1851.] Essay on the Ancient Geography of India. 269 



highest of them may be seen, at the distance of twelve miles inland. 

 Father Monserrat says, that a small island, with other rocks, rises very 

 high just before the mouth of the Indus, meaning a branch of it. It 

 is called Camelo, and is a large rock ; and there the river runs directly 

 east and west. Those rocks, says he, from their altitude, are called 

 Towers, and Monaras (for Minars) by the Arabs ; in whose language 

 Monara (Minara) signifies a tower, or pyramid. This station, for the 

 shipping, is called by the Portuguese Bio do Pilotos. On one of these 

 rocky islands, Alexander erected altars to Tethys, and the Ocean, 

 according to Diodorus the Sicilian. 



It is probable that Alexander was desirous to survey the channel 

 himself, through which his fleet of discovery was to pass : whilst 

 Leonnatus, at the head of a strong detachment, was marching along 

 the right bank of the western branch. These islands, opposite to the 

 mouth of the Indus, are noticed by Pliny : and it is the opinion of Father 

 Monserrat, that these are the same islands, though says he, there be 

 neither gold nor silver to be found there. There are three rocks of a 

 larger size, than the rest ; and probably they were considered by the 

 Hindus, as usual with them in similar cases, as representing mount 

 Meru, with its three peaks of gold, silver and iron. Be this as it may, 

 Pliny brings Nearchus and his fleet from Xylenopolis, down the 

 westernmost branch of the Indus, opposite to which were several 

 islands. This place is the Coreestis of Arrian, and the modern Cdrd- 

 chi, Crdchi, or Cdraichi; for these several denominations are equally 

 used. As there is very little wood in the Delta, and the lower parts 

 of Sind, it was procured from time immemorial from Sdneymydni, and 

 the mouth of the Arbis, and brought to Ldheri-bandar ; which became 

 the mart, and staple for that useful article: hence some suppose, 

 though erroneously, I believe, that its true name is Lackeri-bandar, or 

 Xylenopolis. The wood imported consists, in general, of poles in their 

 rough state from the forest, for rafters. These poles are called in 

 Hindi Gola, in the west Cold, in French Gaule. The town of Colaca 

 of Ptolemy answers, from its situation, to Ldheri-bandar ; and it is 

 called in the Puranas Collaca, and also Sindku-Colaca from its being 

 situated on the Indus. Colaca is a Sanskrit derivative form : but in 

 the spoken dialects of the countries, from Muttra to the Indus, they 

 would say Colati, and Colachi ; and from these two last, the historians 



2 n 2 



