1 The Tantra enumerates many other claffes, which must be placed in lower fets; and afcribes a dif. ferent origin to fome of the claffes in the third and fourth fets. Thefe differences may be readily apprehended from the comparative table annexed. To purfue a verbose comparifon, would be tedious, and of little ufe, perhaps of none: for I fufpect that their origin is fanciful, and, except the mix-, ed claffes named by Menu, that the reft are terms for profeffions rather than claffes, and they fhould be confidered as denoting companies of artifans rather than diftinct races. The mode in which Amera Sinha mentions the mixed claffes and the profeffions of artifans, feems to fupport this conjecture.. However, the Jatimálá exprefsly ftates the number of 42 mixed claf. fes fpringing from the intercourfe of a man of an inferior clafs with a woman of fuperior clafs. Though, like other mixed claffes, they are included under the general denomination of Súdra, they are confidered as moft abject, and most of them now experience the fame contempt. uous treatment as the abject mixed claffes mentioned by Menu. According to the Rudrayamala, the domeftic priests of twenty of thefe claffes are degraded. "Avoid," fays the Tantra," the touch of the Chandala and other abject claffes, and of thofe who eat the flesh of kine, often utter forbidden words, and perform none of the prefcribed ceremonies; they are called Moléchchha, and, going to the region of Yavana, have been named Yava. nas." "Thefe feven, the Rajaca, Cher. macára, Nata, Barúda, Caiverta, and Medabhilla, are the laft tribes. Whoever affociates with them, undoubtedly falls from his clafs; whoever bathes or drinks in wells or pools which they have caufed to be made, must be purified by the five productions of kine; whoever approaches their women, is doubtlefs degraded from his clafs." "For women of the Nata and Capála claffes, for proftitutes, and for women of the Rajaca and Napita tribes, a man fhould willingly make oblations, but by no means dally with them." I may here remark, that, according to the Rudrayamala, the Nata and Nataca are diftinct, but the profeffions are not diferninated in that Tantra: if their diftinct occupations as dancers and actors are accurately fupplied, dramas are of very early date. The Pundraca and Pattafutracára, or feeder of filk-worms and fiik.twifters, deferve notice; for it has been faid that filk was the produce of China folely, until the reign of the Greek emperor Juf tinian; and that the laws of China jealously guarded the exclufive pro duction. The frequent mention of filk in the most ancient Sanfcreet books would not fully difprove that opinion; but the mention of an In. dian clafs, whofe occupation it is to attend filk-worms, may be admitted as proof, if the antiquity of the Tantra be not queftioned. I am informed, that the Tantras collec tively are noticed in very ancient compofitions; but as they are very numerous, they must have been compofed at different periods; and the Tantra which I quote, might be thought comparatively modern.However, it may be prefumed, that the Rudrayamala is among the moft authentic, and, by a natural inference, among the most ancient, fince * See the annexed rule, formed by our late venerable President. fince it is named in the Durgamehata, where the principal Tantras are enumerated *. In the comparative tables to which I have referred, the claffes are named, with their origin, and the particular profeffions affigned to them. How far every perfon is bound, by original inftitutions, to adhere rigidly to the profeffion of the clafs, may merit fome inquiry. Lawyers have largely difcuffed the texts of law concerning this fubject; and fome difference of opinion occurs in their writings. This, how. ever, is not the place for entering into fuch difquifitions: Ifhall therefore briefly ftate what appears to be the beft eftablished opinion, as deduced from the texts of Menu, and other legal authorities. The regular means of fubfiftence for a Brahmana are, affifting to fa crifice, teaching the Védas, and receiving gifts; for a Cfhatriya, bearing arms; for a Vaifya, merchandize, attending on cattle and agriculture; for a Súdra, fervile attendance on the higher claffes. The most commendable are, refpectively for the four claffes, teaching the Véda, defending the people, commerce, or keeping herds and flocks, and fervile attendance on the learned and virtuous priests. A Brahmana, unable to fubfift by his duties, may live by the duty of a foldier; if he cannot get a fubfiftence by either of thofe employ ments, he may apply to tillage and attendance on cattle, or gain a competence by traffick, avoiding certain commodities. A Chatriya, in diftrefs, may fubfift by all thefe means, but he must not have recourse to the highest functions. In feafons of diftrefs, a