214 On the Sites of Nikaia and Boukephalon. [No. 3. 



On the Sites of Nikaia and Boukephalon. By Major James 

 Abbott, Boundary Commissioner, Punjab. 



In a Map of the Punjab of A. D. 1849, dedicated by Arrowsmith 

 to Baron Hiigel, which appears to be an edition of that Topographist's 

 former admirable chart disarranged and vitiated by the subsequent 

 blunders of travellers, I observe that the site of Nicsea (meaning of 

 course Alexander's city, Nikaia), is placed upon both banks of the 

 Hydaspes, about a mile and half below Russool. 



In another map of the Punjab published by Walker, I observe a 

 site or fort designated Tukht i Sikundur (i. e. Alexander's Throne), 

 about 6 miles S. East of Jelum, on the Eastern bank of the Hydaspes. 

 The latter site caught the eye of one whose authority every soldier 

 must reverence, and led that highly-gifted genius to surmise, that this 

 Tukht i Sikundur marked the crossing of Alexander when invading 

 the dominions of Poms. Finding myself in the neighbourhood of 

 both spots, I have carefully explored the ground and cross-questioned 

 the inhabitants as to their traditions. 



The Chuk Sikundur, then, (or, hamlet of Alexander, for Tukht (or, 

 the throne), is a pure invention of the Topographist,) is the ruin of a 

 small mud castle, built by the Sikhs upon the site of a hamlet of that 

 name, about fifty yards long by thirty wide ; standing upon the 

 elevated soil at the eastern edge of the basin of the Hydaspes, and 

 distant about two miles from the river. The hamlet received its name 

 from the founder, one Sikundur Khan, a Mogul of Delhi, who about 

 seven generations back came and dwelt there. His descendants still 

 occupy his rights, and are happy to show their mud huts to the 

 traveller, who may have been led thither by the blunders of Topo- 

 graphists. It is called Chuk, or, the hamlet, because subordinate to 

 the main village, Sikundurpoor, standing close to it. The coins pro- 

 cured for me from this site by means of handsome rewards, are all of 

 dates greatly posterior to the Greek dynasties, Thus vanishes for ever 

 the legend of the Tukht i Sikundur. 



I have examined most carefully every village and old site upon the 

 eastern bank of the Hydaspes, from old Jelum (Nikaia) to the site 

 lately adopted by Arrowsmith as Nikaia, about a mile and half South 



