193 
1892.] H. G. Raverty— The Mihran of Sind and its Tributaries . 
city are watered by a little river [a canal or water-cnt, no doubt] 
which unites with the Mihran of Sind. At one mil from Multan 
the author uses the word farjchar with another, plainly showing (as Al-Idrisi also 
shows), their significations ; namely, bihar or wihdr thus—“ farkhar wo iuhar ”— 
the first referring to Hindu temples, and the latter to Budhist convents or mo¬ 
nasteries. 
Certainly, our dictionaries, among other meanings, describe “farj ” as “the 
confines of a hostile country,” “ a dangerous place,” “ splitting,” “ separating,” and 
the like, but the more general and universally applied and understood meaning is, 
“ pudenda turn mavis turn femince ; ” but why on earth this latter word, “farj,” bear¬ 
ing such a meaning, should have been chosen instead of “ farlch ” is inexplicable, 
unless the French translator was quite ignorant of its existence, or of its correct 
signification and application. Besides, there was no plausible reason for selecting 
the word “farj ” in preference to the two other words which the unpointed letters 
zf are capable of representing. 
In his extracts from Idrisi’s geography, (p. 82) Elliot himself renders the word 
“ farlch” ; and the reason why Multan was called “ the farlch of the bait of gold” 
is clearly mentioned by the ’Arab author. In his extract from the Balaziri’s work he 
has also “farlch,” and yet he failed to perceive that his previous rendering from the 
French translation was wholly unsuitable, and must be wrong, and that bait had other 
meanings than simply “ a house.” Had he given it a moment’s thought, he certain¬ 
ly would have rejected “farj.” 
Again, in his extracts from the “ Ohach-Nama,” on the very same subject, he 
has (Yol. I., p. 205): “ I have heard from the elders of Multan that in ancient times 
there was a chief in this city whose name was Jibawin, and was a descendant of the 
Rai of Kashmir. He was a Brahman and a monk, he str ictly followed his religion, 
and always occupied his time in worshipping idols. When his treasure exceeded all 
limit and computation, he made a reservoir on the eastern side of Multan, which was 
a hundred yards square. In the middle of it he built a temple fifty yards square, 
and he made there a chamber in which he deposited forty copper jars each of which 
was filled with African gold dust. A treasure of three hundred and thirty mans of 
gold was deposited there. Over it there is a temple in which there is an idol made 
of red gold, and trees are planted round the reservoir.” 
This is not quite what the Chach Nam ah states, which is literally to the following 
effect:— 
“ It was thus ascertained from the elders of Multan, that, in ancient days, and 
in times long past, in this city there was a Ra’e, Jas-want [ —Jas-win P] by 
name, of the posterity of the Ra’e of Kash-mir. He was a Brahman and a priest, 
and in the observance of his religion strict and zealous. He was constantly occupied 
in the adoration of idols. When his treasures exceeded the bounds of computation 
and calculation, he constructed a reservoir of water, 106 gaz long, by 106 gaz broad ; 
and in the midst of the reservoir lie erected an idol-temple, 50 gaz by 50 gaz, and 
therein made a receptacle [ ], and there deposited forty copper jars or vessels, 
each of which was filled with fragments of African gold, amounting to 300 manns of 
buried treasure. Over the receptacle was the place for an idol, and there an idol 
was set up, formed of red gold. Round about the reservoir trees were planted.” 
Muhammad, son of Kasim, having obtained information of this from the priests, 
