1836.] €o7ijectures on the march of Alexander. 393 



These nations declare that they are descendants of the Ghoris, 

 which name resembles greatly that of Gurai, of which notice is taken 

 in history. 



At Jeldldbdd ruins of a considerable extent are to be found : their 

 origin is not, however, known. It is the same with those that may 

 be observed three stages further off, near the defile of the Kheibers, 

 and which are called Pishboulak. These last are situated on the 

 northern range of the chain of Sefidkoh, and not far from thence is 

 the village of Azarno, which one meets in the road from Jeldldbdd 

 to Peshawar. In these ruins are to be found some medals exactly like 

 those of Manikydla ; and from this I am led to believe that these 

 towns must be of equal antiquity. It remains now to discover what 

 were the names by which they were then called. The Muminds 

 appear now to occupy the country of the Assaceni, against whom 

 Alexander marched, after having crossed the Gureeus. This river, 

 which he crossed with great difficulty, appears to me to be the 

 Khonar, a river the stream of which is very rapid and full of 

 polished stones, like the Alumkhar : it flows from Kaferistan. If it 

 be not this river, it must be that of Cdbul itself, which here took the 

 name of Guraeus, from the Ghorseus which inhabited the banks, or 

 rather the Jinde which traverses the country of Bajru. 



From thence Alexander went into the country of Bajru, called 

 by us Bijore. This town is situated 60 kos N. N. W. of Pesha- 

 war : is very ancient, and we may there find many medals like those 

 of Manikyala. It remains to be proved if it is really there that we 

 find the Bazira of the Greeks. This mountainous country is traversed 

 by the river Jinde, which divides it from the canton of Suwdt, and 

 which after having emptied itself into the defiles of the Tengui passes 

 to the west of Ashnagar, throwing itself from thence into that of 

 Cdbul. If Bajor be the Bazira of the Greeks, it is in this country that 

 we must search for the famous mountain of Aornus, the seizure of 

 which was one of Alexander's most brilliant exploits. 



From this country Alexander passed towards the Indus, and took 

 possession of the town and fortress of Peucelaotis, which Heph^estion 

 and Perdiccas had been besieging for upwards of a month. 



Several geographers think that this province is the same as that 

 of Peshdwar. In this case the Malamantus, upon which Peucela was 

 built, is no other than the river Barreh, which flows downwards from 

 the Kheiber mountains, and which loses itself in that of Cdbul. Rennel, 

 led into error by Forster, supposes that Pakkheri, which he calls 

 Pukkholi, was the Peucelaotis of the Greeks. This last town was 

 found at the west of the Indus, whilst Pakkheri was at the east of 

 3 n 



