from the Ancient Books of the Hindus. 445 



We find it named alfo Aftaboras and Ajlubaras ; for Afthivar.a means the 

 moji excellent bone, or ivory > and the Adiabaw, who lived, fays Pliny, on. 

 its banks, took their name, perhaps, from the river, the word aft hi being 

 pronounced dti and adi in fame vulgar dialects 3 as the Sanfcrit word bafli, 

 an elephant, is corrupted into h.'ti: Mareb, or Sanchdn ga, was anciently 

 named Aftofa'nis, or Aflufokas, poflibly from Hajlifrava, ox flowing, from art 

 elephant, in allufion to the legend before related - } and one would have 

 thought Hajl/'man or llaftimdn, a more rational appellation for the Tacazzi, 

 flnce there are in fadt many elephants in the country, which it waters. We 

 muff, beware of confounding Sanc'hana'g a, or the Elephant of Sanc'jia- 

 dzvip, with Sanc'iia-na'ga, or- the Shell- ferpint, of whom we have alrea- 

 dy given a fufKcient account, and concerning whom we have nothing to' 

 add, except that the people of the mountains, now called Hubdb, have 

 legendary traditions of a Snake, who formerly reigned over them, and 

 conquered the kingdom of Sire. 



V, Concerning the river Nanda, or the Nile of Abyfjinia, we meet 

 with the following talcs in the Padmace/ha, ox Treafure of Lotos-flowers, 

 A 'king, named Apya'y an a, finding himfelf; declining very low in the r 

 vale of years, refigned his throne lo Apa'mvatsa, his fon, ,and repaired 

 with his wife 5'armada* to the hermitage of a renowned-. , and holy Brdh~ 

 men, whofename was Mrica or Mricu, intending to eonfult him on the 

 mode of entering into the third Aframa, or order,' called vdnaprefl'ha : 

 they found only the fon of the fage, named Mdrca, ox Mar cava, who gave 

 them full inilructions, and accompanied them to ■ the hilly parts of the 

 country, where head vi fed them to relide. When they arrived at their 

 deftined retreat, the De'vas, pleafed with their piety, fcattered flowers on 

 them like rain, whence the mountains were called PuJJypavarfa, according 



