1851.] Essay on the Ancient Geography of India. 471 



after a course of four miles, stopped under the shelter of a small island 

 close to the shore, and called Domai. There was no water ; but it was 

 found of a good quality at the distance of about a mile, probably in 

 the dry bed of the canal, or Nala of Hanuman. This little island 

 seems to be noticed in some late surveys, and is called Domail by 

 El Edrisi ; who says, that there was on it a small town called Cas- 

 Cahar, which, it is more probable, was on the continent ; and the 

 inhabitants of it, are called Damoei by Stephanus of Byzantium. 



Cahar is, for Cahir, Cahird generally pronounced Cair. Several 

 places called Cahira, in the countries bordering upon the Indus, are 

 mentioned in the Ayin Acberi. I suppose the true reading to be Kiz- 

 Cahir, or Cair in Kiz, or Gedrosia. Cdraichi was also called Cair, and 

 probably by way of contradistinction Caer-cede, Caer-shede, for Cair- 

 Sind. For the Portuguese in composition sometimes wrote Cind, 

 Cend and even Gind for Sind. Hence we find it asserted, that the 

 Indus was also called Karshed. Small settlements have occasionally 

 been attempted on that coast, as I have been told ; but they were soon 

 after forsaken, as Hihgula-JDevi is averse to them. The country was 

 called Sangada, a denomination now seemingly unknown in that 

 country. It is perhaps from the Sanskrit, and Hindi Sankhadd, 

 implying a country abounding with shells, which is really the case. 



El Edrisi says, that from Dabil, at the entrance of India, and of 

 course Cdraichi, to Cape Mond, there are six miles (the numbers are 

 obviously corrupted) hence to Coli six more. Coli is Domail. Cola, 

 or Call is a creek. From Domai, after a course of nineteen miles, 

 Nearchus reached a place called Saranga, probably from Rama- 

 chandra's seat — Zeroed, or in Persian Seirunga ; which is near it, and a 

 little further, were the rocks called Sacala. These are not noticed by 

 pilgrims, probably because there are no legends attached to them : 

 perhaps they are low rocks, forming a ledge, stretching out far into 

 the sea. This was probably the reason, why Nearchus was deterred 

 from going round them ; and as there was a passage through them, 

 though very narrow, he preferred to go that way. Sugala in Sanskrit 

 signifies the fair way passage: in Hindi Su-Cali, or Col signifies the 

 fair, or safe creek ; also a safe narrow passage. In English Gully or 

 Gully-hole, in French Goulet, from the Latin Gula the throat, Gala 

 in Hindi is the throat and Gali, a narrow pass or lane. 



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