'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎255] (278/448)

Extent of Alexanders
/.madayad, which made it near a thoufand miles e're he could attain the
which is not improbable, that thereby he might have a view of his Navy,whichasmoft
imagine failed little beyond Swattey roadorCWi near which place is a valt Cave cut
by great labour out of a Rock, which after Ages held facred: Under it is a Spring of
frefti Water very deep. Some name this place A which as relates is beau-
tified with many Statuas, and fuppofed the work of JLlexandery who ( as Arrian in his
feri^lm obferves) made many great intrenchments, and ereded fundry Temples, Altars
and other matters of admiration, meerly to preferve the memory of his Conquefts in
thofe remote parts for future Generations: albeit the diredion Alexander gave his Ad
miral feems to inferr that fome of the Fleet adventured as far as the Gulph of BemaU •
for he commanded him to feta compafs about and to leave India upon the right hand
which he could not do without doubling the Promontory called Ca^e Comrhyn, as we read
in Tint. Jfita Alexandria And by the relation which Onefecritm gave may be thought
that he difcovered Taprobane. So that if the Fleet onely coafted as far as Chanl, or Goa,
or Cocheevy or Galliciit y in returning they muft confequently leave the Indian coaft upon
the right*, but the diredions he gave to compafs about has a greater latitude, andfeem-
ingly a contrary fignification. Befides, when Nearchus failed to the bottom of the Per-
pan Gulph (leaving his Fleet near Balfora J he found Alexander difporting himfelf a little
before his death upon the Euphrates, and amongft other ftrange things which he then
related, mention is made of an Hand that had plenty of gold which probably was Tapro-
hane. But this inqueft being to difcover the extent of Alexander's march, I jfhall onelv
follow that.
THny writes that Hypafis India fluvim Alex, fmt terminus. Now to find that River is
no lefs difficult. I fuppofe it is the fame which Fhilojlratm vita Apoll. Thian. mentions
in that memorable expedition Bacchus and Hercules made into thofe Oriental Countreys
when they Were oppofed by the Oxidracans, people inhabiting between the Rivers Hy-
phafis (the fame no doubt with Hypafis, though it want the afpiration) and Ganges, being
by ( artificial) thunder and lightning forced to retreat. This mofl underftand to be Ord
nance, which the Eaftern world pretend to have had the knowledge of many hundred
years before Swart the German Franciscan Fryar in his Chymick Experiments invented
about the Year 1330. Hypafis in my opinion is no other than Hydajpis now called Hy~
rot is, and Bodafpi the fame which Straho calls Hypanis, Vltra quam Alex, progredi non an-
fm eft, beyond which Alexander marched not: but Vtolomy in his 10 T ah. Afia calls it Bi-
bafis, and from Imaus makes it flow into Indus fuh 35 degr. And the ignorance we are
in concerning the Oxidracans Countrey makes the queft ft ill more dark-, for that they
were of India is evident: Albeit fome there be that place them amongft the Oxiani in
Mergiana, the Oxiatri in Scythia, and the Oxidranca whom Ptolomy finds inhabiting near
the 5^'^ Mountains in the latitude of 46 degr. Therefore feeing in the Life of Ale
xander, that fighting againft the Oxidracans, from the Parapet Alexander gave a thun-
dring leap (asPlutarch calls it) into the Town, and amongft the thickeft of the Enemy
expofed his fingle Perfon for a little time, and notwithftanding the admiration the Bar
barians were in of his attempt had perifhed, had not his Men (fearlefs in that exigent
of the greateft danger) to refcue their General taken it by ftorm: though the Name dif
fer, the ftory does not from that already mentioned againft the Mallians. Now that the
Mallians or Mailt are thofe we now call Malua ( not much varying in the Name ) 'twixt
Indm and Goujurat, 4s apparent: which granted, then it will follow that Alexander was
not fo far Eaft as Ganges, albeit Craterus his Favourite and of great.Command in the
Army, in a Letter which he writ unto his Mother Ariftopatra then in Gracia concern-
ing their march, reports that Alexander was advanced into India as far as Ganges : with
which Lncan feems to agree*, for having fpoken of Ganges in lib. 3. he fubjoyns.
Here Alexander flopped, being taught to find, Hie, ubi Pelkus poft Tytheos xquora Dudof
T'he World was larger than his boimdlef mind* Coaftitit, & magno vinci fe laffus ab orbe
And in the 10. lib* by like Poetical authority fpeaking of Alexander,
7 Mongfl thofe ftrange floods that bloody did appear j ignotos mifcuit amnes
The Perfian 'Phrat, and Indian Ganges were. PerfarumEuphraten, IndorumfanguiaeGanged-
Notwithftanding which, obferving the courfe of Hiftory, it appears, how that after his
fight with Porus he paft down Indus, where he ftaid two Months to refrefh his Men, and
withal to obferve the Ocean: But it is writ that in the other five he fubdued the Brach-
mans