'A Journey from Bengal to England, through the Northern part of India, Kashmire, Afghanistan, and Persia, and into Russia, by the Caspian-Sea. By George Forster. In the Civil Service of the Honourable the East-India Company in Two Volumes. Vol. I.' [‎47] (72/342)

FORSTER’S TRAVELS.
4?
Hindoos, In the colleflion of a gentleman at Benares are feveral
valuable antiques, which were purchafed by the merchants of that
city : one of which, reprefenting a matron,, is cut in a manner
bearing every mark of Grecian Ikill; and another exhibited Cleo
patra in the act of being bitten by the afp. The fame gentleman
had in his poffeffion a Medufas head, on an emerald, found alfo
at Benares, which being fent to England, was unrefervedly ac
knowledged to be the work of a Grecian or Roman mafter. Some
years ago, a high finifhed Camaieu was procured at Guzeraf,.
whereon Hercules flaying the Nemean lion, was executed with
much tafte and fpirit. Thefe circumftances are adduced to fup-
poit a conjefture, that, during the intercourfe which exiited be
tween the natives of Egypt and India, the former might have in
troduced into their country, with fome of the rare and luxurious
produdls of Htndooftan, certain tenets and ceremonies of Hindoo
mythology. In endeavouring to point out the track of thefe an
tiques, it is to be noticed, thar they might have found a way into
India in the cabinets of the Mahometans, who in the more early
period of their empire, were little lefs enthufiaftic in the admira
tion of Grecian productions and literature, than the Romans,
And it is a fa£t in need of no illuftration, that the revival of
letters and the arts, after the Roman world had been immerfed
in Gothic ruin, received a powerful aid from the princes of the
Khaliphat.
My knowledge of aftronomy is fo confined, that I am almoft
incapa-