courage on the side of Hanuman, was effected by the monkeys, their commander setting an example of perseverance and bravery, which it would be well if our generalissimos would always follow. This intrepid simian chief not only tore up mountains from their bases, but conveyed ten of them, sixty-four miles each in circumference, at a time (one on the tip of his tail, one under each arm, one on each shoulder, one in each paw, and three on his head), and cast them into the sea. (See fig. 5, plate 9.)

If we are to believe the Hindus, the remains of this mighty undertaking, now called Adam's bridge, are still observable: but if we are not satisfied to extend our implicit faith so far, we may, perhaps more safely, imagine that Ceylon was once a part of the Continent, and insulated by a violent convulsion of nature; and that the mountains of Hanuman are but the fragments of the rocky isthmus which formerly linked them together. But whatever our wayward imaginations may lead us to think, the Hindus possess a firm belief in the feats of Hanuman and his indefatigable monkeys: and with their belief, only, we have at present to do.

Impatient of delay, and anxious to be informed of the treatment which Sita had experienced, it was deemed advisable by Rama and his generals, that, while farther operations were in progress in building the bridge, accurate information should be obtained respecting her. The sage Jumont observed, that he who could leap a hundred joguns (about seven or eight hundred miles) across the channel, was exactly the party required. Who so proper to execute a brave action as he who proposes it, has been often observed; but, unfortunately, commonly observed in vain. Thus Jumont said, he himself would be glad to attempt it, but was too old: others were equally willing, but equally, from some cause or other, unable to undertake it. One, indeed, believed he might leap across, to be sure, easily enough; but He thought the question should be, if he might ever be able to leap back again. At length, the dauntless Hanuman, who had (like all those who perform the most) said the least, was appealed to. The simian hero smiled at Rama, and ever attentive to, and insensible of danger at the call of friendship (unlike the summer friends we occasionally meet with), made light of the business, ascended a hill, and, after plenty of sage advice from

Rama, Hanuman and the Monkeys worshipping Vishnu and Lakshmi attended by Nareda the Rishes &c. Published by Parbury, allen & Co Londen.1832.

Jumont (in giving which the courage of this ursine Nestor seldom required to be prompted), took a leap; and although tempted, like Saint Anthony, by demons and other things in his course, safely reached Lanka, and the vicinity of the abode of the captive beauty. With the rapidity of lightning Hanuman descended in the garden of the palace, where he discovered the pensive and disconsolate Sita. Transported with indignation against Ravan, he appears, after having conferred with her, to have resorted to some monkey tricks, not at all in accordance with his usual wisdom and discretion; for he began pulling up the trees, destroying the flower-beds, and, in short, turning the garden into a complete wilderness. The king sent out people to drive him away, but he destroyed them all. Ravan then sent his eldest son, who, after a furious contest, in which he used a charmed weapon, seized Hanuman and set fire to his tail; with which, leaping from house to house, the enraged general burnt all Lanka. This operation was a manœuvre of Hanuman, for on hearing the order of Ravan to wrap the tail round plentifully with linen and oil it well, he continued to elongate it while they continued to wrap and oil, so that, when set fire to it made a tremendous blaze. He then, after having fired the town, went to Sita, and complained that he could not extinguish the flame of his tail. She directed him to spit upon it, in doing which he smutted his face, and gave rise to the present black faced mustachioed race of martial monkey heroes of the world.

Having effected the object of his mission, Hanuman returned back to the continent, and found that Rama had nearly perfected his preparations for the attack. A battle ensued, in which an incident occurred that, as I do not find a similar one represented in the combats of Osiris, Sesostris, Semiramis, Alexander, or in any other battle in the world, I am bound, for the good of my country in general, and for the instruction of the army in particular, to notice here.

One of the generals of the Lanka forces, named Koombhukurma,* a * I will in this place enable the reader to form a judgment of this redoubtable champion of Ravan, who, for the good reason of avoiding repetition, I beg may be considered as a fair sample of the Brobdingnag race of heroes to which he belonged. I have been somewhat apprehensive that these (in a certain degree apocryphal) deliniations of persons and propensities, which historic fidelity has occasionally obliged me to exhibit, may throw a shade of doubt over my

mighty giant and brother to Ravan, was directly opposed to Rama and the monkeys; and, by a piece of generalship which, I fear, our invincible Wellington could not have executed, nor would have even thought of, bade fair to effect the destruction of the whole of the invading legions. No sooner had the battle commenced, than Koombhukurma made a desperate charge upon the dense columns of the monkeys, seized entire battalions one after another, and in a few minutes, like the destroying stork among the frogs in the fable, had nearly swallowed the whole of them. Dire would have been the event to Rama, had the Lanka chief united the prudence of our great general to his own intrepid valour; but it is a fact well known to intelligent military men, that the bravest leaders of divisions make frequently the worst commanders of armies. Thus it happened with Koombhukurma, who knew how to win, but knew not how to benefit by a victory; for, by not taking all circumstances into his consideration and properly protecting his minor positions, he had no sooner possession of the monkeys in his stomach, than with an agility incredible to those who have not witnessed the oriental warfare of those days, they leaped up again, and darted out from his nostrils and ears, recommenced the combat, and with the assistance of Rama defeated and slew him.

Gladly would I undertake a more comprehensive description of this

good name (as occurred with that of the great explorer of the source of the Nile) for veracity of description; but I can assure my readers, that I have no wish to draw upon them for a single atom of belief, beyond what they are perfectly disposed to advance.

Koombhukurma, then, as I have before stated, was the brother of Ravan. Immediately after his birth he stretched forth his enormous arms, and gathered, as infants usually do, into his mouth every thing within his reach. At one time he ate* five hundred mistresses of Indra, the exemplary and chaste king of the heavens; at another, the wives of one hundred sages, with cows and Brahmans without number; at a future meal (which was after he had been taken to task by the gods for his gluttony, and he had become more moderate in his appetite) six thousand cows, ten thousand sheep, as many goats, five hundred buffaloes, five thousand deer, and drank five thousand hogsheads of spirits, and a few other (to use a military phrase) small articles complete; after which he expressed great indignation towards his brother for half-starving him. hero's bed is said to have been the whole length of his house, which was twenty thousand miles long, and which must have been compressed, by some gigantic machine of course, into a becoming space, in the beautiful island of Ceylon, about eight hundred miles in circumference.

* Ward.