NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

196

Captain Hamilton relates, that when he vifited Tatta, norain had fallen for three years before. Memoirs, p 288.—Tamerlane, who, by the vicinity of the feat of his govern-ment to India , had the means of being well informed con-cerning the nature of the country , avoided the error ofAlexander, and made his Indian campaign during the dryfeafon. As Nadir Shah , both when he invaded India , A.D. 1 7 ?8, and in his return next year, marched throughthe fame countries with Alexander, and nearly in the fameline of diredion , nothing can give a more Unking idea of theptrfevering ardor of the Macedonian conqueror, than thedefcription of the difficulties which Nadir Shah had to fur-mount, and the hardfhips which his army endured. ThoughpolTelfed of abfolute power and immenfe wealth, and diftin-guifhed no lefs by great talents than long experience in thecondudt of war , he had the mortification to lofe a great partof his troops in croffing the rivers of the Panjab, in pene-trating through the mountains to the north of India , andin conflidts with the fierce natives inhabiting the countrieswhich ftretch from the banks of the Oxus to the frontiersof Perfia. An interefling account of his retreat and fuffferings is given in the Memoirs of Khojeh Abdulkurreem,a Calhmerian of diltinction, who ferved in his army.

NOTE V. Sect. I. p. 19.

That a fleet fo numerous fhould have been collected iniuch a fhorttime, is apt to appear, at full fight, incredible.Arrian , however, allures us, that in fpecifying this number,he followed Ptolemy , the fon of Lagus , whofe authority heconfidered to be of the greatelt weight, lib. vi. c. $. Butas the Panjab country is full of navigable rivers, on whichall the intercourfe among the natives was carried on, itabounded with veffels ready conftruded to the conqueror’shands, fo that he might eafity collect that number, if wecould give credit to the account of the invafion of India byjSemiramis, no fewer than four thoufand veffels weie affeffib