fusion of bricks struck Burnes,* who remarks that "the houses are constructed of bricks, and the streets are even laid with them. Some workmen digging a well in this neighbourhood lately hit upon a former well on which was a Hindu inscription. It set forth that it had been built by one Agurtuta, of whom tradition gives no account." I visited the place in 1838, only a few years after Burnes, but I failed to recover the inscription. Another proof of antiquity is the presence of one of the long graves or tombs, which the people call Nogaja, or "Nine-yards," that is the Giant. The Patti No-gaja is said by Barr† to have lived in the time of Akbar; but these tombs, which are common in the north-west of India, are more usually referred to the Gházis, who fell in fight against the infidels in the early ages of Muhammadanism. I would therefore assign the grave to the time of Mahmûd of Ghazni, and the brick tomb which has been erected over it to the time of Akbar. According to Hwen Thsang, the district of Chinapata was about 2000 li, or 333 miles, in circuit. With these dimensions, it must have comprised the whole of the upper Bâri Doâb, between the Biâs and the Râvi, from the foot of the hills to the old junction of the Biâs and Satlej, near Firuzpur. The name of Chi-napo-ti, or Chinapati, is referred to the time of the great Indo-Scythian king Kanishka, who fixed this place as the residence of his Chinese hostages. The pilgrim adds, that previous to their residence, India had possessed neither pears nor peaches, both of which were introduced by the Chinese hostages. The pears were *Panjab and Bokhara,' ii. 9. +Cabul and the Panjâb,' p. 62. called Chi-na-ni, or Chináni, that is, "brought from China," and the peaches Chi-na-lo-she-fo-ta-lo, or Chinarája-putra, that is, the "China King's sons." This is not quite correct, as both pears and peaches are found growing wild in the neighbouring hills. But there are now two kinds of cultivated peaches, the one round and juicy, the other flat and sweet. The first, which is called árú in Hindi, and Shaftálú in Persian, is certainly indigenous; but the other, which is called Chini-shaftálú, is most probably that which Hwen Thsang refers to as having been introduced from China. 3. SHORKOT. Hwen Thsang calls the central district of the Panjâb Po-fa-to, or Po-la-fa-to, for which M. Stanislas Julien proposes to read Parvata. But to this it may be objected that parvata, which means a "hill," could not be, and in fact never is, applied as a name to any place in the plains. The capital was situated at 700 li, or 117 miles, to the north-east of Multân, a position which agrees almost exactly with the site of Jhang, on the Chenâb. But as this place lies at some distance above the junction of the Jhelam and Chenâb, it is most probable that it belonged to the northern division of Táki. In this case the distance recorded by Hwen Thsang would be too great, which might be due to his overlooking the shortness of the kos in this part of the country, as I have already explained in my account of Singhapura. This kos is only 1 mile. and 2 furlongs, or just of the common kos. At this valuation Hwen Thsang's distance would be only 76 miles, which is within a few miles of the position of fusion of bricks struck Burnes, who remarks that "the houses are constructed of bricks, and the streets are even laid with them. Some workmen digging a well in this neighbourhood lately hit upon a former well on which was a Hindu inscription. It set forth that it had been built by one Agurtuta, of whom tradition gives no account." I visited the place in 1838, only a few years after Burnes, but I failed to recover the inscription. Another proof of antiquity is the presence of one of the long graves or tombs, which the people call Nogaja, or "Nine-yards," that is the Giant. The Patti No-gaja is said by Barrt to have lived in the time of Akbar; but these tombs, which are common in the north-west of India, are more usually referred to the Ghazis, who fell in fight against the infidels in the early ages of Muhammadanism. of Muhammadanism. I would therefore assign the grave to the time of Mahmûd of Ghazni, and the brick tomb which has been erected over it to the time of Akbar. According to Hwen Thsang, the district of Chinapata was about 2000 li, or 333 miles, in circuit. With these dimensions, it must have comprised the whole of the upper Bâri Doâb, between the Biâs and the Râvi, from the foot of the hills to the old junction of the Biâs and Satlej, near Firuzpur. The name of Chi-napo-ti, or Chinapati, is referred to the time of the great Indo-Scythian king Kanishka, who fixed this place as the residence of his Chinese hostages. The pilgrim adds, that previous to their residence, India had possessed neither pears nor peaches, both of which were introduced by the Chinese hostages. The pears were * · Panjâb and Bokhara,' ii. 9. Cabul and the Panjâb,' p. 62. 6 called Chi-na-ni, or Chináni, that is, "brought from China," and the peaches Chi-na-lo-she-fo-ta-lo, or Chinarája-putra, that is, the "China King's sons." This is not quite correct, as both pears and peaches are found growing wild in the neighbouring hills. But there are now two kinds of cultivated peaches, the one round and juicy, the other flat and sweet. The first, which is called árú in Hindi, and Shaftálú in Persian, is certainly indigenous; but the other, which is called Chini-shaftálú, is most probably that which Hwen Thsang refers to as having been introduced from China. 3. SHORKOT. Hwen Thsang calls the central district of the Panjâb Po-fa-to, or Po-la-fa-to, for which M. Stanislas Julien proposes to read Parvata. But to this it may be objected that parvata, which means a "hill," could not be, and in fact never is, applied as a name to any place in the plains. The capital was situated at 700 li, or 117 miles, to the north-cast of Multân, a position which agrees almost exactly with the site of Jhang, on the Chenâb. But as this place lies at some distance above the junction of the Jhelam and Chenâb, it is most probable that it belonged to the northern division of Táki. In this case the distance recorded by Hwen Thsang would be too great, which might be due to his overlooking the shortness of the kos in this part of the country, as I have already explained in my account of Singhapura. This kos is only 1 mile and 2 furlongs, or just of the common kos. At this valuation Hwen Thsang's distance would be only 76 miles, which is within a few miles of the position of him to fix on it as the place where Alexander was wounded, and to assign its downfall to Alexander himself. I received the same tradition about its destruction, which I would attribute to the White Huns, who must have entered the Panjâb from the westward during the sixth century, or about the very time specified in the tradition. The foundation of the city is attributed to a fabulous Raja Shor, of whom nothing is known but the name. I think it probable that Shorkot may be the Alexandria Soriane, Zwpiávn, of Stephanus Byzantinus, who gives no clue to its position save the bare fact that it was in India. The names agree so exactly that I feel tempted to suggest that Shorkot may have been enlarged and strengthened by Philip, whom Alexander left behind as governor of the Oxudrake and Malli. This suggestion seems the more probable when we remember that Shorkot was in the direct line of Alexander's route, from the junction of the Hydaspes and Akesines to the capital of the Malli. I would, therefore, identify it with the city of the Malli, which, according to Diodorus and Curtius, surrendered after a short blockade.* Curtiust places it at 250 stadia, or 283 miles, from the junction of the rivers, a position which corresponds exactly with that of Shorkot. The account of Arrian differs from that of the other two historians in several very important particulars. He states that the first city taken by Alexander after leaving the confluence of the rivers was inland 400 stadia, or 46 miles, distant from the Akesines, and that it was captured by assault. I * Diodorus,' xvii. 52; Curtius, "coronâ cepit." † Vita Alex., ix. 4, 10. ‡'Anabasis,' vi. 7. |