from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 443 



fitted, and the natives call it Terntjh Ahay or Little Nile-; a very ancient ap- 

 pellation j for Strabo gives the name of Tenejis to the country bordering 

 on that river (a). Hence, perhaps, the ancients miftook this river for the 

 Nile, to which they erroneouily applied the name Siris ; for the true Siris 

 appears to be the Little Crifhnd. The Agows t who live toward the heads 

 of the Tsik and the Tdcazze, may have derived their name from Aghaba; 

 and we fed the race of A'iava'ii fettled as well in the ifles of the Red 

 Sea near the AbvJfmiancozSk, as in the country adjacent to Agh a h if am :thofe 

 ifles were called Alieu and Aialea ; and, in the diftricts about the Tacazze, 

 were the Eki or FJci'i, furnamed Rbizophagi, who dwelt on the banks of 

 the Aflapus and the Aftaboras ; in which denominations of iflands and tribes 

 we may trace the radical word Ala or Alavala. 



The fmaller Crfhna was fo denominated, either becaufe its waters were 

 black, or becaufe it had its origin from an achievement of Crishna; and 

 its" name A/l'bimai), was given on an occafion, which has been already 

 mentioned, but which may here be related at large from the Brdhmdnda. 

 When Crishna vifited Sancha-dwip and had deftroyed the demon, who 

 infefted that delightful country, he paffed along the bank of a river and 

 was charmed with a delicious odour, which its waters diffufed in their 

 courfe : he was eager to view the fource of fo fragrant a ftream, but was 

 informed "by the natives, that it flowed from the temples of an elephant, 

 immenfely large, milk-white and beautifully formed, that lie governed a 

 numerous race of elephants, and that the odoriferous fluid, which exuded 

 From his temples in the feafon of love, had formed the river, which, from 

 his name, was called Sanc'handgd; that the 'Devas, or inferior gods, and 



(a) B. 1.6. p. 770. 



Hhh 2 



