from the Ancient Books of the Hindus, 309, 



From this idea of a general refervoir the ancients concluded, that the 

 Niger alfo had its origin from the fame lakes with the Nile -, but Juba 

 acknowledged, that the channels ran under ground for the fpace of twenty- 

 days march, or about 300 miles [a] : in conformity to the relation of Dioge- 

 Kes, the mrfhy Lkes were faid by Juba to lie near the Ocean; but he 

 afferted pofitively, that the Nile did not immediately rife from them; add- 

 ing, that it flowed through fub terraneous paffages for the fpace of feveral 

 days journey, and, on its re-appearance, formed another marlhy lake of ftill 

 greater extent in the land of the MaJJkfylii who were perhaps, the Maba- 

 hdfyasilas of the Purdns. The fecond lake correfponds in fituation with the 

 cxtenfive marines, from which the Naliriilabyad of the Arabs > or the white 

 river, has it fource according to Mr. Bruce, who places the lake about 

 the 3d or 4th degree of north latitude : it is named Cowir in the Maps t, 



and is noticed by the Nubian geographers. 



■ 



The word Nufaptts, which is applied, as before mentioned, to the firfl 

 lake, may be derived from Niiapati y or the Lord of Nighty a title of the 

 God Lunus : the whole country, indeed, with its mountains and moll of 

 its rivers, had appellations relating to the Moon ; and we find in it feveral 

 fmaller rivers, which we cannot now afcertain, with the names of RajajiJ, 

 or Night, Cuhu or the day after the conjunction, Anumatz or that after the 

 oppofition, Racd or the full orb of the moon, and Sim'vdh, brffirft vi-ible 

 crefcent. The inhabitants of that region are by Ptolemy called Majlitx ; 

 by Juba, as we before obferved, Majpzfyli ; and in the Maps, M'J/i or 

 MqJJligueios : in all thofe denominations the leading root Maffa, whatever 

 be its meaning, is clearly diftinguilhable ; and, as there were people with 

 a fimilar name in Mauritania, Pliny and his followers make Jup.a a&ladgiej 



\a) Pliii. /. 5. c. 9. 



