Islands, Spain, and Turkey in Europe. I have here called the tract which lies to the south of the Kistnah river, the peninsula; in conformity to general practice; although its form does by no means warrant it. The term DECCAN, which signifies the south, is applied (as before said) in its most extensive signification, to the whole region that lies on the south of Hindoostan proper: I apprehend, however, that in its proper and limited sense, it means only the countries situated between Hindoostan proper, the Carnatic, the western sea, and Orifsa: that is, the provinces of Candeish, Dowlatabad, Visiapour, Golconda, and the western part of Berar.

The term INDIA, by which this country, as far as it was known, is distinguished in the earliest Grecian histories, appears to be derived from HIND, the name given it by the ancient Persians; through whom, doubtless, the knowledge both of the country and its name, were transmitted to the Greeks. We have the strongest afsurances from Mr. Wilkins, that no such words as HINDOO, or HINDOOSTAN, are to be found in the Sanscrit Dictionary. It appears that the people among whom the Sanscrit language was vernacular, styled their country BHARATA;* a name which is, I believe, quite novel to the ears of the learned in Europe. It is probable then, that the word HIND furnished that of INDIA to the Greeks; and the termination STAN, signifying country in the Persic, is of more modern date: for we find it joined to many of the ancient Persian names of countries; as to Dahæ, whence Dahestan;

See the notes to the Heetopades, recently translated from the Sanscrit (or Sanscreet), by Mr. Wilkins, page 332. This gentleman has the merit of being the first European who acquired the knowledge of the Sanscrit language: which was that of ancient Hindoostan (or Bharata), but which ceased to be the vernacular tongue, soon after the Mahomedan conquest, in the 11th century. A few years ago it was known only to the Pundits or learned Bramins; who religiously kept it from the knowledge of all but their own order: it being the sacred depositary of their religious institutions, and mysteries, and which it was inconvenient to communicate to the vulgar, otherwise than through the medium of their own comments, and interpretations. The honour done Mr. WILKINS on this occasion, reminds us of the communications made to HERODOTUS, by the Egyptian priests: and it is a fair inference, that the personal merit of both of these men, had a principal share in obtaining so distinguished a preference.

Tapuri, Taberi-stan; and Corduene, Curdi-stan: together with many others. others. It has happened in the application of this name, INDIA, as on similar occasions; that is to say, it has been applied, not only to the country originally designed by it, but to others adjacent to, and beyond it:* for the countries between Hindoostan and China, came to be called the further India; or India extra Gangem: whereas, Hind, or India, properly belonged only to the country of the people called Hindoos; or those of India intra Gangem. The name is as ancient as the earliest profane history extant: and this may serve, among many other instances, to prove the high antiquity of the Persian language.

India has in all ages excited the attention of the curious, in almost every walk of life. Its rare products and manufactures, engaged that of the merchants; while the mild and inoffensive religion of Brama, and the manners inculcated by it, attracted the notice of philosophers. The structure of its language too, is remarkable; and has a claim to originality. It had been happy for the Indians, if they had not attracted the notice of a class of men more inimical to the happiness of mankind: for the softness and effeminacy induced by the climate, and the yielding nature of the soil, which produces almost spontaneously, invited the attacks of their more hardy neighbours; and rendered them an easy prey to every foreign invader. Hence we find them succefsively conquered by the Persians, Patans, and Moguls: and it is probable, that, like the Chinese, they have seldom had a dynasty of kings, from among their own countrymen. The accounts of 22 centuries ago, represent the Indians as a people who stood very high in point of civilization: but to judge from their ancient monuments, they had not

The term LYBIA belonged at first only to the countries of Africa that were colonized by the Greeks; but was afterwards applied by them to the whole continent. The Romans, in a similar manner, extended the name of AFRICA, which originally belonged only to the territories of Carthage, to the whole continent; or, at least, to as much as they knew of it. ASIA was applied at first only to Natolia ; which took the name of LESSER ASIA, afterwards, when ASIA was applied to all the known parts of that continent.

carried the imitative arts to any thing like the degree of perfection attained by the Greeks and Romans; or even by the Egyptians. Both the Hindoos and Chinese appear to have carried the arts just to the point requisite for useful purposes; but never to have approached the summit of perfection, as it respects taste, or boldness of design.

The principal monuments of Hindoo superstition are found in the peninsula. Some have concluded from this, and from other circumstances, that the original seat of the Hindoo religion was there. Others, perhaps with more appearance of probability, suppose it to have originated on the banks of the Ganges. Monuments of a superstition, apparently anterior to the Hindoo, exist in the caves of Salsette and Elephanta, two islands on the western coast of India: these consist of apartments of extensive dimensions, excavated from the live rock, and decorated with figures and columns.

