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



of Alexander made Cilluta, and Cillustis. Thus from Mehva, the 

 name of a tribe west of the Jumna comes Mehvati, a man belonging 

 to that tribe : from Coel in the Doab Colati, a man, a horse from that 

 place. Colachi, or Colchi are seldom used, except as the name of a 

 place, and are considered as a derivative from Cola, whatever be its 

 meaning. One hundred stadia below Xylenopolis, Nearchus anchored 

 at the entrance of a large channel called Stura. The letter <S should 

 be left out, as in Scilluta, and Stoberus, &c. Turd, or Turi is not an 

 uncommon name of places in India : and its derivative Twer, Twdri, 

 and Tewdri are oftener used ; and there is such a place in Jungleterry.* 

 "Within the Delta in Sircar Chucar-hdleh, according to the Ayin 

 Acberi, there is a small district, and town called Tewdri; and I suspect 

 that Dardwdy, is either a corruption from Tawdri, or is derived from 

 Turd. Turd-vdh in the dialect of that country, and also in Hindi, and 

 Sanskrit, signifies the channel of Turd. The western branch of the 

 Indus, below Laheri-bandar, divides into two channels, the largest of 

 which, is to the left, and is called Dardwdy : there Nearchus anchored, 

 and then entered the smaller one to the right. 



I believe, that the distance to the two next stations Caumana, or 

 Caumara, and Coreestis, and between them also, is too short, and that 

 there is some mistake in the numbers. Curtius reckons 400 stadia 

 from the first island, or Cilluta to the second close to Coreestis, and I 

 believe that he is right. Nearchus says, that at Caumana, a little 

 more than one mile from the sea, they found for the first time, that 

 the water was brackish, but I am assured, that the water of the 

 various branches, in the lower parts of the Delta, is not drinkable, at 

 the distance of eight or ten miles from the sea ; except in the main 

 branch, owing to the rapidity of the current, and perhaps except 

 during the time of the inundation which had been long over, when 

 Nearchus put to sea. 



From the mouth of the western branch Alexander returned to 

 Pattald, and thence he proceeded down the eastern, or main branch ; 

 then through the channel of Poc'hydri, entered the lake Erinos now 

 Rd'n or Ar'na. From this place, he went with a body of cavalry, 

 along the sea shore, for three days, and probably as far as the river 

 Mud, Mu'di, or Mudai. He returned to Pattala, and soon after 



* See Major Rennell's Book of Roads, pp. 134 and 185. 



