480 ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 



in the waters : but the Hindus, who live in that coun- 

 try, call him Mach'hodar-Nath* or the fovereign 

 prince in the belly of the fifh. All thefe denominations 

 are by no means applicable to Lamech; but to Noah 

 alone. The tomb is about forty cubits in length : 

 which was atlually the ftatue of Lamech according to 

 tradition : under it is a vault of the fame dimenfions, 

 with a fmall door which is never opened, out of refpe6t 

 for the remains of this illuftrious perfonage. They fay, 

 that his body is in high prefervation, and that he is fit- 

 ting in a corner of the vault on his heels, with his arms 

 croffed over his knees, and his head reclining upon his 

 hands; a favourite pofiure among the inhabitants of 

 India. 



Vaivaswata, both in his divine and human charac- 

 ter, or nature, is certainly, Maitla, Maiter-l^\3KKnA.' a 

 and Buddh'a-NaPvA'yana. Maitla or Maitla'm is 

 a derivative form from the Sanfcrit Mait^ which implies 

 the confort of Lacshami', and the owner of her wealth, 

 an epithet often applied to rich men ; and may be tranf- 

 lated mighty : but it properly belongs to Vishnu, and 

 his various incarnations. Prithu, according to the 

 Purd?ias, was an incarnation of Vishnu, and the con- 

 fort of Lacshmi'; as I have fhewn in a former effay on 

 tlie chronology of the Hindics. 



Itis probable, that when the Miifulmans conquered that 

 country, they pronounced the word Maitla'm Maitcr- 

 La'm ; and concluded that he was the fame with Lamech 

 the father of Nuh. The Afghans always ufe the v/ord 

 Maiter inftead of Hazeret, and thus fay Maiter Moham- 

 med, Matter Is A, Maiter Soleiman, for Hazeret Is a, 

 Hazeret M o h a m m t n , Hazeret Soleiman. Hazeret i n 

 Perfian is a title, by which kings are addreffed, and ho- 

 ly men mentioned; it impHes dignity and excellence! 

 Maiter from the Perfian Mehtur, fignifies alfo a lord, 



* This word is fpelt Machcb'hodara in San/crit, 



prince^ 



