200 ON THE ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY 
sericum. When, in consequence of interrupted commerce, the 
empire laboured under the want of this luxury, intelligence 
was brought, that it was produced in a region to the north of 
India, from whence, in fact, the silk-worms were transported 
to Europe. That region might then be very naturally called 
India Serica or Serinda, changed by the Mahommedan conque- 
rors to the Arabic term of Sirhind. But M. Gossexin himself 
remarks, that the very names of Serinda and India Serica im- 
ply that there is another Serica, and other Seres. These he 
finds on the other side of the Ganges, in Serinagur, a place 
which certainly presents a somewhat curious coincidence of 
name. Nagur being a common appendage to Indian names of 
places, and signifying chief city, Serinagur represents almost 
exactly the Sera Metropolis of Proremy. I must confess, that 
I have nothing to oppose to any one who should conceive the 
coincidence of a single name suflicient to invalidate all the ar- 
guments on the other side which have now been stated. I 
shali only add, that M. Gossgt1n’s ideas of the territory of Se- 
rinagur, are entirely derived from those erroneous views which 
have been dissipated by the expedition to the source of the 
Ganges ; the result of which, though known in this country, 
does not seem to have reached him previous to the publication 
of his last volumes. He mentions Serinagur as situated among 
the frontier mountains, and even stretching into Thibet. He 
is evidently not aware, that it is entirely enclosed within the 
great mountain wall of India. Captain Rarzr and Mr Wess 
notice, that on ascending a hill in its vicinity, they found 
themselves indeed raised to a great height above the plain of 
India; but on turning northward, they beheld with amazement, 
and almost with terror, a long succession of ranges rising over 
each other, while high above all, towered the eternal snows of 
Himalaya. That commerce should take its course across this 
barrier 
= 
