CONCERNING ANCIENT INDIA.

35

two thousand armed chariots 48 ; and Megasthenesrelates, that he had an audience of Sandracottusin a dace where he was encamped with an armyof four hundred thousand men 49 . The enormousdimensions which he assigns to Palibothra, of noless than ten miles in length, and two in breadth,and surrounded by walls in which there were fivehundred and seventy towers, and sixty-four gates,would probably have been ranked by Europeansamong the wonders which he delighted to relate,if they were not rlow well acquainted with therambling manner in which the cities of India arebuilt , and did not know with certainty that,both in former and in the present times, it mightboast of cities still more extensiveThis embassy of Megasthenes to Sandracottus,and another of Daimachus to his son and successorAllitrochidas, are the last transactions of the Syrianmonarchs with India , of which we have anyaccount’ 1 . Nor can we either fix with accuracythe time, or describe the manner in which theirposseffions in India were wrested Irony them. It isprobable that they were- obliged to abandon thatcountry soon after the death of Seleucus’h

But though the great monarchs of Syria lost^about this period,, those provinces in India whichhad been subject to their dominion, the Greeksin a smaller kingdom, composed of some fragments

" Diod. Sicul. lib. xvii. p. 2} 2. Q. Gurt. lib. ix. c. 2." Strabo,lib. xv. p. rojs- C. ’* Rennell, Mem. 49, 50," See NOTE XIV. " Justin, lib. xv. c. 4.

D S

SECT.

I.