THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 



455 



The expedition of Alexander into India was, of all events, 

 that which moil threatened the deftruction of the commerce 

 of the Continent, or the difperfing it into different channels 

 throughout the Eall : Firft, by the deflruelion of Tyre, which 

 znuft have, for a time, annihilated the trade by the Arabian 

 Gulf; then by his march through Egypt into the country of 

 the Shepherds, and his intended further progrefs into Ethio 

 pia to the head of the Nile. If we may judge of what we hear 

 of him in that part of his expedition, we mould be apt not to 

 believe, as others are fond of doing, that he had fchemes of 

 commerce mingled with thofe of conquefts. His anxiety 

 about his own birth at the Temple of Jupiter Ammon, this 

 firft queftion that he afked of the prieft, " Where the Nile 

 had its fource," feemed to denote a mind bufied about other 

 objects ; for elfe he was then in the very place for informa- 

 tion, being in the temple of that horned god *, the deity of 

 the Shepherds, the African carriers of the Indian produce ; 

 a temple which, though in the midft of fand, and deftitute 

 of gold or filver, poffeffed more and better information con- 

 cerning the trade of India and Africa, than could be found 

 in any other place on the Continent. Yet we do not hear 

 of one queftion being made, or one arrangement taken, re- 

 lative to opening the India trade with Thebes, or with Alex- 

 andria, which he built afterwards. 



After having viewed the main ocean to the fouth, he 

 ordered Nearchus with his fleet to coaft along the Perfian 

 Gulf, accompanied by part of the army on land for their 

 mutual aififtance, as there were a great many liardfhips 



i which. 



* Lucan, lib. 9. vrr. 515, 



