ANCIENT INDIA. 



29 



of imagination seems necessary to form an idea of how 

 offensive old Palibothra must have been. Tientsin in 1861 

 supplied an apt illustration to our officers and troops, who 

 during that and the previous year occupied that port situated 

 in Petchili not far from Peking. 



6. Armies on the march.— Dvocing the Yedic period an 

 army on the march presented a motley appearance. Taking 

 Krishna's following as an example, there were in his camp 

 an indefinite number of tradesmen and artisans, of women 

 of the lowest character, gay women, flower women, milk 

 women, serpent charmers, monkey leaders, all kinds of pedlers 

 and show men, — all, be it observed, presenting elements 

 the most favorable for the development and propagation of 

 epidemic disease. When many centuries afterwards Sandra- 

 cottus started from Palibothra, whether on a hunting or 

 warlike expedition, he was attended by Yavana women, 

 armed with bows in their hands and wearing garlands of 

 wild flowers. On such occasions soldiers were supplied by 

 the State with horses, elephants and waggons, all being 

 returned by them (or accounted for ?) after a campaign. 

 Every elephant carried four men, namely, the driver and 

 three archers ; every chariot three men, namely, the driver 

 and two fighting men. On the line of march these chariots 

 were drawn by oxen, the horses belonging to them being held 

 by a halter, so that their spirit might not be damped or their 

 legs chafed and inflamed. Just before action the bullocks 

 were taken from the chariots, and the horses then yoked to 

 them. 



In later times the march of an Indian army has been thus 

 described : "In their march and encampment there is the 

 utmost confusion ; when it is necessary to halt, the great object 

 is the facility of getting water ; a large supply is not every- 

 where to be obtained, particularly at certain times of the year, 

 and whole armies have been reduced to the greatest distress 



