Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/94

 66 ACCOUNT OF INDIA BY STEABO keeps this direction as far as Palibothra (Patna) and the mouth by which it discharges itself into the sea. He calls one of the rivers which flow into it Oidanes, which breeds crocodiles and dolphins. Some other cir- cumstances besides are mentioned by him, but in so confused and negligent a manner that they are not to be regarded. To these accounts may be added that of Mkolaos Damaskenos. This writer states that at Antioch near Daphne, 1 he met with ambassadors from the Indians, who were sent to Augustus Caesar. From the letter it appeared that several persons were mentioned in it, but only three, whom he says he saw, survived. The rest had died, chiefly in consequence of the length of the journey. The letter was written in Greek upon a skin; the im- port of it was that Poros was the writer; that although he was sovereign of six hundred kings, he nevertheless esteemed the friendship of Caesar highly; and that he was willing to allow him a passage through his country, in whatever direction he pleased, and to assist him in any undertaking that was just. Eight naked servants, with girdles around their waists and fragrant with perfumes, presented the gifts which were brought. The presents were a Hermes (i. e. a man) born without arms, whom I have seen, large snakes, a serpent ten cubits in length, a river unimportant town in the pashalic of Aleppo, the modern name of which is still Antakieh. In ancient times it was distinguished either as An- tioch on the Orontes, because it was situated on the left bank of that river, or as Antioch near Daphne, because of a celebrated grove of Daphne, which was consecrated to Apollo.