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



various deities. There are however no buildings, and there are nothing 

 else, but trees of the Babul, or Acacia, Tamarind, and Palasa kind, 

 stones, springs, small pools, hillocks, &c. ; and of which I shall seldom 

 take any notice. Our pilgrims being ready, and having taken provi- 

 sions, to last them as far as Rambag, which they reach in three days 

 they cross the Indus about two cos below Shah-bandar ; and about a 

 gun-shot from the river, is a small pool dedicated to Siiiha-Bhavani- 

 devi : a little further is a small river, which runs into the Indus : 

 three cos further is another small one, which runs also into it. It is 

 called Cauryd, the lazy, or slow moving river ; like the Coorya-Gangd, 

 or Jellinghi in Bengal. This, with the former stream, are supposed to 

 be branches of an arm of the Indus, which springs from the main 

 stream, near Peer-Patha, about a day's march to the south or S. S. W. 

 of Thattha. There are a few wretched huts, on both sides of the 

 Cauryd river : and about two miles from it, or six cos from Shah-ban- 

 dar, the road goes over a low, but extensive hill called Tdmra-thileh, 

 or the mountain of copper ; because it contains quarries of a yellow- 

 ish stone, like brass, and in some places, rather inclining to a reddish 

 hue like copper. Tdmra implies both brass and copper, as in French 

 they say, red and yellow copper. This mountain is mentioned by 

 Abul Fazil in his account of Sircar Tatah. Besides the quarries, this 

 mountain abounds with small pebbles or calculi, about the size of the 

 larger sort of millet, of a whitish crystalline matter, debased with earths 

 of various kinds, and which in their rough state, look like corn coarsely 

 ground, or grit, in Hindi Bar dura. They are of course supposed to be 

 the remains of Devi's cookery, who, for twelve years, dressed food 

 there every day for her consort Maha-Deva ; but which she con- 

 stantly threw away at night, seeing that he did not return. These are 

 polished, perforated, and filed on a string by Mussulmans at Shah-ban- 

 dar, and then sold to pilgrims, at the rate of one thousand to a rupee, 

 and from their faint yellowish colour, they are called Tamra. These 

 small gems, or pebbles, are mentioned by Pliny, who bestows upon 

 them the name of Zoronisios. According to him, they are found in 

 the bed of the Indus, and were highly valued by the Magi, or religious 

 people in India.* They are found in small quantities in the bed of 

 the river ; but these are neglected, as the adjacent quarries afford an 

 *Pliny, B. 37th C. 10th. 



