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DECEMBER, 1884.]
PTOLEMY'S GEOG. BK. VI, CHAP. 9-HYRKANIA.
393
On the South Coast :
Dagana with Dondra Head.
Korkobara with Tangalle. On the East Coast:
Cape of Dionysos, with Hambangtote.
Cape Kêtaion (Whale cape) with Elephant Rock, (Bokana Yule identifies with Kambugam).
Haven of Mardos with Arukgam Bay.
Abaratha with Karativoe (but Yule with Aparatote, which is better).
Haven of the Sun with Batticalao. Rizala Haven with Vendeloos Bay. Oxeia Cape (Sharp point) with Foul Point.
Spatana Haven with an indentation in Trin. konamalai Bay.
Nagadiba or Nagadina with a site near the Bay. Pati Bay with Trinkonamalai Bay. Anoubingara with Kuchiavelli. Modouttou with Kokelay. On the North Coast :Mouth of the Phasis.
Talakóry or Aakotê, with Tondi Manaar. Yulo places both Nagadiba and Modouttou on the northwest coast, identifying the latter with Mantote.
With respect to places in the interior of the island Tennent says (vol. I, p. 536, n. 2): "His (Ptolemy's) Maagramm um would appear on a first glance to be Mahågåm, but as he calls it the metropolis, and places it beside the great river, it is evidently Bintenne, whose ancient name was "Mahayangana" or "Mabêwelligâm." His Anu. rogrammum, which he calls Barley "the royal residence," is obviously Anuradhapura, the city founded by Anuradha 500 years before Ptolemy (Mahawdnso, pp. 50-65). The province of the Modutti in Ptolemy's list has a close resemblance in name, though not in position, to Mantote; the people of Reyagamkorle still occupy the country assigned by him to the Rhogonandanoi-his Naga dibii are identical with the Någadiva of the Mahawanso; and the islet to which he has given the name of Bassa, occupies nearly the position of the Basses, which it has been the custom to believe were so-called by the Portuguese, -"Baxos" or "Baixos" "Sunken Rocks." The Rhoganda noi were located in the south-west of the island. The sea, which stretched thence towards Malaka, appears to have at one time borne their name, as it was called by the Arab navigators "the sea of Horkand." The group of islands lying before Ceylon is no doubt that of the Maldives. KLAUDIOS PTOLEMY'S GEOGRAPHY OF
CENTRAL ASIA. Having now examined in detail the whole of Ptolemy's Indian Geography, I annex as a suitable Appendix his description of the countries adjacent
to India. The reader will thus be presented with his Geography in its entirety of Central and Eastern Asia. In the notes I have adverted only to the more salient points.
BOOK VI, CAP. 9.
POSITION OF HYRKANIA. 1. Hyrkania is bounded on the north by that part of the Hyrkanian sea which extends from the extreme point of the boundary line with Media as far as the mouth of the river Oxus which lies in ............ 100° 43° 5'
2. In which division occur these towns :Saramanné, a town............ 94° 15' 40° 30' Mouth of the Maxêra......... 97° 20' 41° 30' The sources of this river ... 98° 38° 20' Mouth of the Sokanda ...... 97° 20' 42° Mouth of the river Oxos ... 100° 43° 5'
3. On the west by the part of Média already mentioned as far as Mount Korônos [in which part of Media is Saramanno..................... 94° 15' 40° 30']
4. on the south by Parthia, along the side of it described as passing through the range of Korônos, and on the east by Margiana through the mountainous region which connects the extremities referred to.
5. The maritime ports of Hyrkania are inhabited by the Maxêrai, and the Asta bênoi and below the Maxêrai by the Khrendoi, after whom comes the country adjacent to the Korônos range, Arsitis, and below the Asta bê noi is the country called Sirakên ê.
6. The cities in the interior are said to be these :Barangê
99° 42° Adrapsa
98° 30' 41° 30 Kasapà............
99° 30' 40° 30 Abarbina.............
97° 40° 10 Sorba ...............
98° 40° 30° 7. Sinaka .................. 100° 39° 40 Amarousa .....................
39° 55 Hyrkania, the metropolis.... 98° 50' 40° Sake (or Sale).................. 94° 15 39° 30 Asmourna ..................... 97°
97° 30' 39° 30 Maisoka (or Mausoka) ...... 990 39° 30'
8. And an island in the sea near it called Talka ...... 95° 42°
The name of Hyrkania is preserved to this day in that of Gurkan or Jorjan, a town lying to the east of Aster båd. Its boundaries have varied at different periods of history. Speaking
96°
