Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-09-17
4 dollars per annUm.

I ancient preceptor are singular, chiefly for
| tile fundamental article of his system, which
attempts to recoccile moral and physical c.
, vii with the attributes of benefcent Gre
ator and Governor Of the world: The first
and original Being, is denominated by To-
rnaster Time svithout Bounds: Either
from the blind or the intelligent operation
of this Infinite Time, the two secondary,
! but active principles of the universe were
| from all eternity produced, Ornusd and
| Abriman, each of them possessed of the
powers Of creation, but each disposed, by
his invariable nature, to exercise them with
different designs. The malice Of Abrman
has long since pierced Ormusd'S egg, or,
in other words, has violated the harmony OK
his works. Since that fatal irruption, the
most minute articles of good and evil are
mingled and agitated together; the rankest
poisons spring up amidst the most salutary
plants deluges, earthquakes and confla-
grations, attest the conflict of nature, and
the little world of man is perfectly shaken
by vice and misfortune. The Persians sac
rihced on the highest mountains and their
hymns and prayers were uttered i'll the o.
pen air.
The code oflaws instituted by Artaxerx-
es, was respected as the ground work of
the civil and religious policy of the Persians,
cessive revolutions have introduced new
laws and sew religion. They are now
chiefly Mahometans of the sect of Ali, who
was The cousin and son-in-law OF Mahomet,
and being excluded from tine Caliphate by
Omar and Gilman, he preached cert in
tenets of his own, and raised 2 party to him
self
The Persians, whilst governed by their
native Princes, never carried on any trade
BY sea with India, but they were supplied
with the elegant manufactures of that part
of Asia by land carriage. The commodities
destined for the supply of the Northern pro-
vinces of Persia, were transported on Ca
mels from the Banks of the Indus to those of
the Oxus, down the stream of which they
were carried to the Caspian Sea, and dis
tributed, partly by land Carriage, and part
lyby navigabie rivers through the different
countries. bounded on the one hand by the
Caspian and on the other by the EuXine
Sea. The commodities of India, intended
FOR the southern and interior provinces, pro-
ceeded bv land from the Caspian to some
of the great rivers, by which they were Cir
cnlatet through every part of the country.
After the overthrow of the empire of the
Parthiaus. all the considerable ports of IN
dia were frequented NV traders from Persia,
who conveyed the merchandise which they
procured in exchange for the productions of
their own country. up the Persian Gulrh,
and by means fthe great rivers Euphrstcs
and TfSris, distributed them through every
"rnvince of their Empire. They supplanted
the merchants Of the Arabian Gulph in all
the marts Of India to which silk was BROUGHT
BY sea from China, where it is supposed TO
have been originally known. Monopolizing
this article of trade the Persians raised the
price Of il 50 high. that two monks, abcnt
the year 55l, brought the eggs of the -iik
worm from China in a hollow cane, and
with them, the mystery of the wonderful
manufacture. These eggs were Matched by
the heat of a dung-hill, fed with the leaves
OF a wild mulberry tree, and being prOpaga-
ted thr3r-h Europe, c.eapened the commo-
dity and furnished a new object fer indus
try.
Persia, in the northern and eastern parts.
is mountainous and cold in the middle and
southeastern parts it is sandy and desert
in the southern and western, level and ex
tremely fertile, though for several months
very hot. The productions of the country
are various and valuable: Among them are
dates, pistacho nuts, and peoples that Weld
the finest cpium There are extensive plan.
tations of trees for silk worms and LARGE
Rocks of sheep and goats. The camels, hor-
SEES, mules, asses, oxen and buffaloes, are the
best OF their kind The principal manufac-
| lures are satins, Tables, taffetas. brocades.
! gold tissues, gold yeivets, calicoes, and cam
| lets.
Fornearlv a century past, Persia has been
| desolated by rival competitors for the sover-
| eigntv. The usurper Nadir Shah was assasSi-
mated in 1747, when Ahmed Abdalal. one Of
his generals, founded tine kingdom Of Canda-
har, anneXng to it the provinces of Korasan
| and Segestan, in the eastern part of Persia,
| together with the provinces of Hndoostan
! Proper, west of the Indus, that had been
coded by the Great Mogul. in 1877, 10 Ma
dir Shah. Another of Nadir's officers nam
ed Kerim Kahn, obtained the sovereignty Of
all the southern provinces. He transferred
| the seat of government from IsDahan To- Schi-
ras. In 1879 he died, when new pretenders
to the throne sprung up, harrassing the peo-
pie and devastating the country. The En-
gIlsh have taken great pains 10 cultivate the
| friendship of the Persians, with view to
the greater security Of the British possessi-
ons in India whilst the French seek TO in
spire them with jealousy of the growing
power of the English in the East, in order
to embarrass the government of Great Bri-
tain in that quarter
INDIA is a country, whose Inhabitants are
supposed to have been tic earliest civi lied
people on the globe. The whole body ofthe
community in that part OF Asia were divided
originally into four orders or casts. The first
was the most sacred, and studied the Drin
ciples of religion were destined 70 perform,
its functions, and cultivate the sciences: tn,
second was entrusted with the government
aud defence of the state the third was conn
posed of husbandmen and merchants ant
the fourth of artisans, laborers, ard servants
None Of these can ever quit his own cast, oil