of the American Indians, 851 



feet high, artificially raised ; the exterior slope on each side is 

 faced with brick, forming an angle of seventy-two degrees with 

 the Iiorizon ; still the terre-pleine at top is considerable. If 

 ever fire-worship had been prevalent on those plains, I would 

 rather say, that it had the appearance of a grand fire-temple, 

 than a place intended for defence. There is an inscription to 

 commemorate a victory by Prithwaraja over the race of 

 Doda*." The comments of Capt. Tod tend to prove that the 

 Getse have frequently invaded India, and of this fact there 

 can be no doubt ; for we find that when Timur was in India 

 m 1398, after he had ruined Batnir, on the 30th of November ; 

 he, on the 4th of December, encamped in a country inhabited 

 by Getes, who had by force of arms made themselves masters 

 of it a long time ; they robbed and murdered, and had not the 

 least mark of religion ; these wretches hid themselves in woods 

 of trees full of prickles, but the emperor sent a regiment under 

 two lords, who put to the sword near 2000, and loaded others 

 with chainsf /' Thus we find Getes at the very place men- 

 tioned by Captain Tod. It did not suit Timur's policy to 

 allow that even the Patans were of the exact true faith, 

 " although it was written on their coins." The emirs, how- 

 ever, did not countenance this invasion ; Timur, therefore, 

 proposed to seek the sign in the Koran, and they all assented. 

 This sacred verse came forth : "0 Prophet ! fight with the 

 infidels and unbelievers.^' The emirs hung down their heads 

 and were silent. *• I was loth to desist, and my heart was 

 grieved ; but although they had angered me, as they were 

 unanimous at last, I regarded it not];." 



" Oguz Khan conquered Cabul, Cashmir, Tangut, and 

 Cara Kitay, by lake Mohill, between Kitay and the Indies, 

 where the people are as black as Indians : drawing south, he 

 found upon the sea coast among the mountains, a very warlike 

 people, who had a Khan called Itburac, who with a good army 

 constrained him to go back, and post himself for security 

 between two great rivers §. These people were probably of 



• Captain Tod's Comments on a Sanscrit inscription, relaiive to the last Hindoo 



King of Delhi Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. i. p. 1. 



f Sherefeddin, vol. ii. p. 46. J Timur's Institutes, p. 131, 



^ Abul Ghazi, T^^riii. ch.ii. There has always been communication with Ava 



2A2 



