348 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



defeat the Rajpoots in their endeavours to penetrate 

 into Southern India. 



Soon after the period of Alexander's invasion, further 

 dislocations took place : a portion of the Cuthai (Cathai), 

 however, remained, but the Malli, it seems, were already 

 driven to the southern Ghauts, probably by Arachosian 

 or Affghan conquerors, who, for many ages, held sway 

 from the sources of the Cophis or Cabul River, across 

 the Indus, to the Hyphasis or Sutleje, and caused the 

 Indian empire to be regarded as extending westward 

 to the confines of Persia. Most of the tribes, whose 

 names occur in the histories of Alexander, and that 

 can now be deciphered in Indian geography, are no 

 longer in the plains, but form clans in the mountains. 



The variously mixed races from the north west, and 

 north east, with the aboriginal Papua tribes, can be 

 traced by the deepening colour of their skins towards 

 the south, and by the greater remains of true Papua 

 features, taking into account anomalies of circum- 

 stances. It is so, likewise, with the influx of Sanscrit ; 

 becoming less prominent in the south, where Pali pre- 

 vails, and it is also marked by the Brahmanic system 

 of religion, the Yedanta creed becoming more and 

 more modified by other idolatries, and by the Budha 

 doctrines taking refuge in Ceylon, where it appears 

 to have incorporated a whole native demonolatry. 

 This last religious institution was, with its Naga 

 worship, no doubt, established during the period when 

 the peninsula of India was still in the power of the 

 Papua tribes, and was sufficiently exciting to have 



