306 AN ESSAY ON THE 



cers represent as living* in Aladagascar, according 

 to Marco Polo. The serpent 'Sancha-Nagd i» 

 now called Heredi in Egypt. The MusiUmans in- 

 sist, that it is a Shaikh of that name, transformed 

 into a snake ; the Christians that it is AsmodeuSy 

 mentioned in the hook of Tobit^ the Ashmiigh-di-o 

 of the Persians. There, in the dunpa of S'ancha, 

 is tlie capital city of Naisrif, ox P alii, called Crish- 

 nangand, being' situated on the river Crishna, or 

 Cr'ishndngand, that is, with a black body in a hu- 

 man shape; for rivers have two countenances. 

 Nairrit had a famous elephant called Cumuday 

 with the title of JVairntt/ddigaJa, or the elephant 

 of the South West quarter, or N'airrit. AVonder- 

 ful stories are related of him ; and there is no doubt 

 but some of them are mentioned in the Ptcrdnas, 

 or some other books; but I could not find them. 

 This famous elephant is, however, mentioned in 

 Lexicons, and lived in S'ancha-dwipa, with his 

 tribe of giants in the shape of elephants, or rather 

 with two countenances. The names of several 

 rivers in that country are pure Sanscrit, and ob- 

 viously allude to the ancient inhabitants, in the 

 shape of elephants, living and sporting on their 

 banks. Thus the u4istamenos is from Hastimdn, 

 or Hasti-mati, fidl of elephants. The March was 

 called ylstosalas, from Hasti-sabhd, because their 

 chief held his couit there. ylstalmYis, or Astaba- 

 TYis, was also the name of another river there, from 

 Hasti-vara, or Ilasli-bdra, the country along its 

 banks being full of elephants, whose abode it was. 



There the unfortunate Sin bad, according to the 

 author of the vjfrr//'////^ Nights, was once more in 

 the most imminent danger amongst this Elephan- 

 tine tribe, on his return from Seren-dip, or ra- 

 ther Serandah, or Madagascar, called also Ranch^ 

 and in the Purmias, TIarina. 



