1847.] Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, fyc. 9 



mentions Desarene as situated — not in the vicinity of the Ganges, but 

 at a considerable distance from it ; and it is probable, therefore, that 

 he refers to an inland country or tract of jungle, lying on the south- 

 west side of Bengal, and called in ancient times, from its constituting 

 ten forest cantons, — Dasaranya or Dasarana.* It seems to have com- 

 prised Sumbhulpore (celebrated for its diamonds) Sirgoojia, Ramghur, 

 and Chota Nagpore, whence come, according to Wilford, the rivers 

 Cocila or Koil and Brahmani, the united streams of which form the 

 river Dosaron of Ptolemy.f In the Vishnu Purana, the Dosarnas are 

 mentioned as a tribe or nation, and are designated by Professor H. H. 

 Wilson in his translation of that work, " the people of the ten forts 

 subsequently multiplied to thirty-six, such being the import of Chat- 

 tisgerh, which seems to be the site of Dosarana." % 



The words rendered : " the ivory of that species called Bosare," are 

 €\4(paura rbv \ey6fxevov 0u><rapr] i n the original. Dr. Vincent supposes 

 that they refer to the horn of the Rhinoceros, but it is more probable 

 that fioiffap-h is a corrupt compound of Boys, or Bos, and Arnee, (the 

 Hindee name of the buffalo) contracted into Bosare ; and that e\4<pavTa 

 does not here signify ivory, but denotes the gigantic or elephantine size 

 of the wild buffalo. Baeare, it may be mentioned, is the name which 

 is given to the wild male buffalo in the eastern part of Bengal. Large 

 bovine animals, as the buffalo and the bison, are frequently compared 

 with the elephant, or have from their huge size, the term elephant 

 applied to them. In Abyssinia, buffaloes are called elephant-bulls, not 

 only from their immense bulk, but also from their naked black skin 

 resembling that of an elephant. § (Rees's Encyclopedia Art. Bubalus.) 

 Speaking of the Urus (Bos sylvestris) of the Hercynian forest, Caesar 

 remarks : " these Uri are little inferior to elephants in size, but are bulls 

 in their nature, color, figure." || Marco Polo, in describing the buffaloes 

 of Bengal, also observes : " Oxen are found in Bengal as tall as 

 elephants, but not equal to them in bulk."^[ The "Bos Indicus," 



* Ancient Geography of India. As. Res. Vol. XIV. p. 391. 



t Wilford. As. Res. Vol. XIV. p. 405. 



X Wilson's Translation of the Vishnu Purana, page 180. 



§ Elephants are mentioned under the name of " Lucse boves" by Pliny. 



|| DeBello Gallico Lib. VI. Chap. XXVIII. 



% Marsden's Translation of the Travels of Marco Polo. 



C 



