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



attending the navigation of this gulf ; in which he mentions seven 

 islands, and one of them, called Baraka by Ptolemy, is the same, in 

 which is situated Dwdracd. Bdracd, and Dwaraca are synonymous, as 

 I have shewn in a former essay. 



Arrian is certainly mistaken, when he says, that one only of the 

 seven mouths of the Indus was navigable. I believe it never was the 

 case, and certainly Alexander went through four of them. I believe 

 that Alexander, from the island of Pattala, went first, down the west- 

 ern branch of the Indus ; and three or four cos below the town, got 

 into the branch that leads into the bay of Rishal, from which he 

 returned into the western branch to an island called Cilluta, where 

 there was good water, and a safe anchorage. Thence he proceeded 

 down the river and saw another island at sea. He did not go to 

 it, but returned to Cilluta. Q. Curtius has transposed the whole: 

 he makes Alexander go first to Cilluta, thence to the bay of Rishitd, 

 and afterwards to the second island, which is not likely. His three 

 days to the sea, are to be reckoned from Pattala, and his 400 stadia 

 from the first island to the second. His account of Alexander's 

 navigation, through the Delta, I conceive to be this : he procured 

 guides at Pattala, who were ignorant, what the sea was ; but it was 

 found out, that they called it the bitter water, or Khdrd-pdni : and it 

 is so called to this day by the natives of the Delta of the Indus, and 

 also of the Ganges. This Khdrd-pdni was three days journey from 

 Pattala. On the third day, in the morning, they began to feel the 

 sea air, which they recognised immediately. About nine o'clock, in the 

 morning, the tide came rushing with violence into the bay, and his 

 fleet suffered much. Having procured fresh guides, he was advised to 

 take shelter in some narrow creeks, and channels, which he did, and 

 thence proceeded to the island of Cilluta, in the middle of the western 

 branch, where his fleet was safe. He then proceeded down the channel 

 for 200 stadia, and saw, at a distance, an island at sea. The distance 

 from Cilluta, probably Laheri-bandar, to the second island was 400 

 stadia, or 27 miles ; which fall in at Crotchey bay, where there are 

 some high rocky islands seen at a great distance, and I believe it 

 would be difficult to find another island to answer our purpose in the 

 vicinity, either of the western, or any other branch. 



The country is very low and flat, and I doubt not, but that the 



