512 ON MOUNT CAUCASUS. 



Having discovered some years ago, that Pro- 

 metheus, as a title of Siva, was not unknown to 

 learned pandits, I immediately enquired after his 

 cave or den, and related to my learned triends the 

 legend of Prometheus and the eagle. They shrunk 

 back with horror at this horrid blasphemy, and de- 

 clared that none but impious Yavanas could ever 

 suppose, that the deity could be fastened to a rock, 

 and have its entrails devoured by an eagle. I was 

 forced to drop my enquiries on a subject so disa- 

 greeable : but on considering lately, that the den was 

 improperly called the cave of Prometheus ; and 

 that it should be rather called the place of the eagle ; 

 I enquired after Garuda-sthdn, and was perfectly 

 understood. They soon pointed it out to me in the 

 Purdtias and other sacred books, such as the Hari- 

 vansa, the Cdsmir-mahatmya, &c. and I immedi- 

 ately perceived that it was situated in the vicinity of 

 Cabul, where the historians of Alexander have 

 placed it, and declare, that this hero had the curio- 

 sity te go and see it. I have discovered since a pas- 

 sage in a section of the Scanda-purdna, called the 

 Himdchel-c'handa ; in which it is declared that the 

 sthdn or place of Garud'a, is near Vdmiyan. It 

 is related in the Hari-vansa, that, when Chrishna 

 had occasion for Garud'a's assistance, to clear up 

 the country round Dwaraca^ which abounded with 

 savages, ferocious animals, and noxious reptiles, 

 Garud'a had then his place or sthdn on the summit 

 of a high peak of difficult access, in the country of 

 the Yavanas^ to the westward of the Indus ; where 

 he used to carry men and animals he could lay hold 

 of, in order to devour them at his leisure. Unfortu- 

 nately no further particulars could be collected from 

 the Hindu sacred books, when a learned pandit re- 

 collecting, that as from an early period that country 

 had been in the possession of the followers of Bud- 

 d'ha, some light on this subject might naturally be 



expected 



