from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 325 



was believed by fome to have taken its name from Meroe" in Ethiopia, we 

 mud underfland, that it was named from a place of worfhip facred to 

 Mr 1 r a , the chief Ethiopian divinity j and the fame author informs us, that 

 Mercejja Dia?7a t or Mrire'swari' De'vi\ who is reprefented with a cref- 

 cent on her forehead, was adored at Merufum in Sicily. We may conclude, 

 that her hufband MrTre'swaR-A, was the God of Meroe, called a barbq- 

 rous deity by the Greeks, who, being themfelves unable to articulate his 

 name, infilled that it was concealed by his priefts. It has been imagined, 

 that Cambyses gave the name of his filler and wife to Meroe ' j but it is 

 very dubious, in my opinion, whether he penetrated fo far as that city : in 

 all events he could have made but a fhort flay in the diflrict, where, as he 

 was abhorred by the Egyptians and Ethiops, it is improbable, that a name 

 impofed by Him, could have been current among them $ and, whatever 

 might have been his firfl intention as to the name of his wife, yet, when he 

 had killed Her, and undergone a feries of dreadful misfortunes in thofe 

 regions, it is moil probable 9 that he gave himfelf no further trouble about Her 

 or the country, 



In the book, entitled Saiva-ratnacara, we have the following flory of king 

 1't, who is fuppofed to have been Mrira himfelf in a human fhape, and 

 to have died at Meroe, where he had long reigned. 



On the banks of the Mid there had been long contefts between the Be- 

 vatas and the Daityas; but the latter tribe having prevailed, their king and 

 leader Sanc'ha'sura, who refided in the ocean, made frequent incurfions 

 into the country, advancing ufually in the night and retiring before day to 

 his fubmarine palace : thus he deilroyed or made captive many excellent 

 princes, whofe territories and people were between two fires j for, while 



