RASHI′DU-D DI′N, FROM AL BI′RU′NI′.
with a slower current, and widens, forming several islands, till it reaches Mansúra, which city is situated in the midst of the waters of this river. At this place the river divides into two streams, one empties itself into the sea in the neighbourhood of the city of Lúhárání,[1] and the other branches off to the east to the borders of Kach, and is known by the name of Sind Ságar, i.e., Sea of Sind. In the same way as at this place they call the collected rivers Panj-nad, “five rivers,” so the rivers flowing from the northern side of these same mountains, when they unite near Turmuz and form the river of Balkh,[2] are called “the seven rivers,” and the fire-worshippers (majús) of Soghd make no distinction, but call them all the “Seven rivers.”
The river Sarsut [Sarsutí] falls into the sea to the east of Somnát.
The Jumna falls into the Ganga below Kanauj, which city is situated on the west of the river. After uniting, they fall into the sea near Gangá Sáyar [Ságar.] There is a river which lies between the Sarsut and Ganges. It comes from the city of Turmuz[3] and the eastern hills; it has a south-westerly course, till it falls into the sea near Bahrúch,[4] about sixty yojanas to the east of Somnát. Afterwards the waters of the Gangá,[5] the Rahab, the Kúhí, and the Sarjú unite[6]
- ↑ This is the Larry Bunder of Major Rennell (Memoir, p. 285), Lahariah of M. Kosegarten (De Mahommede, Comment: Acad:), and the Láhari of Ibn Batuta, who remarks of it, “It has a large harbour into which ships from Persia, Yemen, and other places put in. At the distance of a few miles from this city are the ruins of another, in which stones, the shapes of men and beasts almost innumerable, are to be found. The people of this place think that there was a city formerly in this place, the greater part of the inhabitants of which were so base, that God transformed them, their beasts, their herbs, even to the very seeds, into stones; and, indeed, stones in the shape of seeds are here almost innumerable.” See Ibn Batuta: Lee, p. 102. [French version, iii. 112; Mem. sur l'Inde, 278]
- ↑ [The Jihún or Oxus.]
- ↑ [This is distinct both in the Persian and Arabic, saving only that in the former the last letter lacks the point.]
- ↑ This is spelt by various authors Barúj, Barús, Bahrúj, Barúh and Bahrúch. It is the Broach of the present day, the βαρύγάςα εμπόριον of Ptolemy and Arrian, and the Bhrigukachchha and Bharukachchha of the Sanskrit authorities. See Ptol. Geog. Lib. VII. Cap. 1, Tab. 10. Mannert, Geographie der Gr. and Rom. Vol. V. p. 127. Ritter, Erdkunde, Vol.IV. Pt. II. p. 626. Bohlen, das alte Indien, Vol. I. p. 18. Lassen, Alterthumskunde, Vol. I. p. 107.
- ↑ [The MS. A. does not mention the Ganges.]
- ↑ M. Reinaud (p. 100) gives the first as Rahab. A river of this name, or Rahet, is often mentioned by early Muhammadan authors, and appears generally to indicate the Rámgangá. The union of the Sarjú with the Gomati, which M. Reinaud reads Kúbin, is a fable. There is no confluence of three rivers at Bárí, but not far off from
