48 ESSAY ON 



but, from Ptolemy's context, it was also the name 

 of an extensive countiy, the capital of which is 

 called NcijyIos, perhaps from Aniruddha, or from Na- 

 reda ; for there are in India places called Amirodgur, 

 and Naredcote. Nardos, or Nardon, is perhaps a cor- 

 ruption only from Radhan,^ the old name of Amar- 

 piiri, according to Col. Symes. As the Spike-Jiard 

 does not grow in the countries to the east of the 

 Burrampootcr, according to Mr. Buchanan's infor- 

 mation, no alteration is to be made in this passage 

 from Ptolemy. 



From the metrojjolis of Cliina, says Ptolemy, 

 there was a road leading to Cattigara, in the same 

 countiy o^ Cambodia, in a S. W. direction. 



The Royal road, from the banks of the Indus to 

 Palibotkra, may be easily made out from Pliny's 

 account, and from the Fcutingerian tables. Accord- 

 ing to DiONYSius Periegetes, it was called also 

 the Nyssaan road, because it led from Palibothra to 

 the famous city of Nysa. It had been traced out 

 witli particular care, and at the end of every Indian 

 itinerary measure there was a small column erected. 

 ISIkgasthenes does not give the name of this Indian 

 measure, but says that it consisted of ten stades. 

 This, of course, could be no other than the astrono- 

 mical, or Panjdbi coss ; one of which is equal to 

 \Mo British miie. 



Pliny's account of this royal road is, at first 

 sight, most extravagant, and, of course, inadmissible. 

 But on considering the whole with due attention, 

 we shall immediately perceive, that in the original, 

 from which it was extracted, it consisted of two 

 distinct accounts or reckonings : the first was, that 

 of the intermediate distances between every 

 stage ; and the second contained the aggregate sum 

 ol thicse distances for every stage. Pliny, whose 

 inaccuracy is notorious, selected out of them only 



