LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 233 



** river abounds in elephants, oftheeaftern with lions, 

 ♦' of the northern with oxen, and oi the weftcrn with 

 *' horles*." 



This fable was at Amarapiira often mentioned to 

 me. The names of the five hills furrounding Anau- 

 dat are, Sudafana, Pathoda, Gandomadena^ Kelajapa^ 

 ^nd Stitera. The five branches of the elephant or 

 fouthern river are Gaynga, Yemuna, Mohe\ Therapoo^ 

 and RawadL I am convinced that this fable, not fuf- 

 ficiently underilood, has been the foiKidation of the 

 idea reprcfcnted in many maps, of there being a lake 

 Chiamoy^ from whence the Ganges, Burrampooter^ 

 Ayrawade, and other great rivers, take their rife. 

 This opinion was confirmed by the mention of Chiam ay 

 made by M. De La Loubere; but the city fo named 

 by that excellent author, (as the maps I prefented to 

 Sir John Shore clearly prove,) is the capital of a 

 kingdom at prefent fubje6t to the Burmas, and fitu- 

 ated on the river of Siarn^ which arifes on the fron- 

 tiers of China, 



This topography, mentioned in the books of the 

 Rahans, however incorreft, in my opinion clearly 

 points out the country in which the dodrine of Boud- 

 DHA commenced. It mud have been on the banks of 

 fome of the brances of the great fouthern river : and 

 the northern parts of Hindujian are the moft probable. 

 Pouddha's knowledge of geography muft have been 

 very confined; but as we approach towards the place 

 above mentioned, it affumes a form fomewhat more 

 particular and rational. From the accounts of the 

 mountains, fnow, feas, and rivers, given by his fol- 

 lowers, 



* By this account the Ganges {hould not come through the cow's mouth, 

 ^ut through the elephant's. The Brahmens apparently have mlfconceiv- 

 cd this part of the fable; and the rock called the Cow's mouth, feems, as 

 we extend our knowledge of geography, to elude our fearch. (Ren- 

 N ell's Memoir, p. 371). The learned Paulinus has, as I have al- 

 ready mentioned, (Note I in p. 175), confounded the fables of the moun- 

 tains Miennio and Hemavunta. Perhaps in this he has followed the Brak- 

 mens, from whofe works chiefly his ideas feem to have been taken ; aud 

 the Brahmens may differ from the Rahans as well concerning the fituatioa 

 of thefe mountains, as concerning the cow's raouth. 



