Grocrapsy or Inpia. 399 
the accumulation of sand, is now nearly filled a and probably will soon 
disappear. 
, Tue epithet of golden, does by no. means imply that gold was found in its 
sands. Jt was so called probably, on account of the influx of gold, and 
wealih, arising from the extensive trade carried on thr roug bit; for it was 
- certainly a place of shelter for all the lar ge trading boais, during the stormy 
weather, and the rainy season. 
Iw the extracts from Megasthenes by Puiny and Arrtan, the Sonus and 
Erannoboas appear, either as two distinct rivers, or as two arms of the 
same river. Be this as it may, Arrian says, that the Erannoboas was the 
third river in India, which is not true. But I suppose, that ‘Megasthenes 
meant only the Gangetick provinces: for he says that the Ganges was the 
‘first and largest: he mentions next the Commenasis or Saray, from the 
country of Commanh, as avery large river, the third large river is then the 
Erannoboas or river Sova. 
Pirotemy. finding himself peculiarly embarrassed with regard to this 
river, and the metropolis of India situated on its banks, thought proper to 
suppress it entirely. Others have done the same, under similar distressful 
circumstances. +It is howeyer wellknown to this day, under the denomina- 
tion of Hiranya-bihd, even to every school boy, in the Gdngetick pro- 
vinces, and in them there is no other river of that name. F 
Tun origin of the Sowa, and of the Narmadé is thus described by 
FP. Ticrrentuatier, on the authority of an English officer, who surveyed 
