicuous than upon the western coast of Scotland. By this secondary disposition, an astonishing variety of mineral substances are exposed to our examination, which are blended together without order, fractured into every imaginable form, and thrown into every possible diversity of strata, so as to exhibit a surface at once the most irregular and steril. One of the most remarkable phenomena on this coast, and probably peculiar to it, is the singular arrange ment of strata of trap, or whinstone, which is met with in many places. The naturalist to whom geology is an interesting study, will find in the physical economy of the West Highlands an ample field of research. If the attention of the traveller be directed to other objects, to rural affairs, and to the state of the peasantry, he will see much cause to blame the mode of conducting the former, and to compassionate the unpropi. tious situation of the latter. Unfortunately for the prosperity of the country, these subjects have not hitherto been considered with that serious attention which ought to be bestowed upon them, and which their importance seems to deserve : for in a country which does not supply the one twentieth part of its indispensible wants, surely there is much need of agricultural improve. ment. And where the peasantry are poor and uncomfortable, it is certainly possible to meliorate their condition. In this state of matters, much remains to be done. These generally resemble immense walls and belts, from two to eight feet in breadth, and are always disposed in a direction perfectly perpendicular, invariably tunning in lines nearly straight, and parallel, from North-west to South-east. These are distributed over the country at different distances from each other, sometimes imbedded in puddingstone, shistose, or other rocks, and frequently rising in amazing masses of walls alone, and detached from every thing, and seem to be continued from the main land to some of the Oban, Sept. 2. 1806. It was intended to have added a few remarks relative to some Danish antiques. still extant in this country; but as this communication is already too long, these are delayed to some future period. islands, though separated by an in tervening sea of ten, fifteen, or twen Wishing your publication every success, I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, K. MACLEAY, M. D. ty miles, where they can again be Genealogy of the INDIAN GODDESS of taken up and traced, in a line directly opposite to, and of the same breadth. with that portion upon the main.These walls are composed of separate stones laid one above another, and fitting accurately as if done by art, being all of the same length, and lying across. Particular instances of this curious structure are near Craignish castle, and the slate quarry at Easdale. SMALL POX. By a Native Indian*. To James Anderson, Esq. Physician Gen. Respected Sir, of * We are indebted for this very curious article to a gentleman in Edinburgh, to whom it was transmitted by Dr Anderson. of Mariahamah, the goddess who presides over small-pox, I made it my business, after my return to this place, to obtain it for you. I accordingly applied to several intelligent -Bramins, &c. who favoured me with the best received account taken from the Bermaundaporanum and Bauradum, which I now have the pleasure to send you. You will, no doubt, find the language of the translation ungrammatical, and full of errors, but I hope it is still plain enough for you to understand it, which is all I wish. I am, respected Sir, Your most obedient, and (Signed,) MooTOWSAWNEY. Trichinopoly, 2d July, 1805. 5 Origin of MARRIAMEN. Translated from the Bermaundapora num and Bauradum. ACRUDAVIRANA, one of the hermits of the Kaunmeegum forest, being desired by Darmarajau, to relate the history of Persoorama, an encarned Vishnoo, has related in the following terms: Kaudy Rajah, whose capital town was Tyotty, having been for a long series of time deprived of the pleasure of being a father, made innumerable vows to heaven that he might be favoured with a child; and effectively his prayers being heard, he had a female child, which was named Maroondoody, and was brought up in all kinds of arts and sciences. Her perfection in every branch of the arts and scienees, together with her accomplished beauty, induced her father to find out an husband who might be worthy of her. Roossiger, an hermit, who passed a solitary life on the shore of the Nirmada river, beang chosen by preference, was happy enough to have that young princess Maroondoody for his consort. Many years had elapsed since the marriage was celebrated; but the princess, having had no child to comfort her in her solitariness, gave way to her sorrow, which, being perceived by her husband Roossiger, he told her that he would make her conceive if she brought rice properly dressed. That princess, actuated by the desire of becoming a mother, was eagerly employed in dressing rice when her mother arrived there to see her Maroondoody. After having paid the usual respects to her mother, she informed her of the object for which she was dressing rice. The mother, having been steril since she was brought to bed of her only daughter, imparted to the princess her daughter the ardent desire she had to become fecund, and entreated her to engage her husband, the hermit, to confer on