Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/105

 86 own caste, or to exchange one profession or trade for another, or to follow more than one business. An exception is made in favour of the philosopher, who for his virtue is allowed this pri- vilege. fragm. xxxrv. Strab. XV. 1. 50-52,— pp. 707-709. Of the administration of public affairs. Of the use of Horses and Elephants. (Fragm. XXXIII. has preceded this.) (50) Of the great officers 6f state, some have charge of the market, others of the city, others of the soldiers. Some superintend the rivers, mea- sure the land, as is done in Egypt, and inspect the sluices by which water is let out from the main canals into their branches, so that every one may have an equal supply of it. "The same persons have charge also of the huntsmen, and are en- trusted with the power of rewarding or punishing them accoiding to their deserts . They collect the taxes, and superintend the occupations connect- ed with land, as those of the woodcutters, the carpenters, the blacksmiths, and the miners. 'They construct roads, and at every ten stadia§ set up a pillar to show the by-roads and dis- tances. *Those who have charge of the city are § From this it would appear that ten stadia were eqnal to some Indian me&sore of distance, which mnst have been the Icfd^a or Icosa. If the stadium be taken at 202i yards, this would give 2022^ yards for the kos, agreeing with the shorter kos of 4,000 hUhs, in nse in the Paijdb, and till lately, if not still, in parts of Bengal.^ED. Ind, AnU Digitized by Google