CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN INDIA. 113 



century. There were many Hindus at Jle.vandi^iay 

 according to Ptolemy, who lived in the beginning 

 of the tliird century. The inhabitants of Europe, at 

 an early period, did by no means show so much 

 readiness in leaving their native homes to visit dis- 

 tant countries, and particularly India. We are told 

 that Pythagoras and Democritus visited the 

 Hindu sages ; but these accounts are delivered in too 

 vague a manner, to deserve any credit. 



The first European upon record, who visited India, 

 is ScYLAx, a Greek and experienced seaman, sent by 

 Darius Hystaspes above 500 years B. C. to explore 

 India. For this purpose he went to Caspatyrus or 

 Caspapyrus, now Coshabpoor upon the Hydaspes, called 

 also Indus, and by the Hindus the lesser Sindhu 

 or Si?idh. Having made the necessary arrangements, 

 he sailed down a large river, which flowed toward 

 the east, and then he entered the ocean, and re- 

 turned by the way of the Red Sea,, and sailed to the 

 bottom of it, where his voyage ended, after a circum- 

 navigation, both on the river and by sea, of two and 

 thirty months. This river is unfortunately called the 

 Indus by Herodotus ; otherwise, from the particu- 

 lars, such as the course of that river, and the time 

 tliat his circumnavigation lasted, one would suppose 

 that it was the Ganges; and indeed many learned 

 men are of that opinion. 



The next European who visited India was the phi- 

 losopher Ph^don, about 430 years B. C. but it was 

 not an act of his own. He is said to have been an 

 Elean, probably because he was a native of Eka in 

 the lesser ^^/«. It is recorded of him, that he was 

 taken, and detained by Indians and afterwards sold 

 by them as a slave. It is probable, that he liad been 



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