further latitude is given; the practice of medicine and other learned profeffions, painting and other arts, work for wages, menial fervice, alms, and ufury, are among the modes of fubfiftence al lowed both to the Brahmana and Chatriya. A Vaifya, unable to fubfift by his own duties, may defcend to the fervile acts of a Súdra : And a Súdra, not finding employment by waiting on men of the higher claffes, may fubfift by handicrafts; principally following thefe mechanical occupations, as joinery and mafonry; and practical arts, as painting and writing; by following which, he may ferve men of fuperior claffes and although a man of a lower clafs is in general reftricted from the acts of a higher clafs, the Súdra is exprefsly permitted to become a trader or a huf bandman. Befides the particular occupa. tions affigned to each of the mixed claffes, they have the alternative of following that profeffion which re gularly belongs to the clafs from which they derive their origin on the mother's fide: those, at least, have fuch an option, who are born in the direct order of the claffes, as the Múrdhábhishićta Ambaththa, and others. The mixed clalles are alfo permitted to fubfift by any of the duties of a Súdra; that is, by menial fervice, by handicrafts, by commerce, or by agriculture. Hence it appears, that almoft every occupation, though regularly it be the profeffion of a particular *E 4 clafs, *Thus enumerated-Cáli-Tantri, Múndmalá, Tárâ, Nirbána-Tantra, Servafárum, Bira-Tautra, Singar-chana, Bhúta-Tantra and Cálicácalpa, Bhairavi-Tantra and Bhairavicalpa, Todala, Matribchédancha, Maya-Tantra, Biré wara. Bilevelára, Samaya-Tantra, Brahma-Yámala-Tantra, Rudra-Yanala-Tantra, Sanctryamala-TanGayatri-Tantra, Cálicacula Servafwa, Culárnnava, Yogini-Tantra, and the Tantra Mehifhamarddini. Thele are here univerfally known, oh Bhairavi, gicatest of fouls -And inany are the other Tantras uttered by Sambhu. tra, clafs, is open to moft other claffes; and that the limitations, far from being rigorous, do in fact referve only one peculiar profeffion-that of the Brahmana, which confifts in teaching the Véda, and officiating at religious ceremonies. The claffes are fufficiently numerous, but the fubdivifions of claffes have further multiplied distinctions to an endless variety. The fubordinate diftinctions may be best exemplified from the Brahmana and Cayaft'ha, because some of the appellations by which the different races are diftinguished, will be familiar to many readers. The Brahmanas of Bengal are defcended from five priefts invited from Canyacubja by Adifura, King of Goura, who is faid to have reigned about 300 years before Chrift. These were, Bhatta Nerayna, of the family of Sandila, a fon of Cafyapa; Dacfha, alfo a defcendant of Cafvapa; Vedegarva, of the family of Vatfa; Chomdra,of the family of Saverna, a fon of Cafyapa; and Sri Herfhu, a defcendant of Bharadwaja. From thefe ancestors have branched no fewer than 156 families, of which the precedence was fixed by Ballala Sena, who reigned in the twelfth century of the Chriftian æra. milies fettled in Varéndra, and fifty-fix in Rara. They are now difperfed throughout Bengal, but retain the family diftinctions fived by Bailala Sena; they are denominated from the families to which their five progenitors belonged, and are ftill confidered as Canyacubja Brahmanas. At the period when these priefts were invited by the king of Gaura, fome Sárefwata Brahmanas, and a few Vaidicas, refided at Bengal. Of the Brahmanas of Sarefwata none are now found in Bengal; but five families of Vaidicas are extant, and are admitted to intermarry with the Brahmanas of Rara. Among the Brahmanas of Va réndra, eight families have pre-eminence, and eight hold the fecond rank*; among thofe of Rara, fix hold the first rank +. The diftinctive appellations of the feveral families are borne by thofe of the first rank; but in moft of the other families they are difufed, and the ferman or fermà, the addition common to the whole tribe of Brahmanas, is affumed. For this practice the priests of Bengal are cenfured by the Brahmanas of Mit. hilá, and other countries, where that title is only used on important occafions, and in religious ceremo One hundred of thefe fa- nies. Cafhta Srotri 84. The names of these families feldom occur in common intercourse. Srotri 50 The names of thefe families feldom occur in common intercourfe. In Mithila, the additions are fewer, though diftinct families are more numerous. No more than three names are in ufe in that dif, trict, T'hácura, Mifra, and Ojhá; each appropriated in any families. The Cayaft'has of Bengal claim defcent from five Cayaft'has, who attended the priests invited from Canyacubja. Their defcendants branched into 83 families; and their precedence was fixed by the fame prince Ballala Sena, who alfo