228 • ESSAY ON 



tween Bate and point Jigat, cross the gulf of Cack*- 

 ha, land at a place called Masca-Afudai, in a small 

 island, at the mouth of a river or creek. The moun- 

 tains end at a considerable distance, and in the N. E, 

 To the westward is a point of land, which I take to 

 be that called Massada in old maps ; and Masca 

 seems to be the place called Assarpoor in modern 

 maps. From thence, to that large brancli of the 

 Indus, called Banydni, or Auj^imga-hunder, they 

 reckon three long days march, upon a high sandy 

 beach; and the road, in general, is several miles 

 from the sea. Two short days from Masca-Miidal is 

 a small river, supposed by some to be an arm of the 

 Indus, which branches out above Sehwan. They 

 then proceed to Lacput -bunder, and cross a small 

 arm of the sea; and then, in their way to Busfahy 

 they cross in a boat the mouth of the salt water lake, 

 and proceed to Ghedd or Ghahidd, about a mile from 

 the sea, and on the eastern bank of the Bdni/dm^ 

 which they consider as the main stream of the Indus,, 

 called Meran in the dialect of Cach'ha. Ghedd or 

 Ghahidd, may be pronounced Ghera and Gha'tnra. 

 It is a sacred spot, but there is no place of worship 

 dedicated to Cotiswara-Maha-dzva, or with ten 

 millions of Phalli. The Musulmans worship there 

 the tomb of a saint of their own ; and from this 

 place, the branch of the Indus is also called Ghera 

 or Ghord. Then they go to Shah-bunder, either by 

 the way of Abdd, or Pokydri : and as Shah-bunder is* 

 now the seat of government, Hindu pilgrims in ge- 

 neral call it ThatiiL 



They all insist, that, between Masca-Mudai and 

 Ghaindd, there are only three creeks, inlets or rivers; 

 but, as they travelled several miles from the sea, they 

 acknowledge, that there may be a few more, but 

 .which do not go far inland. The road is upon a flat 

 ridge, several miles broad in some places, and con- 



