1854.] Gradus ad Aornon. 335 



dent. It is very true tltat au Owra is said to exist in Soliaut not 

 far from Massagorh, and that a Beejapoor is said to exist in the 

 Abakhail valley. But I have not been able to discover any Aornos 

 near either of these : and, as I have before observed, if Aornos be 

 not close to the Indus we have absolutely no clue to its discovery. 



If we try these routes by the narrative of Curtius we shall lead Alex- 

 ander by route the 1st or second into Bajor, thence to the Koh i Mohr 

 Baba, which in following Curtius, we must identify with Mt. Meros. 

 He would then have crost the Sohaut Sinde into eastern Sohaut and 

 after visiting Doodial and the Kaldura (Daedala and Acadera*) have 

 past south to Ashtnugr, where recrossing the Qwur Asup (Choaspes) 

 he would have been in the valley of Shubdudr and from thence have 

 proceeded north to Massagorh. But it is difficult to believe that such 

 could have been his course : — that he should have left Sohaut half 

 conquered to visit Ashtnugr, or that, wishing to besiege Massaga 

 and having collected his war-engines for the purpose, he should 

 have needlessly recrossed the river Choaspes in order to get a road 

 impracticable to his war engines. Curtius therefore lends us no aid. 

 And if the position of Massaga in my sketch be correct, even 

 Arrian's narrative must be regarded as a general account of the 

 operations, not as copied from the journals of those who accom- 

 panied the army. 



It appears to me probable that the real course of Alexander from 

 Julalabad (Nikaia) was to Lalpur, thence to Shubqudr. Then across 

 the Issupqwur or Qwur Issup (Easpla or Choaspes) to the district 

 of Ashtnugr to subdue and govern which and the Shubqudr Doaba 

 he left Krateros and others for awhile whilst he pushed on by 

 a forced march to surprise Birikot the ancient capital of Sohaut. 

 That there completing the conquest of eastern Sohaut he recrossed 

 the Sohaut Sinde before its junction with the Punjgowra, besieged 

 and took Massagorh in the country of the Assazye and Gowr, and 

 not till then crossed the Punjgowra to subdue Bajor. He would 

 then be at leisure to visit Oond and Bajra (Oora and Bazira) and 



* It is remarkable that not only in Sahout, but also in the Eusufzye close to 

 Bajra and Oond (Bazira and Oora) we have a Uotala and a Kaldurra, see the map. 



2 y 2 



