1852.] On the Sites of Nikaia and Boukephalon. 263 



incense as was his custom ; and having refreshed at the Indus came to 

 Taxila, a large and wealthy city, the greatest of those between the 

 Indus and Hydaspes," &c. "And there again Alexander burnt incense 

 in Taxila, as was his custom, and instituted gymnasia and horse 

 races, &c. but having sent back Koinos's son, Polemocrat, to the river 

 Indus that he might break up the boats, &c." 



No one reading these passages can resist the conviction, that Alex- 

 ander marched from the ferry of the Indus to Taxila. Strabo does 

 not indicate the position of Taxila, saying only that "the Macedo- 

 nians in the spring descended from the mountains of the Musikani to 

 the plains and to Taxila, a large city." Pliny does not mention the 

 city, but mentions the people Taxila beyond the river Indus. Plutarch, 

 in his life of Alexander, mentions only the country of Taxiles as being 

 the most fertile, abounding in excellent pasture, and described by 

 some as equal in extent to Egypt. Chuch is celebrated for its fertility, 

 the Indus formerly abounded in islands covered with pasture and with 

 forests, and the Dunni district is still celebrated for its breed of horses. 



In searching for the lost Taxila I found upon the right bank of the 

 river Hurroh, N. West of Hussun Ubdal, the ruins of a town of which 

 the name seems to be wholly lost. It is called now, like many other 

 deserted sites, Kolia, or the ruins. It stood upon the old* high road 

 from Rawulpindi to Atuk ; a road which for many years has been 

 closed by the depredations of the Tarkhailis of Gundgurh, through 

 the skirt of which mountain the road was led. The site is very 

 cheerful on the high bank overhanging the river. The size of this 

 town may have been about that of Hussun Ubdal. The stones of the 

 old building have been used to build some modern huts and Tukhias. 

 One of these has an inscription, a copy of which is appended. It is 

 possible that with leisure I may be able to recover some more of the 

 characters, traces of which are visible in a level light. There is little 

 to induce the belief that this was a Greek town. It might however 

 have been Taxila, which was not Greek, although it received a Mace- 

 donian garrison. It still belongs to the Tarkhaili clan. 



* A road much more direct than the preseut and saving a detour of about ten 

 miles. This road might be reopened at little expense. I brought my laden camels 

 through it. 



