Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/362

 fossil, fauna and flora that " in the early geological ages, when the Alps were low and the Himalayas not yet upheaved, and when Asia and Africa were represented only by a group of islands, * * * an equable and uniform climate prevailed over the whole surface of the globe as a result of these geographical conditions." Mr. Tilak then describes the Polar and circumpolar cha* racteristics. The former are : (i) the sun rises in the South (2) the stars do not rise and set but revolve in horizontal planes (3) the year consists only of one long day and one long night of six months each (4) the sun rises and sets only once a year but the twilight, whether of the morning or of the evening lasts continuously for about two mo7iths. The circum-polar characteristics are (i) The sun will always be to the South of the zenith of the observer. (2) A large number of stars are above the horizon, during the entire period of their revolution and hence, always visible. (3) The year is made up of three parts (a) one long continuous night ; (b) one long continuous day (c) a succession of ordinary days and nights. (4) The dawn, at the close of the long continuous night lasts for several days. Mr. Tilak; says " if a Vedic description or tradition discloses any of the characteristics mentioned above, we may safely infer that th6 tradition is polar or circum-polar in origin and the phenomenon, if not actually witnessed by the poet, was at least known to him by tradition faithfully handed down from generation to generation." Mr. Tilak then quotes many such passages and traditions and proves the existence of the Arctic Home. He supports his conclusions by studies in comparative mythology and by quotations from the Avesta "which express