ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 459 



that the word Graucafm fignified fnow-white. Ptole- 

 my places mount Cafius, or CafiSy in a country called 

 A'chdfd, which was fituated between Ldddc and Tare- 

 hand. The word Ac lignifies white, and Card black, in 

 the Turkijh language,which is ufed in the country about 

 Samarcandy and both are obvioufly derived from the 

 oanfcrit Ach' h and Cdld. The word Achafa is corrupt- 

 ed from Adyh-Chafa, and in the vulgatdialeft of that 

 country Ac c^hdfa, the white C'hafas; becaufe the inha- 

 ][)itants of that country are Cbafas, and are ren^jirkably 

 fair; whilft the fouthern Cbafas are of a darker com- 

 plexion. According to the report of refpe6lable mer- 

 chants, who conftantly travel from Cajhmlr, Nurpoor^ 

 Sec. to Tdrc'handy the inhabitants of the countries, fitu- 

 ated between Ldddc and Tare' hand, ufe the words A'c 

 and Card, till within a few days of Tare hand, where 

 the Cdlmdck dialed prevails. 



The general rendezvous of thefe merchants, fince 

 the time of Sha'h-Je'ha'n, is at Ldddc ; from which 

 they proceed in a body to the place of their def- 

 tination, travelling, the greateft part of the way, alon^ 

 the Indus: for this famous river has its fource in the 

 mountains to the north-weft of Tdrchand, at the dif- 

 tance of aboutfour or five days journey. Then taking a 

 foutherly direftion, it comes within two days oi Ldddc, 

 where fuddenly turning to the weft, it takes an immenfe 

 fweep towards Saighury probably the Sheker oii\\Q maps; 

 and thence alters its courfe toward the confines o^ India. 



The denomination of C'hafa-giri or C'ha/a-ghar is novr 

 confined to a few fpots; and is never ufed in any SanfS'it 

 book, at leaft that ever came to my knowledge. This im- 

 menfe range is conftantly called in Sanfcrit Himdchel, or 

 fnowy mountain; and Himdlaya, or the abode of fnow. 

 From Himay the Greeks made Imaus : Emodus feems to be 

 derived from HimodayOr fnowy : Himdnay Haimdn-a and 

 H<2/V7z<i«^2^, which are appellations of the fame import, are 

 alfo found in the Purdnas: from the-fe is probably deriv- 

 ed 



