CONCERNING ANCIENT INDIA.

2 7

him into that compact solid body of infantry, S E c T.known by the name of the Phalanx, which con- j.stituted the strength of a Macedonian army. Butin order to secure entire authority over this newcorps, as well as to render it more effective, heappointed that every officer in it intrusted withcommand, either superior or subaltern, should beEuropean. As the ingenuity of mankind naturally, has recourse in similar situations to the same expe-dients, the European powers, who now in theirIndian territories employ numerous bodies of thenatives in their service, have, in forming the estab-lishment, of these troops, adopted the same maxims;and, probably without knowing it, have model-led their battalions of Seapoys upon the fameprinciples as Alexander did his Phalanx of Persians.

The farther Alexander pushed his conquestsfrom the banks of the Euphrates, which may beconsidered as the centre of his dominions, he foundit necessary to build and to fortify a greater num-ber of cities. Several of these to the East andSouth of the Caspian sea are mentioned by ancientauthors; and in India itself, he founded two citieson the banks of the Hydaspes, and a third onthe Acesines, both navigable rivers, which , afteruniting their streams, fall into the Indus 40 . Fromthe choice of such situations, it is obvious thathe intended, by means of these cities, to keepopen a communication with India, not only byland, but by sea. It was chiefly with a view to

49

See NOTE VIII.