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



the sea shore : and which is compared to a Cunjara, or huge elephant, 

 buried np to his belly into the ground. The head, on which is 

 situated the fort, seems to look toward the sea, and projects consider- 

 ably to the south. The depression between the head, and the body 

 is very obvious, and is called the elephant's or Cunjara's neck. Of 

 the head alone of the elephant they take notice, and the low point I 

 mentioned before, being opposite to it, is denominated Cunjarah. 

 According to the Scanda-purana, the mountain of Cunjard was the 

 daughter of Himalaya, and the wife of mount Chrauncha, who in his 

 human shape having been killed by S'iva, all his wives, and Cunjara 

 among them, made dreadful lamentations, and cursed S'iva. 



This fort is the place of abode of Chan' died-' devi, a form ofHingula- 

 devi, or Hiiiglaj. She is a most irascible deity, which, for the most 

 trifling offence, will turn men, animals, ships, &c. into stones, plants, 

 and trees. This place is the metropolis of Strirdjya, or the kingdom 

 of the woman, and it is called also Charidi-grdma and by Pliny, Condi- 

 grama, Whatever man enters its walls, never returns ; of course no 

 account can be given of the inside. The rocky summit of the 

 elephant's head, appears like the ruins of an old fortified town. Such 

 appearances are not uncommon along that coast, according to former 

 navigators, and Alex. Child, in the year 1616, being 26 leagues 

 W. N. W. from Guadel, took notice of seven rocky eminences inland, 

 looking like so many castles in ruins, and called by the Portuguese the 

 seven cities. Towards the east, near the neck, is a small ravine, and 

 higher up, is something like a gateway, and the ravine is called the 

 path leading to it. From the depression of the neck, and the low 

 grounds below, issue a feeble rill, which runs westward into the Haur 

 river. Its bed is generally dry, but good water is easily obtained by 

 digging into it. On its banks, and about two miles south of the 

 gateway, the pilgrims spend the night with fear and trembling, at least 

 they tell you so, and early on the ninth day, they resume their march, 

 and this is truly a most fatiguing day. From their resting place, on 

 the preceding day, there are about 13 cos, or 25 miles to the banks of 

 the Haur, and considering the trending of the sea-shore, the course I 

 take to be W. S. W. 



There is a consecrated tract of land, beginning about two miles east 

 of the Haur, and extending about twelve cos toward east. It is very 



