NOTES TO THE APPENDIX.’

Indian buildings , is confirmed by Colonel Call , chiefengineer at Madras , who urges this as a proof of theearly and high civilization of the Indians. “ It may fafely“ be pronounced,” fays he, “ that no part of the world* c has more marks of antiquity for arts, fciences , and<£ civilization , than the peninfula of India , • from thee£ Ganges to Cape Comorin I think the carvings on“ fome of the Pagodas and Choultries , as well as the“ grandeur of the work , exceeds any thing execuredtc now-a-days, not only for the delicacy of the cbifel,<c but the expenfe of conftrudion , confidering, in manyw inftances , to what diftances the component parrs werew carried , and to what heights railed. ” PhilofphicalTranfadtions, vol. lxii. p. 354.

NOTE VIII. p. 28s.

India, fays Strabo , produces a variety of fubftanceswhich dye the moil admirable colors. That the Indiana,which produced the beautiful blue color , is the famewith the Indigo of the moderns, we may conclude notonly from the relemblance of the name, and the fimilarityof the effects, but from the defcription given by Pliny in the paffage which 1 have quoted in the text. He knewthat it was a preparation of a vegetable fubftance, thoughhe was ill-informed both concerning the plant itfelf, andthe procefs by which it was fitted for ufe , which willnot appear furprifing when we recollect the ftrange igno-rance of the ancients with refpect to the origin andpreparation of filk From the color of Indigo, in theform in which it was imported , it is denominated byfome authors , Atramentunf Indiana , and IndicumNigrum, Salmaf. Exercit. p. 180, and is mentionedunder the laft of thefe names , among the articles ofimportation from India . Peripl. Mar. Erythr. p. 22. Thecolor of the modern Indigo, when undiluted, refembles