1852.] On the Sites of Nikaia and Boukephalon. 237 



to encounter. Hahl, from avXrj, a sheepcote. Mootial, from /jlotou), to 

 dress wounds. Munda, from /xwSos, silent. Wuddala, on the river's 

 brink, from uSaAea watery. Pundor and Pundora, quasi iravSwpa, 

 (richly endowed,) so named perhaps from some Grecian woman. 

 Boorial (North of the river), from /?opeios, Northern. Bersati from 

 pvpaa, a hide, or skin for rafts. All Alexander's cavalry were wafted 

 over upon such rafts. Kokur, from kwkiko, to lament. Even Nokodur 

 upon the Western brink of the river basin, may be a corruption of 

 NiKcua, though not, I think, the Nakaia we are seeking, which ought 

 to be upon the Eastern bank. 



It is very true that all these have Hindi terminals, and that many are 

 Hindi or Persian words. But, on the other hand, what has become of 

 the names of the towns and villages founded by the Greeks in this 

 country during a period of a thousand years. We find in the old 

 sites, their coins, their sculptures, their years, covering that period of 

 their dominion ; but only in a single instance* have I met with a 

 Greek name unchanged. Even Alexander's capital in Huzara is Sikun- 

 durpoor, which is a translation of Alexandria. We all know the ob- 

 stinacy of Hindus in modifying the names of persons and places to 

 suit their own palate. There is no reason why a Hindu should not 

 pronounce Aluksundur. But he will not. He translates it inevitably 

 into Sikundur. The Greeks born in the country and using the Hindi 

 tongue much more generally than their own Greek, would find it more 

 convenient to accommodate themselves to the ear of the people of the 

 country, than to insist upon their own pronunciation of Greek names. 



In comparing together the two great battles fought upon the Jelum, 

 we are struck with certain resemblances. Porus had, according to 

 Arrian, 30,000 foot, 4,000 horse, chariots 300, and 200 elephants. 

 Alexander had wafted over in time for the action, about 14,000 men 

 in all ; on foot 6,000, horse 5,000, archers and slingers 3000. Now 

 Slier Singh at Chillianwala, not having been joined by the Peshawur 



* This instance is curious and to the purpose. It occurs in an obscure corner 

 of the basin of the Indus, far up amongst the independent Pathans — i. e. about 

 fifty miles above Umb. I stumbled upon it in tracing the course of the Chinese 

 traveller Hiangh Tsang— a remarkable rock is there called Tahitta Butt Kephale 

 Boas, to this day. It is, I fancy, a mass of white quartz. There was a village in 

 that spot, but it was destroyed by the cataclysm of the Indus. 



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