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But although the western part of Hindoostan was in this state, there existed beyond, or rather towards the Ganges, a powerful kingdom, as appears by the state Megasthenes found it in, when he resided in quality of ambassador from Seleucus Nicator, not many years after, at Palibothra, the capital of the Prasii.* The Prasians probably owed to the discontents that prevailed in Alexander's army, their escape from a foreign conquest at that period.

Alexander arrived at Pattala about the middle of August (before Christ 326 years), and after he had made proper arrangements for the safety and conveniency of his fleet and army, and had viewed also the two principal mouths of the Indus, in which he experienced some degree of surprise, if not of terror, from the bore, or sudden influx of the tide; † he departed by land for Susa, leaving Nearchus with the fleet to follow, as soon as the Etesian winds should cease. He had been more than nine months in sailing down the Hydaspes, and Indus. He crossed the Hydaspes about the summer solstice in the preceding year, and of course had been in the field, or in some kind of warfare, during two rainy seasons: we are told, however, by the author of the Ayin Acbaree, that but little rain falls in the lower parts of Moultan: that is, the part bordering on the Indus. Nearchus sailed about the middle of October § with the NE monsoon; conducting, according to Dr. Gillies, in his elegant History of Greece, “the first European fleet "which navigated the Indian seas." By the journal of this voyage, preserved by Arrian, it appears that the fleet sailed out of the western branch, by the distance between the mouth of the Indus and the river Arabius, which was only 1000 stadia; for Arrian gives the breadth of the delta at 1800 stadia, along the sea coast.|| Arrian

* See the Introduction.

+ Ibid.

The Etesian winds blew from the N E in the Mediterranean, in the months of July and August; and the ancients thought proper to apply the same term to the periodical winds of the same season in the Indian seas, although they blew from the opposite quarter.

§ The first of October, O. S. according to Usher.

Pliny gives it 220 miles, so that he reckoned about eight stades to one of his miles.

takes notice, that when Nearchus stood out to sea, on the coast of India, he found either no shadow at noon; or else the shadow, if any, was projected southward. This however, could not pos sibly happen, because Alexander did not arrive till after the summer solstice, nor till August. And yet Arrian took this from Nearchus's journal: but whosoever examines the geography of it, will find that he could never be within a degree of the tropic, allowing him to have sailed at any reasonable distance from the shore.

It may appear extraordinary that Alexander should, in the course of a few months, prepare so vast a fleet for his voyage down the Indus; especially as it is said to be the work of his army. But the truth is, that the Panjab country, like that of Bengal, is full of navigable rivers; which communicating with the Indus, form an uninterrupted navigation from Cashmere to Tatta: and, no doubt, abounded with boats and vefsels ready constructed to the conqueror's hands. That he built some vefsels of war, and others of certain descriptions that might be wanted, is very probable; but transport and provision vessels, I doubt not, were to be collected to any number. There were about 80 triremes; and the whole number of embarkations was near 2000. I think it probable, too, that the vessels in which Nearchus performed his coasting voyage to the gulf of Persia, were found in the Indus. Vefsels of 180 tons burthen are sometimes used in the Ganges; and those of 100, not unfrequently.

CASHMERE is the only subject that remains to be discussed on the east of the Indus; which it owes to its particular situation in respect of the Panjab; being detached from it in point of geographical construction, as well as actually separated from it by strong natural barriers. The communications of Capt. Kirkpatrick, how full soever of information, on the subjects that have

been already discussed, are even abundantly more so in the present instance; for he has furnished me with translations of the most approved itineraries between Lahore and Cashmere, kept either by the Mogul emperors themselves, or by their order, and under their immediate inspection; and having the road distances contained in them actually measured; and the most remarkable objects that occurred on the way, noted with a great degree of precision. To account for this attention on the part of the emperors, it must be observed, that a journey to Cashmere in the spring season, was regarded by them as the highest gratification that luxury could afford: every circumstance, therefore, which related to the communications with such a scene of pleasure, became interesting for a perfect knowledge of the detail of each, would, of course, enable the royal visitors to determine the most eligible route, suited to seasons and circumstances. The reader may collect from Bernier (the most instructive of all Indian travellers), in what mode the emperors travelled to Cashmere; as he has written a full account of his journey, when he travelled thither in the suite of Aurungzebe, in the year 1664. And when we reflect on the burning climate he left behind him, to breathe the pure and. temperate air of Cashmere, and to contemplate the beauty of its scenery, we must not fail to applaud the taste of the emperors, who indulged themselves in so elegant, and no lefs rational, a luxury.