adjufted the family rank of other claffes. In Benga and Decfhina Rára, three families of Cayaft'has have pre-eminence, eight hold the fecond rank*. The Cayaft' has of inferior rank generally affume the addition of Dáfa, common to the tribe of Súdras, in the fame manner as other claffes have fimilar titles common to the whole tribe. The regular addition to the name of Chhatriya is Verman; to that of a Vaifya, Gupta; but the general title of Deva is commonly affumed, and, with feminine termination, is alfo borne by women of other tribes. The diftinétions of families are important in regulating intermarriages. Genealogy is made a particular ftudy; and the greateft attention is given to regulate the marriages according to eftablished rules, particularly in the first marriage of the eldeft fon. The principal points to be obferved are, not to marry within the prohibited degrees, or in a family known by its name to be of the fame primitive ftock; nor in a family of inferior rank; nor even in an infe rior branch of an equal family: for, within fome families, grada. tions are established. Thus, among the Culina of the Cayaft'has, the rank has been counted from thirteen degrees; and in every "generation, fo long as the marriages have been properly afforted, one degree has been added to the rank. But fhould. a marriage be contracted in a family. of a lower degree, an entire forfeit. ure of fuch rank would be incurred. The fubject is intricate; but any perfon defirous of acquiring information upon it, may refer to the writings of Gat'tácas, or genealogifts, whofe compofitions are in the provincial dialect, and are known by the name of Culají. The others are omitted for the fake of brevity; their names feldom occur in common intercourfe.. Narrative Narrative of the Particulars of the Journey of TESHOO LAMA, and his Suite, from Tibet to China, from the verbal report of POORUNGHEER GOSEIN. (Extracted from Mr. TURNER'S Embassy to Tibet.) POORUNGEER GOSEIN, who attended Tefhoo Lama on his journey to vifit the Emperor of China, relates, that during the years 1777, 1778, and 1779, Tefhoo Lama, or Lama Gooroc, of Bhote or Tibet, received repeated invitation, by let ters, from the Emperor of China, expreffed in the most earnest terms, that he would vifit him at his ca. pital city of Picchein, or Pekin; but the Lama continued for a long time to avoid complying with the Emperor's requests, by excufes, fuch as that the climate, air and water of China were very hurtful to the inhabitants of his country; but, above all, he understood that the fmall-pox was a prevalent dif. order there, and that his followers, as well as himself, were very apprehenfive of the diforder, as few inftances, if any, could be given, of an inhabitant of Bhote, or Tibet, recovering from it. Another letter arrived from the Emperor, ftill more carneft than any that had yet been received, telling the Lama, "that he looked up to him as the firft, and most holy being of thofe on earth, who devoted their time to the service of the Almighty; and that the only remaining with he now felt was to fee him, and to be ranked among his difciples. "My age," fays the the Emperor, in one of his letters, is now upwards of feventy years, and the only bleffing I can enjoy before I quit this life, will be to fee you, and to join in acts of devotion with the divine Tefhoo La On the prefumption that the entreaties of age and devotion would be complied with, the Emperor informed him, that houfes were erected for the reception of the Lama, and his followers, upon dif. ferent places of the road by which he would pafs, which had coft upwards of 20 lacks of rupees; that all the inhabitants of that part of China through which his journey lay, had orders to have tents, &c. in readi. nefs at all the different ftages; and that horfes, carriages, mules, money and provifions, for his whole retinue, fhould be in conftant readiness at all places and tines during his jour ney. The Emperor fent with his letter one ftring of very valuable pearls, and one hundred pieces of curious filks, by the hands of Le amabaw, a trufty person, whom he fent to attend the Lama in his jour ney. At the fame time letters were written by the Emperor to the Lama of Laila, and to feveral principal inhabitants of Bhote, or Tibet, defiring them to add their entreaties to his, to prevail upon Tehoo Lama to vifit him. They accordingly affembled, and waited upon the Lama, who was at length prevailed upon to give his confent to proceed to China; at the fame time obferving to fome of his confidential friends, that he felt fome internal repugnance, from an idea that he should not return; however, all things being put in readi nefs, he began his journey upon the fecond of Sawun in the 1836 fum. butt or æra of Rajah Bicher Ma jeet, (anfwering, according to our æra, |