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It appears also from Herodotus (Book III.), that the parts of India bordering on the Indus, were subjected to regular tribute, if not totally reduced, under the Persian government: for in enumerating the 20 Satrapies of Persia (under Darius Hystaspes), India is reckoned one of them, and is rated the highest: it being assefsed in the proportion of 4680 Eubean talents of silver, out of 14,560, the whole annual revenue. To explain this, the author informs us, that the Indians were very numerous; and that the tribute charged upon them was proportionably great. It is worthy of remark, that this tribute was paid in gold, whereas that of the other Satrapies was paid in silver. Much light is thrown on this circumstance, by the intelligence furnished by the AYIN ACBAREE; namely, that the eastern branches of the Indus, as well as some other streams that descend from the northern mountains, yield gold dust (See the Index, article Gold). We are told on the same occasion, by Herodotus, that gold was estimated about that time, at the value of 13 times its weight in silver.

Alexander's expedition furnished the Greeks with a more extensive knowledge of India: although he traversed only the countries mentioned by Herodotus: that is, the tract watered by the Indus, and its various branches, and adjunct rivers. But the spirit of inquiry was now gone forth; and the long residence of Megasthenes, the ambassador of Seleucus, at Palibothra, the capital of the PRASII, furnished the Grecians with the principal part of the accounts of India, that are to be found in Strabo, Pliny, and Arrian: for Megasthenes kept a journal, and also wrote a very particular account of what he had seen and heard, respecting India in general, during several years residence: which account existed in Arrian's time. His embassy was about 300 years before our æra.

The communication by land, between the Syrian empire and India was dropt very early; for Bactria soon became independent: and by that means, the link of the chain that connected India with Syria, was broken. The Indian trade was about the same time

transferred from Tyre to Alexandria in Egypt, where it flourished under the auspices of the Ptolemies, until Egypt became a Roman province; and was continued on a more extensive scale under the Romans themselves: nor did it forsake Alexandria, until the rediscovery of the passage by the Cape of Good Hope. I shall take occasion to speak more fully concerning the particulars of the navigation from the Red Sea to India, hereafter.

This traffic opened to the Egyptians and Romans a knowledge of the coasts and products of India, as we find by various notices in the abovementioned authors; and in Ptolemy in particular. But considering how much the detail of the coasts was known to him, as is evident by his map (Tab. X. Asiæ), it is very extraordinary that the general form of it should be so far from the truth: for he makes the coasts between the Indus and Ganges, to project only in a slight curve; whereas, they are known to form the sides. of a triangle, whose perpendicular almost equals its base; Cape Comorin being the apex of it. Whoever Whoever compares the proportional dimensions of India, found in Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, and Arrian, will find them tolerably just: and will be inclined to think that the worst set of ancient maps of India has travelled down to us: and that Ptolemy, in constructing his map of that part, did not express the ideas of well-informed people of his own time, on that subject. Pliny was about 60 Pliny was about 60 years before Ptolemy; and Arrian about 20 years after Ptolemy: their accounts of the dimensions of India, were taken from Eratosthenes and Megasthenes.

Diodorus says, that India is 32,000 stadia from north to south, and 28,000 from east to west: that is, the breadth is seven-eighths of the length.

Arrian gives the measures collected by Eratosthenes and Megasthenes; and says, that" India is bounded on the west by the Indus; on the north by a continuation of Mount Taurus, called in different parts, Paro-pamisus, Emodus, and Himaus; and on the south, by the ocean, which also shuts up the eastern parts of

it.* Few authors (says he) have given us any account of the people that inhabit towards the mouths of the Ganges, where PALIBOTHRA is situated."

From the mountains at the head of the Indus, to its mouth, according to Eratosthenes, is 13,000 stadia; and from the said mountains, to the eastern sea, the extent is somewhat lefs: but as a huge tract of land runs out 4,000 stadia into the sea (meaning the peninsula) it may be reckoned 16,000 stadia. From Palibothra to the western extreme of India, measured along the great road, is 10,000 stadia: and the whole length (that is, from east to west) is 20,000 stadia. Arrian likewise gives the measures according to Megasthenes, who reckoned India 22,300 stadia from north to south; and 16,000 broad, from east to west; making that the breadth, which Eratosthenes reckons the length. We may observe, that Megasthenes's proportion is, on the whole, the truest: for India is about 28 degrees of a great circle in length, from north to south; or from the Indian Caucasus to Cape Comorin: and about 20 in breadth, from the Indus to the mouth of the Ganges; and if we reckon from the most distant mouth of each river, it will be 22 degrees in breadth. This shews that Arrian had as just an idea of the proportional dimensions of India, as we had 40 years ago; for we then reckoned it narrower than the truth by at least two degrees. It is impossible to tell what length Megasthenes meant to express by a stade, as there appears to be so considerable a variation in the length of this itinerary measure, at different times; but by proportioning the number of stades, to the number of degrees, included in the above measures of India by Megasthenes, there should be 800 stades in a degree of a great