Nor did Capt. Kirkpatrick content himself with bare translations of the itineraries; but, in the true spirit of science, added comments and explanations, when the nature of the subject appeared to require it: without which aids I might frequently have fallen into error; and with which, little remained for me to do, but to effect the geometrical construction. I shall have great occasion to rejoice, if the histories from whence he has extracted these, and other geographical materials, should hereafter appear in an European language, through his means: and yet

more, if they may be in the smallest degree illustrated, by my la

bours.

His inquiries have produced three measured routes leading into Cashmere, from Lahore; and Mr. Forster's Travels, a fourth, in which the distances are estimated only. The first route to be considered, in the construction, is the shortest of the measured ones, in order to obtain the most direct line of distance between Lahore and Cashmere: and this is the Bember route, of which that portion between Lahore and Bember itself has been already considered, both as to bearing and distance, in page 85: and may he corroborated by a reference to the position of Jummoo, in page 106; since Rotas, Gujerat, and Sealkote, are regulated by the points of Jummoo and Lahore. Accordingly, Bember is taken at 33 Acbaree cofses from Lahore, on a bearing of N2 W. And it may be concluded, as the road to Cashmere by Bember is very straight, that the whole lies nearly in the same line of direction aş that portion of it between Lahore and Bember; or rather, of the ascent named the height of Bember, which appears to be a very few miles to the eastward of the fortress, and may bear from Lahore, about NW: Sirinagur, the capital of Cashmere, therefore, may be supposed to lie in the same direction. The distance on this line, according to the measured route of the Emperor Acbar, was 79,9 Acbaree cofses, which, at the rate of 31,16 to a degree (see page 85, and note), produce 153,6 G. miles of direct distance. But as the road lies over three mountainous ridges, named RuttunPunchal, Peer-Punchal, and Nari-Birari, which take up more than 26 miles; perhaps may be allowed for windings, in this part. And for the Bember, and other heights, some farther deduction should be made; and then the whole distance may be taken at 150 G. miles, instead of the original 153,6. However, as I suspect that Acbar's measurement did not commence from the centre of Lahore, but from the suburbs, I shall take 151 for the distance of Sirinagur, which in the direction of N 4 W, places that city in

latitude 34° 20' go"; and in longitude 73° 44'; or 6 minutes only west of Lahore. And Bember, by the same adjustment of distance, will be 64 G. miles from Lahore; the 33 Acbaree cofses giving about 631 G. miles (from the suburbs).

The Oriental tables give for the latitude of Cashmere, or Sirinagur (for the capital is known by either of those names), 35° 15′; meant perhaps for 34° 15'. Its longitude, in the same tables, is quite out: being more than a degree to the west of Lahore. It is certain, that according to the authorities on which we have determined the positions of Lahore, Attock, and Cabul, that of Cashmere must come no farther to the west, than the construction allows: and one very strong circumstance in favour of this argument is, that the space between Cashmere and Cabul, in the map, is no more than is required for the dimensions of the several provinces that lie between them; according to their description in the Ayin Acbaree, and in Capt. Kirkpatrick's MSS. This matter will be fully discussed, when we speak of the countries west of the Indus. Nor does Cashmere seem to be misplaced in respect of the surrounding countries, as far as our knowledge goes; for in the Ayin Acbaree, Puckholi is said to lie on the west, and the territory of the Ghickers to the SW; which agrees also with the map. It also accords with the measured routes between Cashmere and Attock; and with Mr. Forster's idea of the bearing from Jummoo, which was N by W.

A second measured route was that from Lahore to Cashmere, by way of Hufsan-Abdal and Puckholi; a remarkably circuitous one, but used for the purpose of entering Cashmere during the height of the spring, in order to enjoy its beauties in that delightful valley; which, although in a metaphorical sense, the region of perpetual spring, was of course, the most attractive during the actual spring, the blossoming season. And this could not be effected by the more direct road of Bember; because that leads over vast mountains, which the snow renders impassable during not only the spring, but also part of the summer. But the Puckholi, or Hufsan-Abdal

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