108 HISTORY OF CASIIM1R. 



chair cTanimal est recommandee, il y ait des anthropophages f and the incon- 

 gruity of several Indian customs as described by the historians and geogra- 

 phers of antiquity is in many other instances no less surprising. The incom- 

 patibility of their accounts with our received notions, has reflected some 

 discredit upon the veracity of the authors, but making due allowance for 

 imperfect information, and a leaning to the marvellous, inseparable from 

 our nature, we have no reason to accuse Megasthenes particularly of un- 

 truth; of this the Madrt or Mardi will furnish us with an illustration: they 



are described along with the other people of the Punjab by Sanscrit autho- 



.... i 



nties, in terms which fully justify the classical writers, and which prove 



that the various restraints of Hindu polity were either unknown to the 

 north western tribes, or were very little regarded by them : a few passages 

 from the Kern a Purva of the Mahdbhdrat will afford to the scholars of Eu- 

 rope an opportunity of instituting a more particular comparison. Karna 

 addresses balya, king of Madra, to the following effect '- 



"An old and excellent Brahman, reviling the countries JBdhlca and Ma- 

 dra in the dwelling of Dhritarashtra, related facts long known, and thus 

 described those nations. External to the Himavdn, and beyond the Ganges, 

 beyond the Saraswati and Yamuna rivers and Curucshetra, between five 

 rivers, and the Sindhu as the sixth, are situated the Bdhicas; devoid of ritual 

 or observance and therefore to be shunned. Their fig-tree is named Gober- 

 d/tana, (i.e. the place of Cow-killing,) their market place is Subhadram, (the 

 place of vending liquor: at least so say the commentators) and these give 

 titles to the door- way of the royal palace. A business of great importance 

 compelled me to dwell amongst the JBalticas and their customs are there- 

 fore well known to me. The chief city is called Sdcdla and the river Apa- 

 gd : the people are also named Jartticas&ndL their customs are shameful i 

 they drink spirits made from sugar and grain, and eat meat seasoned with 

 garlic, and live on flesh and wine : their women intoxicated appear in pub- 

 lic places, with no other garb than garlands and perfumes, dancing and sing- 

 ings and vociferating indecencies in tones more harsh than those of the ca- 

 mel or the ass ; they indulge in promiscuous intercourse, and are under no 



