1848.] The Battle Field of Alexander and Porus. 633 



north-west of the latter, extremely precipitous and apparently isolated, 

 but not I think of extent sufficient to agree with Arrian' s description. 

 It is called Elum and stands upon the limit of the Maha Bunn and 

 Sohaut districts. A subordinate summit of the Maha Bunn overhangs 

 Khubl on the west bank of the Indus. It is about 2000 feet higher 

 than the river Indus, peaked at summit, extremely steep and covered 

 with forest. Its name is Aonj which the Greeks would probably write 

 Aornos, but there is no record of its ever having been crowned with a 

 fort, though the remains of a temple are there. The position of Rani 

 ka Kote was pointed out to me. It is one of the inferior processes of 

 the Maha Bunn. There is not a doubt that the sculpture of which 

 fragments remain is Indo-Greek. At the foot of the Maha Bunn on the 

 western brink of the Indus, and at the highest point accessible to an army 

 is the celebrated castle of Umb, the stronghold of the late Poynda Khan 

 and now of his son Jehandad Khan. Mr. Vigne thinks this the Umbo- 

 lima of Arrian which Quintus Curtius writes Ekbolima : but although 

 the position agrees sufficiently well with that of the historian, I have 

 vainly endeavored to discover any rock or village in the neighbourhood 

 called Balimah. Such a rock exists on the western bank of the Jelum, 

 above Dhangulli. It is crowned with a castle or rather Tower, in which 

 Chuttur Singh is said to have deposited his wives. Those who have seen 

 Nicetta assure me there is no hill in the neighbourhood of more than 

 500 feet altitude. 



The disturbed state of the country has for the present put a stop to 

 personal research : but I hope the roads will soon again be open. 



J. Abbott. 



P. S. We must look to the Pushtoo names of places with regard 

 to their identification with those mentioned by the Greek historians. 

 Thus Peyshawur is to this day called Peykawur, in Pushtoo, i. e. by 

 the Eusafzyes and establishes the right long acknowledged to be the 

 Peukelaotes of Arrian. 



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