GEOGRAPHY oF INDIA. 429 
flesh, which is abandoned to them. Great rejoicings are made to celebrate 
the entrance of the Brahina-putra mto their country on that day, when 
Panasvu-Rama with his cimetar cut a passage for its waters, through the 
eastern mountains. It is said however that human sacrifices, are no 
jonger allowed at that place. ‘The magnet or loadstone, is emphatically 
called Mari, or the jewel, besides which, it has in Sanscrit many other 
‘names, more scientific, and which will appear when I pass to the countries 
and islands in the Indian ocean. In this manner ARisToTLE styles the 
rnagnet % Aigo the Mant or jewel: for such is the meaning of Aia@, when 
of the feminine gender. 
In the Chatur-varga-chintémar. i, it is declared, that the Daityas having 
been once worsted by the gods, fled from before them: but finding no 
place of shelter, their counsellor Sucrdchéryya created an immense magnet 
like a mountain, which attracted the arrows of the gods, that were pointed 
withiron. Inpra perceiving this, struck the mountain with his thunder, and 
-divided it into numberless splinters: some fell upon the land, some into the 
gea. Qne fell into the sea to the south-east of Chattala or Chatt ganh, and 
this is the reason, that it is so difficult to get ee that sea. We are 
acquainted with two splinters of that mountain; one near the mouth of the 
river of Negrais, and called by the natives Marti, and by us Diamond 
Island, which denominations are implicitly synonymous; for this jewel was 
known formerly in Zurope under the name of Adamant, which originally 
signified a diamond. ‘Phe French say to this day Amant, not surely on 
saccount of its love of iron. ‘These magnetic rocks, of which we are now 
VOL. XIV.’ Sy Rint 
