from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 353: 



" low ground of Etherian Merce received him as a chief, who mould leave 

 •« his name to the Blemyes born in fubfequent z.ges."f a J' 



The emigration of the Cutila-cefas from India to Egypt is mentioned likewife 

 by Philostratus in his life of Apollonius. When that Angular man 

 vifited the Brdhmens, who lived on the hills, to the north of Sri-nagara, at 

 a place now called Trildci-ndrayana near the banks of the Ceddra-gangd, the 

 Chief Brahmen, whom he calls Iarchas, gave him the following relation 

 concerning the origin of the Ethiopians : (< They refided, faid he, formerly in 

 " this country, under the dominion of a king, named Ganges; during 

 " whofe reign the Gods took particular care of them, and the Earth produced 

 " abundantly whatever was neceffaty for" ! their mbfiftence ; but, having ilain 

 «" their king, they were confidered by other Indians as denied and abominable. 

 " Then the feeds, which they committed to the earth, rotted ; their women 

 " had conftant abortions ; their cattle was emaciated; and, wherever they began 

 " to build places of abode, the ground fank and their houfes fell : the fpirit 

 ft of the murdered king incenantly haunted them, and would not be appeafed, 

 " until the actual perpetrators of the murder had been buried alive ; and even 

 *' then the earth forbad them to remain longer in this country. Their fove- 

 " reign, a fon of the river Ganges, was near ten cubits high, and the moft 

 f* majeftick perfonage, that ever appeared in the form of man: his father 

 " had once very nearly overflowed all India, but he directed the courfe of the 

 *' waters toward the fea, and rendered them highly beneficial to the knd> 

 " the goddefs of which fupplied him, while he lived, with abundance, and 

 " fully avenged his death." (/;) The bafis of this tale is unqueftionably In- 

 dian, though it be clearly corrupted in fome particulars : no Brahmen was 



(a) Dionyfiac. B. 17, ver, 385—397. (l>) Philoftr. Apollon. B. 3. Ch. 6. 



W w 



