1863. | Aornos. 411 
felled in the Mahapunn, ere he could cross. He was not, therefore 
(as our great Military authority supposed,) in any hurry to approach 
the Indus ; but was steadily conquering the country of the Asufzye 
and the valley of Swat, conquering in order to retain possession, not 
merely to ravage and destroy. So that although it might have flat- 
tered his pride to dispute with Hercules the prize of valour, it was 
quite reconcileable with his prudence to reduce that stronghold, with- 
out which the Asupzye could never be effectually subdued. 
Unless greatly mistaken, we have fully answered all the objections of 
the unknown Military authority. We now come to Mr. Loewenthal’s 
reasons for thinking that the castle of Hodi near Atuk on the farther 
brink of the Indus is the veritable Aornos. 
The unknown authority already quoted goes on to say, “The hill 
above Khyrabad is not only a most conspicuous point for friend and 
foe, but also one that must be taken before a passage of the Indus at 
Atuk would be attempted by an invading force.” 
The castle of Hodi is conspicuous enough ; it occupies the summit 
of a hill about 600 feet high, standing on the river’s brink about a 
mile below the crossing. But as, according to Mr. Loewenthal’s 
account, it could be entered only from the river side, a very small 
force would have sufficed to keep its garrison prisoners to their 
castle. And I must deny that any garrison, armed with spear, sword, 
shield, bow and arrow, could have impeded the crossing of such an 
army as Alexander’s from Hodi’s castle. Supposing, however, that 
this castle was then in existence, (of which there is not the slightest 
probability,) and that the Asupzye had fled thither from Bazira, Ora 
and the rest of the cities of the plains, Alexander might probably 
have deputed Ptolemy or one of his other Captains to reduce it. But 
we can see nothing in the castle itself, nor in the paltry hill on which 
it stands, to justify either the repulse of Hercules or the ambition 
of Alexander to be its captor. 
The next supposed point of resemblance is itsname. Its veritable 
name is Raja Hodi ki killa, the castle of Raja Hodi, and it has no other. 
But as Atuk is often called Benares Atuk, just as Chuch is called 
Chuch Benares, Mr. Loewenthal assumes that Raja Hodi’s castle 
may have been called Benares, in order that it may be reduced, first 
to Varanas and from thence to Aornos. We think that such a chain 
of suppositions will scarcely answer to identify the contemptible hill 