India was but little known to the Greeks until Alexander's expedition, about 327 years before Christ. HERODOTUS, who wrote about 113 years before, appears to have heard but indistinctly of any but the western part of it; and that only, by its being tributary to Persia. He informs us (Book IV.) that Darius Hystaspes had dispatched Scylax of Caryandra to explore the Indus, about 508 years before Christ; and that he departed from Caspatyrus and Pactya, which were situated near the head of the Indus. Herodotus continues to say, that the Indians who inhabit towards the north, and border on these territories of Caspatyrus and Pactya, resemble the Bactrians (that is, their neighbours) in manners: and are the most valiant people of all India. The eastern part of India, says he, is rendered desert by sands: which description applies only to the country lying east of the Indus, and south of the PANJAB:* and this shews pretty evidently, that Herodotus's knowledge of India, as to particulars, extended no further than to the above tract and a collateral proof is, that he does not mention

* The country watered by the 5 eastern branches of the Indus. Se page 94 of the Memoir.

the Ganges, which became so famous a century afterwards. Indeed, he tells us very plainly, that this sandy desert was the extreme point of his knowledge eastward.

With respect to Scylax's discoveries, this is Herodotus's account. "Darius being desirous to know in what part the Indus (which is the second river that produces crocodiles) runs into the sea, sent Scylax of Caryandra, with others of approved fidelity, to make the discovery. They departed in divers ships from Caspatyrus, and the territories of Pactya;* sailed down the river eastward, to the sea; and then, altering their course to the west, arrived in the 30th month, at that place where the King of Egypt (Nechao) had caused the Phenicians I mentioned before, to embark, in order to surround the coast of Lybia (Africa). After this voyage, Darius subdued the Indians, and became master of that sea."-Herod. Book IV. In another place, in the same book, he takes notice of some Indian nations situated to the southward, very remote from the Persian conquests; and whose complexions were as black as Ethiopians; these ought to be the people of the peninsula. He had also learned that they killed no animals, but contented themselves with the produce of the earth: that they exposed those whom they deemed too ill to recover; lived chiefly upon rice; had horses of a smaller breed than their western neighbours; and that they manufactured their fine cotton wool in cloathing.

Now, after the above account of Scylax's expedition, can we give credit to the story of Alexander's supposing that he had discovered the head of the Nile, when he was at the Indus? Are we to suppose that Aristotle concealed the books of Herodotus from his pupil? or, on the contrary, ought we not rather to believe, that the matter of them was on his mind; and that the discoveries of Scylax, made within 180 years of his own time, and of a kind

I conclude that Pactya, is the modern Pebkely. See pages 147, and 171 of the Memoir, Some have supposed Caspatyrus to mean Cashmere: but this is improbable, from its situa tion, which is remote from the Indus: but Pebkely, or Fuckholi, borders on it.

that particularly interested him, were detailed to him, when we find them given incidentally in Herodotus?

The story of Alexander's surprise at seeing the tides in the Indus, appears to me equally improbable: seeing that the same Herodotus (Book II.) speaks very particularly of the tides in the Red Sea; and describes them as being not only strong, but ebbing and flowing every day. [That most intelligent and ingenious traveller, M. Volney, informs us, that the tide ebbs and flows three feet and a half at Suez.] Arrian takes no notice of the tides until Alexander's fleet had arrived near the mouth of the river. It is true that the tide in the Indus does not go up so high as in other rivers of equal bulk, and that run on so small a descent; but, nevertheless, as the tide is perceptible at 50 or 60 miles above the river's mouth,* we may conclude that it could hardly escape the notice of Alexander and his people, in their voyage from Pattala to the sea; supposing they had not been apprized of the circumstance. Besides, Arrian's account of the coming in of the tide, which did so much mischief to the fleet, is descriptive of the BORE,' or sudden influx of the tide, in a body of water, elevated above the common surface of the sea; such as occurs in the Ganges, &c. He says, those ships that lay upon the sand, were swept away by the fury of the tide; while those that stuck in the mud, were set afloat again without damage. To the generality of readers, no reason will appear why the circumstances of the ships should be different, in the mud, and on the sand: the fact is, that the bottoms of channels, in great rivers, are muddy; while their shallows are formed of sand: and it is the nature of the bore to take the shortest cut up a river; instead of following the windings of the channel: consequently, it must cross the sand banks it meets in its way; and it will also prove more destructive to whatever it meets with aground, than what is afloat.

The tide in the Indus is perceptible at about 65 miles above its mouth; according to the information of Mr. Callander, who resided a considerable time at Tatta, near the head of the delta of the Indus. In the Ganges the tides are perceptible at 240 miles up: and in the river Amazons, at 600.

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