344 On Egypt and the Nile 



by his Terpentine race. This enraged Garud'a, who threatened to devour 



the fnakes and their kingj nor would his menaces have been vain, if they had 



not all retired to Sane'ha-dwip, where -they fettled -in Sancha-vana between 



the Call and the fea, near the .fbtion of Swami Ca'rtice'ya, God of Arms, 



where they are fuppofed to live flail unmolefted, becaufe Garud'a dares not 



approach the manfion of that more powerful divinity. " They, fays the 



" Indian writer, who perform yearly and daily rites in honour of Sanc'ha- 



" naga, will acquire immerife riches :" that royal ferpent is alfo called 



Sanc'ha-M5jc"ha, becaufe his mouth was like that of a fhell, and the fame 



denomination is given to the rocks., on which he dwelt. The Mountains of 



Snakes are mentioned "by the Nubian Geographer, and are to this day called 



Hubdb, which in Arabick means a fnake in general according to Jauheri, 



and a particular fpecies of ferpent according to Maida'ni : the fame region 



was named Cphiufa by the Greeks, who fometimes extended that appellation 



to the whole African continent. The breath of Sanc'ha-ndga is believed by 



the Hindus to be a fiery poifonous wind, which burns and deflroys animals and 



vegetables to the diftance of a hundred yojans round the place of his refidence ; 



and by this hypothecs they account for the dreadful effe&s of the famum, or 



hot envenomed wind, which blows from the mountains of Hubdb through the 



whole extent of the Defert. Two Rifiis, or Saints, named Agasti and 



A's t i c a undertook to flop fo tremendous an evil: the firft of them repaired 



for that purpofe to Sane ha-v ana, where he took his abode at a place, thence 



called Agafti-bhuvana, near the fea-fhore and not from Cotimi ; but the gentle 



means, to which he had recourfe with the royal fnake, proved ineffectual. 



^'stica, by hariher meafures, had more fuccefsj and made the fnake, fay 



the Brdhmens, not only tradable, but even well-difpofed to all fuch, as ref- 



pe&fully approached him : he even reduced the fize of the ferpent fo much,, 



as to carry him about in an earthen veffe! j and crowds of people are now faM 



