394 



On Egypt and the Nile 



vatds, unable to bear its exceffiive heat and light? retired to the banks of the 

 Call, refolving to lie concealed, till fhe was delivered ; but the term of her 

 geftation was fo long, and her labour fo difficult, that they remained a thou^ 

 fand years near the holy river employed in ads of devotion'. At length De'vi* 

 appeared to them in a new character, and had afterwards the tide of Fd'it A, 

 or f lit a', becaufe me was praifed by the Gods in their hymns, when they 

 implored her affiftance in the delivery of Diti: fhe granted their requeft., 

 and the two Daityas were born ; after which I'lita'-de'vi affured mankind, 

 that any woman, who mould fervently invoke her in a fimilar fituation, mould 

 have immediate relief, The Divas erected a temple in the place, where me 

 made herfelf vifible to them, and it was named the ft ban of I'd it a' or 

 I'lita' \ which was probably the town of Iditbyapr Hit by a in Upper Egypt-, 

 where facred rites were performed toEiLiTHYAorELEUTHo, theLuciNA 

 of the Ltdtians, who affifted women in labour? it flood clofe to the Nile op.- 

 pofite to Great Apollonopdis, and feems to be the Leucothea of 'Pliny? 

 This goddefs is now invoked in India by women in childbed, and a burnt 

 offering of certain perfumes is appropriated to the occafion? 



VIIL We read in the Mahad-himalaya-dharfda, that, after a deluge, from 

 which very few of the human race were preferved, men became ignorant 

 and brutal, without arts orfciences, and even without a regular language; 

 that part of Sancha-dwip in particular was inhabited by various tribes, who 

 were perpetually difputing; but that Tswara defcended among them, 

 appeafed their animofities, and formed them into a community of citizens 

 mixed without invidious diftin&ions % whence the place, where he appeared, 

 was denominated Mifra-JThdn ; that he fent his confort Va'ge's wari% or 

 the Goddefs of Speech, to inftrucl: the rifing generations in arts and lan- 

 guage; for which purpofe ffie alfo vifited the dwip of Cusha* Now the 



