1848.] through Afghanistan and India. 41 



district of Shu could be reached by very difficult and dangerous 

 roads.) 



Thence to the S. at 1200 or 1300 li (200 to 212 miles) to 



No. 83 — San-ma-tha-tho, 3000 li (500 miles) in extent : a low 

 country on the sea-shore. Near the town was a stupa built by Asoka. 

 (The bearing and distance point to Sunargaon, the ancient capital of 

 the Dhaka district, which lies low and extends to the sea-shore as 

 described by Hwan Thsang. The first half of the name of Sunargaon 

 or Sundari-grama, seems to be preserved in the Chinese syllables San- 

 ma. The greater part of the Sundarbans or Sundari-vana, " Sundari- 

 jangals," was formerly comprised in the Dhaka district. The town of 

 Sunargaon was therefore probably so named from its being the capital 

 of the Sundari district, which is no doubt the Kirrhadia of Ptolemy, 

 or the country of Kiratas, f%TT<T, barbarians living amongst woods 

 and mountains.) 



Thence to the N. E. on the sea-shore and in the midst of mountains 

 and vallies was the kingdom of She-li-cha-tha-lo. (Unless there is 

 some mistake in the mention of the sea-shore, this place must, accord- 

 ing to the bearing and distance, be identified with Silhet or Srihata. 

 But I would prefer reading to the S. E., which would bring us to 

 Chaturgrdma, or Chittagaon, a district situated on the sea-shore, and 

 abounding in woods and vallies. The name also seems to agree with 

 this identification, as the Chinese syllables are probably intended for 

 Sri-Chatura.) 



Somewhat farther to the S. E. in a corner of the great sea was the 

 kingdom of Kia-ma-lang-kia. (The bearing, and the position in an 

 angle of the sea-coast point to the neighbourhood of Cape Negrais, and 

 the shores of Arracan. In fact the last two Chinese syllables seem to 

 be only a transcript of Rakhang, which is the proper name of Arracan.) 



Beyond that to the E. was the kingdom of To-lo-po-ti (most pro- 

 bably the ancient Pegu.) Still farther to the E. was the kingdom of 

 Shang-na-pu-lo ; (perhaps Siam, or Sydmapura, the Samarada of 

 Ptolemy.) Still more to the E. was the kingdom of Ma-ho-chen-pho 

 (or Mahachampa, most probably the present Kamboja, of which the 

 district along the sea-coast is still called Champa.) Thence to the S. 

 W. was the island-kingdom of Yan-ma-na. (The bearing points to 

 Java, the Yava of Sanskrit, and the Jabadii Insula of Ptolemy.) 



G 



