1842.] from the West and North-west 565 



districts as far as Kandahar in Arachotia,* but it does not appear that 

 he went thither ; on the contrary at a late period of the year 330, b. c. 

 he made the passage over the high ridges between Herat and the Kabool 

 valley, suffering much from cold on the march, and then at the junc- 

 tion of the Punjshuhur and Koh-damun rivers, in the plain of Beghram, 

 near Charikar, he founded the city of Alexandria apud Caucasum, about 

 which there has been so much dispute. Its identity with the Beghram 

 ruins has been established in a latef essay of Major Rawlinson, now at 

 Kandahar, and the whole story of Arrian confirms the site. Here 

 Alexander wintered, and at the first opening of spring in the following 

 year, 329 b. c, crossed the Hindoo Koosh to attack Bessus. I consider 

 it most probable that the passage was made from Charikar by the 

 Gorebund or Purwandura Passes, for Drapsacus, which was attacked 

 immediately after the traverse, was evidently the present Indrab, the 

 fortress which gave so much trouble to Chungeez Khan. 



The immediate effect of this line of operation was to drive Bessus 

 out of the whole country between the Oxus and Hindoo Koosh, and to 



* Arrian is cited as authority for Alexander's having marched by Kandahar to 

 Kabool, and by Bamian to Bulkh, but Arrian only says the Arachotians submitted, not 

 that Alexander ever went into their country. His words are Tavra &£ Sicnrpa- 



Za/uevog 7rpoysi tog em Ba/CTjOct re Kai Br/o-crov, Apayyag re Kai 



Apaytoyovg ev Ty 7rapo$(i) 7rapa^r]Gafxevog. Tlape^rfcraTO $e Kai 



rovg Kpayjwrovg Kai trarpairnv KaTE^rjaev eir avroig Mevwva. 



I&TTTiXOe §E KCU TU)V IvOOJV TOVq 7TpO(T^WpOVQ Apa^OJTOig. SvjJ,- 



iravra &e ravra eOvr] $ia y^iovog $£ 7roAAT}c, Kai Evv airopia 8^C. 



" Having finished these things, he set off for Bactria and Bessus, in the route 

 having established his authority over the Drangae and Dragogi ; he also established his 

 authority over the Arachoti, and appointed Menon their Satrap. He came then into 

 the country of the Indians, bordering on that of the Arachoti, and all these nations he 

 reached through much snow, and in great want of necessary supplies, and with much 

 suffering to the troops." This shews he passed through the Huzara country north of the 

 open plains of Seestan and Kandahar, for in crossing them to the Kabool valley even 

 in October, his army would suffer from extreme cold. He crossed apparently by the 

 route, and in the season, when Babur suffered so much on his return from Herat to 

 Kabool. If the march was made in the season when there is snow at Kandahar, and 

 by that route, the passage to Ghuzni, and especially over the mountains between Ghuzni 

 and Kabool, must have been quite closed. 



f I much regret never having met with this essay, and doubt not that it would have 

 thrown light on many points which are still obscure. 



