416 Aornos. [Wo. 4, 
the hill of Hodi’s castle ; being intercepted by the strong column under 
Craterus, marching from Peshawur direct to Atuk, to prepare boats 
for the transit across the Indus. This column, on its way, took and 
fortified the city Orobatis on the Northern side of the Loondi. This 
city I discovered in ruins, under the name Arabutt. The sites Bajra, 
Ooria, Moosagurh, Umb-balimah near the roots of Mahabunn answer 
well to the sites that must be found near Aornos, but I have heard of 
none such being discovered* near Atuk. 
Thus then stands the case, Raja Hodi’s hill is recommended as being 
near the main ferry of the Indus, and on the river’s brink where scarped 
with abrupt rocks, although no man struck down in ascending it, could 
possibly fall into the Indus as Curtius supposes they fell from Aornos. 
It is liable to objection, as not being near Embolima, Oora, Bazira, 
or Massaga. As not being suited to shelter the people of the plains 
or their cattle, having no grass and little water, and being within an 
hour’s march of the main road. Its only known name cannot by any 
ingenuity be converted into Aornos. It does not in the slightest degree 
resemble a Roman goal, being perfectly accessible from base to sum- 
mit on the river face. Its height is not a fourth of that reckoned 
by Arrian, nor a tenth of the height assigned to Aornos by Diodoros. 
Being visible from base to summit from Atuk, Alexander could never 
have required a guide at an expenditure of 80 talents, to show him 
the road up. It has at summit no ground on which the 220 Horse 
which accompanied Alexander up Aorncs could act. Nor can we ima- 
gine any reason why it should be called the Rock, bemg no more 
formidable, no less accessible than thousands of scrubby hills of like 
figure scattered all over Asia. 
When (according to Arrian,) the fortified hill city Bazira had 
been evacuated by its defenders, who fled with others of the plains for 
refuge to Aornos, and when Alexander, fired with emulation of his 
great ancestor Hercules, had determined upon attacking that rock ; 
he established garrisons in the cities Ora and Massaga, and secured 
with a wall the city Bazira. Meanwhile Hephaistioon and Perdikkas, 
whom he had despatched from Nikaia, (Jullalabad,) direct to Peshawur 
and the river indus, walled and garrisoned Orobatis (Arabutt on 
north bank of Loondi) and reached the Indus to prepare boats for 
* There is a Bazaar, not very far from the Loondi river, but it is on a 
flat and Bajira was built on a hill, &e. 
