them too strong to be attacked with the party he brought with him, and waiting for a reinforcement, the enemy had time to retire into another fortified city, not far off. This nameless city, is the place where. Alexander was wounded, and in fuch imminent danger; and not in the capital of the Malli, nor among the Oxydrace (Qutch) which is on the oppofite fide of the Acefines (Jenaub) and near its confluence with the Indus. Indeed Arrian is particular in pointing out this error [of Diodorus]. As to the diftance of this city above the conflux, we may collect that it could not be very far, both by reafon of the quick communication between Alexander, and the camp and fleet; and by the ground he had marched over, after leaving the first conflux. I am inclined to place it about 10 G. miles above the conflux (of the Jenaub and Rauvee) and a few miles from the north bank of the latter; and the capital of the Malli on the oppofite fide, and not far from the river bank so that they will be fomewhat below the present town of Toulomba, a famous pafs on the Rauvee, between Lahore and Moultan. When Alexander was fufficiently recovered from the effects of his wound, he was embarked on the Hydraotes, and carried down the fiream, to his fleet, which appears to have been brought into the Hydraotes; for we learn that he paffed the conflux after he joined the fleet *. We learn alfo, from the fame author, that the Acefines preferves its name until it is loft in the Indus, although it receives the Hydafpes and Hydraotes: the hiftorian of Timur, in like manner, gives the name of Jenaub to the confluent waters of the Chelum and Jenaub this alone, however, does not prove that it was the largest river; for we have many examples, in modern geography, at leaft, where the adjunct river, though the fmalleft, gives its name to the confluent waters. It is worthy of remark, that Arrian, as it appears, not knowing what became of the Hyphafis (Beyah) * Arrian. does does not fay that Alexander faw the mouth of it, as he did those of the Acefines and Hydraotes; but only informs us that it fell into the Acefines. And indeed, the truth is, that these rivers under the modern names of Beyah and Setlege, do not join the Jenaub; but after uniting their ftreams, fall into the Indus, a great way farther down. It is certain that the courfes of rivers, even of the largeft, do alter fo much, in time, that what Arrian fays, might have been the cafe; but there is no neceffity for fuppofing it. Arrian, as well as Sherefeddin, informs us that the lower part of the Panjab towards Moultan, is flat and marfhy, and inundated [like Bengal] by the periodical rains, which fall between the months of May and October. As a proof of it, Alexander was once obliged to break up his camp, on the Acefines (Jenaub) and retire to the higher grounds. From the conflux of the Acefines with the Indus, we accompany Alexander fucceffively to the territories of the Sogdi, Muficani, Oxycani, Sindomanni, and Patalans. The Oxydraca, who had fubmitted by their ambassadors, were left unmolested. Bhakor answers nearest to the position and description of the country of the Muficani, which was next to the Sogdi, and the most powerful on that part of the Indus: and the Oxycani, the next in order, to Hajycan; a circar, or division of Sindy. In Sindomanni, we may recognise the country of Sindy; or that thro' which the river Sinde flows, in the lower part of its courfe: and Pattala, has ever been: referred to the Delta of the Indus. But fo vaft a change of names,. or rather so vast a change in the manner of writing them *, forbids. the building of any hypothefes, on the fimilarity of ancient and A comparison of the modern names with the ancient, in many parts of Afia, leads me to conclude, that had they been faithfully written by the Greeks, much lefs difference would be found between them, than we now experience: and I am inclined to think that the names of the rivers, in particular, are fcarcely changed fince the time of the Greeks. Vanity has no fhare in new naming of rivers. O 2 modern. 