CONCERNING ANCIENT INDIA ir

who recorded events nearer to their own times, SECT.and with respect to which, they had received more I.full and accurate intelligence.

The first establishment of any foreign power inIndia, which can be ascertained by evidence, me-riting any degree of credit, is that of the Persians;and even of this we have only a very general anddoubtful account. Darius, the son of Hystaspes,though raised to the throne of Persia, by chanceor by artifice, possessed such aJlive and enterprisingtalents, as rendered him worthy of that high sta-tion. He examined the different provinces of hiskingdom more diligently than any of his predeces-sors, and explored regions of Asia formerly littleknown 15 . Having subjected to his dominion manyof the countries which stretch south-east from theCaspian sea towards the river Oxus, his curiositywas excited to acquire a more extensive and accu-rate knowledge of India, on which they bordered.

With this view he appointed Scylax of Caryandra oto take the command of a squadron fitted out atCaspatyrus, in the country of Pactya, (the modernPelikely ,) towards the upper part of the navigablecourse of the river Indus, and to fall down its streamuntil he should reach the ocean. This Scylax per-formed, though it should seem with much difficulty,and notwithstanding many obstacles; for he spent noless than two years and six months in conductinghis squadron from the place were he embarked,to the Arabian Gulf". The account which he

IS

I*

Herod. lib. iv. c. 44.

Ibid. c. 42. 44.