Here it would appear that Arrian followed the geography of Alexander, who supposed India to be the most eastern part of Asia; and that the shore of the ocean, from the mouth of the Ganges, took a quick turn to the north and north-west: for he supposed the Caspian lake to be a gulf of it. [Vide his speech on the banks of the Hyphasis.] But Ptolemy, as we are given to understand, had, before the time of Arrian, described SERICA, and the borders of SINA: that is, the countries bordering on the west and NW of CHINA; the country of the ELUTHS; and part of Tartary.

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circle. (M. D'Anville has at different times reckoned 1050; and 1100). I conceive it probable that Megasthenes gave the measures according to the road distance, from one extreme of the country to the other; and not according to the horizontal distance, or actual length and breadth of the country. Part of the apparent differences, in the length of the stade, may arise from these different methods of reckoning distances.

Pliny gives the measures along the coasts between the mouth of the Ganges, and Pattala (or Tatta) in the mouth of the Indus, at 3320 miles (Roman miles, I suppose, of 1000 paces). The true measure of these coasts, rejecting the sinuosities, and attending only to the general form of it, is 40 degrees of a great circle. M. D'Anville allows 75 Roman miles to a degree; and by this rule, the above number of miles will come out 44 degrees, instead of 40, the true measure. But if the pace be reckoned at 4 feet 10,02 inches, English, there ought to be 78 Roman miles to a degree; and by this calculation, the 3320 Roman miles will be 42°; or within part of the truth. Whichsoever of the two calculations may be adopted, it is clear that Pliny knew nearly the form of the peninsula; and that Ptolemy, who living at Alexandria, might be supposed to be in the way of obtaining the best information on the subject, was, in truth, ignorant of the general form of it, although he knew so much concerning the par

ticulars.

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Arrian's Indian history, which is extremely curious, and merits more notice than it commonly meets with, shews us how very little change the Hindoos have undergone in about 21 centuries, allowances being made for the effect of foreign conquests; which, however, have produced fewer changes here, than they could have done any where else: for customs, which in every country acquire a degree of veneration, are here rendered sacred, by their connexion with religion; the rites of which are interwoven with the ordinary occurrences of life. To this, and to the seclusion from the

rest of mankind, inculcated by the Braminical religion, we are to ascribe the long duration of the Hindoo religion and customs; which are only to be extirpated, together with the very people among whom they prevail; and which have been proof against the enthusiasm and cruelty of the Mahomedan conquerors: nay more, have taught a lefson of moderation to those conquerors; who at last saw no danger arising to the state, from a religion that admitted no proselytes.

We are at the first view surprised to find that Arrian, who professes to treat of India, should confine himself to the description of a particular part only, while he had authors before him who had treated the subject at large. It may, however, be accounted for in this manner: that he chose to follow those only, who had been eye-witnesses to what they wrote; not compilers: and it is pretty clear that his account of India, is meant chiefly to illustrate the history of his hero. The following particulars, selected from among others, will shew to those who are conversant with India, how nearly the ancient inhabitants resembled the present. 1. The slender make of their bodies. 2. Their living on vegetable food. 3. Distribution into sects and classes: and the perpetuation of trades in families. 4. Marriages at seven years of age: and prohibition of marriages between different classes. 5. The men wearing ear-rings; parti-coloured shoes; and veils, covering the head, and great part of the shoulders. 6. Daubing their faces with colours. 7. Only the principal people having umbrellas carried over them. 8. Two-handed swords: and bows, drawn by the feet. 9. Manner of taking elephants; the same as in the present age. 10. Manufactures of cotton, of extraordinary whitenefs. 11. Monstrous ants: by which the Termites, or white ants are meant ; though exaggerated. [Herodotus, Book III, also mentions the ants: and his account is more extravagant than Arrian's.] 12. Wooden houses, on the banks of large rivers; to be occasionally removed, as the river changed its course. 13. The Tala tree, or

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