499082: modern names of places; except in cafes, where the locality is equally evident. [...] Having now conducted Alexander acrofs the Panjab, and down the Indus, to the head of its delta, it may not be amifs to obferve, that the state of the country through which he paffed, was very different from what we fhould have conceived, who have been in the habit of confidering Hindooftan, as being governed by on monarch; or even as divided into feveral large kingdoms. In the Panjab country, in an extent lefs than is comprised within one of the soubahs, or grand divifions of the Mogul Empire, we find no less than seven nations; and along the lower parts of the Indus, many more. Even in the Panjab, where Alexander warred a whole campaign and part of another, there was nothing of that kind of concert appeared, which must have taken place between the governors of provinces, had they been under one head: but in general, each acting separately, for himself. The Malli, Catheri, and Oxydracæ, we are told, leagued together for their mutual defence; and this proves that they were feparate governments. It is curious, that the fame cause that facilitated Alexander's conquefts in India, fhould also have given them the degree of celebrity that has ever accompanied them; that is to fay, their fubdivifion into a number of fmall ftates and ordinary readers, either not regarding, or not comprehending their extent and consequence, have considered them as kingdoms. The conqueft of the Panjab and Sindy, would, with fuch an army*, be no very great matter in our times, although united and yet this conqueft is confidered as a brilliant part of Alexander's hiftory: the truth is, the romantic traveller is blended with the adventurous foldier; and the feelings of the reader, are oftner applied to, than his judgment. But although the western part of Hindooftan was in this state, there exifted beyond, or rather towards the Ganges, a powerful Alexander had 120,000 men, and 200 elephants. Arrian. kingdom, as appears by the ftate Megafthenes found it in, when he refided in quality of ambaffador from Seleucus Nicator, not many years after, at Palibothra, the capital of the Prafii *. 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 fafety and conveniency of his fleet and army; and had viewed alfo the two principal mouths of the Indus, in which he experienced fome degree of furprife, if not of terror, from the bore, or fudden influx of the tide t; he departed by land for Sufa, leaving Nearchus with the fleet to follow, as foon as the etefian winds fhould ceafe. He had been more than 9 months in failing down the Hydafpes, and Indus. He croffed the Hydafpes about the fummer folftice in the preceding year, and of courfe had been in the field, or in fome kind of warfare, during two rainy feafons: 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 failed about the middle of October § with the NE monfoon; conducting, according to Dr. Gillies, in his elegant hiftory of Greece," the first European fleet which navigated the Indian feas." By the journal of this. voyage, published by Arrian, it appears that the fleet failed out of the western branch, by the distance between the mouth of the Indus and the river Arabius, which was only 1000 ftadia; for Arrian gives the breadth of the Delta at 1800 ftadia, along the sea coaft ||. Arrian takes notice that when Nearchus ftood out to fea, on the coaft of India, he found either no fhadow at noon; or elfe the fhadow, The Etefian winds blew from the NE in the Mediterranean, in the months of July and Auguft; and the ancients thought proper to apply the fame term to the periodical winds of the fame feafon in the Indian feas, although they blew from the oppofite quarter. The first of October O. S. according to Ufher. Pliny gives it 220 miles, fo that he reckoned nearly & ftades to one of his miles. if if any, was projected fouthward. This, however, could not poffibly happen, because Alexander did not arrive till after the fummer folftice, nor till Auguft. And yet Arrian took this from Nearchus's journal: but whoever examines the geography of it, will find that he could never be within a degree of the tropic, allowing him to have failed at a reasonable distance from the shore. It may appear extraordinary that Alexander fhould, in the courfe of a few months, prepare so vast a fleet for his voyage down the Indus; especially as it is faid 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 veffels ready conftructed to the conqueror's hands. That he built fome veffels of war, and others of certain descriptions that might be wanted, I entertain no doubt; but tranfport and provifion veffels, I doubt not, were to be collected to any number. There were about 80 triremes; and the whole number of embarkations were near 2000. I think it probable, too, that the veffels in which Nearchus performed his coafting voyage to the gulf of Perfia, were found in the Indus. Veffels of 180 tons burthen are sometimes used in the Ganges; and thofe of 100 not unfrequently. Account of the MAP of the Countries, lying between the River INDUS„ and the CASPIAN SEA. HAVING fo often had occafion to mention the countries of Perfia and Tartary, contiguous to the north-west parts of India; it will be for the reader's convenience to have a small map of those parts, inserted in this work; by which the relative pofitions of the 6 frontier |