264 Essay on the Ancient Geography of India. [No, 3, 



but as they are not far from each other, they are generally named 

 together, a very common practice in India. Some suppose P'hor, to 

 be called Kij-Macran to distinguish it from another town in Macran 

 proper : this being situated in the country of Kid or Kij. Kij called 

 Kir by El Edrissi, is the ancient Arbis. 



Ptolemy with the Hindus reckons seven mouths to the Indus : it 

 has many more ; but this is a sacred number ; and it is the same with 

 regard to the Ganges. None of the modern names have any striking 

 affinity, with those recorded by Ptolemy ; of course, in a comparative 

 essay, I have but little to say on this subject. We are hardly acquainted 

 with the mouths of the Indus : in every new sketch, new names are 

 introduced ; old ones disappear, and transpositions take place. I shall 

 of course content myself with a few general remarks. The meeting 

 of the Sindhu with the Ocean is celebrated in the Bhagavat, under 

 the name of Sindhu- Sugar a- sangama, or simply Sagara, as we say, 

 with regard to the place of the meeting sangama of the Ganges with 

 the sea. The outermost mouths are generally considered as more 

 sacred ; though sometimes that privilege is in a great measure annexed 

 to one only. This induces me to suppose, that the westernmost branch 

 of the Indus, called Sagapa by Ptolemy, is a corruption for Sdgara. 

 The second is called by him very properly Sinthus ; being the main 

 western branch of the river Sindhu, and is the branch of Laheri- 

 bandar. The golden mouth, or the third, was probably thus called on 

 account of the immense trade carried on through it. This I suspect 

 to be the middle mouth of the Arrian, and in the bay of Rishdl, called 

 also Rishad, in the French sketch I mentioned before. The fourth 

 called Chariphi by Ptolemy is perhaps the eastern, and main branch of 

 the Delta, from Gai'di, or Gairi, Gai'di-bhi is literally Gai'di also, 

 an expression generally used in enumerating various articles, places, &c. 

 It is the largest, and seldom frequented on account of the rapidity of 

 the tides, and the violence of the bore. 



The fifth called Saparaga, probably for Saparaganh, from Sapara- 

 grama in Sanskrit, or the town of Sapara at its mouth, which seems 

 to be Bastdh, a very ancient town, which probably existed before the 

 time of Alexander. This seems to be the mouth called Pokhar by 

 Major Rennell ; because it communicates with the Indus, through an 

 arm called Pohhydri. It is probably the Subara of El Edrissi erro- 



