312 Gradus ad Aornon. [No. 4. 



city Nikaia and there sacrificed to Minerva. Then he advanced to the 

 river Koopheen, sending heralds to Taxiles and those bordering the 

 Indus, commanding them to meet him on his advance. 



It is very important to identify this Nikaia, of the name of 

 which all traces seem to have disappeared from the country. For- 

 tunately the travels of the Chinese Hiuan Tsang supposed to have 

 been made in the 6th century of our era, throw some light upon the 

 locality. In the Journal of this Society, we have two commentaries 

 upon these travels, the one by Major W. Anderson, the other by 

 Capt. A. Cunningham. 



This traveller entering India from Cabul passes Lanpho, which 

 both commentators identify as Lumghaun. Thence passing South- 

 East a great chain (of mountains) for the distance of 100 Li (or 

 17 miles) he arrives at Na,ko,lo,ho — the Northern limit of India, 

 on all sides girt with mountains, and having three stoupas or topes, 

 two the work of Asoka. 



This place Major Anderson identified with Nungnuhar, the an- 

 cient name of the Julalabad district, and Capt. Cunningham iden- 

 tifies it with the Nungnihar, or Nagara or Diomisopolis of Ptolemy 

 and the Nusa of Alexander's historians. Now the Nusa of Curtius 

 had tombs of cedar and was colder than other places passed by the 

 Macedonians who had just surmounted the snowy ridge of Par op a- 

 misas. It is certain that cedar groves could never have flourished 

 in the valley of Julalabad where the hot winds blow, and that 

 Jullalabad must have been the hottest spot yet found in their route. 

 Alexander, according to Arrian, came to Nusa after visiting Peshawur 

 and the Indus and after the capture of Aornos. The site of Julal- 

 abad will therefore answer neither historian's account of Nusa. 

 But in the name Nungnihar we have undoubtedly the Nikaia of 

 Arrian, where Alexander halted to sacrifice to Athene, and the Fines 

 India? of Curtius, where on his arrival the border Chiefs and Princes 

 thronged to worship him as the third of the sons of Jupiter who 

 had come amongst them. 



Julalabad is the natural halting and refreshing-place of all armies 

 marching from Cabul to Peshawur. Here they recruit their sup- 

 plies. Here in the open valley they can suffer their cattle to graze 

 without fear of losing them. It is the limit also at which met in 



