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



his pra-nala or prabdh, Rdma-nala, or Rdma-prabdh. There is his 

 Zeroed, or Seirungah also, and fine water is obtained by digging into 

 its bed. This place is about half a mile from the sea, and then the 

 bed trends toward the N. E. to the right of the road. Ram-prabah 

 is about fifteen miles from the Hdb, and about twenty-three from Sdne- 

 meydni. The three last portions of this dry bed, are about 400 feet 

 broad, and about 30 deep : the banks, particularly on the Eastern 

 side, are almost perpendicular, and higher in general on that side, 

 toward the hills ; and it seems to have been formerly a branch of the 

 Hdb, or river Arbis. According to the Maha-Bharat, these were 

 excavated by the famous Vasu-raja. 



The country is a perfect desert, with low trees, and a few thickets 

 of underwood, here and there. About three cos, or six miles from 

 Rdm-prabdh, and Rama's Seirungah, is Maica-Coinh, or Coinh-Ambd 

 in Hindi, the well of our mother. This was produced by her, out of 

 mere compassion for Rama-chandra, and his army, after their fruitless 

 attempts to obtain water, by making these deep canals. There the 

 pilgrims rest themselves during the night of the fifth day. Early in 

 the morning they resume their march, and after travelling six cos, or 

 eleven miles, they arrive between ten and eleven o'clock, on the banks 

 of a feeble stream. There the level of the country sinks suddenly, 

 forming, as it were, a steep and bold shore, which begins at the sea 

 on the left, and trends toward the N. E. ; forming a long curve to 

 the east of the bay of the Hdb. This bank or shore, is about 40 feet 

 high, and there has been cut through it a ghdt or pass ; and the 

 earth, that was thrown up on both sides, was made ^into the shape of 

 two regular little conical mounds, one on each side. A few hundred 

 yards, from this descent, is a small stream in some places not six inches 

 deep, which runs toward the left into the sea, which is little more than 

 a mile distant as far as they could judge. From the top of the ghdt 

 there is a full view of the sea, and of the place where the stream falls 

 into it, and there was the harbour of Morontobara, which no longer 

 exists, but the canal, which led from it into the bay remains still, 

 though no longer navigable. 



After a march of three cos, or six miles nearly, they arrive at S6ne- 

 meydni, between one and two o'clock ; and having taken some refresh- 

 ments, and a little rest, they embark : and if the wind be favourable, they 



