THE ORIGIN OF MECCA, &c. 399 



that, on account of the oppression of the Turks and 

 the roving Arabs, there had been no intercourse be- 

 tween them for several generations. There are no 

 Hindus at Auaydsddevi, or Cor coon but they com- 

 pute a large number in the vicinity of Baku, and 

 Derbend. The Shroffs at Samakhi are Banyans or 

 Hindus, according to the Dictionary of Commerce, 

 and of Trevoux, as cited in the French Encyclo- 

 paedia*. 



The Cab am s who live near Derbend, are Hindus, as 

 my friend Purana-Puri was told at Baku and 

 Aflrachan, in his way to M of cow 1 and their Brah- 

 mens are said to be very learned ; but, as he very pro- 

 perly observed, this ought to be underfrood relatively 

 on a comparison with the other Hindus in Petfa, who 

 are extremely ignorant. 



His relation is in a great measure confirmed by 

 Strahlenberg, who calls them Cuba and Cubatziu; 

 and says that they live near Derbend, and are a dis- 

 tinct people, supposed to be Jews, and to speak still 

 the Hebrew language. 



The Sanfcrit characters might easily be mistaken 

 for the black Hebrew letters by superficial observers, 

 or persons little conversant in subjects of this nature. 



The Aram, figuratively called the daughter of the 

 SAMi-trce, and the mother of fire, is a cubic piece of 

 wood about five inches in diameter, with a small hole 

 in the upper part. A stick of the same sort of wood 

 is placed in this cavity, and put in motion by a string 

 held by two men, or fixed to a bow. The friction 



* Ad veeem Ckeraffs* 



soon 



