228 Essay on the Ancient Geography of India. [No. 3. 



the river Chliarus, which after him, was called Ganges ; and Chliarus 

 is probably a mistake for Calaurius, or the Colarian river. 



I believe, that Dio-Pithus is the name of the father and Sindhu of 

 the mother : for Deva-Pi' f hu, or Beo-Pithu is worshipped to this day 

 on the banks of the Sindhu, a female deity. The etymology of Colar 

 is probably cut of our reach : but it is asserted by some that Cola, 

 Coil, or Cail, signify a woodlander, exactly like Chael, Gal, in Great 

 Britain ; and the etymological process is the same. In several dialects 

 of the peninsula Cddu, is a forest, and its derivative is Cddil ; from 

 which, striking off the d, remains Cail. Coed, Guedh in Welsh, Coet 

 in Galic is a forest, and from them come Guidhil, and Gathel, Guylh, 

 Coil, Gael, and Cael. 



This etymology is certainly curious ; but as they call themselves 

 Coles, Coils, or Cails, the origin of that name is to be sought for in 

 their own language, which does not, as far as my enquiries go, admit 

 of such a derivative. 



The followers of Brahma and Buddha, call India Bharata, from an 

 antidiluvian prince. It is according to the Maha-bharata of a triangu- 

 lar figure.* Its base rests upon the snowy mountains, and Cape Co- 

 morin is its summit. This equilateral triangle is divided into four 

 other triangles equilateral also, and of equal dimensions. There are 

 three in the north, and the one in the south represents the peninsula. 

 The three triangles in the north, meet exactly in the middle of the 

 basis of the larger one, upon the banks of the river Drishadvati, a little 

 to the N. W. of Sthdn' e-svara, or Than'eh-sur, according to a very curi- 

 ous passage from the commentaries on the Vedas, communicated 

 to me by Mr. Colebrooke. These four triangles, with the four grand 

 divisions of India, which they represent, are denominated from their 

 respective situation. Thus we have the middle country, the N. E., 

 and N. W. quarters, with Bacshina-patha, in the spoken dialects Dak- 

 kin-path, or the southern paths ; from which the Greeks made Dac'- 

 hinabades ; for, says Arrian, Dac'hanos in Hindi, signifies the south. 

 This division, now totally disregarded, was adopted by Nonnus in his 

 Dionysiacs, and also by Euhemerus, who was contemporary with Alex- 

 ander, and was patronised by Cassander king of Macedon. The latter 

 has omitted the middle country, without any impropriety, as it is of 

 * Section of Bhishroa-parva. 



