languages many works on this subject have escaped my notice but as far as intercourse with Persia and its inhabitants can fit me for the task I have undertaken, I can safely say, mine was longer, and more varied in its nature, than that of any of my countrymen. I have, however, one serious cause for alarm, that is, of being accused of taking the best part of my book from the labours of others. To this charge I plead guilty; and throw myself on the Reader's mercy.

The geographical limits of the Kingdom of Persia, which both in ancient and modern times have so often varied, from invasion and other causes, seem to me better noticed, when necessary, under particular reigns, or at certain epochs, than in any other manner; and short statistical accounts of particular provinces will be better introduced in a note, when such provinces are alluded to in the MS., than given under any general arrangement.

With those who credit the Mosaical account of the creation of the world (and it will not be very easy for those who do not to produce one more credible) there will be no great difficulty to imagine that many countries which formerly have and do now constitute a part of the Persian Empire must have been very early peopled. The vicinity to that empire of the spot where mankind is first recorded to have appeared, the facile means possessed of exploring, as the race increased, some of its most beautiful and fertile provinces, justify, in my mind, a supposition to this effect. But, at all events, when destruction was first poured on the primitive inhabitants of this globe, and only Noah and his

family were especially protected and saved from the general wreck, the same divine authority that relates to us the dreadful calamity, acquaints us also, that, as the waters subsided, the ark rested on the top of Mount Ararat. In disembarking, therefore, the first place our second progenitors must have visited was necessarily the Plain of Erivan, which spreads itself at the foot of that mountain; and I presume those who have visited this beautiful and luxuriant plain, viewing it even under all the disadvantages of an imperfect government, will allow that few places on the surface of the earth, both as to climate and production, could have been better chosen for refreshing, supporting, and gratifying the immediate wants of such a motley assemblage of storm-beaten mariners. The vine, the peach, the fig, the apricot, the melon, the water-melon, the apple, the pear, the mulberry, corn of all sorts, and the most nutritious grains, are found there now, and were not improbably permitted to start up there when the waters withdrew. I admit the Sacred Writings do not tell us what length of sojourn Noah made in this delightful plain, nor do they declare to us that he ever left it. The 9th chapter of Genesis contains the account of Noah's debarkation from the ark; and the 20th verse of that chapter has the following remarkable words, which seem to represent the Patriarch as being desirous of taking up his abode where (if I may use the expression) he first landed :-" And Noah began to be an husbandman; and he planted a vineyard."

The first part of the 2d verse of the 9th chapter of Genesis I have always considered as very inter

esting:-" And it came to pass, as they journeyed "from the East, that they found a plain in the land "of Shinar." The pronoun they assuredly refers only to the sons and grandsons, &c. of the Patriarch; because he himself is not mentioned as one of those journeying; but, on the contrary, his death is disclosed to us in the preceding chapter, without any mention being made of his having undertaken any journey or travel whatever.

It will be difficult to suppose, if the ark rested on the top of Mount Ararat, that Noah did not visit the plain at the bottom of the mountain; unless we recur to the argumentum ad absurdum, and suppose that he remained in the ark till he died, which we are told was 350 years after the Flood. But we are expressly informed: "Noah went forth, and his sons, "and his wife, and his sons' wives, with him: every "beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and "whatsover creepeth upon the earth, after their

kinds, went forth out of the ark." And here I wish to submit a remark which has frequently occurred to me; which is, that whenever we find a fact of great importance noticed in Scripture, the locale, where that fact is stated to have happened, will, if minutely examined, be found to be a kind of collateral testimony of its truth: as in the instance before us, the Plain of Erivan being peculiarly adapted for the commodious reception of the Patriarch and his precious charge.

I shall now transcribe the following passage from Sir John Malcolm's History of Persia; leaving every one to draw from it the inference he pleases.

Sir John mentions a work called the Dabistan ; which, though heretofore considered of doubtful

authority, has lately received some support from the discovery of a volume in the Ancient Pelvic, called the Dussateer, or Jemarauatseer, to which the author of the Dabistan refers. I have never met with either of these works; but Sir John proceeds to tell us, that, according to the latter, "the Ancient Persians "deemed it impossible to ascertain who were the "first parents of the human race :-the knowledge

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of man, they alleged, was quite incompetent to "such a discovery. But they believed, on the authority of their books, that Mah-abad was the person left at the end of the last cycle, and, consequently, the father of the present world." The only particulars they relate of him are, that he and his wife, having survived the former cycle, were blessed with a numerous progeny, who inhabited caves and the clefts of rocks, and were uninformed both of the comforts and luxuries of life; that they were at first strangers to order and government; but that Mah-abad, inspired and aided by the Divine Power, resolved to alter their condition; and, to effect that object, planted gardens, invented ornaments, and forged weapons. He also taught to take the fleece from sheep, to make clothing: he built cities, constructed palaces, and introduced amongst his descendants all the benefits of art and

commerce.

The 10th chapter of Genesis contains an account of Noah's numerous progeny, and expressly states by them the world was peopled; and proceeds, from verse the 8th to the end of the chapter, with a detailed account of the manner, and by what parts of Noah's progeny, this was performed. Noah himself,

b

as has before been stated, lived 350 years after the Flood.

Surely it will strike every Oriental scholar, that Mah and Abad, in more ancient Oriental languages than one, will produce a compound word signifying, and capable of being translated to signify, without borrowing much from fancy, a designation and description of Noah easily reconcileable to those given of him in Scripture. Mah, it is presumed, will not be disputed to mean "great," supremus; and Abad, either as a termination or as a substantive, means, 99 66 peace, rest," "security"; or the place of peace, rest, or security.

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Now, in the 6th chapter of Genesis, verse 17, the Almighty condescends to declare to Noah: "And "behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon "the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the "breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing "that is on the earth shall die." The 18th verse however opens with, "But with thee will I establish my covenant:" by which all created things were saved from annihilation, and peace and rest restored to animated nature.

In Scripture, Noah is called "a just man, and perfect in all his generations:" and the meaning of the Hebrew word Noah is, in some of our Bibles, explained Comforter.

It is possible the coincidences now presented may have been treated of by persons infinitely more learned than I am of that I am ignorant: but if they have not, and any such person should consider the imperfect hints I have given as worth notice, I shall be much gratified. I am not able to