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STRABO.   27

had been derived from Mus(-tag), I which is of course an anachronism. PLINY correctly says: »Imaus, incolarum lingua nivosum significante.» Himalaya means in Sanscrit »abode of snow». Often it is contracted to Himâla, and sometimes the forms Hemaghiri, Hemachal, Hemakuta are used, meaning Mount Hema or the mountain of snow». Himavata and Himavat are adjectives meaning snowy, winterly. In vulgar pronunciation this be comes Imaot, from which the classical Imaus and Emodus have been derived.2

Strabo pays a good deal of attention to the two famous rivers Indus and Ganges. All the classical authors agree in placing the sources of the two rivers on the southern side of the great mountain-wall north of India, proving that absolutely nothing was known of the country beyond, the country which is now called Tibet. That Strabo places the source of the Indus not far above the Ganges, where the river issues from the mountains, is seen by the description of Alexander's conquest of the rock Aornus, which Hercules had twice in vain attempted to conquer, and where it is said that Aornus was situated near the source of the Indus.3

Strabo tells us that in his time the most important of the tributaries of the Indus were known, as well as the country round them, and he gives a very good description of the hydrography, adding that, for the rest, more was unknown than known.4 And after relating the names of the principal tributaries, he goes on to say that they all join the Indus, and that Hypanis is the farthest. There are 15 tributaries worth mentioning. It would take centuries upon centuries before Europe got at all such a correct description of the general hydrography of India as that given by Strabo.5

Regarding the general situation of the Ganges, Strabo quotes Artemidorus, saying that the river comes down from the Emodian mountains. Artemidorus mentions among its tributaries the Oedanes and knows that it contains crocodiles and delphines ... Dr. A. FORBIGER is convinced that the Oedanes is the same river that CURTIUS calls Dyardenes, of which he tells exactly the same story, adding that this river »minus celeber auditu est, quia per ultima Indi e currit». Forbiger cannot agree with those authors who identify the Oedanes with the Iomanes, Jumna. He considers it more likely that it should correspond to the Brahmaputra, which

I FORBIGER, op. cit. II, p. 51. STRAHLENBERG gives the same identification, 173o. See below.

2 VIVIEN DE SAINT-MARTIN : Memoires présentés . . . à l'Académie. I Série, Tome VI, I. Paris 186o, p. 263.

3 Quum Alexander petram quandam nomine Aornum primo adortu cepisset, cujus radices Indus non procul a fonte suo alluit, gloriose dixerunt Herculem ter petram adortum, ter inde repulsum fuisse.

4 Proinde cogniti nobis sunt fluvii memorabiles ii, qui in Indum illabuntur; loca etiam, per quæ ii deferuntur, novimus; de reliquis plus est ignorationis quam cognitionis.

5 Tota India fluminibus irrigatur: quorum quædam in duo maxima irrumpunt, Indum atque Gangem, quædam propriis ostiis in mare exeunt; omnia e Caucaso primo ad meridiem feruntur, postea alia eundem servant cursum, pr esertim que in Indum influunt, alia flectuntur ad orientem, ut Ganges. Hic a montibus descendens, quum in planitiem pervenit, ad orienteur conversus, et Palibothra, civitatem maximam, præterfluens in mare quod istic est, effunditur uno ostio, quamquam omnium Indicorum maximum flumen sit. Indus duobus ostiis in mare meridionale exit . . .