1851.] Essay on the Ancient Geography of India. 253 



into them branches of the Mdddr, or A'crdh tree, made them fresh, 

 and palatable : and they are a little more than a mile from the sea. 

 This tree is called in Sanskrit Acrd the name of the Sun, and it is 

 the cotton tree. 



About a mile to the east of the Hdb, is a place called Lakeryd-cota 

 or rather Lakeryd-cu'ta, the heap of wood; because every pilgrim 

 leaves there a stick, for the benefit of Rama-chandra, and his numer- 

 ous army ; when the former, in the character of Calki-avatara, will go, 

 and encounter Bali, the Hindi Anti-christ ; and this will enable him 

 to dress food for his troops, in this dreary place. All the treasures, 

 which are buried in deep vaults in Nepal, and other districts in the 

 mountains of Himalaya, and to the north of them, will be opened, 

 and with these Rama-chandra will pay his troops, procure grain, &c. 

 Without these wise precautions, Anti-christ might prevail. Those who 

 hoard up these treasures, it is true, have no such idea, but they are 

 secretly influenced by an invisible agent. This place is also called 

 Ghacariyd, from the noises heard there, and there is Ghacariya-Bhai- 

 rava : this word is generally pronounced Ghaukeriya. This river is a 

 branch of the Hdb, which springs out of it, above the bay, and is 

 remarkably well delineated in the map annexed to Linschot's travels, 

 as I observed before. There it is called Caurecd, and in other maps 

 Caoricd, which is perhaps a corruption from Gaukeriya or Gaucriya, 

 as it is often pronounced. Its course however is very oblique, with 

 regard to the sea shore ; and it falls into the sea, about two or three 

 miles from the place, where the pilgrims cross it. During the dry 

 season, there is no water in it ; but it may be obtained in plenty by 

 digging into the bed ; which is choked with sands at its mouth ; but 

 it is supposed to be open during the rains. It is called Phdr or Pher, 

 from a town of that name, on the banks of the main stream. 



Gaukeriya or Gaucriya is another name for it, from the place of 

 that name in its vicinity, or because the Ghaucriyd, or noises begin to 

 be heard there : for this reason it is denominated Colcald, because the 

 Colcald or noises of Chan 'dicd-devi begin to be heard there about 

 midnight ; being compared to the distant twang of a bow string, or of 

 the string of a musical instrument, similar to that which seemed to 

 come from the statue of Memnon, and is probably a trick of the guides, 

 who are really the priests of Hinglaj. Colcald is from the Sanskrit 



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