The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang c6.s1.t10.5

c6.s1.t10.5

M‘Murdo quotes native authors to show that this western branch of the Indus was called the Ságára river, which, he thinks, may be identified with the Sagapa Ostium of Ptolemy, which was also the most westerly branch of the Indus in his time. It is therefore quite possible, as supposed by M‘Murdo, that this was the very branch of the Indus that was navigated by Alexander. From the latest maps, however, it appears that about midway between Thatha and Ghâra this channel threw off a large branch on its left, which flowed parallel to the other for about 20 miles, when it turned to the south and joined the main channel just below Lâri-bandar. Now this channel passes about 2 or 3 miles to the south of Bhambûra, so that the town was also accessible from the Piti, the Phundi, the Kyár, and the Pintiani mouths of the river. I am therefore inclined to identify Bhambûra not only with the town of Barke, which Alexander built on his return up the river, as stated by Justin, but also with the Barbari of Ptolemy, and the Bar-barike Emporium of the author of the ‘Periplus.’ The last authority describes the middle branch of the Indus as the only navigable channel in his time up to Barbarike,[*] all the other six channels being narrow and full of shoals. This statement shows that the Ghâra river had already begun to fail before A.D. 200. The middle mouth of the river, which was then the only navigable entrance, is called Khariphon Ostium by Ptolemy. This name I would identify with the Kyár river of the present day, which leads right up to the point where the southern branch of the Ghâra joins the main river near Lâri-bandar.