45 



6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



which followed the march of the army by land, and much 

 difficulty and danger attended the Shipping as they were fail- 

 ing in unknown feas againft the monfoons. Nearchus himfelf 

 informed the king at Babylon of his fuccefsful voyage, who 

 gave him orders to continue it into the Red Sea, which he 

 happily accomplifhed to the bottom of the Arabian Gulf. 



We are told it was his intention to carry on the India 

 trade by the Gulf of Perfia, for which reafon he broke 

 down all the cataracts and dams which the Perfians had 

 built over the rivers communicating with the Euphrates. 

 No ufe, however, feems to have been made of his knowledge 

 of Arabia and Ethiopia, which makes me imagine this ex- 

 pedition of Alexander's fleet was not an idea of his own. It 

 is, indeed, faid, that when Alexander came into India, the 

 fouthern or Indian Ocean was perfectly unknown ; but I 

 am rather inclined to believe from this circumftance, that 

 this voyage was made from fome memorials remaining 

 concerning the voyage of Darius. The fact and circum- 

 ftances of Darius's voyage are come down to us, and, by 

 thefe very fame means, it mull be probable they reached 

 Alexander, who I do not believe ever intended to carry on 

 the India trade at Babylon. 



To render it impoflible, indeed, he could not have done 

 three things more effectual than he did, when he deftroyed 

 Tyre, and difperfed its inhabitants, perfecuted the Orites, or 

 land-carriers, in the Ariana, and built Alexandria upon the 

 Mediterranean ; which laft ftep fixed the Indian trade in that 

 city, and would have kept it there eternally, had the Cape 

 of Good Hope never been difcovered. 



TH£ 



