1851.] Essay on the Ancient Geography of India. 247 



inland, and Crdnchi is upon the Creek, about half a cos from the bay ; 

 though the greatest part of the houses are now round the fort. Half 

 a cos to the S. W. of the Fort, toward the bay, there is a small lake, 

 or large pond, in which there are crocodiles, of which wonderful stories 

 are related. Rama-chandra remained there twelve years with Laksh- 

 ma'na, Hanumana, and Sita, and made a garden, called after him Ram- 

 bag. In the bay there are several small rocky islets, three of which 

 are particularly noticed by pilgrims : the largest is called Rdma-Zaro- 

 ca, or the observatory, or watching place of Rama-Chandra, who erected 

 a Zarocd upon it. Jaroc'hd, or rather Dzeroc'hd, in Sanskrit Jalaca, 

 is a latticed window, for the sake of observing, what is going on abroad ; 

 also a peeping hole. By the Zaroc'hds of Rama, Lacshma'na, &c, 

 the pilgrims understand certain mounds, or raised platforms, either 

 natural or artificial, for the above purpose, and in this sense it is syno- 

 nymous with Seirungah in Persian. According to Father Monserrat, 

 the largest of these islets was called Camelo by the Portuguese ; and 

 the three principal ones Monaras, or the turrets, from the Arabic 

 Mindra, and opposite to them is a small branch of the Indus. He 

 does not say positively, that he had been there himself; but I believe 

 that this was the case. The several passages relating to this place 

 stand thus, Canthi Naustathmus sorgi douro das "Monaras, statio 



pro turribus dicitur juxta Monaras Canthi Naustathmus sta- 



tioni respondet scopulorum, qui pro Indi hostio eminent, et vulgo dici- 

 tur Monaras, h. (hoc est) turres vel pyramides, ab Arabibus accept© 

 vocabulo. 



" Extra ostium Indi insulse Chryse, et Argyre — necubi apparent. 

 Eminet tamen, nostra memorid, deserta qusedam insula et perexigua, 

 quam vocitant Cameli, ex adverso hostii amnis : sed ea saxum ingens, 

 exors auri argentique." Here the words nostra memorid are, in my 

 opinion, to be rendered, I recollect, fyc. t and imply, that he had been 

 there. The original MS. is in my possession. 



The bay was called Rio de Pilotes, or the Pilot river by the Portu- 

 guese, who had always some of them stationed there, in order to 

 conduct their ships over the bars of the Indus, and their ships 

 remained there at an anchor, waiting for a proper opportunity, and it 

 is called for that reason Naustathmus by Ptolemy. This place is 

 styled the harbour of Hermes by Haython the Armenian, who mistakes 



