Page:Ancient India as described by Ptolemy - John Watson McCrindle.djvu/244

227 fusian therefram resulting; but this absence, almoirt absolute, of connexion does only render the task of the critic all the more laborious and unwelcome and there results from it strange mistakes for those who without sufficiently taking into account the composition of this part of the Tables, have believed they could find in the relative positions which the places have there taken a sufficient means of identification. It would only throw one into the risk of error to seek for correspondences to these obscure names^ (of which there is nothing to guarantee the correctness, and where there is not a single name that is assigned to a definite territory,) in the resemblances, more or less close, which oould be furnished by a topographical dictionary of India."

Selampoura : — This suggests Selenrpur, a place situated at some distance north of the Devat or lower S'arayA. The identity of the names is our only warrant for taking them as applying to one and the same town ; but as the two places which follow belong to the same part of the country, the identification is in some measura supported. Selempur is situated on a tributary of the SarayA, the little Gandak.

Kanogiza : — This is beyond doubt the famous city of Kanyakubja or Kanauj, which has already been noticed under the list of towns attributed to PrasiakS, where the name is given as Kanagors. Ptolemy, while giving here the name more correctly has put the city hopelessly out of its position with reference to the Ganges, from which he has removed it several degrees, though it stood upon its banks. Among Indian cities it ranks next in