her the same blessing as he intended to do on his wife. The princess having engaged the hermit, her husband, to do it, the dressed rice was carried to him, from which he took two handfuls of rice, and pronounced on one of them the powerful prayer, invoking Bruna for his wife; on the other the invocation of Vishnoo for his mother-inlaw (because his wife was to have a Brumo, or Bramin child; and his mother-in-law a Chattria child, or a prince,) and gave them to his wife, shewing her particularly the handful of rice which each of them must take, but they, by mistake, exchan. ged them mutually, so that the mother took the rice which the daughter should have taken. Roossigar, hermit, on his return from the shore of a river, where he had been to discharge the usual religious duty called Poossa, was astonished at seeing the charm and grace of royalty shining in the complexion, and specially on the face of his wife, (because this was the effect of the royal royal fœtus in her womb,) but the princess perceived the uneasiness of her husband, prostrated herself at his feet, and begged his forgiveness for her mistake; when the hermit, with the view of avoiding the dishonour he would, as a Bramin, incur if his wife was brought to-bed of a Chattriah child, implored both Vishnoo and Bruma to divert this dishonour, and to change the Chattriah foetus in the womb of his wife into a Bruma one; the princess, his wife, was consequently brought to-bed of a Bruma child, which was named Jamadakiny, and her mother of another child, who was named Visvamittraru. Jamadakiny, in imitation of his father, became also an hermit, and was married with Renooga, daughter to Waissidian, a Bramin. Roossigar, content with the service rendered by Renooga, his daughter-in-law, com• manded her to ask what she wanted; but decency having not permitted her to ask of her father-in-law the grace of becoming fecund, she stood confounded and ashamed. The father-in-law having perceived the perplexity of her mind, and having penetrated into her desire, blessed her with five children; foretold her, that the fifth child would be endowed witha miraculous strength of body, and with every astonishing perfection; and that if she obeyed perfectly her husband, she would be respected and honoured by the world: after having conferred these blessings on his daughter in law, he retired to the shore of the Gangah. Effectively she had five children, the first named Roomanmah, the second named Sooshanan, the third named Vassoo, the fourth Visvavassoo, and the fifth named Parassooraman Vishnoo himself, who is incarned for restoring justice to its ancient splendour, and for comforting and relieving the Earth (a deity) from her burden. It was usual to Renooga, to bring for the daily worship of her husband, called Poossa, water in a pot formed by her with the sand of the river, (because it is said, that in the ancient time chaste women may operate such miracles as they think of.) A certain day she was forming a pot with sand, when a kondravan, (angel) named Setrangoodan, passed by in the air: Renooga having seen his shape in the water, was astonished at his beauty, and instantly her chastity being spotted by this astonishment, the pot formed by her was broken, she perceived her fault, and gave her husband notice of the circumstances. But Jamadakiny, incensed against his wife for her unchaste thought, commanded four of his eldest sons to behead their mother, but they thro' horror for the matricide, refused to comply with his order. Provoked by their disobedience, he cursed them, and immediately they were metamorphosed into birds. The fifth son, Persooramab, arrived there, and was desired by his father to behead his mother, which was instantly executed. The father, satisfied with the unprecedented obedience of his youngest son, desired him to demand what he liked. He, profiting of the generous disposition of his father, implored him to bring again his mother to life, and to restore his metamorphosed brothers to their ancient state: the filial and fraternal attachment, added to his unprecedented obedience, raised the affection of his father the more for him, and induced him to grant the request of his son: the corpse of Renooga was then brought in, and a new head created, and incorporated with the dead body, which was instantly brought to life; the old head, having been the throne of the unchaste thought which had occasioned these evils, was cast off. Renooga, Renooga, having been much concerned about the fate of her old head, implored her husband to bestow any blessing upon it. Jamadakiny, in compliance to the intreats of his wife, blessed that it should be respected and worshipped by the world under the name of Ellaman, and Mootauluman, these five children having then retired into different remote forests as hermits. Some time after, the hundred sons of the King Kartigavirachurchinen, whose capital town is Mayooshpady, having set out a hunting, came by chance to the residence of Jamadak iny, and paid their respects to him. Being wrapt we in an extacy, in contemplation of the supreme and omnipotent being, he did not return their respects; but this they attributed to the braminical pride, and provoked by his silence, they immediately beheaded him. The sorrow of Renooga on that occasion cannot be ex. pressed, but to put an end to