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some other streams that descend from the northern mountains, an- 

 ciently yielded gold-dust*." 



As this maritime expedition was entrusted to a Greek admiral, 

 the account of it by a Greek writer is most likely to be correct. 

 The Persian historian, however, makes little mention of it ; he only 

 observes, that Asfendiar, the son -of Hystaspes; on his return from 

 the conquest of Turan, crossed the mountains of Caucasus, with 

 intent to survey the Indian Ocean, and compel the princes border- 

 ing on the Indus to renounce idolatry and embrace the reformed 

 religion of Zeratusht-\-. If this prince pursued his march so far 

 southward as to reach the shore of Cuzzurat, washed by the Indian 

 Sea, his line of conquest must have been extensive indeed, and 

 satisfactorily accounts for the large annual tribute obtained by this 

 vast acquisition of territory to the Persian crown : most probably, 

 however, the fleet in question attended the progress of the invading 

 army, and, as much as possible, facilitated its motions and assisted 

 its operations. 



Although we did not think it necessary to enter into any par- 

 ticular detail concerning the events of the Ionian war, commenced 

 at- the beginning ^of this reign, because not immediately con- 

 nected with those of the Indian history, yet, before we close our 

 review of the life of Hystaspes, it is important to notice that his 

 dispute, or, rather, the disputes of the governors who commanded 

 in the distant provinces that bordered on Greece, with that war- 

 like people, was the certain, though remote, origin of all those 

 violent contests which afterwards convulsed the two states, and ul- 

 timately terminated in the subversion of the Persian empire. The 

 immense distance of the Grecian republics from the capital of 

 Persia, from which they were separated by the great Tauric range 



* Kennel's Memoir, p. 25, edit. 1788. f Mirkhond apud Texeira, p. J8. 



