4^6 ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 



The NiC/EA of the hiftorians of Alexander, is pro- 

 bably the NiCiEA of NoNNus*, which he calls alfo .^^ 

 facia, probably {or Afdcia or Afydcia: for, according to 

 the Furdnasy jayini'-de'vi', or the nymph Nic^A,was 

 alfo called A'fydca ; A'Jdca would be as grammatical; 

 and the town o[ A'fdca or A'fydca,, in a derivative form, 

 would be A'fydceyd or A'fdceyd^ oi^ according to the. 

 idiom of the Greek language, Afyacia and Afacia. 



The Farapomifean hills, or at leaft part of them, are 

 called alio Parnafus^ and Parnejfusy by Dionysius Pe- 

 RiEGETES, Priscian, and F. AviENus: this laft appel- 

 lation has been fuppofed to be only a curruption, or 

 contraftion from the firft. But the difference is fo great, 

 that, in my humble opinion, thefe are really two differ- 

 ent denominations of the fame mountainous traft, at leaft, 

 of part of it. Thefe mountains are in general called 

 DSvanica'in the Hindu facred books, becaufe they were 

 full of Devds or gods, and holy Rijhis and Brdhmens, 

 who are emphatically called the gods of the earthy- or 

 Bhu-devas. They lived, according to the PurdnaSy in 

 bowers or huts, called Parhafdlas or Parhdfas, becaufe 

 they were made of leaves, for fuch is the Sanfcrit ex- 

 preflion, whilfl we fhould fay, built with twigs and 

 branches. Indeed the leaves are the moft confpicu- 

 ous part, becaufe in India, when dry, they generally ad- 

 here flill to the boughs they grew upon. The moll ce- 

 lebrated amongfl; thefe Parndfas was that of the fa- 

 mous Atri, whofe hiflory is clofely connefted with 

 that of the BriuJ]:> iflands, and other weftern regions. 

 It was fituated on aninfulated hill, called in the Purd- 

 nas, MerUy and by the Greeks, Meros. It is fuppofed 

 by the Hindus to be a fplinter from the larger Meru ; 

 and that the Gods come and refide upon it occafionally. 

 Its fituation was afcertained by the late Mr. Fos- 

 ter, by my friend Mirza-Mogul Beg, and by P. 

 MoNTSERRAT, who accompauicd the emperor Ac- 

 bar in his expedition to Cabul in the year 1581. It 



* B. 16 in fine. 



is 