it, she was resolved to burn herself with the dead body of her husband, as the Saustrum, or code of rites, prescribed, that the corpse should be burned within a Moogoortum, (or one hour of time :) the wood was then prepared and kindled, when Renooga set herself on it by the corpse of her husband: they were burning, when a heavy rain fell and quenched the fire; but she was not consequently dead: her cloth was consumed by fire, the burnt parts of her body was then formed into pustules, she got up crying, and was running from one place to another, with fiery dizziness, and all other symptomsattend. ing rage, and arrived at last to the residence of the Pariah people. The Pariah women then tied Margoesa branches to her loins, as a cloth, and fanned her with the same leaves, and offered her, as she was a Bramin, meal of rice to eat. Persooramah, her fifth son, hav. ing, though in aremote country, seen Dec. 1806. by his spiritual view all that happened to his parents, fled with the swiftness of wind to the assistance of his mother, who, at the first sight of her son, beat her breast 21 times: Persooramah having seen his mother in a desperate state and desolation, was resolved to take revenge for 21 generations on the princes who had killed his father, and on the other princes of the world who did not assist his mother in this circumstan ce. He, as Vishnoo, has blessed his mother, that she would have a powerful influence over mankind, and communicated to them the pain she was then labouring under, and that she would be respected and worshipped by the world, and be a favourite divinity to the Pariah, that last class of people, that she, having been preserved by the rain from bang burnt by fire, will be named hereafter Maury, and Mauriamal by the name of rain, which is styled in the Malabar and Grandum languages Maury. Persooramah has effectively taken revenge on all the princes for 21 generations, and granted this world to Kasia Bruma as a gratuity, and resides in the Maliaulum, or Malabar MONTROSE. Yours, &c. MILO. This word is uniformly pronounced Mon Ross.From the similarity of sound, the Romish ecclesiastics probably took it for an English name, viz. Mountrose, i. e. Rose-hill; and hence, no doubt, Buchanan, &c. borrowed their Mons Rosarum. Knox, in his history, borrows it from the French, and writes it Montrois, i. e. the three hills. There are three hills here, viz. the Horologe hill, the Fort hill, and the Windmill hill. Tho' from the nature of the soil it is not probable any of these hills were hills of roses; it cannot be denied that there are three hills; and, as far as matter of fact is concerned, Knox's etymology is the most plausible. But, unfortunately for the above theories, the Montrose in question is not the original one, but derives its name ftom old Montrose, situated about four miles farther up, and on the opposite side of the River South Esk, and to which neither Buchan. an's hill of roses, nor Knox's three hills will apply. A Dorsum, or ridge of about 300 feet elevation, reaches from the high hill of Bonnyton to the South Esk, and terminates in a promontory overlook ing the west point of the extensive bason of Montrose; and on this promontory stands the village of old Montrose. This ridge for about a mile not only overlooks, but bounds the fertile vale of Kinnaird on the East side. This vale is almost level, and of great extent. The original soil is a thin cover of moss on a deep sub-stratum of clay. A considerable part of this vale was a complete morass, till within these four years it was drained by the late Sir David Carnegie at an immense expence; and there is no reason to doubt that the whole, at or least the most considerable part of it, originally lay in the same state. Whoever indeed looks at this level district, must be convinced that it has been recovered from its original state at immense expence. Having premised these few facts, how beautifully natural will appear the true etymology Mon Ross, which consists of two Gaelic words, Mon and Ross, literally signifying the Promontory of the Moss! Dundee. History informs us Earl David, the king's brother, landed here in a storm, and on his getting ashore exclaimed Donum Dei, i. e. the gift of God, and that from this circumstance the town changed its old name Allectum, and took the new one, Donum Dei, i. e. Dundee. All that we can infer from this silly story is, that the Romish ecclesiastics, to whom Earl David was a great benefactor, wished it to be so, and they have in a great measure succeeded. It is reported that the Romans, when they first saw the Tay, exclaimed Ecce Tiberim, and from this town's delightful situation on the imaginary Tiber, it is not improbable that they might call it Allectum Opidum, i. e. the belovedor delightful city, in allusion to Rome. Be that as it may, we have fortunately preserved to us, by Buchanan and others, who were not to be duped by Popish fictions and legendary tales, the antient name of this town, viz. Taodunum, i. e. Dun-Tay, ie. The hill or fort of Tay. There is something so peculiar and appropriate in the Gaelic names, that they speak conviction at once, neither can a foreign etymology be fixed on them without the most palpable absurdity. This town takes its name from an old Caledonian fort on the banks of Tay. These forts were uniformly called Duns, |