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about equal to the British Islands, Spain, and Turkey in Europe. I have here called the tract which lies on the fouth of the Kistna

general practice; although The term DECCAN, which

river, the peninfula; in conformity to its form does by no means warrant it. fignifies the SOUTH, is applied (as before-faid) in its most extensive fignification, to the whole region that lies on the south of Hindooftan proper: I apprehend, however, that in its proper and limited fenfe, it means only the countries fituated between Hindoostan proper, the Carnatic, the western sea, and Oriffa: that is, the provinces of Candeish, Dowlatabad, Vifiapour, Golconda, and the western part of Berar.

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The term INDIA, by which this country, as far as it was known, is distinguished in the earliest Grecian hiftories, appears to be derived from HIND, the name given it, by the ancient Perfians; through whom, doubtless, the knowledge both of the country and its name, were tranfmitted to the Greeks. We have the strongest affurances from Mr. Wilkins, that no fuch words as HINDOO, or HINDOOSTAN, are to be found in the Sanfcrit Dictionary. It appears that the people among whom the Sanfcrit language was vernacular, ftyled 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, fignifying country in the Perfic, is of more modern date: for we find it joined to many of the ancient Persian names of countries; as to Dahæ, whence Daheftan:

See the notes to the Heetopades or Fables, recently tranflated from the Sanferit (or Sanfcreet) by Mr. Wilkins, page 332. This gentleman has the merit of being the firit European who acquired the knowledge of the Sanfcrit language: which was that of ancient Hindoostan (or Bharata) but which ceafed to be the vernacular tongue, foon 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 facred de pofitary of their religious inftitutions, and myfteries; and which it was inconvenient to communicate to the vulgar, otherwife than through the medium of their own comments, and interpretations. The honour done Mr. WILKINS on this occafion, reminds us of the communica tions made to HERODOTUS, by the Egyptian Priefts and it is a fair inference, that the perfonal merit of both of thefe men, had a principal fhare in obtaining fo diftinguished a preference.

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and Tapuri, is Taberi-ftan; Corduene, Curdi-tan: together with many others. It has happened in the application of this name, INDIA, as on fimilar occafions; that is to fay, it has been applied, not only to the country originally defigned 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 thofe of India intra Gangem. The name is as ancient as the earliest profane history extant :: and this may ferve among many other inftances, to prove the high antiquity of the Perfian language.

India has in all ages excited the attention of the curious, in almost every walk of life. walk of life. Its rare products and manufactures, engaged that of the merchants; while the mild and inoffenfive religion of Brama, and the manners inculcated by it, attracted the notice of philofophers. 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 clafs of men more inimical to the happiness of mankind: for the foftnefs and effeminacy induced by the climate, and the yielding nature of the foil, which produces almoft fpontaneously, invited the attacks of their more hardy neighbours; and rendered them an easy prey to every foreign invader. Hence we find them fucceffively conquered by: the Perfians, Patans, and Moguls and it is probable, that, like the Chinese, they have feldom had a dynasty of kings, from among their own countrymen. The accounts of 22 centuries ago, repre-. fent the Indians as a people who flood very high in point of civili-zation 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. fimilar 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 firft only to Natolia ; which took the name of LESSER ASIA, afterwards,, when ASIA was applied to all the known parts of that continent.

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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 juft to the point requifite for useful purposes; but never to have approached the fummit of perfection, as it refpects tafte, or boldness of defign.

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...The principal monuments of Hindoo fuperftition are found in the peninfula. Some have concluded from this, and from other circumftances, that, the original feat of the Hindoo religion, was there. Others, perhaps with more appearance of probability, fuppofe it to have originated on the banks of the Ganges. Monuments of a fuperftition, apparently anterior to the Hindoo, exift in the caves of Salfette and Elephanta, two iflands on the western coaft of India: thefe confift of apartments of extenfive dimenfions, 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 Chrift. HERODOTUS, who wrote about 13 years before, appears to have heard but indiftinctly, of any but the western part of it; and that only, by its being tributary to Perfia. He informs us (Book IV.) that Darius Hyftafpes had dispatched Scylax of Caryandra to explore the Indus, about 508 years before Chrift; and that he departed from Cafpatyrus and Pactya, which were fituated near the head of the Indus. Herodotus continues to fay, that the Indians who inhabit towards the north, and border on thefe territories of Cafpatyrus and Pactya, refemble the Bactrians, (that is, their neighbours) in manners:" and are the moft valiant people of all India. The eastern part of India, fays he, is rendered defert by fands: which defcription applies only to the country lying east of the Indus, and fouth of the PANJAB *: and this fhews 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 eaftern branches of the Indus. See page 8o of the Memoir.

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

With respect to Scylax's difcoveries, this is Herodotus's account. "Darius being defirous to know in what part, the Indus (which is the second river that produces crocodiles) runs into the fea, fent Scylax of Caryandra, with others of approved fidelity, to make the discovery. They departed in divers fhips from Cafpatyrus, and the territories of Pactya*; failed down the river, eastward to the fea; and then, altering their courfe to the weft, 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 fubdued the Indians, and became mafter of that fea." Herod. Book IV. In another place, in the fame book, he takes notice of fome Indian nations, fituated to the fouthward, very remote from the Perfian conquefts; and whofe complexions were as black as Ethiopians: these ought to be the people of the peninfula. He had also learned that they killed no animals, but contented themfelves with the produce of the earth: that they expofed 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 ftory of Alexander's fuppofing that he had discovered the head of the Nile, when he was at the Indus? Are we to fuppofe that Ariftotle 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 difcoveries. of Scylax, made within 180 years of his own time, and of a kind.

I conclude that Paya,, is the modern Pehkely. See pages 108 and 116 of the Memoir. Some have fuppofed Cafpatyrus to mean Camere: but this is improbable, from its fituation," which is remote from the Indus,

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

The story of Alexander's furprise at seeing the tides in the Indus, appears to me equally improbable; seeing that the fame Herodotus (Book II.) speaks very particularly of the tides in the Red fea; and describes them as being not only ftrong, 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 fo high, as in other rivers of equal bulk, and that run on fo finall a defcent; but nevertheless, as the tide is perceptible at 50 or 60 miles above the river's mouth *, we may conclude that it could hardly efcape the notice of Alexander and his people, in their voyage from Pattala to the fea fuppofing they had not been apprized of the circumftance. Befides, Arrian's account of the coming in of the tide, which did so much mischief to the fleet, is defcriptive of the BORE, or fudden influx of the tide, in a body of water, elevated above the common furface of the fea; fuch as occurs in the Ganges, &c. He fays, thofe ships that lay upon the fand, 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 circumftances of the ships fhould be different, in the mud, and on the fand the fact is, that the bottoms of channels, in great rivers, are muddy; while their fhallows are formed of fand and it is the nature of the bore, to take the shortest cut up a river; instead of following the windings of the channel: confequently, it must cross the fand banks it meets in its way; and will also prove more deftructive 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 refided a confiderable 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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