The

The upper Naulibis, or Nilabi, in Ptolemy, falls in at Ghor-bund, or Goracsha-van, im Sanscrit, which appears to be the Alexandria ad Paropamisum of the historians of Alexander. It was called Nilabi, from its being situated on the banks of the Nilab. immense ridge between Nilabi and Drashatca, or Drashtaca, is properly delineated in Ptolemy. Alexandria ad Paropamisum was near the cave of Prometheus, which is to be seen to this day, near the pass of Sheibar, between Ghor-band and Bamiyan. Orthospana, or simply Asbana, is mentioned in the Peutingerian table. It is called also in Sanscrit, Jayini-Devi, or the place of the goddess of victory, and is the Nicæa (a word of the same import) of the historians of Alexander. The place where her temple stood, is close to Cabul, and is still secretly visited by Hindu pilgrims. The Nicea of the historians of Alexander is probably the Nicea of Nonnus, which he calls also Astacia, perhaps from Asacia, or Asyacia; for, according to the Puranas, Jayini-Devi, or the nymph Nicæa, was also

called A'syaca; A'saca would be as grammatical; and the town of A'saca, or A'syaca, in a derivative form, would be A'syaceya, or A'saceya; or, according to the idiom of the Greek language, Asyacia and Asacia.”*

In the Ayeen Akbery it is said: "In one of these Summijes, or recesses, is a tomb, in which there is a coffin, containing a corpse, concerning which the oldest persons can give no account. It is held in great veneration. The ancients certainly were possessed of some medical preparations, with which, if they anointed dead bodies, and afterwards buried them in a dry soil, they suf fered no injury from time; and there can be no doubt but this corpse must have been preserved after that manner, although the ignorant suppose it something miraculous."+

* Wilford.

+ For the description of the temples at Gaya, in the Vindhya mountains, see Asiatic Researches, vol. i. p. 276, et seq.; and we recommend to the attention of the reader a letter from Mr. (now Dr.) Charles Wilkins, on the subject of the inscriptions in those temples, in the same volume, p. 279, and in vol. ii. p. 167.

To give an account of the stupendous ancient temples, and what may be termed monasteries, that are to be met with in India, would extend this article to much too great length, In the countries of the Deckan, but especially in the southern parts of it, they are extremely numerous, and some of them are of immense magnitude.

CHAPTER X.

OF THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS, ETC. OF THE HINDŪS.

AVERSION from the shedding of blood, inculcated by religion, and confirmed by education and habit;-the effects of a climate, which lessens the wants of life ;-perhaps too, the moderate use of animal food even with those to whom it is allowed; together with abstinence from spirituous liquors;-may all contribute to render the Hindūs, generally speaking, perhaps, the mildest inhabitants of the globe.* That

*Nor does the practice of human sacrifices, which, it is said, once existed among them, affect our opinion of their general character. They had been led erroneously to believe, that sacrifices, the most averse from

they should have patience and resignation under adversity, are qualities, which from the causes we have mentioned, might be expected in them: the Hindū, however, under the influence of religion, ideas of honour, or from a sense of shame, will not only meet death with indifference, but em

their feelings, were due to an offended God, and would serve to assuage his wrath, or obtain his protection: hence also we find Agamemnon sacrificing his daughter Iphigenia, and Abraham, to prove his obedience, on the point of sacrificing his son Isaac. To believe that any act of cruelty should be acceptable to a Being, who is all goodness, and on whose mercy we depend for forgiveness of our misdeeds, is an idea so grossly repugnant to reason, that it is difficult to conceive how it should have ever obtained credit; and, though introduced in times of barbarism, how it should have continued to be practised, as it appears to have been, long after the Hindus had become a refined and enlightened nation: but the same observation is equally applicable towards the Greeks; and we are sorry to add, that the persecutions which were so long and so cruelly exercised by the Romish against the Protestant Christians, excite similar reflections. The mild Hindu would weep over the sacrifice he offered, but the European persecu tor exulted in his crime.