33S On Egypt and the Nile 



Bifliop Lowth, after Ibme commentators* changes the Brooks of defence, into* 

 the canals ©f Egypt j and this Is obvioufly the meaning of the prophet j 



though the form of the word be more like the Arabian plural Mujur than; 



any form purely Hebrew. 



Stephanus q£ Byzantium fays, that Egypt was called Myara by the Phe- 

 mciahs', but furely this is a miftake for My far a: according to Suidas and 

 Eusebius it had the name of Mejiraia ; but this, I conceive, mould be writ- 

 t&TkMefraia from Mifriya, which may be grammatically deduced from the root 

 Mifr. The name Cantaca defa was given to Mjfra for a reafon limilar to that 

 ©f Acanthus t a town and territory abounding in thorny trees. 



It was an opinion of the Egyptian priefls, and of Herodotus alfo, when 

 he was in their country, that the valley of Egypt was formerly an arm of the 

 fea, which extended as far as the Cataracts j whether this opinion be well- 

 founded* is not now the queftion ; but a notion of the fame kind occurs in 

 the Pur anas* and the Brahmens account, in their way, for the alteration, 

 which they fuppofe to have happened. Pramo'da, they fay, was a king 

 ©f Sancha-dwip Proper, and relided on the fhore of the fea called Sandhoda- 

 dhi: the country was chiefly peopled by Mlkctihas, or fuch as /peak barba* 

 roujly y and by favage Racfiafas % who are believed to be evil demons; nor was 

 a fingle Brahmen to be found in the kingdom, who could explain the Vedas 

 and inftrucT: mankind in their duties. This greatly affli&ed the pious king 1 

 till he heard of a Rt/hi, or holy man, eminent in piety and in facred know- 

 ledge, who lived in the 'country ©f Barbara* and was named Pi't'hi n or 

 Pi't'hpn as a s but was generally diilinguiihed by the title of Pi't"hx«rishu 

 he was vilited by Pramo'da in perfouj and* after many intreaties, prevailed 

 ©n to accompany the king to Sam'fia-dwipa % but, when he faw the income 



