AXUGAXGAM, &C. 71 



Its capital city is Durbungah, by many derived 

 from Tir-biicta, or Tirbhuc. From Tirubucta, and 

 Tirbiicta, the name of the river TiberGboas, or 

 Tabcruiicus, may, possibly, be derived. Some 

 learned Pandits derive the etymology of Dur-bimgah 

 from Dicdra, or Deicar, and bangah : because the 

 ^wr, or gate way, of the palace ofthekinp;, was de- 

 stroyed by the river, during the rains ; and the palace 

 was in consequence forsaken, as it had been recently 

 built. From Dzcdra-bangah, Dezvdra-bangaJi, syno- 

 nymous with Dczi-ar-bdha, is probably derived the 

 name of the river Tibcroboas, or Tiber obancus : for 

 thus we should read in the original, instead of Hbc- 

 I'ancits. The Bragmauia of Palladius is probaoly 

 the same with the Bracmania of the anonymous geo- 

 grapher: for the greatest part of Tribuct is in the 

 Indian Serica of tliat author, and, of course, belongs 

 to x\\e Rajciship of Napal. Mr. Daxville was in- 

 duced to suppose, that the country of Bramsontg 

 was the Bracmania of the anon3'mous geographer of 

 Ravenna ; because the French say, Brdmes, instead 

 of Brahmens ; Tir-Iiiit, called also Alitliila, and 

 jMait'hila, is famous, from the most remote antiquity, 

 for tlie learning of many Brdhmenical families, re- 

 siding there even to this d^y. The appellation of 

 Bramsong is probably deri\Td from a colony of Bur- 

 mans, settled there. The language of these moun- 

 taineers has much affinity with the dialect of the 

 Burmahs, according to jMr. Buchanan's vocabu- 

 lary. Their country is called, in the Maha-Bhdrata^ 

 Varma-dha, and placed in the east, seemingly, in op- 

 position to ^Sarma-desa, or EtJiiopia. The names of 

 Magadlia, or ^labed, have been distorted, by Persian 

 and Arabian authors, into 3Iaber, or the passage : 

 because there is a passage through it to the adjacent 

 countries : for the same reason, they have altered the 

 name of Lahaur, into Rahicer, the road ; because 

 there is really a road through it. They say also, that 

 the kings of J/ffZ'ec? were called Birdowal; which 



F 4 



