33^ On Egypt and the Niejs 



eludes, therefore, all the land between Syene and the confluence of the Nile- 

 with the Tacazze,. which is generally called Barbara and Bar bar to this day* 

 but, in a larger fenle, it is underftood by the Paurdnics to comprize all the 

 burning fands of Africa. Barbara-defii, which anfwers to the hoc a arid a et' 

 ardentia mentioned by Pliny as adjacent to the Nile, was a fertile and charm- 

 ing country, before it was burned* according to the Hindu legends, which will, 

 be found in a fubfequent fection, firrl by the approach of Surya or the Sun v 

 and afterwards by the influence of San i or Saturn* Its principal city, where- 

 Barharifwara had a dilKnguiihed temple, was called Barbara -ft' han, and ilood 

 on the banks of the Nik: the Tamovanfa, or Children of Tamas, refided in 

 it; and it is, mofl probably, the town of Tama,, which Pliny places on the 

 eaftern bank of the Nile, an. hundred and twenty nine Roman miles above 

 Syene (<z). 



The crude noun Tamas, in the firrl cafe Tamak, and Tamo before certain 

 confonants, means darknefs, and it is aifo a title of Sani j whofe defendants 

 are fuppofed to have lived in Barbara, and are reprefented as an ill-clothed 

 half-ftarved race of people, much like the prefent inhabitants of the fame 

 country. The following fables appear to be aflrological, but might have had 

 fome foundation in hiflory, as the Hindu regents of planets were in. truth old 

 philcfophers-and legislators, whofe works are ftill extant 



Tamah, or Saturn, had two wives St'havira' and Jarat'ha' whole'- 

 names imply age and decrepitude : by the former he had feven ions Mrityu^ 

 Ca'la, Da'va, Ulca', Ghq'ra* Adhama, Can'taca; by the latter, 

 only twoj Ma'ndya and Gulica, The fons of Ma'ndya were As'ubha, 

 Arisht'ha, Gulm.a, Plj'ka -f ( thofe of Gulica were Gad'ha and Gra- 



