WESTERN HINDOOSTAN. 5 



I SHALL now mention the route for which the ancients were 

 indebted to the Macedon'mn hero, who, after paffing the paro- 

 pamifan CaucafuSy founded a city on the fouth-eaft fide of the 

 Gherg'ijlan mountains, or Hindoo Kbo, or the Indian Caucafus, 

 and called it Alexandria, in honor of himfelf. Alexander Alexandria. 

 palTcd this way in his purfuit oiBeJfus, and returned by the 

 fame road on his invafion of India. It is probable, that Alex- 

 andria was founded on the firft expedition, in order to fecure 

 his return into a country, the conqueft of which he had fo 

 much at heart. According to Mr. Rennel, it appears to have 

 been in Lat. 34°, oppofite to the modern Bamian, which ftands 

 on the north-weft fide of Caucafus. Here, according to fluintus 

 Curtius, lib. vii. c. 3. he left feven thoufand old Macedonian 

 foldiers, and a number worn out in the fervice. Arrian, I. p. 230, 

 fays that he appointed Proexes, a noble Perjian, Governor, and 

 Niloxenus, Commilfary of the array. Alexandria continued long 

 an emporium of the goods pf India, the termination of the 

 commercial views of the Europeans, till it was fuperfeded by 

 the rife of Candabar, and CabuL It feems to have had to it two 

 roads ; the one diredt, and the fame with the courfe taken by 

 Alexander in his way from the Cafpian fea to his purfuit of 

 Bejfus and his Indian conqueft, through Aria, the modern Herat, Herat. 

 which was, till the latter ages, a place of great ftrength and great 

 commercial note. In courfe of ages, it fuffered all the calami- 

 ties to which the cities of the eaft are peculiarly incident; 

 but it often emerged. Abdulkurreem* faw it in 1740, on his 

 return, in a moft diftrefsful ftate : the very ground floors of the . 

 houfes were ploughed up, and fown with grain ; but he fpeaks 



* A noble Caflimerian who attended Kouli Khan on his return from India. See p. 24 of 

 his Memoirs. 



of 



