ragons of various kinds.

There is a remarkable resemblance between the Babylonian account of
Gilgamesh's journey through the mountain tunnel to the garden and
seashore, and the Indian story of the demigod Hanuman passing through
the long cavern to the shoreland palace of the female ascetic, when he
was engaged searching for Sita, the wife of Rama, who had been carried
away by Ravana, the demon king of Ceylon. In the version of the latter
narrative which is given in the _Mahabharata_, Hanuman says: "I bring
thee good news, O Rama; for Janaka's daughter hath been seen by me.
Having searched the southern region with all its hills, forests, and
mines for some time, we became very weary. At length we beheld a great
cavern. And having beheld it, we entered that cavern which extended
over many _yojanas_. It was dark and deep, and overgrown with trees
and infested by worms. And having gone a great way through it, we came
upon sunshine and beheld a beautiful palace. It was the abode of the
Daitya (sea demon) Maya. And there we beheld a female ascetic named
Parbhavati engaged in ascetic austerities. And she gave us food and
drink of various kinds. And having refreshed ourselves therewith and
regained our strength, we proceeded along the way shown by her. At
last we came out of the cavern and beheld the briny sea, and on its
shores, the _Sahya_, the _Malaya_, and the great _Dardura_ mountains.
And ascending the mountains of _Malaya_, we beheld before us the vast
ocean (or, "the abode of Varuna"). And beholding it, we felt sorely
grieved in mind.... We despaired of returning with our lives.... We
then sat together, resolved to die there of starvation."

Hanuman and his friends, having had, so far, experiences similar to
those of Gilgamesh, next discovered the eagle giant which had burned
its wings when endeavouring to soar to the sun. This great bird, which
resembles the Etana eagle, expressed the opinion that Sita was in
Lanka (Ceylon), whither she must have been carried by Ravana. But no
one dared to cross the dangerous ocean. Hanuman at length, however,
obtained the assistance of Vayu, the wind god, his divine father, and
leapt over the sea, slaying monsters as he went. He discovered where
the fair lady was concealed by the king of demons.[223]

The dark tunnel is met with in many British stories of daring heroes
who set out to explore it, but never return. In the Scottish versions
the adventurers are invariably pipers who ar